Last night saw “The X Factor” season finale. Country artist Tate Stevens won the competition, beating out young Carly Rose Sonenclar. Throughout this season, I became less and less interested in the show. This is the first time I’ve ever actually watched “The X Factor,” and it’s only because Britney Spears is a judge. The show had some great auditions and it got me really excited for some of the contestants. However, once the competition part of the show started, I felt letdown. The contestants were broken up into groups and each judge acted as a mentor for these groups. There are several things wrong with this. First of all, it pits the judges against each other. Second of all, it pits the judges against the contestants. And probably the most unsettling part of all, the contestants seem to have their artistry stripped away. I view artistry as having your own voice and being the person you are. In many cases, it felt like the contestants turned into the judge’s view of who they are as opposed to who they actually are. CeCe Frey is a good example of this. I wish Tate Stevens the best and actually respect him, as he seemed to maintain the artist he was from the beginning. And that is probably why he won the competition.