Originally Posted by haphash:
“I agree. It's because the contest is generally not well thought of this country. In other countries they send their best artists and try to send the best song they can.”
The problem we have is that the majority of people in the UK don't give a damn about Eurovision until we don't win it, then there is an outcry. And, to be fair to the BBC, they *usually* try their best to work with what is available to (a) please licence payers, and (b) win. But, regardless of the effort they put in, they're almost always negatively criticised for it, whatever approach they go for.
Originally Posted by haphash:
“When we send dross like Scooch/Jemini they know we are taking the mick. After all this country has always produced fantastic music and many worldwide stars.”
I've seen other countries take the mick too and end up Top 5. Our country may have fantastic music stars, producing fantastic music, but none of them will ever consider doing Eurovision because they don't *need* to consider doing it. Not that it would guarantee a win, even if they did. If you can say one thing about Eurovision, it's that the winner is never predictable.
Right now, people are complaining that the British public don't get to choose the song nor the singer any more. But the British public - who have proven year after year that they really could not choose a winning song if their lives depended on it - also chose Scooch to represent us. They also chose Jemini, and Andy Abraham, and Javine and everyone else who performed miserably.
The problem is the majority of the British public just doesn't *understand* Eurovision.
I've always argued that it's the X-Factor (no, not the show) which is important in Eurovision. There's always something which nobody predicted which helps a country win it. Sometimes it's a well known singer, singing a great song, which clinches it. Sometimes it's a well known singer singing a rubbish song. Sometimes, elaborate staging helps. Other times it's a stripped back acoustic performance which works. Sometimes some really TERRIBLE songs go Top 5 and leave some really great ones at the bottom of the leaderboard. Often, the best song of the night really is all you need.
I think the UK's approach this year is an interesting one. You can't say the BBC is being safe and predictable this time, that's for sure. Apart from that awful running order draw - which is unlucky - and in spite of the fact that the song isn't exactly my cup of tea - I think we have one of the best chances we've had in a long long time.
). So I would say that if we enter such tenth rate crap like that we deserve to come last or near last. 