(no subject)

[shinytoaster]

So, Eurovision was last night, and I watched and enjoyed very much, although I am sure they have made Terry Wogan tone it down in recent years. He simply isn't as snarky as he used to be.

I voted for Bosnia-Herzegovina, but when they started to drop out of the running after 10 countries had voted, I rooted for Moldova, and finally switched allegiance to Malta, who appeared to have force-fed Celine Dion eat a hundredweight of pies and then written her a ballad. I like Malta - always the Eurovision bridesmaid. They should have won so many times, but of course I suspect they don't really want to, seeing as how Eurovision nearly bankrupted Ireland in the mid-90s. Now, Malta could fit comfortably inside the Dublin ring-road; a win would send them scurrying off to the IMF for structural readjustment.

Greece, the eventual winners, I thought were entirely unexceptional and didn't really deserve that, but then Greece are winning everything just lately, so why not that, too? It caps off an exciting year, and they can host it in the Olympic stadium next year.

I think I am getting closer to figuring out the reason why the UK never scores highly anymore. It isn't the quality of the music, because this year we really tried; we got on the Mystic East/Arabian Frights bandwagon. Unfortunately, everybody else got on the same bandwagon and so we ended up looking what we were, a rich, out of touch Western European country trying to be down with the kids in the Eastern Bloc.

So, it's a political thing? Yeah. Very much so. I think the image Britain projects abroad is that we don't want to play in their sandbox, so accordingly the rest of Europe says: 'fine, don't play in our sandbox.'

This country needs to readjust its focus. We're all high and mighty one minute, and the next we're writing withering opinion pieces about how we can't score at Eurovision anymore. We need to choose where we want to be, and as I've said before, we are in a unique position to bridge the gap between Europe and America, and this is something we are failing to exploit. On the great European Vespa, we're riding pillion, and I want to be steering. And waving. And not wearing a crash helmet. And saying, 'Ciao.'

Comments

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

That was a fantastic piece and you said what I feel. This is why I miss you !

[padders.livejournal.com]

i'm not sure i'd call making a generic euro-pop song as trying myself. i thought the songs this year were even worse than normal.. where *does* that music come from? you only hear it at eurovision.. i'm sure it can't exist really.

[pingviini.livejournal.com]

But if you're riding pillion, you can sleep for a bit (maybe)...

[meggitymeg.livejournal.com]

Ciao. :))