We reported to you earlier this week that Darren Criss had been offered a role to host the U.S. version of X Factor after Steve Jones was axed (along with Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger). Darren declined the offer, but did he make the right decision?
This is an opinion column written by resident Glee writer John Thrasher. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hypable.com as a whole.
It’s obvious that the Fox singing competition was looking to bring in big numbers with Criss potentially hosting the show. Britney Spears, one of the biggest pop stars of this generation, is not far away from inking a deal to be a judge. It’s no secret that besides Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Chris Colfer, Darren is more or less the face of Glee. Having him host a big name talent show would bring in all the screaming fans he has the world over.
But should Darren have accepted the offer that surely would have been at least a $1 million payday and tons more crossover exposure for Glee?
I say, absolutely not. He made the right choice. Darren fans who are aware of his personality and perspective on his career will know that hosting a huge, overly-produced competition show desperate for ratings is definitely not something that fits Darren’s overarching goal – whatever that goal may be. Thus far, Darren has played his cards right with his career. His rise from YouTube star (AVPM), to mainstream television and music star (Glee), to a critically-acclaimed Broadway actor (How To Succeed…), and eventually movie star (Imogene) has been a calculated progression that has been – very literally – a 100% success rate both critically and professionally in every way.
For me, I hope that Darren looked at the X Factor gig and realized that he had too much talent to share with the world and that every entertainment decision he makes should be focused on his talent: singing and acting. This decision shows that not only does Darren respect his career and his abilities, he knows how to set himself up for the best possible scenario to succeed with his talents.
Not everyone agrees, however. Do you think that Darren should have accepted the role as X Factor host? Would he have done a great job? Leave your comments below and we may read them on a future episode of Glee Chat!
This column was written by resident Glee reporter John Thrasher. Follow John on Twitter @jthrasher and be sure to check out our weekly podcast Glee Chat!
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