Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The world seems much quieter now...

Courtesy of outrageous fortune, I found myself at my Gran's (in Nottingham) last weekend. Consequently, I found myself listening to 'Strictly Come Dancing' on Saturday night - such is the volume at which she watches TV, only a retreat out to the car would have protected me from this fate.

I didn't actually see any of the show, on the grounds that I was trying to read my book at the time, but instead enjoyed the delights of their live singer mangling a great many tunes new and old. Now, the thing is, I know the music really isn't the point of the show, it being about dancing and all. (Well, actually, it's about a popularity contest for 'celebrities', but that's another rant.) Still, would it have killed them to get someone who could actually sing?

Oh, and another thing. What is it about the studio audiences at these things with their inane reactions to the judges? Say something nice about the performance, and there's a round of applause (presumably in recognition of completing a coherent sentence, without order wrong putting in words the the); say something critical, and there's a chorus of boos. I wouldn't mind so much, except that it's supposed to be a talent contest, and only about three people there were really qualified to comment, so shouldn't they be allowed to actually do their jobs?

Then again, they weren't helped by the fact that one of the judges obviously wanted to be the Simon Cowell of the dance scene, without realising that in addition to being incredibly arrogant, and often quite nasty, Simon is also generally incisive in his commentary. Instead, whenever she started talking, this judge started wittering on, saying nothing of consequence, but being sure to use her favourite catch-phrases. (I'm sorry, but "it had snap, it had crackle, and it had pop" doesn't mean anything, and once you've used it twice it's not even cute any more. As an alternative, why don't you try... "I liked it"?)

Gah!

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