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BIG ROW IN ARMENIA
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
04 April 06
I did not notice the moment when I started to pay attention to the
public debates on the song Andre is going to sing in Eurovision. But
it has been a long time since I began to follow opinions, evaluations,
and arguments. Frankly speaking, for a long time I have been unable
to find out if what is happening is a dialogue or settling of accounts.
Andre is going to sing, and a row started in Armenia. As in any
other quarrel in Armenia there are also two arguments: is Andre's
song Turkish or not Turkish. Nothing else. No one asks if the song
is good or bad. Is Andre the right candidate? If the debate was on
these questions, it could be considered useful and important. But the
debate is on confirming or declining that the song and the singer's
image are Turkish. Therefore, this reminds me of settling of accounts
rather than concern about due performance of Armenia in Eurovision.
Whereas it is time that the Turkish factor stop being a blind
argument pro or con, for the people of Armenia and for Armenians in
general. They compared Andre to Tarkan to show that the song and the
image are bad. I wonder why the resemblance of the Armenian singer
to the Eastern pop star is viewed so negatively, whereas if Andre
resembled to Ricky Martin, for instance, that would not be considered
that bad. Of course, it is another question that maybe Andre is not
fit for the "classical" image of a pop singer. In other words, Andre is
too good for this image, for he may can make a serious singer. Maybe. I
have my own opinion, which is not essential here and is not a competent
opinion. However, I repeat that there was no professional discussion
of this. Everything is on the eternal plane of adversity of Armenians
and Turks, and with regard to Armenia Karabakh is added.
Finally it is amazing that our participation in Eurovision, which is
a youth show, and the aim is pure business, caused such heated public
debates. Members of parliament, intelligentsia, builders, and farmers
got involved in these debates. The Public TV Channel even held a big
talk show to defend Andre from strictures. The question, however,
does not have such a big public importance. In fact, it should be
discussed by people who are in show business. But it is the Public
Channel's business only, for they will spend money and get results,
therefore public debates are absolutely useless, since the problem
has a narrow scope of interest. The public is not a specialist of
Turkish studies, an ethnographer, or a musician. And the problem
has nothing to do with the public, it is not a price or a tariff,
it is not a public concern. There are a number of problems, which
failed to become a subject of public discussion. No debates are held
and the Public Channel never organizes talk shows on promotion of a
civic consciousness, improvement of governance, tricks with prices
and other problems, which are closely related to the society.
And for this reason I am being more convinced that with regard to Andre
it is not a debate but revenge, settling of accounts, interests. The
best evidence to this is that a singer, who is referred to as a
star, one day complains of and wonders why Andre and not Inga or
Anush Arshakyan go to Eurovision, or Shushan Petrosyan herself, and
several days later Petrosyan announces that we should not criticize
Andre but we should pray for him and wish him good luck, we should
love and appreciate what we have and come together. There is nothing
to do but to become convinced that they say what the moment requires.
Obviously, Andre has nothing to do here, he is just another good
opportunity for settling accounts. Another opportunity seemed to have
occurred to have a competent debate. This opportunity was missed,
whereas there is so much to discuss.
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
04 April 06
I did not notice the moment when I started to pay attention to the
public debates on the song Andre is going to sing in Eurovision. But
it has been a long time since I began to follow opinions, evaluations,
and arguments. Frankly speaking, for a long time I have been unable
to find out if what is happening is a dialogue or settling of accounts.
Andre is going to sing, and a row started in Armenia. As in any
other quarrel in Armenia there are also two arguments: is Andre's
song Turkish or not Turkish. Nothing else. No one asks if the song
is good or bad. Is Andre the right candidate? If the debate was on
these questions, it could be considered useful and important. But the
debate is on confirming or declining that the song and the singer's
image are Turkish. Therefore, this reminds me of settling of accounts
rather than concern about due performance of Armenia in Eurovision.
Whereas it is time that the Turkish factor stop being a blind
argument pro or con, for the people of Armenia and for Armenians in
general. They compared Andre to Tarkan to show that the song and the
image are bad. I wonder why the resemblance of the Armenian singer
to the Eastern pop star is viewed so negatively, whereas if Andre
resembled to Ricky Martin, for instance, that would not be considered
that bad. Of course, it is another question that maybe Andre is not
fit for the "classical" image of a pop singer. In other words, Andre is
too good for this image, for he may can make a serious singer. Maybe. I
have my own opinion, which is not essential here and is not a competent
opinion. However, I repeat that there was no professional discussion
of this. Everything is on the eternal plane of adversity of Armenians
and Turks, and with regard to Armenia Karabakh is added.
Finally it is amazing that our participation in Eurovision, which is
a youth show, and the aim is pure business, caused such heated public
debates. Members of parliament, intelligentsia, builders, and farmers
got involved in these debates. The Public TV Channel even held a big
talk show to defend Andre from strictures. The question, however,
does not have such a big public importance. In fact, it should be
discussed by people who are in show business. But it is the Public
Channel's business only, for they will spend money and get results,
therefore public debates are absolutely useless, since the problem
has a narrow scope of interest. The public is not a specialist of
Turkish studies, an ethnographer, or a musician. And the problem
has nothing to do with the public, it is not a price or a tariff,
it is not a public concern. There are a number of problems, which
failed to become a subject of public discussion. No debates are held
and the Public Channel never organizes talk shows on promotion of a
civic consciousness, improvement of governance, tricks with prices
and other problems, which are closely related to the society.
And for this reason I am being more convinced that with regard to Andre
it is not a debate but revenge, settling of accounts, interests. The
best evidence to this is that a singer, who is referred to as a
star, one day complains of and wonders why Andre and not Inga or
Anush Arshakyan go to Eurovision, or Shushan Petrosyan herself, and
several days later Petrosyan announces that we should not criticize
Andre but we should pray for him and wish him good luck, we should
love and appreciate what we have and come together. There is nothing
to do but to become convinced that they say what the moment requires.
Obviously, Andre has nothing to do here, he is just another good
opportunity for settling accounts. Another opportunity seemed to have
occurred to have a competent debate. This opportunity was missed,
whereas there is so much to discuss.