Auðvitað mátti treysta á Spiked til að koma með bestu greininguna á Júróvisíón og „austantjaldssamsærinu“ mikla!
Many commentators seem to believe that Eastern Europeans are inferior to we civilised, stable and wealthy Westerners. At a time when Eurovision could be a symbol of international harmony – bleached white teeth, dodgy lyrics, cheesy dance routines et al – the support Wogan has received from some quarters comes with a nasty undertone of xenophobia, or at least suspicion of the East.
Yet if you want to talk about being overwhelmed by ‘someone else’s culture’, check this: this year’s competition was hosted in Belgrade yet the whole show was presented in English, with the odd bit of token French translation. Of the 25 entrants, 17 were partly or wholly sung in English – including the French entry. Russia’s winning song was produced by Timbaland, the most high-profile music producer in the US. And the slickest performances from the likes of Ukraine were heavily influenced by big Western music acts (and were also a match for them). The singer of the Greek entry was a Britney clone from New York.