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Engelbert Humperdinck to represent the UK at Eurovision

by | 2nd, March 2012

EUROVISION is getting among everyone again, and in the latest desperate, needy grab at being loved, the UK has tried to second guess the tastes of Europe by going insultingly kitsch and camp and hired Engelbert Humperdinck to represent.

Yes. An aging, prema-tanned man who does the jobs Tom Jones turns down.

Of course, that’s no slight on Engelbert because, face it, Quando Quando Quando is a toweringly good song and Release Me is a bona fide wedding reception classic. But will he get us loving looks from a collection of countries that essentially hate us?

Recent winners have been quirky, good looking young people. Germany’s recent winner, basically, made a very good pop song that was devoid of the cynicism which seems to follow the UK’s decision making process. And we choose people like the likeable, but gaspingly irrelevant Andy Abraham. Let us not forget Scooch. Please try and forget the toe-curling Daz Sampson.

And just kill Blue please. That was a huge, huge mistake.

While all these acts have been ill-thought or culturally past-it, the sticking plaster for the problem is to send a man who last flirted with the Top 20 in 1972? This is going to be embarrassing, apart from those that filled Humperdinck fan forums with sweaty, fawning love.

Even Steps turned down Eurovision for their comeback. That’s how much the pop-world of the UK think of the competition. With that kind of attitude, it is little wonder that no-one wants to vote for us. We’re a country that reeks of being ‘too cool’ for such an event. Sadly, it’s the purest form of pop and we’re really missing out in favour of wanting little more than big viewing figures for the BBC.

Basically, if you’re a fan of the show, try and ignore the fuss surround our ‘hopeful’ and focus on the other countries who play the game in the right spirit, get drunk and with panto outrage, complain about the rigged votes and such.

Even though we’re hopeless when it comes to Eurovision, it really is the most satisfying of all the water-cooler events in the British pop calendar, with or without Engelbert Humperdinck.

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File photo dated 24/09/1975 of veteran crooner Engelbert Humperdink at Heathrow Airport. He has been chosen as the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.



Posted: 2nd, March 2012 | In: Celebrities Comment | TrackBack | Permalink