*The Debatewise Blog
Strictly not dancing? ‘Meh’.
Two things caught my eye this week - John Sergeant has quit strictly come dancing , and the word 'meh' is to be listed in the Collins English Dictionary..John has apparently hung up his dancing shoes after concerns that he may well win the contest. Surely, his fans cry, that was the point of entering? Well not for John. Unusually in these competetive times Mr. Sergeant entered just to have a laugh and enjoy the experience. Not the winning but the taking part, as they say. Well perhaps. And it is generally accepted that he was not the best dancer on the show. So why was he in danger of winning? Because the people liked him.
We are inundated with popularity contests masquerading as the competition of true talent - 'The X Factor', 'Pop Idol', 'Britain's Got Talent', 'How do you solve a problem like whatever the lastest show is'? etc.
I do watch them, don't get me wrong, but perhaps it is more telling that the program i've found most entertaining all year had been Peter Kay's spoof 'Britain’s Got The Pop Factor And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice'.
Are the plethora of shows like the ones Peter Kay was lampooning, 'dumbing down' our culture?, well, all I can say is that if an 'expression of disinterest' entering the dictionary generates press coverage we must all be very bored indeed.
Meh.