Slugger O'Toole

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Vote RTÉ, or the turkey gets it?

Tue 5 February 2008, 8:26pm

With little information on their entry, the BBC noted a local [Northern Ireland] link to the shortlist for RTÉ’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. But there’s a turkey in the bunch.. as some bloggers have already spotted. And he’s an RTÉ employee.. RTÉ’s Morning Ireland talked to those involved [RealPlayer file]. As with last year’s song the public will decide.. the fools.. and with the topic already being discussed on RTÉ’s Questions and Answers [RealPlayer file] the prospect of the turkey going to Belgrade is real. Fittingly, yesterday’s Irish Times went to John Waters for his considered opinion..

“Don’t forget that we are talking about the Eurovision. It’s fun, it’s kitsch and nobody takes it all that seriously,” he said.

Not after last year, John, not after last year..Btw, this is how Mr Waters described his song last year.. [via Google Cache]

“When we heard that DERVISH were going to represent Ireland in Eurovision we decided to write a song combining an Irish flavour and a European theme, one that addressed the changing nature of both Ireland and Europe. They Can’t Stop the Spring is a kind of Celtic celebration of the eastern European revolutions and their eventual outcome, including the presence in Ireland of thousands of new Irish from Czech, Slovakian and Latvia.”

Fun, kitsch and not taking it seriously?

That’s what the BBC thought last year.. And we all remember how well that went..

“All together now.. Crush the flowers.. Crush the flowers..

Keith, formerly of this parish, might have something to say on this.

In the meantime.. Can we vote for Lordi again?

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Comments (13)

  1. Ian says:

    Following on from the IFA/FAI debacle, no doubt Unionist posters will be [i]incensed[/i] that a song penned by a northern Irish citizen could end up as the republic of Ireland’s Eurovision entry.

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  2. susan says:

    An actual Sock Puppet makes the shortlist for Eurovision? Cool This has to be a moment for the Sock Puppet Hall of Fame. Along with the Ard Fheis on policing, of course.

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  3. Pete Baker (profile) says:

    susan

    If the sock puppet gets the gig, and it might, then RTÉ might as well not bother trying.. ever again.

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  4. susan says:

    The mills of God grind slowly, Pete, but they grind exceedingly fine. :o )

    Besides which, you’re daft. If the turkey wins it’s great publicity for the bigger contest; that’s why they’ve featured it in the gossip section of their website. Which damn your links, I’ve just seen. The home page features an older woman wearing a Christmas tree topper and holding an unsettlingly enormous chile pepper and an androgynous but amiable looking creature dressed as a newspaper. Dustin’s in it to win it.

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  5. Pete Baker (profile) says:

    “If the turkey wins it’s great publicity for the bigger contest”

    Only in Ireland, Susan, only in Ireland – Kerching says RTÉ..

    The rest of the Eurovision countries will struggle to understand.. And will vote accordingly.

    While muttering under their breath.. If that’s what they think.. feck ‘em!

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  6. susan says:

    I am guessing you mean “ka-ching says RTÉ,” sunflower?

    Just don’t count the sock’s appeal out yet. Remember the Baltics. Always.

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  7. Pete Baker (profile) says:

    “I am guessing you mean “ka-ching says RTÉ,” sunflower?”

    As always, blossom.

    The Baltics? Bah! They’ll see the puppet for what it is.

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  8. Danny O'Connor says:

    Reminds me of the episode of Father Ted and the song my lovely horse

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  9. susan says:

    Danny’s right. The Baltic Balkan voting bloc will see it for what it is, a post post-ironic triumph. Watch this space.

    “Last night Dustin issued a statement in which he offered to extend the “wing of friendship to former ‘Late Late Show’ music director and Progressive Democrat, eh, candidate, Frank McNamara”.”

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  10. George says:

    Dustin is a hero to many, and, if you believe the stories in the western outreaches of the capital, he did manage to get more votes there in the 1992 Presidential election than Austin Currie.

    The only problem is that his campaign suffered from the fact his name wasn’t on the ballot paper.

    Anyone that annoyed Pat Kenny is fine by me.

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  11. Gréagóir O' Frainclín says:

    Come on Dustin, make it 9 wins for Ireland.

    The turkey warbling away with some pop ditty surrounded by some scantily clad girls cavorting on stage should be a definite winner!

    Deuze point all round!

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  12. susan says:

    “some scantily clad girls cavorting on stage”

    Go raibh maith agat, Gréagóir. I was uncertain to break it to Pete Baker that I could hardly see the geniuses behind “Poultry in Motion” sending Dustin to Eurovision without some corresponding shaking of appropriate tailfeathers. He seems delicate. :o )

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  13. LURIG says:

    Come on Dustin, do it for God & Ireland! What’s with all these anally retentive music buffs patronising us all? I mean how more ridiculous can Eurovision get? That 1980′s style rock group Jordi won it and that was a load of guff. It’s nothing more than war by votes. It’s the only way all the wee insignificant Eastern European & Baltic countries can bare their teeth. Dustin just getting their will send a message to the EBU that Eurovision is beyond a joke and one big piss take.

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