I'd like to teach the world to sing...

... and they can now teach us:)

Other than being a rather dire piece of reporting as it says pretty much nothing of value, I found the whole tone of the set up a little clumsy.

Immigrant Song Contest

Nice. 'You' have scoured the country to arrive at at shortlist. How did that work? Perhaps in the same way as those headlines get generated in some quarters? So far, other than a ton on links on technology and rules I can find nothing that makes much on this story any the clearer. Who will the judges be? Musicians? Or Trevor Phillips?

I have a Singaporean Chinese wife who is an amazingly talented performer. Guessing she's too late to apply, but if we're in the room with her I am presuming the rest of our non-immigrant family may be allowed to at least watch?

It's not April 1st is it? Or has the joined-up team who organised Air Force One's New York community bonding flypast been put on the case here now?

Other than wondering if such a thing is really what the BBC's premier news programme needs to be getting into, the way it is being handled, and indeed billed, seems a little shy on a few things, including common sense.

At the moment no link appears to explain the teaser copy any further, and simply saying tune in later is really not enough here.

I am sure it will all have sounded simply super in the group hug editorial meeting that came up with it, but I will be interested in how it plays outside the bubble worlds that are reading public mood so well elsewhere these days.

Addendum:

Copped a wee bit of flak for this and a follow up(mainly because I was annoyed that yet agin they changed the site following a critique, but did not acknowledge it, this making any subsequent reader think you are wrong), but am sticking to my guns, from freedom of speech to idiotic, counter-productive PC-meddling to plain rubbish organisation...

My comments pertained to a few things, but I obviously did not realise that for one to apply it had to conform to a consistent set of rules across all... set by such as your good self. Any more than I think an MP’s misdeeds can be claimed to be negated by the manner of their exposure (to pop in a topical news analogy onto what used to be a news blog – hope that’s ‘on topic’ mods:).

And yes, this is a blog. Where you share opinions. Often, by invitation: Throughout the week we want you to help our judges out by telling us what you think..

Though often this can result in an unfortunate reaction when the ‘sell’ is more than a little ‘over’: this is the week the country is captivated'/’the cream of immigrant musical talentvia ’a shared love of cheesy [covers] music’. If some say so. Now, where did you have in mind for me to add my ‘other thoughts’?

But yes, I offered some personal feedback on what has been offered up. You, however, seem more concerned with personal feedback on what I wrote. Fair enough, it’s a free country. Hardly on topic, mind. And, IMHO, rather weakens some pretty good points you are making, ironically, rather in keeping with those I share. Though I do note that you have no opinion as to the standard of musicianship being presented.

I suspect we are both are a little intrigued as to how this effort serves the cause of multi-cultural harmony, or what it’s doing on the main news section of a political news programme and blog, but have perhaps chosen different ways to express ourselves.

Suffice to say that I consider this to have been poorly judged editorially and not exactly slickly reported thus far.

But as it is out there, and there has been a call for comment, plus I have an interest in things political, media, musical and the conduct of competitions in general, I do think I’ll continue to exercise my right to free speech here and not ‘a different post’, ta very much. With luck, you’ll get further distracted by the contribution from BoaMan now?

On reflection it was a mistake to use the missus’ situation simply to make a point, especially without first asking her what she thought. Which was pretty much that she didn’t feel the association with such an ‘exclusive’ initiative would be worthwhile, no matter what the ‘any publicity is..’ benefits might be. She’s a performer, who just happens now to be in the UK. Complementing thousands of others, from all demographics, irrespective of anything beyond the music and talent. Though to be sure there is also competition, and via awards, and these often can help. Especially when the PR value of national broadcast can be very useful, when the talent gets exposure and if, hopefully, for the all right reasons.

But let’s not forget that this competition has been created by the UK’s national broadcaster, representative of one and all. And as one with more than passing experience in the pr and promo surrounding such things, as well as one who takes an interest in many of Aunty’s blogs, I am still keen to find out how it has been and will be conducted. The BBC, you may recall, has had ‘difficulties’ when it comes to such things in the recent past.

