DiversionsLockdown! Many of us experienced this for weeks – and may still be doing so. To occupy ever-stretching weeks and channel away our fear, we all probably did many house and garden tasks. But that still left the evenings to be filled – with books perhaps? Alternatively the internet offered many diversions. I turned to YouTube to watch the auditions for both America's Got Talent (AGT) and Britain's Got talent (BGT). Because all the BGT auditions and many of those from AGT had been filmed before the pandemic they were sitting in cyberspace for lock-downers to see. A lighter touchThis Friday, looking for a lighter touch after a run of posts on subjects such as crises affecting the environment, oceans, and refugees, I thought I'd share my two favourite acts from all the auditions I watched. First is an animal act from AGT. Please turn on the sound and click the mid-screen arrow. Click the little open-square icon in the bottom right corner to give 'full screen'. At the end click it again to return to small screen. Then just leave the screen as it is and go on to the rest of the post. The screen will realign for the next viewer. The performance takes nearly 5 minutes. The audience loved itThe theatre audience loved this act and so did I. I know that many people don't like performing animals. They think performing unfair or cruel to the animals. It can be and if it's done by fear and bullying I condemn it. I've for many years owned dogs. I think Marion and I are up to Number 6. Dogs love to play, perform and be with their people: fetch a ball, jump, climb on a garden table or whatever. These pigs are doing just that. Sure they get a treat after the performance but that's okay. Both animals and humans like rewards. Spice of dangerMy second favourite, this time from BGT, is a display of human skill. Just click the arrow – 8 minutes. Do the same with the screen as in the first item. A 'Wow' actWesley Williams entrapped the audience even before he got on his bike! Even as he introduced himself, his plain, unadorned, enthusiasm for life drew everybody to him. Then as he moved from one level of skill and danger to the next the audience moved with him from interest to wonder to horror. I thought he was terrific. I watched the audience members' faces. They thought so too. This was a high level circus act. It reminded me of Wirth's Circus to which my parents took me a number of times when I was little. I checked on Wesley. He's not from a circus family but he started performing when he was given a unicycle for his 6th birthday. Now he's 23 and he's been all over the world – but not, till now, in England. Not universally acclaimedI acknowledge that not everybody likes these shows. Many of my friends and contacts are amazed that I watch them. I grant that there is a lot of silly hoop-la. You'll notice that neither of my favourites have hardship backstories. Many acts do, especially in AGT, and those stories skew the judging. I like talent to win for it's own sake. I admire and respect practiced talent and I love watching it – just as I do say in a sport, such as premier football. In the hands of Covid 19The pandemic lockdown has provided more opportunity than usual to watch these shows but it may also have killed them. Both shows are planning to carry through to finals but that will depend on the US and the UK being able to deal with the virus. I hope they manage to do so. I don't want more people to die. I don't want more families to mourn. I don't want more cultures to be disrupted. And, if this doesn't sound too trivial, I'd certainly like to see the pigs and the unicyclist in the next round. Perhaps you would too? □ John McInnes Friday 26 June 2020 ##########
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