The German Sh**storm?

There's a term which Germans use.....when some episode has unfolded and massive stupidity or incompetence in the planning is obvious.  The term is Sh**storm.

Today, Sh**storm got thrown around a good bit, over a subject that most non-Germans really don't have a view into.  So, I'll introduce this.

There is a yearly song contest which has competition among all the European countries.  There's a contest in each country to pick the artist and his/her song to represent the nation at this gala event.  Whoever wins.....gets the show for next year (country-wise)..

If you asked most Germans under the age of twenty-one....the Euro Vision Song Contest is bogus and nobody watches it.  If you ask Germans who are between twenty-five and sixty.....about a quarter will admit some interest and they watch it.

A big deal?  Well....thirty years ago, yes.  Around twelve years ago.....Germans started to just laugh over the contest and they sent for two or three years in a row, via a voting process.....some loser singers with loser songs.  It was absolutely intentional.

Maybe it was to prove a point, but a number of people got disturbed by the trend.

So for the past three or four years......there's been a significant attempt to change that pattern and pick winners and decent songs.

All of this revolved around a contest which was totally open for any singer and any song.

Today, ARD (my state-run Channel One) announced (they control the business for this 2016 contest).....there will be NO contest for the singer.  They've already picked the guy...Xavier Naidoo.  There will be some type of song-music contest in Germany for several songs to be presented to Naidoo, and a contest of sorts as he accepts that song and goes onto the European Euro vision song contest.

Now, the fact that there was no competition and ARD just picked the guy.....got a bunch of people disturbed.

The fact that the song shuffle might be underhanded and Naidoo will pick what he thinks is best.....is out in the middle of the public perception.

The fact that Naidoo spoke a number racists comments around three years ago, and it's been said publicly that he might be homophobic bothers some people.

All of this on the negative side....what ARD has said is that they want someone to go into the big contest and win the prize to bring home.  No bogus attempts.....no comedy songs or acts pretending to be serious.....this will all be done to reshuffle the deck and do it the right way.

A public storm over nothing?  It's a public relations episode which might go sour or might get more attention on Germany in terms of the contest.  I doubt if having the Naidoo-effect will change much on voting, and if he does come close to the bottom.....well.....that's generally where they've been for several years in the voting results, so no one will cry much over that.