Why is Eurovision sneered at?

I actually think it's brilliant - the colours, the nations cheek by jowl, and so many more of them, since the disintegration of the Soviet block and the enlargement of the EU. And behaving, performers and spectators alike, in a cheerful, not too serious, slightly self-satirical context, much better than a political or sports-oriented gathering. The moans about the biased voting, and 'blocks' of next door neigbours voting for each other - well, in what other situation would you find Armenia enthusiastically supporting Turkey, or Georgia Russia? Yes, it's true that nobody votes for the UK, thus nearly always ending up with 'nul points', but that is the fault of the crap performances they offer up.

It's also not true that the music is always 60's bubblegum - many of the acts, at least from Eastern Europe, seemed serious attempts to convey the culture of their country, albeit in a rock music form. In fact, one might detect an air of determination to be taken seriously, and to claim recognition as a part of the New Europe. The Western contributions by contrast seemed plastic, flaccid and vaccid, and were rewarded accordingly.

I was especially pleased to get to see Eurovision at all - our satellite TV in the wilds of Africa usually offers only 15 year old movies, miscellaneous sports event and Big Brother. They will no doubt say the rights are too expensive - luckily we found Portuguese TV which was carrying the event, and it was fine, given that the presenters were not to be compared to Terry Wogan. The live Finnish presenters really did look like Ken and Barbie, as they should, and everything was perfect.

The winner was also richly deserved - the intense little lady from Serbia rendering a haunting ballad darkly redolent of the Balkans - backed by strange tall blonde-wigged ladies - an act mysteriously described by an over-excited BBC journo as lesbian soft-porn - some symbolism definitely but I'm not sure what. It was also great that the song was sung in the proper language and not in Barbie English. The act was certain to win from the moment it rolled.

There are of course political overtones to Eurovision - for instance the UK group tends to do worse than usual since the Iraq war - but in this case I especially hope that the event,, to be held in Belgrade next year thanks to Maria Serifovic, will mark Serbia's final emergence from the Milosevic era and into the family of Europe.

If so, Eurovision will have achieved more than politicians have been able to do for the past 10 years. Go for it.