Monsters, CCNA, Work, Gaming, Politics

[tcpip]

Monsters 1: Lordi wins Eurovision. Surprised to see many people on my flist making a big deal of this. Let's face it, their lyrics suck and musically they're as competent as KISS or Twisted Sister (i.e., not at all). Basically, they're a crap band in glam monster outfits.

Monsters 2: A gaggle of g*ths wander through Melbourne dressed up as zombies. I find myself wondering what's the point? Sure we love to frock up and apply makeup in new and interesting ways, but I could only think that said participants are competing with Malaysian beggars (I actually saw I guy like this in Indonesia).

Monsters 3: Dracorex hogwartsia, "The Dragon King of Hogwarts", has been discovered. Hat-tip to ozraptor4 with whom caseopaya and I are going to the Melbourne zoo tonight for a presentation by a wild animals vet graduate from Murdoch Uni.

CCNA: (Re)sat my semester 2 theory exam on Tueday. Despite feeling like death warmed up I finished with 30 minutes to spare. Instead of doing the sensible thing and checking some of my answers I submitted. Shouldn't have worried; 91.3%; pleased with that result.

Work: I have a lot of it at the moment. Was given at the start of the week a sixty page website to finish by today. No, I haven't been doing much else.

Gaming: Three new faces at GURPS Australian Noir last Sunday; we're going to have to break up into two groups and a two week cycle. Thinking GURPS, retro AD&D, Using HARP, MERP or Rolemaster for Thieves World (artbroken's ears prick up) and possibly Call of Cthulhu. Would be great if someone would run a SF game; like Paranoia or Cyberpunk.

Politics: Back to the medieval fiefdoms as Montenegro declares independence. Want to reduce teenage pregnancies and STDs? Provide sex education and treat them like the adults they are. Duh. Will someone please pay for the externalities? Global warming may exceed predictions - as in six degrees hotter.

Comments

[gothsuck.livejournal.com]

I am with you on the Lordi bull. And when did winning Eurovision ever mean you have musical talent? Yet again the masses jump on the television bandwagon.

Very interesting article on Global warming & sex. No hope in this country for either.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I am with you on the Lordi bull.

Thank God I'm not alone. For a moment then I even pondered the possibility that there was some inside joke that I wasn't privvy on. They really are not that good.

The "Swedish model" stands in antithesis to the "father-daughter purity balls" which have become popular... in America. Sensible commentary here.

[gothsuck.livejournal.com]

Yeah I wondered the same - have peoples ears been completely shot from too much metal? And crap metal at that? Ah well I know its a bullshit talent show but the way I was reading it from f-list was that Lordi are GOOD & worthy of fans. BUT if taken with a grain of salt yes I understand the amusement of them winning Eurovision - though I must admit I did not watch it as the cringe factor is a bit too much for me.


As for the article - why am I not surprised.

[belegdel.livejournal.com]

Eurovision isn't about the talent, st least not for most of the people I know who love it. We watch Eurovision precisely because it is total cheese with pop on top.

Lordi winning is kind of cool because it shows that the cheese factor can win out over the pop idol factor. Which is what makes it worth setting aside those 3 or 4 hours in a year to drink some [beverage of choice] and eat some [food of choice] with [preferred company].

Hell, as shown on SBS, the voice-over guy spends the entire show *taking the piss out of it*. The whole excercise is tongue firmly planted in cheek (unless you're in the crowd actually at the event who seemed to take it seriously. Of course, they might have just been playing it straight :)

My advice is treat Eurovision just like you treat a terrible B-grade movie and other people's passion for it will make a lot more sense.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

My advice is treat Eurovision just like you treat a terrible B-grade movie and other people's passion for it will make a lot more sense.

Advice noted; after all, I do enjoy Ed Wood films, and not just for their progressive politics.

[gothsuck.livejournal.com]

Oh I understand that mate that I why I dont watch it though the point being is that a few people on my friends list as well are enjoying the fact Lordi won but taking them as a serious musical "metal" band is where it has made me laugh.

As I said before each to their own.

[redcountess]

Ah, so SBS *does* show the BBC's broadcast with Terry Wogan's commentary?