Sadly, I can recall no mention of the mechanisms leading up to this final anywhere, and certainly not on the Newsnight blog, before we arrive, with less than a week’s notice, at a series of semi-finals with selected entrants already in place. This I feel at best fails to serve the interests of the participants and eventual winners as much as anything else.

And again not, IMHO, too served well in complement by such as this: ‘The judges will read your comments and take them into account, but they will have the final say in selecting a winner and they will decide based on a wide range of criteria consistent with the BBC Code of Conduct on Competitions and Voting., which, as far as I can judge (sorry:), seems to apply almost exclusively, and irrelevantly to contests inviting a public vote.

I still have no real sense of who these judges are, either. ‘An unusual collection tonight’, we are promised...why 1/3 through?). Any more than I did/have the criteria for selection, etc. It has all just ’appeared’. But as a national broadcaster I think the public has a right to know what processes and thoughts have lain behind all that has got us to this point. If only not to ‘undermine public trust in the BBC and ensure the public will be treated with respect, honesty and fairness, confident that all [interactive] competitions and votes are handled with rigorous care and integrity’.

I have nothing personally against any of the bands or the individuals in them, but I am afraid that I remain very concerned professionally with the agenda behind this competition and the way it has been so far conducted, especially considering the sensitivity of the umbrella theme it has been created under. Having a bunch of folk sprung from nowhere, hyped up and shared on a niche, but significant national broadcast news programme... with clear invitations to comment.... seems to have been asking for some controversy. Great for ratings perhaps; not so good for harmony?

Yes, I did and do weaken my argument a tad by then being unable to resist offering two, very personal, highly subjective, 2 cents on what I have been presented with as a viewer musically, but then as performers you need to get to grips with the reality of audience feedback. And what can I do if the blog post has not been split between the immigration and pure performance issues.

I have found the Font (a very engaging group of young men) story intriguing, but as we’re on the theme of appropriateness in tying discordant issues, I think their experiences in Iran are not well served by the mood of this contest.

And how did they end up with Cliff Richard to cover, as it seems they were barely aware of him and his music? Were they, as a rock band, just ‘issued’ the poppy Congratulations (really banned in Iran? And heavily punished here too.. ha ha. Is that former at least a verified fact?) on a producer’s whim? Did they not choose? To walk in the footsteps of Radiohead? I’d have been more interested in their original work, which was only a tantalizing backing track and a few poor audio clips at best. Not helping the public assessment too well. Ya Freddy’s talents were better served, but not by much. Another engaging young, er, again, man (I am sure there will be some ladies in lead to come), with a sad story to tell. I fear I could get no sense from the piece of what he was capable. If it was about the music. So far this seems more about serving the producers’ agenda rather than the bands' musical careers as they are vying for glory.

Also it is worth noting that the clips via the dedicated hyperlink are heavily edited from the main programme slot including, for some bizarre reason, the actual song performance in question. That I had to find via iPlayer... and endure the whole darn ‘it’s a rotten system’ parade by our MPs first.

Maybe I have been too hasty in my initial critique, but it is my experience that teasers tantalise and invite audience return by sampling the best. Is that what has happened, musically, here so far?

But as some have put it, if a tad ironically considering the knee-jerk comments in ‘defens(iv)e’... Good luck to everyone, may the best man (Mann?) win.

At least the Asian Football Idol initiative, though I also feel poorly judged in the message it sends, as a competition has had clear publicity and will enjoy a long period of local heats up to the finals.

So.... the best use of the license fee in support of either original music, UK live performance talent or community harmony? I was, and still am not so sure.

And hence, by association, what does this tell us about our country, and the priorities and abilities of its national broadcaster?

Daily Mail (I know) - NEW - Newsnight accused of 'dumbing down' with a talent contest for immigrants - Well they could hardly have imagined they were going to be lauded for elevating the gravitas of one of the few political news programmes... or the cause of integration much, really. Could they?