I'd rather fly with venga airlines...

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

Now I have nothing against Scooch, although it turns out the only thing by them on my hd is their version of 'Maybe Tomorrow', the theme from The Littlest Hobo. After all if you loved Steps as much as I do, the thought of mini-Steps can't be that bad.  But -- and you knew there was a 'but' coming -- what on earth is it with the (now official!) uk eurovision entry. I had two questions for uk poptimists, but  I think I can answer one myself. So firstly, why will uk tv audiences choose eurovision entries in styles which would have no chance at all in the terminally lumpen uk charts? (And I guess the answer is that the overlap between uk prime time tv audiences and the punters buying singles is minimal.) But secondly, why can't we do this sort of thing honestly? -- The nudge nudge wink wink campness of 'Flying the Flag (For You)' comes across as forced and almost unpleasant, a kind of two fingers to anyone who actually takes eurovision seriously. Not just the actually quite rubbish dance routine, but all those spoken word interjections --  'salty nuts, sir'; 'blow' -- just seem to scream 'this is a piss-take'. And if the uk can't even keep a straight face while picking an entry, why the hell do we bother putting money into the competition? It feels to me as if the whole process gets a bbc frame round it saying 'this is naff, you would be seriously lacking in taste to take it seriously', which implies contempt for at least some of the audience.

Comments

...

[roodle-faux.livejournal.com]

They had that look on their faces for the whole performance(s), like they were trying not to laugh at their own jokes and only just managing it. It was just all so cynical.

By the way, this song was entered into MYMU

http://www.myspace.com/officialdiscotheque

but turned down by the BBC because it's "not what the public would be into". They couldn't have meant "too pop", or "too camp", what with Scooch being there and all, and the quality didn't seem to be the problem. With all the big names that took part it makes you wonder if the BBC just needed to justify the show's Saturday night placing and get as many votes as possible, rather than being that bothered about Eurovision. It might be better if they just got rid of the MYMU show and let a dozen people who actually like EV choose the songs, rather than leaving it to a country of people who don't seem to like the music.

[whalefish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the whole idea seemed to be "Let's do this bollocks because the UK will think it's ironic and vote for us". I don't mind that we're entering a joke song, because some of my favourite Eurovision songs were jokes really (anyone remember Guildo Horn?), but with this I feel like the joke's actually on the people who voted it in.

It was all a bit Fast Food Rockers too - "Would you like that to go? Any sauces?"

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

I voted for Scooch twice!

[(Anonymous)]

"...terminally lumpen uk charts..."

HRNK! Call the Poptimist Police!

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I can't work out if this is a 'funny', or if you're just being a dick!

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure the BBC actually wants the UK to win - if we did, it would involve a lot of expense and effort in actually putting the shows (2 of them now there's a semi-final). Whereas just taking part only involves organising the Making Your Mind Up show - and by the looks of the production on saturday night's show (dodgy sound, appalling camerawork, presenters who seemed underprepared) the BBC spent as little as possible on it.

The show still does really well in the UK - over 8 million viewers, and the prevaling view (heartily encouraged by Terry Wogan, who seems more and more out of touch with the contest every passing year) is that all the songs are rubbish, and it's a complete lottery who wins, so we might as well stick a novelty act in ourselves - even though the contest isn't really like that at all any more.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It is cynical sure. But I think the UK public *don't* "take Eurovision seriously". A guy in my office thinks it'll win because it's "kitsch" - it is (though deliberate kitsch is never loveable) and I think we've got it right in terms of the stage show, we're putting a bit of effort in, but the British public either doesn't notice or doesn't care that the last few years have seen Eurovision won by good pop records with good visuals, not deliberately shite ones with same.

Mind you I loved Daz.

.

[roodle-faux.livejournal.com]

It would probably be better tho if it was kept well away from the public and just became a niche interest in this country.

DUMP WOGAN...

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

... is a large part of the answer