Eurovision Song Contest

[nice90sguy]

This year it's hosted in the UK on behalf of last year's winners, Ukraine.

For most Europeans, it's a huge deal.

In the UK it's basically considered a gayfest.

In the US, it's about as well-known as the Superbowl is to Europeans, even though it has way more viewers than the Superbowl.

Will you be watching it? Are you excited?

 

[AlinaX]

Let's all vote for Austria.
~ Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Edgar Allen Poe, ...

 

[stickygirl]

This year it's hosted in the UK on behalf of last year's winners, Ukraine.

For most Europeans, it's a huge deal.

In the UK it's basically considered a gayfest.

In the US, it's about as well-known as the Superbowl is to Europeans, even though it has way more viewers than the Superbowl.

Will you be watching it? Are you excited?

To me if feels like an annual medical - you dread it coming around, it's intrusive, it takes too long and ends with a complete stranger expressing a hurtful opinion.

 

[AlinaX]

It's a fun event, but the way Wogan and even North tended to sneer at it annoyed me. British music isn't intrinsically superior, much as it would like to think so.

 

[Handley_Page]

I rather liked Wogan's comments;
he really did not like the "I'll vote for you if you vote for me"
attitudes.

 

[Anastasia1999]

I will be watching it. I love it.

Loved Ukraines winning entry last year and the 3 best songs in 2021 were world class!

 

[nice90sguy]

Let's all vote for Austria.
~ Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Edgar Allen Poe, ...

Pure Eurovision

 

[onehitwanda]

This year it's hosted in the UK on behalf of last year's winners, Ukraine.

For most Europeans, it's a huge deal.

In the UK it's basically considered a gayfest.

In the US, it's about as well-known as the Superbowl is to Europeans, even though it has way more viewers than the Superbowl.

Will you be watching it? Are you excited?

I protest. We know all about the superb owl. We also know all about the Sus anal bum party.

 

[AlinaX]

I rather liked Wogan's comments;
he really did not like the "I'll vote for you if you vote for me"
attitudes.

No one does, but the public vote is heavily influenced by migrant populations so the quid pro quo they *still* complain about is often just a result of people voting for their home country.

 

[MissPennyLane]

I absolutely love Eurovision because it's so whacky, you never know what you're going to get my friends and I have a party round someone's house, we all give out our scores to each act at the end of it and decide "our" winner I've also found some really good artists and music through it!

Real life voting aside, I genuinely just think it's a bit of light hearted fun so why not
The real shame is that we as the UK don't get Graham Norton doing the commentary anymore

 

[MissPennyLane]

It's a fun event, but the way Wogan and even North tended to sneer at it annoyed me. British music isn't intrinsically superior, much as it would like to think so.

I think it's just very dry sarcasm? But I could be wrong, I was trying to remember who did it before Graham and I had forgotten it was Terry! Thanks for the reminder

 

[AlinaX]

Perhaps, but a constant drip feed of sarcasm gets abrasive after a while.

 

[MissPennyLane]

Perhaps, but a constant drip feed of sarcasm gets abrasive after a while.

Well I expect Mel and Scott will be a bit softer anyway!

 

[nice90sguy]

In my dim distant past I sang live (but mimed playing my instrument) in "A Song for Europe". We didn't win, of course, but I did meet Terry Wogan, who, to my surprise, was very likeable. It was far and away the biggest gig I've ever played.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

This year it's hosted in the UK on behalf of last year's winners, Ukraine.

For most Europeans, it's a huge deal.

In the UK it's basically considered a gayfest.

In the US, it's about as well-known as the Superbowl is to Europeans, even though it has way more viewers than the Superbowl.

Will you be watching it? Are you excited?

No. I’m at the pics tonight to finish off the Guardians, but I was listening to WATERLOO before which is nearly 50 years old (can you believe it? Still sounds amazing) which is arguably also one of the most bonkers songs I’ve ever heard.

Comparing surrendering to a lover the way Napoleon surrendered at Waterloo is crazy, but like the artillery at that battle the song just pounds the listener into submission,

Couldn’t escape if I wanted to do do do.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I protest. We know all about the superb owl. We also know all about the Sus anal bum party.

