Does Britain really still have talent?

Debb1eDebb1e Posts: 451
Forum Member
What have we seen the last few weeks?

A man trying to eat a certain number of chocolates in a minute...
A fat drag artiste wobbling his massive belly about...
Three old ladies teaching finger knitting...

... and all the other wannabes, whether they got through or not.

The question I put to you, good people, is this: how many BGT finalists from the last three series' will still be around to entertain us in 10, 20, 30 years' time?

If you look at the good old British entertainers over the years, you will see the 'greats' such as Ken Dodd, Bruce Forsyth, Bob Monkhouse and the recently-deceased Danny LaRue listed among them.

Now I'm not saying these are to everyone's taste (none of them particularly appeal to me) but you still have to acknowledge that these people have kept the British public entertained for decades and decades, and some of them still continue to do so (those who are still alive, that is).

The point I'm trying to make is that these guys are or where what entertainment was all about. Compare Danny LaRue to some of the pathetic drag acts we saw in BGT. Compare the all-singing, all-dancing, comedy and personality of Bruce Forsyth, the razor-sharp wit of Bob Monkhouse and the singing and dancing, witty double-entendres of Ken Dodd to some of the so-called dance and novelty 'acts' we saw.

Love them or loathe them, there's no denying the fact that they are what British Talent is really all about.

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,204
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Debb1e wrote: »
    What have we seen the last few weeks?

    A man trying to eat a certain number of chocolates in a minute...
    A fat drag artiste wobbling his massive belly about...
    Three old ladies teaching finger knitting...

    ... and all the other wannabes, whether they got through or not.

    The question I put to you, good people, is this: how many BGT finalists from the last three series' will still be around to entertain us in 10, 20, 30 years' time?

    If you look at the good old British entertainers over the years, you will see the 'greats' such as Ken Dodd, Bruce Forsyth, Bob Monkhouse and the recently-deceased Danny LaRue listed among them.

    Now I'm not saying these are to everyone's taste (none of them particularly appeal to me) but you still have to acknowledge that these people have kept the British public entertained for decades and decades, and some of them still continue to do so (those who are still alive, that is).

    The point I'm trying to make is that these guys are or where what entertainment was all about. Compare Danny LaRue to some of the pathetic drag acts we saw in BGT. Compare the all-singing, all-dancing, comedy and personality of Bruce Forsyth, the razor-sharp wit of Bob Monkhouse and the singing and dancing, witty double-entendres of Ken Dodd to some of the so-called dance and novelty 'acts' we saw.

    Love them or loathe them, there's no denying the fact that they are what British Talent is really all about.

    I see your point, but you also have to take into consideration that times have changed. In the past you made it to the top and stayed there due to scarcity. You only had 3 channels and radio, so it was almost like a monopoly on decent entertainers.

    Nowadays the choice is so vast that you have so many entertainers that can work on various tv channels, films, radio, internet, etc. Its hard to say that any artists will be around in 30 years whether they are good or not.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,898
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I don't think you can judge the talent in Britain based on BGT..Britain has plenty of talented musicians, sportsmen/women, actors etc
  • SCD-ObserverSCD-Observer Posts: 18,560
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    To answer the OP the original question: Does Britain really (still?) have talent?

    I can safely say yes. They just don't go around flaunting their talents, that's all.

    This I speak with firm conviction. It also depends on how you define 'talent'. Because for me, talent is not just for entertainment.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,013
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I don't think you can look at a show like BGT to determine whether Britain has talent. Those acts you referenced weren't put on telly because anyone thought they were talented, they were put on there because they knew people would find it entertaining.

    I'm skeptical as to whether even those in the final were the best out of everyone who auditioned for the show.

    Would be lovely to have a competition on that scale that was independent of financial interest, but it's pretty idealistic!
  • ÆnimaÆnima Posts: 38,548
    Forum Member
    Yes, but BGT is as much an entertainment show as it is a search for Britain’s talent + don't forget, a lot of major talent in this country will become famous without needing the show.

    It's for amateur talent and it's pretty obvious they only put the really bad acts on just so people can get a cheap laugh. It's like a visit to the freak show for the 21st century...
  • 688peterl688peterl Posts: 632
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Yes it does, we will see it on thursday at 9:00 pm on channel 4
Sign In or Register to comment.