[usekh.livejournal.com]

Thats half the point. Eurovision is a giant joke to most of us. And even funnier is when a glam rock/monster band win over the usual awfull half naked blonde women and guys with mullets.

And honestly, whilst Lordi certainly aren't great or even musicaly all that good, they are fun.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The fun part I can understand. Still, it's supposed to be a music competition, not a dress-up show.

I guess Eurovision has given up all pretence of being even remotely sensible.

[severina-242.livejournal.com]

When was it EVER sensible? Sometime in the 70's maybe. And the Zombie shuffle was just a bit of fun. There was no point, it was just silly fun stuff.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

There was no point, it was just silly fun stuff.

My thoughts were that's a lot of effort for a bit of fun. I mean seriously; it should have been a media event to provide entertainment to the masses or something.

What do you think of our dinosaur friend? ;-)

[severina-242.livejournal.com]

It was a sort of media event - there were heaps of photographers. I've never laughed so hard, so at the very least, it entertained me.

[jahbulon.livejournal.com]

So, a bunch of goths put on bad makeup then walked around the city with dead-eyed stares...

What else is new?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

What else is new?

But... They got up... and left the house.. it was daytime!

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

it's supposed to be a music competition,

Who told you that? Were they smiling when they said it?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well, what is it then exactly?

Eurovision: a viewer's guide

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

If it ever was about 'the music', I think that quaint notion died in the sixties. Since then it has been about showing up, because it's expected that you at least try, but not necessarily trying too hard, because if you win then you have to host it next year, which could be far more expensive than it's worth (I've heard a rumour that Ireland deliberately sends third-rate contestants every year, because they don't want to risk accidentaly winning). But you don't want to do too badly either, because who wants to be beaten by Armenia or Estonia, even if you don't take it seriously.

Therefore the result is a competition packed with groups or individuals tuned and primped to be cute, fluffy and inoffensive, and songs carefully monitored to contain nothing but the words "Love", "Happiness" and "Respect" in whatever combination and translation, surgically removed from any concept of 'good taste' or 'dignity'. Legs and breasts rate well, as do inoffensive SNAGs. Every so often you'll see an abberation slip through the defenses, like the Israeli transsexual winner a few years ago, or indeed, Lordi. They can usually be picked by the outrage when they win their own country's play-off. Most of the contestants seem to take the whole farce seriously. Occasionally, they patently don't. (Lithuania, I'm looking at you. "We are the winners", indeed.)

It's basically a huge carnival of bad taste, masochism and schadenfreude, all wrapped up in glitter and neon.

Most of us are not laughing with the contestants, if you get my meaning. Sir Terry Wogan certainly wasn't.

Re: Eurovision: a viewer's guide

[baralier.livejournal.com]

Last weekend's Age: Good Weekend had an interview with one of the organisers who was complaining that the English treated it like a joke because they always sent the worst song that they could find (this year's being a case in point).

Though with Lithuania's entry ("We are the winners of Eurovision") I'd hardly say the rest of Europe was taking it seriously either.

[usekh.livejournal.com]

Well they also offered a very polished, professional performance that was an alternative to the usual pop-music stuff.

[usekh.livejournal.com]

Sorry damn thing is logging me out. BTW I am not saying they are a great metal band by that. But they are not totaly awfull either

[evil-genius.livejournal.com]

"I guess Eurovision has given up all pretence of being even remotely sensible."

That happened over 25 years ago.

[gothsuck.livejournal.com]

Each to their own mate.

[strang-er.livejournal.com]

I actually find the few Lordi songs i've heard quite pleasing to the ear.

That could be because they're noticeably reminiscent of the catchy bits of other songs, but everything sounds like something else to me anyway.

(Plus, i'd rather hear someone doing a half decent Zodiac Mindwarp trip than endure yet another bunch of fauxhawks trying to sound like the Stooges any day).

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Pleasing? More like inoffensive at best. Let's take their most well known song,
'Hard Rock Hallejah'. If this isn't a defining example of glam metal aural wallpaper, nothing is. Boring springs to the lips.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6666637566522776701

[strang-er.livejournal.com]

Aural wallpaper is precisely what i want from certain kinds of music, heavy metal in particular.