Eurovision

Irons · May 23, 2021, 01:07:04 AM

Quote from: Herman on May 23, 2021, 12:15:59 AM
I haven't watched this ever in my life.

What I did notice this time around is more people claimed to be watching it with great, UN-IRONIC interest than ever before, either due to lockdown fatigue or to pressure from social media. Or both.

Used to be a given that the various acts were basically terrible and only to be watched tongue-in-cheek. Now people seemed to be wholly seriously invested in this.

Could it not be there is bugger all else to watch? I chalked off another three episodes of "Breaking Bad".

The British entry came over as a nice bloke, always had a smile on his face. Didn't have a chance though, we could enter the reincarnation of the Beatles and they would still come last!

vandermolen · May 23, 2021, 01:42:07 AM

Quote from: Irons on May 23, 2021, 01:07:04 AM
Could it not be there is bugger all else to watch? I chalked off another three episodes of "Breaking Bad".

The British entry came over as a nice bloke, always had a smile on his face. Didn't have a chance though, we could enter the reincarnation of the Beatles and they would still come last!

Very true!

Herman · May 23, 2021, 03:55:12 AM

Quote from: Irons on May 23, 2021, 01:07:04 AM
Could it not be there is bugger all else to watch? I chalked off another three episodes of "Breaking Bad".

I was reading Dickens' Our Mutual Friend.

Biffo · May 23, 2021, 04:24:37 AM

I am tempted to say it is a waste of the licence-payer's money but a lot of people seem to enjoy it. I haven't watched it for years.

This, from Wikipedia, is interesting -

'In 1999, a rule change allowed the United Kingdom, along with France, Germany and Spain, to automatically qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest final (irrespective of their recent scores and without entering a semi-final), due to being the biggest financial contributors to the EBU. Due to their untouchable status in the contest, these countries became known as the "Big Four" (which became the "Big Five" in 2011 following the return of Italy to the contest).
.........

Since the introduction of the Big Four/Five, the United Kingdom has finished last in the contest five [now six?] times, with Germany finishing last three times. The United Kingdom also has the fewest top ten results of the Big Five in the 21st century, but has achieved more top five results than Spain, having reached the top five in 2002 and 2009, while Spain has not reached the top five since the 1995 contest.'

Irons · May 23, 2021, 06:11:28 AM

Quote from: Biffo on May 23, 2021, 04:24:37 AM
I am tempted to say it is a waste of the licence-payer's money but a lot of people seem to enjoy it. I haven't watched it for years.

This, from Wikipedia, is interesting -

'In 1999, a rule change allowed the United Kingdom, along with France, Germany and Spain, to automatically qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest final (irrespective of their recent scores and without entering a semi-final), due to being the biggest financial contributors to the EBU. Due to their untouchable status in the contest, these countries became known as the "Big Four" (which became the "Big Five" in 2011 following the return of Italy to the contest).
.........

Since the introduction of the Big Four/Five, the United Kingdom has finished last in the contest five [now six?] times, with Germany finishing last three times. The United Kingdom also has the fewest top ten results of the Big Five in the 21st century, but has achieved more top five results than Spain, having reached the top five in 2002 and 2009, while Spain has not reached the top five since the 1995 contest.'

A lot of people do watch it. A favourite I believe with the gay community, the broadcaster Ian Dale is a big fan. Maybe with us Brits there is some sour grapes going on. Bucks Fizz won it in 1981 and when the two girls had their skirts whipped off it has gone down as an iconic moment and talked about to this day.

Jeffrey, you report the Aussies gave us high marks. I reckon that was part of the deal for us to buy all their beef!

vandermolen · May 24, 2021, 07:08:35 AM

Quote from: Irons on May 23, 2021, 06:11:28 AM
A lot of people do watch it. A favourite I believe with the gay community, the broadcaster Ian Dale is a big fan. Maybe with us Brits there is some sour grapes going on. Bucks Fizz won it in 1981 and when the two girls had their skirts whipped off it has gone down as an iconic moment and talked about to this day.

Jeffrey, you report the Aussies gave us high marks. I reckon that was part of the deal for us to buy all their beef!

Not this Jeffrey I think. I find that the the ESC has a macabre appeal.

bhodges · May 24, 2021, 07:20:32 AM

Though friends have been commenting on Eurovision for years (both good and bad), I had never watched any of it until this year, when a friend sent me the German entry (below) from Jendrik. Too bad Germany placed next-to-last, since the song is catchy and fun, with a valuable message, and the film editing is terrific.

Germany
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydgxZnHFLi4

Also worth watching: Iceland (cool sparks-shooting guitars), France (Edith Piaf-y), Lithuania (love the yellow suits), Cyprus (moody) and a few others. I did like Italy (the winner), though not sure I'll watch it over and over.

Italy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mL6Cmkg2_A

All in all, glad it's on my radar, and I can see why it's so popular -- like soccer, apparently everywhere but in the United States.

--Bruce

mabuse · May 24, 2021, 07:44:27 AM

I realize that I have developed a kind of allergy to the music of Marc Antoine Charpentier to the point that even the short callsign of Eurovision have become painful to me...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMVSsSi4QQ0

vandermolen · May 16, 2022, 12:17:05 AM

...continued from the 'Europe at War' thread. I realised that I should just have typed 'Eurovision' rather than 'Eurovision Song Contest' into the search thread.
I don't think that it was a vintage year and I was delighted that the UK did so well and the singer Sam Ryder came out of it very well (not just his performance but also his comments when interviewed during the voting). I liked the UK entry although, had my phone let me vote, I would have voted for the Netherlands - I thought that it was a lovely song from their 21 year old singer. I also liked the Ukraine song and the opening one from the Czech Republic. I think that Ukraine deserved to win and not just because of the political situation.

vandermolen · May 13, 2023, 09:17:44 AM

So, here we are again!
Eurovision Song Contest 2023
Staged in Liverpool/UK on behalf of Ukraine (last year's winners)
Will you be tuning in this evening (or morning in Australia)?
Not in the USA I suspect.
Austria, Norway, Finland, Sweden and France are favourites this year.
The UK came second last year suggesting that we are no longer being punished for Brexit.
Looking forward to hearing your views.

PS My son-in-law tells me that the Canadians get the chance to vote this year and that a Montrealer is competing for France.
You heard it here first!

vandermolen · May 13, 2023, 03:51:32 PM

I'm biased but I thought that the UK's singer deserved better. Was their something wrong with her microphone as it sounded rather quiet?

Eurovision

bhodges