It seems appropriate that I'm writing this piece on the day that the UK announced Engelbert Humperdinck as the 2012 entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. I am an unashamed fan of the whole Eurovision circus and start to get a little giddy at this time of year for the forthcoming festivities. That's not to say that I spend all my time listening to cheesy Euro-pop numbers, rather that I enjoy an intensive couple of weeks listening to all the entries with the added incentive that I may make some money by backing the winner.
Eurovision is a fun filled festival of frothy Euro frivolity, but the UK media seem to have taken against it, basically because we don't win every year. The reason we don't win is because we enter useless songs and other countries actually put some time and effort into their selections. All the talk of political and block voting is a myth and a result of our xenophobia. Sadly, our nation's inadequacies mean that we see it as a chance to put one over 'Johnny Foreigner' and we end up missing the whole point; that it's just a bit of fun!
In every Eurovision there is a track where an attractive young woman, usually from Eastern Europe, wears an enticing costume and is backed by some traditional dancers for a right old thigh slapping, boot stomping knees up. 'Show me your Love' is the archetypal Eurovision entry of this kind and easily the best Eurovision song of the last twenty years. Tina Karol has a sexy accent as thick as condensed treacle, the obligatory short skirt and boots ensemble, a group of skipping Kosak style dancers and one hell of a fine pair of lungs on her, (just listen to the stadium busting long note near the end for proof.) Thighs are slapped, boots are stomped and there's even an excruciating little wink and thumbs up to camera towards the end of the performance. If this doesn't convince you that Eurovision is a good thing then I'm not sure if anything will.
I'm not convinced. I don't think anything will.
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