Double Trouble: Worst 'X Factor' Performance Ever? Or BEST?

Sure, American Idol had Sanjaya Malakar. But identical twins John & Edward, the controversial contestants on Britain's X Factor whose polarizing performances are causing fistfights to break out at pub viewing parties across the United Kingdom, make Sanjaya seem like Adam Lambert in comparison. Seriously, if there was such a thing as Vote For The Worst U.K., John & Edward would be that site's proud posterboys.

By this, I mean they are jaw-droppingly, gob-smackingly, compulsively watchable, even if they might be better watched with the telly's sound turned to mute.

Looking like Vanilla Ice bookends (a better stage name for this duo might be Double Scoop) and singing just about as well as Vanilla Ice raps, John & Edward have generated English outrage ever since they shockingly advanced to Bootcamp Week over arguably much more gifted, if much less fascinating, vocalists. But much like Sanjaya's notorious Kinks-mangling performance or electric-socket-shocked fauxhawk during American Idol season 6, it's the John & Edward moments that people REMEMBER. These are the moments that Brits are gabbing about over their beans and toast on Sunday mornings.

Like this latest twin-terror tour de force:

I personally think John & Edward are pop-culture geniuses, and they even have some famous fans, like Boy George ("If X Factor is about fun then the twins are the winners!" he tweeted this past weekend, revealing that he'd voted for them several times) and celebutante Peaches Geldof (who tweeted, "I have their hotline number on speed dial on my phone. Embarrassing? Sure. Amazing? Yep," and then when the twins miraculously made it through another round unscathed, tweeted again: "JOHN AND EDWARD GOT THROUGH!!! THERE IS A GOD!!!!")

But as for The X Factor's MOST famous associate, Simon Cowell, it's hard to say whether or not he's a fan of the "double divas from Dublin." Yes, Simon did declare their Saturday night Britney routine "THE WORST LIVE PERFORMANCE" he'd ever seen in the entire history of The X Factor, and likened it to something out of The Exorcist. (The X-orcist Factor? That has a nice ring to it; I predict/pray for a John & Edward spinoff show...) But he also said the twins' fun and fearless performance had made him like them more (they'd had "likability issues" on past episodes, due to their constant sassing back to the judges). And coming from Simon, that is high praise indeed.

But was it really the worst performance ever? I dunno...I say that an identical-twin duet of Britney Spears' "Oops I Did It Again"--complete with shiny red PVC suits inspired by Brit's iconic plastic catsuit and a bizarre Titanic skit mid-song (both nods to the original song's video), plus a fleet of dancing Daft Punk-esque robots--just might be the BEST X Factor performance ever, really. Pure genius.

Now, if these wondertwins take a cue from Simon's Exorcist comment and spew Linda Blair-style pea soup during next week's number, I will figure out some way to rent a U.K. mobile phone and vote for them multiple times myself.