Do you have to be ridiculous to win Eurovision?

Columnist Francois Reynaert comments with some irony on the selection of Sebastien Tellier to represent France for Eurovision 2008. "This candidature is all the more exasperating because our neighbours are making such big efforts to respect traditions. Spain has concocted a idiotic song called 'Chiki chiki' and Ireland is on point with its singer: they've sent a turkey! ... Sebastien Tellier poses another problem as well, which came up last week with a question a UMP [right-wing] deputy posed in the National Assembly: Tellier sings in English. ... Other candidates have more respect for their values. Think about the Belgian group Ishtar, from whose song we can cite two lines ... : 'O juussi na jalym... O bulo diti non slukati.' ... It's actually an 'imaginary language that they created', which proves just to what point they respect their nationality: when we see what a catastrophe it's become to use this or that language in Belgium, we understand why people prefer to make up their own."

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