May 31 2009
Britain Doesn’t Deserve Their Talent
I never watch tv talent shows. They are - to paraphrase Thomas Hobbes - nasty, brutish and woefully overlong.
Britain’s Got Talent (ITV 1) burbled on in the background of my consciousness for more weeks than I care to remember this year, largely due to singer, Susan Boyle. So I decided to watch the final.
It is only because of a gift like hers that such shows should be allowed to continue. Otherwise the manner in which they are organised and presented is but a gleeful metaphor for the hate that continues to poison society. Some of the so-called acts - this was the final, mark you - should never have left the family bathroom let alone made their way into millions of homes on prime-time TV.
It is no wonder that Susan was prevented from being the show’s outright winner - the public was persuaded to choose the young, pretty Essex boy dancers. But as I’m not expert in what amounted to synchronised gymnastics, I’m not qualified to comment. Suffice to say that it seems people with too much power wanted a way of expressing ethnic diversity - and what better way than this? Indeed, I’m sure it’s no coincidence that this afternoon I received an email invitation to a:
one day seminar on cultural diversity and children’s theatre (which) will consider the national picture of how children’s work and festivals are addressing cultural diversity and how culturally diverse dance organisations are addressing the needs of the children within their programmes. Within the overall context a special focus of the seminar will be on the use of new technology and dance for the young audience”.
This all sounds very much the basis for the troupe which won last night’s show, wouldn’t you agree?
I’ve also just re-viewed Birmingham-based saxophonist, Julian Smith, who is another wonderful reason why I must agree - regretfully - that such shows should continue. I’m sure even Leonard Bernstein would adore his version of There’s a Place for Us. I’ve now watched it three times (last night and twice on Youtube) and I have to admit he’s made the melody his own - it’s now a monumental tearjerker!
Of course, the fact that my brother is another ‘Julian’ from Brum may make me over-partial. But despite his many gifts in other fields, our own Julian is not a renowned musician - although he did a cracking rendition of the haftarah (Lesson from The Prophets) on the morning of his daughter’s batmitzvah.
But rules are rules, and even the terrifying Simon Cowell would be forbidden from bringing the mikes and camera crews into an Orthodox synagogue on a Sabbath morning! Well, I daresay that our own Julian can also ‘dream the dream’ …
msniw
