EDITORIAL – I wasn’t aware that Germany can do muckraking in such a beautiful way. But I got disabused today. That was ESC soap opera at its best. After a long time of doing nothing ARD (Germanys EBU broadcaster) decided to unbag their idea for 2016. They nominated the well-known R’n’B-Pop-Singer Xavier Naidoo as Germany‘s participant for the ESC next year.
While ARD, Brainpool and Universal incubated the idea of the super-selling media-star with the velvet voice they reckoned without one’s host. Xaviar Naidoo polarizes the masses. One half thinks he is a homophobic, nationalistic, arrogant, narcissistic bible basher. The other half believe in his open-minded, fight against xenophobia and racism, support acting for young talents and ingenious way of writing music and singing. Well, because he wears his heart on his sleeve every above given statement has its right.
But today I saw the power of media. It seemed that every single news was against Xavier Naidoo’s status. But why? I think one massive reason is the none diplomatic way how the executive people of the German ESC presented the idea. After leaving the ESC community and press loose for a long time the German ESC strikes a new path in an internal nomination of a candidate. After initialize a fully democratic way of choosing the participant two years ago (with the internet-search and the wild-card for the national final at a club-concert) the people feel „enslaved“ again by media.
To be honest – the last year’s internet-search promoted by Brainpool (Stefan Raab) was a charade, were preselected artist were supported subliminally. The community felt as if they took part in decision-making but at the end there was just a very small gap of latitude. But that is what the people want: “panem et circensis” on the web and TV, and they got it – until today.
Back to the why. In my opinion the people in power were scared shitless after the last years shame of „nil points“ of Ann Sophie and they didn’t find a proper concept for 2016 so they wanted to play a joker: Xaviar Naidoo. They just had the great shows like „Sing meinen Song“ or „The Voice“ in mind and thought that Germany will cheer enthusiastically. But it seems that this idea backfired.
So let’s lean back and enjoy the next days of the ESC soap opera
special thanks to Marco Boehm (Germany)
