Eurotrashvision

[Geoffrey S]

You people actually watch this rubbish? Going to hell and back causes less suffering.

Agreed.

What puzzles me more than people watching it, which can be entertaining with friends and beer, is that some people seem to take it all so seriously...

[caravel]

I missed it this time around... just like last time, and the time before that, and before that... anyway, did Greece and Cyprus vote for each other?

[English assassin]

Russia should have won, although whether it was really worth watching two hours of Eurovision for three hawt chicks I'm not sure.

I liked Finland's effort too, but has she got Nightwish in her record collection OR WHAT?

Otherwise, the Ukranian transvestite in silver foil singing a dance number in German (I think), summed up the true spirit of Eurovision for me. Sir/Madam, I salute you.

And, now I know the UK is NOT in a position to criticise here, but the Irish effort was pretty poor. I seriously thought we were in danger of little leprechauns capering onto the stage when the bodhran came out.

Serbia: sorry, no.

[edyzmedieval]

Ireland was the worst really. How could they possibly bring such a song?

[InsaneApache]

Ireland was the worst really. How could they possibly bring such a song?

Prolly sick to the back teeth hosting it.

[English assassin]

That reminds me, I actually saw the show when the UK selected the camp air stewards, and it was an outrage that Big Brovaz weren't selected. No one else had a hip hop song, so it would have stood out, and it was actually quite good. And I don't even like hip hop.

Still, its a hard call to make, selecting your entry. You've got a load of Brits with bad taste trying to decide what an assorted lot of Eastern Europeans with bad taste might like. Its probably not what Jim Steinman would do. (On reflection, its EXACTLY what Jim Steinmen would do.) I can kind of see why Ireland turned the Celt-O-matic up to 11 though.

[Bijo]

What puzzles me more than people watching it, which can be entertaining with friends and beer, is that some people seem to take it all so seriously...

You mean people who are sitting there in front of their telly, yelling at it, and cursing out countries' songs they don't like as they appear, as well as people of other countries they mock, as they carry with them a certain "nationalism" of some sort? Heh heh :)

I can imagine the "pride" or honour it could bring a nation, but really... I don't see how it's about a nation that is so good that it has to win: it's about artists -- it hurts to call these people artists -- who perform and are good at music / singing and performing, not about nations competing with each other. Art is of no country.


With that said, I still demand this thread be closed. Who wants free beer to help me close it?

[ZombieFriedNuts]

next year i vote we send some moris dansers anythings better than scoot and last years atempt

[KukriKhan]

For any non-Euro's who'd like to play along, here's a LINK to a site that lists all the winning songs since 1956, along with .wmv files of their performances.

[Antagonist]

Am I the only one who never bothers watching the actual contest, but tunes in for the brief summaries of each performance and the voting? I actually find that funny, especially with someone like Wogan commenting. Some of the announcers seem to be trying to hold back a cringe at who their country voted for, a couple even rolled their eyes when they gave 12 points to their neighbour or whatever. I particularly recall the announcer for one of the smaller eastern countries being a blinking, bespectacled guy who looked extremely uncomfortable, interrupting the Finnish hosts to deliver his results in a deadpan monotone, it looked like the obligatory cute Slavic girl had failed to show up for some reason and they'd shoved him in at the last minute.

The voting can be interesting to watch though I find, it's not always true that countries vote for their friends (though obviously it happens a lot) or that the voting is calculated strategically to make their country to better. My country actually voted itself into last by giving 12 points to the only country doing equally badly, Lithuania. We deserved it though, there's a conspiracy theory that Ireland deliberately sends appalling acts these days because they're sick of hosting the competition (having one it more times then anyone else) but I think this time they really wanted to do well, ironically. Celtic music may be the only kind of "folk" music with any mainstream resonance or popularity, but not if it's really, really bad.

I voted for Montenegro personally, something catchy about that one.

Antagonist

[InsaneApache]

For any non-Euro's who'd like to play along, here's a LINK to a site that lists all the winning songs since 1956, along with .wmv files of their performances.

Good grief.

[edyzmedieval]

I voted for Montenegro personally, something catchy about that one.
Antagonist

Yes of course, the female presence was indeed catching.

@Kukri

Good god, dont ever let me click on that link again.

[Ser Clegane]

For any non-Euro's who'd like to play along, here's a LINK to a site that lists all the winning songs since 1956, along with .wmv files of their performances.

Thanks for the link, Kukri - quite interesting.

When screening through some of the winners I noticed that e.g. in the later 70s the contest actually produced some songs that were apparently quite popular at that time. Scarily enough I remember all the winning songs for the years 1974-1979 - either those songs were much more successful at their times than the winners of the last years were, or my parents just loved them so much that they were forever burnt into my brain...

[KukriKhan]

LoL. "Wo-wo-wo-wo Waterlooooo..." Yeah that was big here too in 1974. Kinda fun for this oldtimer to watch the clips from so far back.

[scotchedpommes]

That reminds me, I actually saw the show when the UK selected the camp air stewards, and it was an outrage that Big Brovaz weren't selected. No one else had a hip hop song, so it would have stood out, and it was actually quite good. And I don't even like hip hop.

