Wogan's wit lost on Eurovision director

[chris]

Terry Wogan has two explanations for the British public's enduring fascination with the Eurovision Song Contest. Firstly, the acerbic sage of the camp euro-pop extravaganza calls it "post-modern irony at its most effective". Perhaps more accurately, he says it is also a chance to "have a jolly good sneer at Johnny Foreigner".

But while millions look forward once a year to settling down in front of the television on a Saturday night in May to snigger at the annual showcase of glittery polyester costumes, saccharine-sweet Mediterranean ballads and Nordic death metal, it seems the organisers' tolerance of Britain's traditional irreverence to their event is wearing thin.

The BBC has been forced to underline that it "celebrates the variety ... and fun side" of the contest after the Danish director of Eurovision TV, the Swiss-based company that produces the competition watched by 300 million people worldwide, complained that neither the broadcaster nor its audience treats the gala performance with the seriousness it receives in other countries.

Bjorn Erichsen, the former managing director of Denmark's national broadcaster, went so far as to suggest that Sir Terry, whose wry observations about the tenor, tone and dress sense of contestants helped draw nearly 11 million viewers to the BBC's coverage last year, was making Eurovision look "ridiculous".

Speaking ahead of next week's annual musical jamboree in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, Mr Erichsen said: "The UK has double standards in the contest. It is something you love to hate. It's something to laugh at. It's something continental. It's a scam. It's ridiculous. The British like to distance themselves from it."

The Dane, who founded a respected film college in Copenhagen before joining the European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision TV, said he accepted that Wogan's caustic scepticism about level of musical talent on display at the contest was what made the show popular in the UK but added he was worried about the long-term effects of the Irish-born commentator's scorn.

Mr Erichsen said: "Terry Wogan is a problem because he makes it ridiculous. I know he is very popular, and maybe that is the reason why a lot of people watch. But one day he will have to retire and the BBC will have to find someone else. It will be interesting to see if that attitude changes. The BBC gets a very large audience but it chooses to represent the contest in a certain way. They take it far more seriously in Sweden. They have a genuine love and respect for it."

Mr Erichsen said he had raised his concerns with the corporation but the BBC said it was unaware of any contact.

After a dip in its popularity during the 1980s, the contest has enjoyed increasing popularity in Britain, with 10.9 million viewers tuning into last year's show broadcast from Finland.

A spokeswoman said: "The BBC has always fully supported Eurovision and celebrates the variety of the performances and the fun side of the contest. The fact that it got nearly 11 million viewers last year shows how popular Eurovision is in Britain."

A Eurovision TV spokesman insisted that Mr Erichsen was primarily concerned at how the BBC would ensure the popularity of its coverage after Wogan retires.

Speaking last week, Sir Terry said: "I don't make the mistake of thinking it's a major musical event. I love the Eurovision Song Contest and it will continue long after I'm gone. Just, please, don't ask me to take it seriously."

Sir Terry's Eurovision quips

"The music lover's Hamlet." - On the contest as a whole.

"Doctor Death and the Tooth Fairy." - Description of the hosts for the 2001 contest in Copenhagen, sparking outrage in Denmark.

"Strangely enough, Eurovision grows in popularity year on year. There was a period in the mid-1980s when I thought it was definitely losing some popularity. Then the penny dropped and people realised it was post-modern irony at its most effective."

"There's not enough silliness in the world. Eurovision helps to keep it balanced."

"Who knows what hellish future lies ahead? .... Actually, I do. I've seen the rehearsals." - Opening remark for the 2007 show in Finland.

"Every year I expect it to be less foolish and every year it is more so." - On the Finnish "horror rock" band Lordi winning the contest in 2006.


Source: independent

[wolsty]

I have to confess that Wogan's wit is lost on me too. I've never been able to understand the appeal of a man who, singlehandedly, has done more to banalise British radio and television than all other broadcasters put together. For me, there are two arguments for not watching the Eurovision Song Contest: the event itself and Wogan, the latter being the more persuasive.

[rolfw]

I'm not a Wogan lover, but I like him on this, as I tend to agree with pretty much all that he says.

If the Eurovision wants to be taken seriously, then they need to change the voting system so that it is less prone to voting alliances and raise the quality of the songs.

Although there are the occasional ones which shine through, our recent entries have been diabolical and certainly the last year's one was low quality trash, this year's by Andy Abraham being bland and unmemorable.

[Channel Hopper]

and the last UK entry was ?

http://www.wmuk-apache.co.uk/SCOOCH-promo-cover.jpg

and they got how many points ?

I think Terry Wogan has done us all a justice, including the numpties that voted Scooch in as the UK entrant as Johnny Foreigners.

Bring back Bucks Fizz, all is forgiven.

[T_G]

I think the whole show is ridiculous, no matter who is commenting on it. The "formula" song with the catchy refrain having to come no later then 20 seconds from the start, the political voting, the stupid lyrics and the silliness of the songs, costumes and forced smiles is all too much for me. But I do watch some of it, and the more Wogan slags them off the more I like it. How can anyone take it seriously?? And those imbecil dance routines...puke

[wolsty]

The Eurovision Song Contest is an easy target. It doesn't take an intellectual heavyweight, or even a Jeremy Paxman or John Humphrys, to ridicule it, so even Wogan should be able to make a half-decent job of poking fun at an event so lacking in quality.

Of course it's political! Last time I looked, Israel was firmly in the Middle East which, technically, is in Asia. Georgia and Azerbaijan certainly aren't in a Europe that any geographer would recognise; Russia and Turkey may have a claim to being in Europe, but there's a lot more of each country in Asia.

Perhaps we can look forward to a Eurasiavision song contest. But why stop there? Why not a Worldvision song contest? Then we could enjoy trash on a truly global scale.

[T_G]

Of course it's political! Last time I looked, Israel was firmly in the Middle East which, technically, is in Asia. Georgia and Azerbaijan certainly aren't in a Europe that any geographer would recognise; Russia and Turkey may have a claim to being in Europe, but there's a lot more of each country in Asia.

So what you are saying is that if these out of europe countries were not competing if would make a difference?
The competition, the songs and the whole spectacle is tacky and superficial, and nothing in the world could convince me otherwise. It has always been like it, but it is actually getting worse, in the 60ies there were some singers who had some sort of class...so you are saying that those strange horror creatures fom Finland are not to be ridiculed? Come on...

[Yorks]

Hats off to Terry I say!

If the organizers take it seriously then they are seriously out of touch. I don't think Tel can be accused of 'making it ridiculous'. No help needed on that score!

The British sense of humour is second to none. It's just a shame that everyone else can't see it. 'Are they 'avin a laff?'

[wolsty]

So what you are saying is that if these out of europe countries were not competing if would make a difference?
The competition, the songs and the whole spectacle is tacky and superficial, and nothing in the world could convince me otherwise. It has always been like it, but it is actually getting worse, in the 60ies there were some singers who had some sort of class...so you are saying that those strange horror creatures fom Finland are not to be ridiculed? Come on...

I may have explianed myself badly. I'm in complete agreement that the show is tacky and superficial. It's the nadir of dumbed-down entertainment, so the only possible reason I can envisage for non-European countries wanting to participate must be to advance their political agenda on the basis that any publicity is good publicity. Opening the competition to more countries only increases the quantity dross; it does nothing to improve quality.

As for Wogan, it's just a personal opinion, but I find his humour facile and his manner smug. Remember the Wogan chat shows? I wish I could forget them.