Very Talented Dog
I don't normally pay attention to talent shows, but I have to share this clip from last night's episode of Britain's Got Talent. The dog is called Gin, and his trainer is only 15 years old. She must have spent hours training her dog to "dance" like that!
They didn't get the highest number of votes, but they still made it into the final because the ( Read more... )
They didn't get the highest number of votes, but they still made it into the final because the ( Read more... )
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"And to be honest, in the entertainment business critics can murder you, so he's only really giving you a taste of what a bad review can give you."
I suppose so, but at least entertainers can avoid reviews if they want to (just like George Bush refuses to watch/read the news!). But on American Idol he does it to their face on national TV--there's no escape. I think that's what's mean about it. But then, that's a big part of the show, and I suppose these people bring it on themselves by entering the contest. They should know what to expect. (Not that I've ever watched it myself--not even once. But even I know what to expect from him!)
LOL, that's not Jeff, it's Michael Sheen playing a rock star in Laws of Attraction, but it's funny you should confuse them because Jeff reminds me of Michael Sheen. I thought maybe it was just the Welsh accent (not that Michael really speaks with one), but you can't hear that from the picture, can you? I mean ... (Oh dear, that sounds like something ridiculous that Jeff would say, doesn't it?)
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And, yeah, it sounds exactly like what Jeff would say on coupling.
About Simon Cowell. People love to 'hate' certain TV personalities, so I guess the whole mean persona is just giving people what they want. In fact, I'm sure that the producers encourage controversy like that to attract more viewers.
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From my experience contestants love to be cheeky to Anne Robinson in the UK. If she isn't insulting the audience and contestants feel cheated. I think that they feel it’s their right as contestants. They know that it's her persona for the gameshow, so why not play along with it? I've seen the American version a few times, and the Americans generally seemed to take the criticism as “Okay lady, if that’s what you think then I guess that’s your opinion”. They didn’t play along with it as much as contestants in the UK, but they weren’t all rebellious either. It depended, really, on what type of person she was talking to.
But about the bluntness, it may be more pronounced in the UK than America, but then comparing the UK with somewhere like Germany, then the British don’t seem all that blunt. Germans often come across as rather cold or rude upon first glance (although having said that I have known some very friendly Germans, but they seem to be less common), and it’s not that they’re cold, it’s just that they don’t tend to soften their expression, or beat about the bush as other people. If they have a problem they’ll say it. But if they like something, they’ll openly admit that as well.
And in terms of people putting themselves down, I wouldn’t say that it is a chiefly British thing, because if you look at the immense pride the British public will get over winning a football match or something then people in the UK are very willing to pat themselves on the back. But generally being very self-assured can often be misinterpreted as arrogance, and the average British person doesn’t want to seem arrogant. Also, the British are more likely to be able to laugh at themselves or their country. They see the funny or stupid aspects of their country and so they can’t be unflinchingly proud of it. You can make fun of the queen or the national anthem, or coming last in the Eurovision Song Contest. Because, let’s face it, as great as the British Empire was a century ago, it was completely obliterated in the 20th century, which would have certainly bruised British patriotism, even if only on a subconscious level.
Americans seem far more patriotic, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing - if you mock their institutions they generally will show some sign of protest or disagreement. But sometimes there’s no point in raising your voice about your country or culture being poked fun at, Americans bothering to do so get poked fun at even more as a result - because an outsider can’t understand this fierce patriotism. With your current president I think some of the national pride was eroded, because, let’s face it; Bush wasn’t exactly the eloquent, intelligent leader that every country wants to promote their nation. So instead people are looking hopefully and patriotically towards the next candidate so that their faith and pride in their country can be restored. Which is why now if you diss Barack Obama people will get annoyed.
Okay, I’m opening up a whole new can of worms here. I had no intentions of doing so when I started writing!
Ironically, I read an article in a Sunday Newspaper last weekend about how people in the UK have now gotten so used to complaining if a product is unsatisfactory, etc. that it has now become fashionable to be positive and delight in the most unremarkable of things.
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True, from what I remember, people do react to Ann Robinson in different ways, but you're right, in the UK people seemed to "get" her and play along more than here.
"the British are more likely to be able to laugh at themselves or their country."
Yeah, that's a better way of putting it. As for the Germans, I didn't notice them being more blunt (we had to read a book called "These Strange German Ways" for my German class, so I didn't have too much culture shock when I got there), but it's true that they are a little more standoffish until they get to know you, and I can say from experience that they don't smile at strangers. (I probably looked like a moron to them because I tend to smile at everybody when I first meet them.)
About Americans being more patriotic ... yeah, I notice we've gotten a lot more nationalistic since 9/11. At the same time, it's one thing to make fun of yourself, but to have someone else do it tends to make you more defensive. (We just need to lighten up and make a little more fun of ourselves so other people won't have to!)
OMG, Bush not exactly the most eloquent, intelligent that people want to promote their country? That's an understatement. I have to change the channel whenever he's giving a speech on TV ... and I just about die of embarrassment if it's an international venue!
I don't mind if you diss Obama--I really don't like him, to be honest, and voting in November, is going to be a dilemma. It's like having to choose the lesser of two evils. (The media is so biased over here; the newspaper just buried a story about another one of his associates who was involved with his campaign being convicted of some kind of serious business fraud. And whoever thinks his preacher problems should go away now that he's left his church didn't read his reason for doing so--he said he was only doing it because he was bringing them too much attention and refused to denounce their teachings in any way.) At the same time, I really can't vote for McCain.
Yeah, I noticed a tendency to complain when I went to the Q&A session with the cast after King Lear. I couldn't believe some of the questions people were asking; I guess I can understand why British actors tend to be so humble! They certainly weren't giving anybody the "star treatment."
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What kind of tough questions were they asking at the Q & A session? I really wanted to go, but of course we weren’t there that weekend.
Yeah, Germans aren’t the smiley-est (to make up a word). I know a couple who are moving there, and the woman is so friendly, but doesn’t know a word of German. She’s going to have it really tough over there. At least in Ireland she could easily make friends.
I’m far too critical and broad-minded to ever be entirely happy with an election candidate. Same goes for a number of people, so I guess that it quite often is a case of a lesser of two evils.
But the media bias in favour of Obama gets on my nerves, too. And the way that celebrities feel the need to endorse all these candidates. I’ve seen several American actors endorse Obama on British TV - Martin Sheen and Susan Sarandon just off the top of my head. I mean, you’re ACTORS (etc.) not political experts, or politicians, your views on politics aren’t that important - no more important than your average citizen’s. I tend not to be in high support of actors who are very vocal about their political beliefs.
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