There's a Nor'easter on the way, Manhattan is under a blizzard warning, and I watched the Danish Melodi Grand Prix.
Normally, these would all be good things, but considering that Denmark has been picking daft winners from excellent finals of late, it winds up being a glass half-full experience.
For starters, I think the Danes have taken control over disposable American teen pop of late, because the vast majority of these songs reminded me of the KIIS-FM playlist I used to listen to while driving down Sunset Boulevard back in 2000: catchy, happy-go-lucky, and completely forgettable.
Other than the winner (which I'll get to, believe me), the only song I actually want to hear again is Claus Hasfeldt's "Ta' Hjertet Med," and the main reason it's stuck in my head is because the song's hook is very similar to Wham's "Last Christmas."
The rest? Blah.
The hosts? Bizarre. I don't know whether we were supposed to laugh at them or not. It was a short ginger man who looked extremely peppy and a tall dark-haired man with a speech impediment (which if you've heard Danish spoken is pretty funny--juvenile, but funny).*
*Given the current controversy, I want to say resolutely that I have always liked Denmark. I think it's very cool, hip country, and the funland of Scandinavia. They've been on the forefront with civil unions and are basically a kick-ass, smart, laid back kind of people.
The interval? Muzak versions of Danish MGP winners. A bunch of shopping cart dances. A breakdancer. A "tissue artist" (that's what it said on the screen) and a compere who studied Victor Borge too closely.
The winner? Oh god, a song called "Twist of Love." It is one of the most daft songs I've heard since The Wallstones and their sodding "Invisible People." Blonde woman--with the perfect voice to belt out a rock tune--sings a variation on Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again." How I wish I was kidding. If that wasn't silly enough, she's accompanied onstage by a bunch of women wearing cowboy hats.
By the way, Denmark picked this same combo (female power singer accompanied by female dancers with hats and one very...um...well, you know male dancer) in 1990 with "Hallo, Hallo," from the days when Denmark did hygge camp very well. (Video courtesy of Eurosong.Webbyen.dk)
1 comment:
I am jealous you now have snow - if we'd had been coming back this week we would have been stuck at JFK
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