Comments on: Ireland meets its Waterloo http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/ Mark Time. Gather My Thoughts. Talk to myself. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:06:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Treasa http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/#comment-17259 Tue, 22 May 2007 09:23:45 +0000 http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/#comment-17259 Oh Mark, come on...it's not that simple. You must know by now that the Eurovision is an irrelevancy and that in fact, what is a reflection of Irish culture is the pre-eminence of Westlife and Katy French. After all, what else have we left in our lives only what the Sunday Independent peddles to us each Sunday if we are not rebellious enough not to buy it or access the website. Culture is as culture is defined by Barry Egan, after all. Darn it I thought I'd get through more than four days after my holiday before cynicism started to bite again. Mea culpa. Anyway, although I spend a lot of time in the grey areas of life, I still think that the song was rubbish and sometimes things are just that simple. By the way I thought this was my best line in a long time "We think we’re playing chess but actually, we’re playing online Tomb Raider and no one has copped it here." I'm disappointed no one picked up on it. Maybe I should have used YuGiOh instead. Oh well. Oh Mark, come on…it’s not that simple. You must know by now that the Eurovision is an irrelevancy and that in fact, what is a reflection of Irish culture is the pre-eminence of Westlife and Katy French. After all, what else have we left in our lives only what the Sunday Independent peddles to us each Sunday if we are not rebellious enough not to buy it or access the website. Culture is as culture is defined by Barry Egan, after all.

Darn it I thought I’d get through more than four days after my holiday before cynicism started to bite again. Mea culpa.

Anyway, although I spend a lot of time in the grey areas of life, I still think that the song was rubbish and sometimes things are just that simple.

By the way I thought this was my best line in a long time “We think we’re playing chess but actually, we’re playing online Tomb Raider and no one has copped it here.” I’m disappointed no one picked up on it. Maybe I should have used YuGiOh instead. Oh well.

]]> by: Mark Waters http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/#comment-16415 Mon, 14 May 2007 18:05:40 +0000 http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/#comment-16415 <i>Since quite a sizable proportion of Eastern/Central Europe is working here, you’d have to assume they know about us.</i> You're well-travelled enough to know that the the amount of Eastern/Central Europeans working in Ireland as a percentage of the population of Eastern/Central Europe is a drop in the ocean. As a percentage of the Irish population they <i>are</i> quite significant but I think that was my point. We assume that every house in Poland is pining for a loved one in misty Ireland. (And yeah, I do read far more into the Eurovision then is really there, I'm a bit like John Waters (no relation by the way) in that regard. I could go on all night with theories about how it's a reflection of how Irish culture as been hijacked by the forty-something U2/Riverdance crowd and how the kids have been pushed to the margins etc. etc. you know the drill...). Since quite a sizable proportion of Eastern/Central Europe is working here, you’d have to assume they know about us.

You’re well-travelled enough to know that the the amount of Eastern/Central Europeans working in Ireland as a percentage of the population of Eastern/Central Europe is a drop in the ocean. As a percentage of the Irish population they are quite significant but I think that was my point. We assume that every house in Poland is pining for a loved one in misty Ireland.

(And yeah, I do read far more into the Eurovision then is really there, I’m a bit like John Waters (no relation by the way) in that regard. I could go on all night with theories about how it’s a reflection of how Irish culture as been hijacked by the forty-something U2/Riverdance crowd and how the kids have been pushed to the margins etc. etc. you know the drill…).

