I have a problem... Again

[angelophile]

I admit it. I have a problem. Bad enough that I enjoy X-Factor, but now I've gotten myself addicted to Britain's Got Talent.

Mind you, this year I don't feel so bad, because the whole world seems to have got in on the act after Susan Boyle stunned us all by being fat, frumpy, a bit of a nutcase and also talented. It's made international news that someone fat and ugly could actually have a good voice as well. She's naturally sailed through the semi-finals this week, where 40 acts are whittled down to 10 for the finals at the weekend. I have to say, however, based on her performance on Sunday night, the bubble should have burst. After the initial thing of getting us to confront our prejudices, I have to agree with Lily Allen, who's pointed out she's overrated. She's good, but she's a long way off world-class.

Of course, the search to find a world class variety act is a rocky road anyway and, frankly, most of the acts on the show are miles away from that standard too. Except, of course, for the ones that they put through that are either clearly insane or useless, who aren't so much miles away as light-years. Like Darth Jackson, the man dancing to Michael Jackson tracks in a Darth Vader costume. Or Kay Oresanya, the "human saxophone", who the judges put through and then immediately hang out to dry, having had their chuckle from them. Britain's most loathed woman, Amanda Holden, being particularly good at disassociating herself from any of these acts that are set up for mockery. It was nice to see that when she attempted this with Merlin Cadogan, the enthusiastic gentle giant escapologist, she made a complete and utter fool of herself. (After he escaped from a strait jacket while hanging upside down on a burning rope she commented that "I never thought you were in any real danger of burning to death had you not got out of the straps", apparently oblivious to the idea that dropping onto his head from 10 foot when the rope burnt through was actually the dangerous part.)

There's been a few surprises, though. I expected Jamie Pugh, the soft spoken Welshman who suffers from terrible stage fright to sail through. But he delivered a performance that wasn't a patch on his original appearance and his personality didn't come through and he didn't even make the final three of the evening. Hotly tipped contender to Susan Boyle, Shaheen Jafargholi, the 12 year old schoolboy with a powerful voice, almost didn't make it through to the final after he found himself contending for the judges votes opposite the MD Show Group, a dance troupe from Liverpool. It probably didn't help that they were comprised mostly of pubescent girls dressed like Victorian child prostitutes and shaking themselves along to a Michael Jackson song. Whatever anti-knife crime message they had to get over was kinda drowned out by that uncomfortable juxtaposition. I expect Michael got a thrill, though.

Of course, last night's surprising winner was "Stavros Flatley", the father and son dance act comedy dance act of Greek-Cypriot Demetrios Demetriou and 12-year-old Michalakis who, I'm almost ashamed to admit it, just make me laugh my ass off every time they appear on stage. The relationship between them is so damn endearing for one thing, but they're both just naturally funny in the way that two fat people doing comedy dance routines in ill-fitting wigs shouldn't really be. I have to agree with Simon Cowell: "I should hate you. It's sort of rubbish but brilliant."

Seriously, how could you not love faces like this as the winning result was announced?





Look at them. They're adorable. What added an extra layer of amusement last night was that when questioned where the backing dancers came from it was revealed that they were the waiters from Demetrios' Greek restaurant.

The most talented? Maybe not, but by gum, they're stupidly entertaining and such a lovely pair. Much like that belly dancer earlier in the week.

Comments

[wal-lace.livejournal.com]

Given that I'm maintaining a strict Ant'n'Dec-free lifestyle (for the good of my blood pressure) and avoiding Simon Cowell like the plague (because all the cool kids are doing it), I'm surprised at how entertaining I found this post.

But damn, we produce some awesome crap.

[kirke-novak.livejournal.com]

I hate reality shows - I want them to die and yet, yes, I'm watching BGT - I don't know why! I resist anything else!

I have a big problem with Stavros Flatley though - i love them so much, however, we all have to admit, they have no talent. I would feel more comfortable if they didn't get the first place, after all they got as far as they are on sheer CUTE!ness. Which is awesome in its own way but for me feels like the other way of the sob story spectrum.
Still, they make me laugh, so maybe they are talented in their own way.

[angelophile.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I totally agree with you. It'll be a bit embarrassing if they actually WIN, although I'll reserve judgement as to whether there's anyone of greater talent until the final lineup's announced and how people perform on the night. To be fair to them both, they're both naturally funny but also obviously work at their routines (the dad was upset they'd fluffed something and missed it in the routine the other night) so it's not quite a case of coming on stage and just prancing around, they clearly do work at it. Is it a real talent? Well, compared to some others in the competition, no.

Honestly, I think the MOST talented people are a lot of those that have been kicked out already, like Su Son or Merlin, who obviously work hard to get very good at something. While singers do too, it's also part natural talent - you either have a voice or you don't - you can work at refining it, but if you're tone deaf you're tone deaf.

Whereas someone who learns an instrument, learns how to perform magic, learns to dance to invents routines or so on, well, that's a learned talent more than a natural one. I'd class Stavros Flatley as natural talents - their talent is to make us laugh by just being themselves. It's actually not a skill, as such, but I think to say they have NO talent is a bit harsh.

But on sheer TALENT that's the result of years of practice, I think one of the dance groups should top it. It's a tough one because both of those that have gone through so far have been equally brilliant.

[angelophile.livejournal.com]

Mind you, having said all that, there's a part of me hope that Stavros Flatley DO win it. Partially because they're clearly a couple of adorable guys, but also just from the perversity of just wanting someone to win that's really really silly in the finest traditions of British variety. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkhJpr2zR8s)