So This is Cynical

[rebness]

I have it in for the Pop Idol thing in general, and the clogging of the charts with crap covers, but I have particular issue with The Idols' cover of Lennon's seminal War is Over.

The reasons for this are simple:

1. Mad World is my favourite of the songs released this week, with a sparse, intelligent message.

2. The Darkness actually write their own songs and are generally fab. They deserve it over some manufactured pop tart.

3. War is over? Hello? The world is currently ravaged by conflict, hate and death... not only is the timing insensitive, but not one penny is going to charity. Instead, Simon Cowell is hoping to make a tidy profit from the deep anti-war sentiment in the UK at the moment.

That is why Massive Attack rule, as they er...Attacked *ducks* the goons:

Massive Attack have condemned the decision to release a Pop Idol version of John Lennon's Happy Xmas (War is Over) as "utterly repugnant".

The band have joined up with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in opposing the single which is favourite to be the Christmas No 1.

CND is calling for all profits from the sale of the CD to go to humanitarian aid organisations working in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Massive Attack's 3-D told NME.com: "This is a new low - it is utterly repugnant as a choice of song by anyone right now.

"US planes bombed and killed children in Afghanistan this week, US troop deaths since May have topped 200 and there have been thousands of Iraqi civilian casualties since Bush declared the war to be over."

Kate Hudson, CND Chair, said: "This move is both insensitive and offensive to those that have lost friends and family in the war."

Yes, exactly.