]]> by: Andrew http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/#comment-16413 Mon, 14 May 2007 15:57:27 +0000 http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/#comment-16413 Just stumbled across this blog and wanted to give a bit of support to Ireland. Although the song wasn't the best there, it certainly wasn't the worst by a long shot. But you're right in saying that it needs to be the kind of song that can be remixed into a drum and bass track to be played in nightclubs throughout the continent. It was a nice, safe choice going with a cultural feel but that might have been its downfall. As to why Ireland didn't get more votes, I think a lot of the blame can rest on us here in the UK. I didn't expect either country to get anything from the Eastern bloc, which is exactly what it is. If anything, I assumed Ireland would get most of its votes from the UK (after all, 7 of our 19 points were from Ireland, and another 12 were from Malta. Perhaps they feel indebted because of the whole colonial thing?) If anything, I was hoping the UK would come in dead last, because there's a fine line between a great dance song and complete rubbish, which is what our song was. Dancing with arms outstreched like aeroplane wings and making in-flight comments over bubblegum kiddie pop music? I had to leave the room. In the future, Ireland should perhaps take a nice solid pop tune that the country can be proud of. It worked for Serbia. If you want to point the finger of blame towards anyone outside, though, it should be at us. We let Ireland down, and with this Eastern bloc, we need to support each other. Just stumbled across this blog and wanted to give a bit of support to Ireland. Although the song wasn’t the best there, it certainly wasn’t the worst by a long shot. But you’re right in saying that it needs to be the kind of song that can be remixed into a drum and bass track to be played in nightclubs throughout the continent. It was a nice, safe choice going with a cultural feel but that might have been its downfall. As to why Ireland didn’t get more votes, I think a lot of the blame can rest on us here in the UK. I didn’t expect either country to get anything from the Eastern bloc, which is exactly what it is. If anything, I assumed Ireland would get most of its votes from the UK (after all, 7 of our 19 points were from Ireland, and another 12 were from Malta. Perhaps they feel indebted because of the whole colonial thing?) If anything, I was hoping the UK would come in dead last, because there’s a fine line between a great dance song and complete rubbish, which is what our song was. Dancing with arms outstreched like aeroplane wings and making in-flight comments over bubblegum kiddie pop music? I had to leave the room. In the future, Ireland should perhaps take a nice solid pop tune that the country can be proud of. It worked for Serbia. If you want to point the finger of blame towards anyone outside, though, it should be at us. We let Ireland down, and with this Eastern bloc, we need to support each other.

]]> by: Treasa http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/#comment-16411 Mon, 14 May 2007 14:20:58 +0000 http://www.markingtime.org/blog/2007/05/14/ireland-meets-its-waterloo/#comment-16411 If we want to win the Eurovision we need to write a pop song that they'll play in the clubs across Europe. A suitable example would be not unlike what your woman tried to do to The song in "Music and Lyrics" with the pseudo-ethnicky dnb rhythm". The whole point - which people seem to be forgetting - is the song doesn't have to be good any more, in fact, it helps if it is not. The Eurovision is not a highbrow cultural event, it's Andy Warholesque on a selection of drugs that I don't even know exist. IIRC correctly we nominated three songwriters to come up with the songs, and not one of them - fine songwriters as they may be with the exception of John Waters who's just annoying - could have won the Eurovision cos they're all wrong. Outside chance if you get the Frank and Walters or someone underground...but very outside. Like real life, a victory requires thinking outside the box. We're not very good that really. In other words, the game has changed, the rules of the game have changed, and change all the time. It's a bit like economic growth and property investment as well. We think we're playing chess but actually, we're playing online Tomb Raider and no one has copped it here. And oh yeah, it's not a reflection of our place in Europe. Since quite a sizable proportion of Eastern/Central Europe is working here, you'd have to assume they know about us. I'm listening to the song here now which I had somewhat fortunately never heard before. I don't care how gutted John Waters is, the song was never going to win even with a techno beat. If we want to win the Eurovision we need to write a pop song that they’ll play in the clubs across Europe. A suitable example would be not unlike what your woman tried to do to The song in “Music and Lyrics” with the pseudo-ethnicky dnb rhythm”. The whole point - which people seem to be forgetting - is the song doesn’t have to be good any more, in fact, it helps if it is not.

The Eurovision is not a highbrow cultural event, it’s Andy Warholesque on a selection of drugs that I don’t even know exist. IIRC correctly we nominated three songwriters to come up with the songs, and not one of them - fine songwriters as they may be with the exception of John Waters who’s just annoying - could have won the Eurovision cos they’re all wrong. Outside chance if you get the Frank and Walters or someone underground…but very outside. Like real life, a victory requires thinking outside the box. We’re not very good that really.

In other words, the game has changed, the rules of the game have changed, and change all the time. It’s a bit like economic growth and property investment as well. We think we’re playing chess but actually, we’re playing online Tomb Raider and no one has copped it here.

And oh yeah, it’s not a reflection of our place in Europe. Since quite a sizable proportion of Eastern/Central Europe is working here, you’d have to assume they know about us. I’m listening to the song here now which I had somewhat fortunately never heard before. I don’t care how gutted John Waters is, the song was never going to win even with a techno beat.

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