Nice. and

Surprised no-ones covered Su’s Anal Bum Party on here. Yikes!

 

[Anastasia1999]

I absolutely love Eurovision because it's so whacky, you never know what you're going to get my friends and I have a party round someone's house, we all give out our scores to each act at the end of it and decide "our" winner I've also found some really good artists and music through it!

Real life voting aside, I genuinely just think it's a bit of light hearted fun so why not
The real shame is that we as the UK don't get Graham Norton doing the commentary anymore

Graham Norton and Terry Wogan. Two great Irishmen

Enjoy your Eurovision party!!!

 

[nice90sguy]

Graham Norton is why I'll be watching

 

[Bramblethorn]

This year it's hosted in the UK on behalf of last year's winners, Ukraine.

For most Europeans, it's a huge deal.

In the UK it's basically considered a gayfest.

In the US, it's about as well-known as the Superbowl is to Europeans, even though it has way more viewers than the Superbowl.

Will you be watching it? Are you excited?

I'll be up at 5 am tomorrow to watch and vote.

One of my friends, sadly no longer with us, was a huge fan. She'd throw Eurovision parties and feed us as consolation for getting up in the wee hours, and got us into watching the contest archives as something to do together during covid lockdown. I think I've seen every final and semifinal from 1956 on (or just listened to the two that weren't archived on video). The acts aren't always my thing, late 90s/early 00s were particularly dire, but it has a lot of happy associations for me.

And then a band that I've been following for years got picked to represent Germany this year - not my favourite of their songs but I'm happy for them and I'd be watching for their sake.

For people trying to understand what the fuss is about, I'd suggest reading Cat Valente's "Space Opera", a sci-fi novel about a very thinly-disguised ESC in space. It captures the vibe of ESC better than anything I've seen.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I rather liked Wogan's comments;
he really did not like the "I'll vote for you if you vote for me"
attitudes.

He never seemed to have a problem with Ireland and UK voting for one another though...

 

[SimonDoom]

I knew nothing about it. It gets no publicity at all in the USA. I looked it up on Wikipedia and was puzzled to see that Australia participates.

 

[AlinaX]

This year there's a 'rest of the world' vote, whatever that means.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I knew nothing about it. It gets no publicity at all in the USA. I looked it up on Wikipedia and was puzzled to see that Australia participates.

Australia had a lot of post-WWII European migration, and I think that had a lot to do with ESC taking off here. Our multicultural/multilingual broadcasting channel, SBS, started broadcasting it back in 1983, and both SBS and the contest became more mainstream here over the years.

Australia actually performing in the contest was originally going to be a one-off thing for the 60th anniversary, but it went down well enough that SBS and the EBU agreed to keep Australia in for another 8 years. This is the last year of this agreement, so it's not clear whether we'll continue to be part of the contest (though it'll be a bit awkward if we win this year and then drop out!)

For Americans, the best-known Eurovision alumni would probably be Abba and Celine Dion. (Not counting Flo Rida who was already big before his Eurovision cameo in 2021.)

 

[SimonDoom]

Australia had a lot of post-WWII European migration, and I think that had a lot to do with ESC taking off here. Our multicultural/multilingual broadcasting channel, SBS, started broadcasting it back in 1983, and both SBS and the contest became more mainstream here over the years.

Australia actually performing in the contest was originally going to be a one-off thing for the 60th anniversary, but it went down well enough that SBS and the EBU agreed to keep Australia in for another 8 years. This is the last year of this agreement, so it's not clear whether we'll continue to be part of the contest (though it'll be a bit awkward if we win this year and then drop out!)

For Americans, the best-known Eurovision alumni would probably be Abba and Celine Dion. (Not counting Flo Rida who was already big before his Eurovision cameo in 2021.)

It's a little scary how much you account for "new things I learned today."

 

[nice90sguy]

Perhaps, but a constant drip feed of sarcasm gets abrasive after a while.

It's the British alternative to a French histrionic rant.