Is wind-up voting the new black ?
Posted by Simon Hoyle on 18 November 2008 - 9:57am.
1) Rick Astley winning Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
2) John Sergeant in Strictly, where people seem to be voting more “to stick it to those judges” or “for a laugh” or “to wind everyone up” than for his occasionally endearing prowess on the dancefloor. It’s starting to look like the actual best dancer may have to settle for second place.
3) The latest “I’m A Celebrity” where Joe Swash seems likely to face endless Bushtucker Trials because he screamed like a girl at the first one (I’m not even watching this but somehow I already know too much about it).
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Who the heck
is Joe Swash?
And should I give a toss?
My thought process went like this:
1) I have no idea who Joe Swash is
2) Should I ask?
3) No, because I don't care
But I suspect I've ruined it now by getting involved in the mystery. Damn these nano-celebrities.
Unfortunately
I DO know who Joe Swash is (I'm not going to tell you there, ignorance is bliss on this occasion).
Rather sadly, he's one of the more famous participants this year.
Martina Navaratilova
Arguably THE best womens tennis player ever and an ex Eastenders minor character is one the more famous participants...What is the world coming to? The ultimate example of Heat culture!
NB - Dani Behr will win!
I had to read that several times
I thought you were saying Martina had been in Eastenders. I might start watching if that's the case.
Forty laav.
'vannige Miss Navtas, er, Nabrat, er, Navverfingy.
(crowd chatter)
Oi! You lot! SHATTIT OK!
It's hardly a new phenomenon
Every series of Strictly Come Dancing has seen one no-hoper get voted back week after week (Kate Garraway, Chris Parker, Fiona Phillips), while Natalie Appleton did something like 8 consecutive Bushtucker trials on IACGMOOH a couple of years back.
It's just the general public proving that they can sometimes influence things that the powers-that-be don't want them to.
TV
It's hilarious to see so many getting worked up about John Seargent, including the judges. TV and especially Sat night TV is entertainment (I know it's an obvious point but many have forgotten) and the viewers have voted what they want to see.
The film "Network" (1976) looks yet more powerful and prescient every day. Here's Peter Finch as Howard Beale:
"Television is not the truth! Television is a God-damned amusement park! Television is a circus, a carnival, a traveling troupe of acrobats, storytellers, dancers, singers, jugglers, side-show freaks, lion tamers, and football players. We're in the boredom-killing business! So if you want the truth... Go to God! Go to your gurus! Go to yourselves! Because that's the only place you're ever going to find any real truth."
Ben Elton wrote a book about it
All these controversies are designed, yes designed, to increase the number of viewers and the number of premium rate (yes I know the BBC doesn't use premium rates) calls. If any of these programmes were seriously about dancing, singing or whatever there would be no public vote. It would entirely be down to the the "expert" judges.
We don't have public votes for Olympic diving or gymnastics. If we did, do you think the most skilled divers and gymnasts would win or would it be the ones with the nicest smiles or who came from a neighbouring country (as in Eurovision)?
Eurovision
This is going off on a tangent somewhat, but voting for neighbouring countries in Eurovision is perfectly acceptable: if you're from Serbia, you're more likely to enjoy a song from Macedonia, which probably shares many of the same musical roots as the music from your own nation, than you are a ballad from Ireland.
What's more, this happens mainly because other countries approach the competition more seriously than we do. This years winner, Dima Bilan, is a huge star is Russia. And, probably, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia and Lithuania. And I'm sure they all probably voted for him: because they like him already, and because his music strikes a chord with those voters in a way that the half-baked, here-today-gone-by-this-evening pop we throw at the competition simply never will.
I don't know much about Eurovision voting
other than reading / hearing the complaints about fixed voting. However I doubt if the musical roots proximity proposition holds up with Greece and Turkey.
But I'm happy to be proved wrong.
*heads off to Wikipedia*
Greece got a stack of points from Turkey this year. The reverse wasn't true, however.
Tugs forelock
Bows to greater knowledge.
Dey is all soooo fit.
Loves you Jamie XXX Danniii to win!!!!!
(do they still have those inane ticker bars on the bottom of the screen when they show live feeds of this crap?)
as with all these things the TV makers love the money that opinion brings in,pretend to hate the pleb opinion but rub their hands in glee at the 'outrage' tabloid coverage
Please
If that is so, which way will the vote go in the Manchester Congestion Charge big vote in December?
I'm voting no 'cos I hate Manchester politicians and I no longer drive into Manc of a morning.
.....runs.
Don't get me started
I drive into Manchester for work every day, (arguably) contributing my labour to the growing manchester economy and certainly distributing most of my daily disposable income around the city's eateries and stores (mainly Fopp, naturally)
In return for this contribution, I am to be asked to contribute a further £1200 per annum for the privilege.
So vote against, you might suggest. Well I would, if I had a vote.
Taxation without representation? Gerrymandering? You decide.
Or a realistic attempt
To do something about pollution and congestion and get £1.2 billion to spend on improving public transport? You decide.
But I don't live or work there. Just balancing the view.
Trains and boats and planes
I don't live there, but I do work there at least day a week. I'll take your option please Tony (but, then, I usually get the train or tram as I work next to Piccadilly Station, so it is relatively easy for me).
I don't disagree in principle
but don't have a 'vote' that specifically excludes many of those people most directly affected (financially) by the outcome of that vote - and suggest the outcome of the vote is in any way meaningful!
If your intention is to get out of towners to pay for local transport improvements then fine - but don't pretend it's anything else!