Dustin for Eurovision

[Pauro 76]

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0129/eurovision.html

Not sure this should be in the music forum but are the rumours true? Hope so, we all need a good laugh. The ultimate sign that we're finally treating the show as a bit of craic.

[Bondvillain]

Dunno. I thought the character outlived it's usefulness a long time ago, and isn't half as funny as his creator seems to think he is.

He was a decent sidekick to the bould Zig and Zag back in the day (although I was more of a Snotser man meself) , but on his own, he cant ad-lib, and SHOUTIN' INCOHERENT ABUSE AT THE TOP OF YER GRATIN' SKANGER VOICE as your main comedy device is only funny for about 3 seconds.

His humour doesnt travel well, and in using him, theres a danger we'd look like we were trying desperate tactics to actually win the stupid thing...

[Wolfie]

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0129/eurovision.html

Not sure this should be in the music forum but are the rumours true? Hope so, we all need a good laugh. The ultimate sign that we're finally treating the show as a bit of craic.

Imagine the double-take if other country's heard that "Dustin Hoffman" is representing Ireland in the Eurovision.

[Pauro 76]

If a Finnish 'death metal' band can win it, why not a narthside Dublin turkey? dont think it'll translate well either, the UK might get in on the joke though.

[noby]

I would rather be the laughing stock of Europe by sticking to our 'pop-ballad' guns, in the hope that we can rekindle the '80s flame than be the laughing stock of Europe for entering that annoying puppet into the competition.
Actually I'd sooner abstain if that's the respect we're going to show the competition.

[tetsujin1979]

I would rather be the laughing stock of Europe by sticking to our 'pop-ballad' guns, in the hope that we can rekindle the '80s flame than be the laughing stock of Europe for entering that annoying puppet into the competition.
Actually I'd sooner abstain if that's the respect we're going to show the competition.

Repect?? For the eurovision??

[Block G Raptor]

I would rather be the laughing stock of Europe by sticking to our 'pop-ballad' guns, in the hope that we can rekindle the '80s flame than be the laughing stock of Europe for entering that annoying puppet into the competition.
Actually I'd sooner abstain if that's the respect we're going to show the competition.

These yokes (http://pastydancer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/_42917907_ukraine_afp4161.jpg) showed loads of respect to the other entrants didn't they

[Kingdom]

These yokes (http://pastydancer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/_42917907_ukraine_afp4161.jpg) showed loads of respect to the other entrants didn't they

I actually liked that song!

[soccerc]

If a Finnish 'death metal' band can win it, why not a narthside Dublin turkey? dont think it'll translate well either, the UK might get in on the joke though.

Well, he is a fan of League of Ireland and not a northsider, but a liberty boy who followed St Francis as far as the Long Mile Road!

He sported the St Francis shirt on the Den for two seasons!

[noby]

These yokes (http://pastydancer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/_42917907_ukraine_afp4161.jpg) showed loads of respect to the other entrants didn't they
Doesn't mean we have to stoop to that level.

I mean, look at the UK. They tried it last year, and still came nowhere.

I would genuinely prefer to pick a good singer and a good song, and come nowhere, than this desperation of having a circus act, and probably still come nowhere. Now we can do a lot better, song-wise, than the last few years, granted.

[Block G Raptor]

Doesn't mean we have to stoop to that level.

I mean, look at the UK. They tried it last year, and still came nowhere.

I would genuinely prefer to pick a good singer and a good song, and come nowhere, than this desperation of having a circus act, and probably still come nowhere. Now we can do a lot better, song-wise, than the last few years, granted.

Due to Geographical Location and/or politics we'll always come nowhere since the the eastern block countries have entered the equation, tactical/friendly voting and all that, but with a good enough gimmick we might pull something off
I'd be all for Dustin Aloucious Hoffmann

[noby]

You see I would say: Due to Geographical Location and/or politics we'll always come nowhere since the the eastern block countries have entered the equation, tactical/friendly voting and all that, but are we really that desperate?

Granted, we're still stuck in the 1980s with some of the songs we enter, and there has to be a bit of moving with the times, but as I said before, I would prefer to stick to my guns. There's bound to be a back-lash to all these dance/costume/pyrotechnic driven entries, and I can see us just catching up with that when everyone else has moved on. Stick to what we know, that's what I would do.

[Block G Raptor]

There's bound to be a back-lash to all these dance/costume/pyrotechnic driven entries, and I can see us just catching up with that when everyone else has moved on. Stick to what we know, that's what I would do.

I disagree I reckon the Gimmicky Pyrotechnic driven songs get people dialing in their votes and make Money which is what it's all about, I'd rather see a return to the panel style voting system only then will it become a real Song contest again! but there's no money in that so won't happen IMO

[DaveyCakes]

It's funny how everyone suddenly has become so offended by countries voting for their neighbours, although it was fine for Ireland and the UK to swap high marks for 40 years.

[Block G Raptor]

It's funny how everyone suddenly has become so offended by countries voting for their neighbours, although it was fine for Ireland and the UK to swap high marks for 40 years.

It seldom affected the overall outcome except when UK gave us 12 to win it leaving themselves in 2nd. It's a lot more prevalent now with 9 or 10 eastern Block countries dictating the winner every year. Ireland, Uk Germany or france et al could have the greatest song/performance ever and would still not be in a hope in hell, the winner would still be poland or lithuania or whichever
the Eurovision was alway's a bit of a joke but it's ridiculous now

[DaveyCakes]

Maybe the (former) Eastern Bloc countries have a lot of cultural similarities & links, so they'll tend to vote similarly.