Still, its a hard call to make, selecting your entry. You've got a load of Brits with bad taste trying to decide what an assorted lot of Eastern Europeans with bad taste might like. Its probably not what Jim Steinman would do. (On reflection, its EXACTLY what Jim Steinmen would do.) I can kind of see why Ireland turned the Celt-O-matic up to 11 though.

Surely you remember they had an audience of those very same Eastern
Europeans voting for the song they preferred? Big Brovaz won that.
Personally I didn't like the song and voted for the French girl, so I was
extremely disappointed when Wigon made his announcement gaffe.

And yes, Ireland had that excuse for a song simply because they don't want to
host it again. Ever.

[Dîn-Heru]

Ukraine definately should have won.. How can anyone even compete with something like this: http://www.eurovision.tv/addons/medi...video/ukr.html

Good God I nearly doubled over laughing when I acidentally saw this number..

[UltraWar]

This would be better for Ireland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEt2XdN_TbQ

Agreed!Am I not the only Father Ted fan here?

[scotchedpommes]

Ireland was the worst really. How could they possibly bring such a song?

Prolly sick to the back teeth hosting it.

Whoops, missed that one.

Should add some of the texts coming in during the voting [could see it if you
were watching on the digital service here] were absolute classics.

[edyzmedieval]

Really, Ireland was absolutely rubbish. It was like watching a bunch of leprechauns singing "Old McDonald had a farm...".

[InsaneApache]

Really, Ireland was absolutely rubbish. It was like watching a bunch of leprechauns singing "Old McDonald had a farm...".

Whoops, missed that one.

Hey np mate. I know how you get carried away with the excitement of it all...you being an Arsenal fan an' all that. :)

[paul_kiss]

Not to repeat myself I'll copy-paste what I wrote in my blog after watching Eurovision.

Was watching Eurovision. Didn't quite get it why Serbia won... Some hazy song... Hazy singer... I've got torrents of soundtracks from PC games which are way more lyciral than this...
Yet the second position is also a success.
And always g.r.e.a.t. to see so many different faces from all over Europe.
Europe is the right choice.

Yes, and also Verka Serduchka's song + show reminded me Rammstein, CC Catch and Austin Powers. And that's cool. (Though, frankly speaking, the very song was not one of the best).

As for Russia, those three chicks who were supposed to be sexy-looking sucked. There are many chick bands for 1 day there in Russia, and they sent one of the worst. Total rubbish.

[Orb]

Ukraine definately should have won.. How can anyone even compete with something like this: http://www.eurovision.tv/addons/medi...video/ukr.html

Good God I nearly doubled over laughing when I acidentally saw this number..

Normally you'd need to pay good money to see someone abasing themself so much.

That said, I love some of the older winners, particularly Rock 'n' Roll Kids (even though I'm usually a progressive type). Quality's sort of taken a nose dive here.

[edyzmedieval]

The music quality in this days is in a free fall, actually something like a stall dive.

[Reverend Joe]

...What the hell?

I'm never coming back to this place again.

[AntiochusIII]

...What the hell?

I'm never coming back to this place again.

Come now. I'm enjoying the hypocrisy of some people.

"Eurovision sucks! -- and I watched it all. Goddammit why didn't [insert country here] win!?"

Personally, seeing Ms. Ukraine makes me agree that Eurovision is the greatest thing coming out of Europe since Madame de Pompadour and Mozart. I tell you, it'll be the uniting force of the diverse European people that brings out the spirit of the European empires of old out once more.

[Drisos]

Really liked the Serbia song, and a couple of others but I can't remember which. Glad it won.

Ukrain was crap, along with basically all of West-Europe.

Intresting how Holland keeps voting Turkey every year, no matter how afwul the song is.

[Caerfanan]

We-ell, it seems that this Eurovision stuff makes som ink flow.

The last I watched was in 1986 or 1987....

I'll agree with LEN, I think some situations are waaaay more complex and waaaay less "bad vs. evil"ish than most people unfortunately believe. Having the average guy voting in those contests means that politics have a very big influence. Hence the Greece/Turkey/Cyprus fact which happens systematically.

I don't know much about the songs and all, but what I know is that I rolled on the floor laughing when I heard that a finnish METAL band did win the 2006 eurovision, I heard the soundtrack of the french commentator saying "what is this?? If they win, I'll eat my hat, it's impossible". Just for this, I love Finland a bit more! Well done lads!!

On a more serious note, this made the other countries stop sending their "unknown classical singer" apparently: very good!

[Bijo]

Intresting how Holland keeps voting Turkey every year, no matter how afwul the song is.

Heh heh heh. Why am I not surprised...?

[phoenix[illusion]]

Intresting how Holland keeps voting Turkey every year, no matter how afwul the song is.

I'm not surprised too. Many women in Holland have changed their religion to Islam. I really don't know why?

[Dutch_guy]

I'm not surprised too. Many women in Holland have changed their religion to Islam. I really don't know why?

Huh, they have ?