Lord Noel's Wurst Euro Win

Whatto! Pepys....

Well good old Eurovision!
Just as I was going on about it's predictabilty and outmodedness I watched the show and was pleasantly surprised by the improvements that have been made since I last watched.
The concert-like set-up helped to raise energy levels nicely and the scoring was made easier to handle by counting public phone-ins and cutting down the point system to allow only the remaining three top point allocations to be made.
There were plenty of tongues in cheeks but several of the songs seemed like they would be quite comfortable on a credible album release.
The old Political rivalries raised their ugly mugs and got rightly booed by the crowd of joyous revellers who could see straight through the cynical motivations.
There were predictable Europop entries amongst the offerings but the show managed to create a totally unexpected surprise once more in the shape of an elegantly bearded lady from Austria who went on to win comfortably.
Is this a sign that shock tactics work well on a show like this where exposure is limited and the three minutes available to make an impact have to be exploited to the full?
Gone are the days of BucksFizz where pulling off a skirt was enough to cause controversy.
And, despite the fact that I don't think the winning song was the strongest one on offer (it reminded me of a rejected James Bond theme song), I can clearly see why the Austrian win was so popular.
Having returned from the far East where androgeny is an accepted facet of human behaviour, it surprises me that it nevertheless still has the capacity to fascinate and enthrall the rest of the developed world.
Making the shift from male to female is difficult enough for any westerner but refusing to lose the beard takes the challenge to a whole new level.
I was reminded of several other bearded icons as Ms Wurst was performing...
... shades of Russell Brand were coming through......

Conchita celebrates her Eurovision win!

... and I even fancied that I had perhaps glimpsed the second coming of a Christ God......
.....or was it a Goddess?

Maybe this time s/he would be accepted and not nailed to a cross?
....and even allowed into America?
But my mind also reminded me of the vintage popularity of the old circus side-show tents where people would flock to pay their money to catch a glimpse of the 'freaks' who had come to town....one of which was usually the ubiquitous 'bearded lady'.
And I found myself wondering...
....have we really come so far after all?

Tallyho!

Best Wishes - Lord Noel