by Ann Summers and Knickerbox CEO Jacqueline gold

Here's a game I enjoy, that you might want to play with your guests at your next dinner party - a little verbal jousting titled "overrated and underrated".

It's the most fun when one of you chooses a contrary viewpoint and is prepared to shout down the more popular pastimes or passions. The general rule is the more esoteric or controversial the stance you take, the better.

You'd be surprised at how agitated dog lovers become (and how much fun lies therein) when you pronounce dogs "overrated" and that furthermore anyone who loves them, with that soppy devotion you often see, should really work on getting more human friends first.

By way of balance, I'll concede that cats are as, if not more, overrated: you get very little back from a cat.

Something else that's over-rated is democracy. It's the unchallenged excuse nations give for going to war with countries whose citizens have food, running water and a new X-Box on their wish list, hundreds of places ahead of a ballot paper.

It's also the excuse Simon Cowell gave, when he declined to kick Jedward out of The X Factor. He reminded me of a modern day Marie-Antoinette, not only ignorant of the baying, booing crowd but also a leader who chose not to lead and take decisive action for the good of his people. Instead of "let them eat cake", he gave us "let the public decide" and Jedward survived. It was a dark day for democracy.

OK, it wasn't that dark. In fact Simon's decision has brought much light. Keeping Jedward in the competition probably saved ITV, sent sales of the Sun and celebrity magazines soaring and, as importantly, our customers love it.

I'm assuming that after getting the push, they'll be parachuted - quite literally - straight into the jungle, so this golden goose could be laying eggs for weeks to come.

But imagine what our high streets and shopping centres might look like in the New Year, if we simply let the people or crude market forces decide our fate. Voted off our streets will be big brands with heritage and a place in our hearts, together with smaller, innovative niche retailers that bring much needed diversity and innovation to our industry.

All those who can influence the future make-up of our market place - our bankers, town planners and those who set our business rates, landlords, centre management and trading associations - should seek to support the creative, the fabulous and the talented.

We must find innovative ways of supporting new businesses and recognise that a large part of our own stores' success is down to an inter-dependence we have with each other.

If together we don't, we could be left with a high street of the lowest common denominator, full of Poundlands selling Jedward's 2010 calendar - and shopping will become the nation's most overrated pleasure.