All of the recent winners have scored well from across Europe, not just from the East.

[DaveyCakes]

Back to the topic in hand, Dustin was funny for a while 20 years ago...:(

[Block G Raptor]

All of the recent winners have scored well from across Europe, not just from the East.

Agreed the rest of europe voted for eastern block entries too but I'm damn sure the Eastern block Hasn't given a single 12 points to any western country in years

[Maz]

Back to the topic in hand, Dustin was funny for a while 20 years ago...:(
While I agree with this perhaps he will be funny now to other people, the people who will be voting. Sure the whole thing is gone so ridiculous, he cant do any worse than what has gone before him in the last 3/4 years

[bennocelt]

Im sorry but "good music" and the "eurovision" dont fit, never did, so I am all for Dustin doing his stuff for Ireland

[Bondvillain]

I am all for Dustin doing his stuff for Ireland


Naaah. I think if that happened, Id be all in favour of a "Not in my name" campaign. It'd be a bit too embarrassing.

Very few countries would 'get' the joke. Of those that did, none (with the possible exception of some pockets of the UK with Hibernian sympathies) would find it funny.

The rest would either think we're entering this shyte cos we're sulking because we dont win anymore, or that a puppet turkey with an annoying voice and a very limited comedy repetoire is the very pinnacle of our creative achievements as a nation.

Many people forget that Finland won with an unprecedented pan-european majority, with even it's traditionally unfriendly & unco-operative Nordic neighbours, many of whom long considered Finnish culture embarrassing, scoring it highly, and Serbia's winning entry last year, (a passable middle of the road AOR ditty, with real music and lyrics and a band and everything...) may have got the expected "block votes" from Montenegro etc, but what actually enabled their win was the High marks from the Big 5 western nations (UK, Germany, France, Spain and someone else...) and Ireland. Sometimes a decent-ish song can actually win...

Ireland , if they're interested, should try finding a decent song instead of using the selection process as a typical Rte 1550 SCAM U type moneyspinner (Note to RTE Lads - Don Givens is available for selection processes now, you know. If you're lucky, he may know more about music than he does about football...) and if they aren't interested, they should just pull out of the damn thing altogether, like Monaco & the Italians did.

[Risteard]

Give it to Samantha Mumba.
We really need to get the bloc-vote out.

[bellavistaman]

Would be brilliant, hilarious, and in my opinion shows the disgrace of a competition has actually turned into.

[Poor Student]

(UK, Germany, France, Spain and someone else...)

There's a lot of Serbian immigrants in France, Germany and Austria as well as some in the UK and Sweden as well as those of other ex-Yugoslav states. That can help skew the voting pattern too. You only have to look at how Ireland apportions its points, it reads a list of the largest immigrant groups in the republic.

[Bondvillain]

There's a lot of Serbian immigrants in France, Germany and Austria as well as some in the UK and Sweden as well as those of other ex-Yugoslav states. That can help skew the voting pattern too. You only have to look at how Ireland apportions its points, it reads a list of the largest immigrant groups in the republic.

A large cross-European Serbian diaspora there may be, I can neither confirm nor deny such a fact.

However, for the above fact to have resonance in a democratic (yet fundamentally profit making) situation such as the Eurosong vote, you'd have to assume that a massive majority of these expats, in each of their new nations of residence, voted en masse on their mobiles for their home nation in the Eurovision enough times to make a difference in a population base the size of any of the above 'big five' mentioned...

I personally would hazard that this did not occur on the scale required, as I reckon many ex-pat Serbs would be more concenred with more significant things like, say, paying the rent or surviving in a foreign country, than trying to play a machiavellian part in making sure their country had the best song in a Saturday night pan-European tops of the towns talent show.

Realistically, the general consensus amongst European radio stations & broadcasters was that the Serbian entry was just "a decent oul tune" that people liked, (considering it was a Eurovison song) and nobody found too annoying.

Sometimes there is no conspiracy. :)

[Bondvillain]

Well, Dustin appears to have made the shortlist (http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=54275-qqqx=1.asp)....

The words "Oh" and "dear" come to mind...

[Bondvillain]

...Stick your money on the entry written by the Slovenian gang...

[Bondvillain]

Currently being discussed on Liveline.

The words "Embarrassment" "Disgrace" "Stupidity" and "Shame" are being bandied about with even more regularity than usual when the Eurovision is being discussed.

Frank McNamara is furious, Duffy is bemused, and Shay Healy appears to be on some kind of medication.

The song itself was played and is mildly melodic and uncomplicated, with a smattering of witty lines (although probably only witty if English is your first language) but will no doubt grate after verse 3. It also bears some uncanny similarities to the Lithuanian joke entry from 2006 "We are the Winners (of the Eurovision)"

However it's better than Dervish. Still a poor idea though.

[mypost]

Already the bloc are up in arms. "Disgrace", "nonsense", "illegal" :rolleyes:

They've had it all their own way for yonks now, they claimed the top 17 spots last year, now when someone threatens their dominance, they cry foul.

Yes, it's a joke song, yes it will probably do well, yes it shouldn't be in Eurovision, but what harm??

Ireland were drawn in 4th place in the first semi-final, yes first one this year. We're on the Tuesday night. New countries are Azerbaijan and San Marino, featuring a song in Italian for the first time in 15 years.

Right, there goes Malta's 12 points...... :o

[Pauro 76]

San Marino? That's a strange one. Maybe we could get the Vatican City entry and get the Pope singing a hymn, that may get a cr@pload of votes.