The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #97101 Message #1941651
Posted By: greg stephens
19-Jan-07 - 12:00 PM
Thread Name: BBC Folk Awards- Open and clear
Subject: RE: BBC Folk Awards- Open and clear
Well done Dave. John Leonard used some very standard bits of obfuscation. Like making the obvious definition of traditional(different versions, oral transmission) as if he was disagreeing with Dave, thus subtly suggesting that dave must be talking nonsense.
Then the very, very, very interesting suggesting that he'd checkeed last year's voting patterns, and pointing out that taking out the votes of the people with a businesss interest wouldn't have changed the result. Sounds very convincing. But why did he pick last year, particularly, when people are complaining about this year? Go figure, as they say.
He also, very openly and frankly, offered to publish the votes for first, second, third and fourth place( in a few months time when controversy has died down). And pointed out that nobody would be interested in who came tenth or fifteenth. Anotherr classic piece of misdirection. Who has asked him who came tenth or fifteenth? Who could care less?The interesting question is, who came fifth? because they deserve the kudos of a nomination, and the money that goes with it. Of course, it might have been one of Seth's actually traditional tracks, which would be very funny.
All in all, a total failure, because what we all want is for the awards to be open, and the winners to be admired. All Smooth Operations are doing is making the awards look dodgy, and Seth Lakeman to get laughed at. It's a shame, and the problem could so easily be dealt with.
A final point, to which I don't know the answer. John Leonrad meatphorically spread his hands wide in an honest fashion and said that SEth Lakeman has said it was traditioinal on both CD versions, and that he (JL) supports him. Isn't it in fact the case that SL has now withdrawn the claim. and the single(issued most recently) has trhe song credited to Lakeman? Leaving John Leonard as the only person in the world who thinks it's traditional.