...goes to Andrew Neil who forced himself to sit through the whole of Eurovision just to vote for Eden Golan (the Israeli entrant mysteriously named after an occupied territory in Syria who had to have her lyrics toned down to make them non political). Apparently political comments aren't allowed at Eurovision which may be why it's so dull. To prevent the Israeli contestant being booed off stage by political activists apparently an anti-boo machine was invented. I'm rather jealous this technology was not available when I used to compere Pear Shaped in Fitzrovia. I'm not sure why Neil sat through the whole of Eurovision when he was going to vote for Golan (or Syria/Israel) anyway no matter what the songs were like but I enjoyed his cheek of complaining that the songs were rubbish after voting politically in a contest in which superficially no politics or commentary on politics/war is allowed... Except for Waterloo? Golan was defeated. Nemo won the war for Switzerland - a "neutral country" that doesn't do wars. Nemo of course means nobody (which is why Jules Verne chose it for the Captain). So perhaps it could ironically be said that no one won this year? According to Golan "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - the motto of cannon fodder throughout the ages. To be fair there's an element of truth in it if you disregard shrapnel and Parkinson's I suppose...
My first and last Eurovision Song Contest. Never again! A cacophony of drivel and preening pixies with big egos and little talent. But interesting window on the Americanisation of European popular culture.
— Andrew Neil (@afneil) May 12, 2024
American-style presenters with weak scripts, fake bonhomie/enthusiasm and…
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