Eurovision 2008. Dustin Makes His Mark

It all begins tonight, the cheesiest show on Earth as a about a 100 countries offer up the worst songs imaginable all in the national cause. Well, more like 40+ countries. Once upon a time, there were about 6 countries taking part and gradually it became around 20. That was the maximum the show, and people, could take for a 3 hour stint. Then Europe decided to get rid of communism, and a whole host of countries began signing up for the annual death by song torture. Now they have to have two semifinals to weed out the weakest songs and then have a grand final on Saturday night. It's terrible, and yet strangely addictive, as we cringe through the mire of La La La and Ding Dang Dong songs until we get to the meaty bit, the voting.
Dustin the Turkey is Ireland's representative this year, which you all knew anyway, and represents a new low for Ireland even after last year's Dervish debacle.

After last year, when Dervish finished last, the feeling was we needed to 'modernise' the songs we were sending to appeal to the greater European masses. The result? We send a manic puppet who doesn't give a hoot (or a gobble) about what people think. Ironically, for all the disco-pop last year, it was a standard Eurovision ballad type song that won for Serbia, helped no doubt by the bloc-voting that goes on all around the place, but ultimately it was the 'best' song on the night. How will Dustin do? I think he'll qualify as a novelty act from the semi finals, but once people have seen him, they'll lose interest in the concept and concentrate on the song, which is pretty crap, and reject him. He'll finish in the top 10, which will, I suppose, be seen as a good result and recovery from last year. After that, who knows what we'll send next year. Podge and Rodge perhaps? Now there's an idea.....

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