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Post by kerouac2 on May 18, 2019 23:07:55 GMT
Well, I guess I'm getting better at picking the winner.
1. Netherlands 2. Italy 3. Russia
Last place was...
26. United Kingdom
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Post by lagatta on May 19, 2019 17:13:35 GMT
I liked the Italian entry too. Basically in Italian, the only Arabic words were thinks like Habibi(my darling) that migrants would say to their children. Italy, especially Sicily, is very close to the Maghreb. I was wondering about the Dutch guy's parentage.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 20, 2019 18:52:15 GMT
As I have already said numerous times, it is the geopolitical aspect of the Eurovision song contest that interests me the most. After all, there are all sorts genuine political issues among all of the EU and other European countries all year long, so I am totally fascinated by this one and only event which should be non political but which isn't at all. (One would think that the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals might be other geopolitical candidates but not at all -- the juries are from all over the world and do not represent 'European' views.) The United Kingdom is wondering once again why it came in last (as it has done too often in recent years). Is it Brexit? Apparently not, because the UK was already doing horribly several years before the referendum. One of the most awful things, though, in the final voting by the public after the voting of the official juries, was that the UK only received 3 more points (and they all came from Irish televoters and not from any other country). Of course Germany was even more humiliated since it received zero votes from the European public. I thought this analysis by the BBC wss quite fascinating.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 24, 2019 16:22:08 GMT
Okay, I'll confess that I am distractedly watching the Junior Eurovision contest today. While it is a total waste of time, they have a lot more balls than the main contest. Each country at least sings mostly in its own language, Malta in Maltese, Wales in Welsh and Ireland in Gaelic -- just to name the countries that could have copped out and sung in their "other" official language. Australia is strangely here again and also Kazakhstan which can't sing in the adult contest because it is not a member of the EBU. And it is nice to see North Macedonia participating under its new name.
It should be pointed out that only 19 countries are in this contest because the majority of European countries made the logical decision that is really not worth the effort. (They've probably never heard about soft lobbying.)
I find that it makes the participating countries more admirable, but that's just be.
Here is the awful yet perky French song. (Keep in mind that the contestants are age 9 to 14 only.)
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 24, 2019 17:31:18 GMT
So, France came in 5th. The well fed little singer from Kazakhstan was far in the lead until the very last vote…
But then the last vote from the public was announced, and Poland won for the second year in a row.
Europe is a fine and mysterious place.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 24, 2019 17:39:52 GMT
For me, the most impressive thing about the Polish performance was that for such an overtly racist country, a mixed race boy was part of the group. Naturally, we know that the cultural circles in just about every country are more advanced than the general public or the politicians.
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Post by kerouac2 on Mar 18, 2020 19:58:22 GMT
Good news for France! The 2020 Eurovision song contest has been cancelled.
Here is the horrible song that would have humiliated France.
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Post by patricklondon on Apr 6, 2020 10:36:51 GMT
It seems that would have been the Icelandic entry has achieved wider international viral status (see what I did there) thanks to these Chicagoans: (I suppose it's also a workout for these housebound days) My blog | My photos | My video clips | My Librivox recordings"too literate to be spam"
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 6, 2020 15:13:55 GMT
This is the video doing the rounds on fb
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Post by kerouac2 on May 15, 2020 14:52:01 GMT
And so, tomorrow is the date of the non-Eurovision song contest which is not taking place in Rotterdam. But there will be a television programme anyway to celebrate the 41 songs that would have participated. Frankly, I think it will be a better show without having to wonder about winners and losers. Apparently, all of the 2020 contestants are automatically qualified for 2021 but not for the same song. I expect that most of the contestants will change anyway, since the event is such a piece of temporary musical fluff.
Of course, this never stops internet betting about who might have won. Apparently there were two top contenders -- Italy and Iceland.
It is even rumoured that Great Britain would not have come in last this year.
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Post by lugg on May 15, 2020 18:20:34 GMT
It is even rumoured that Great Britain would not have come in last this year. Haha - I would have thought that last would be an absolute given
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Post by kerouac2 on May 15, 2020 18:54:50 GMT
I actually find that the British song was quite good this year.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 15, 2020 19:02:00 GMT
The Icelandic song isn't bad either except for the fact that the singers wore ugly pyjamas. As for the Italian song, it is much too typically Italian. In France, this is called a "spaghetti slow." Last year's Italian song was 10 times better, which probably explains why it finished second.
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Post by patricklondon on May 16, 2020 4:59:52 GMT
It night make sense in future years to use videos for elimination rounds and cut back on the bloated live final, down to say 12-15 entries. But then I suppose all the announcers from the voting countries would take the opportunity to bloat up their contributions. My blog | My photos | My video clips | My Librivox recordings"too literate to be spam"
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Post by kerouac2 on May 17, 2020 4:21:17 GMT
The main thing that I was able to glean from the (mercifully short) Eurovision replacement show was that we really missed out by not being able to see the full performance by Russia.
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Post by bjd on May 17, 2020 5:35:24 GMT
I didn't watch it all but Stalin is rolling over in his grave! The little fat guy in blue pyjamas must be brought in from Chechnya, just to complete the look of Soviet times.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 17, 2020 6:12:28 GMT
Will we all be wearing bell bottoms in the next fashion season?
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Post by bixaorellana on May 18, 2020 3:53:03 GMT
The Italian song sucked as bad as it's possible for a song to suck. I like the Icelandic one. I didn't like the Great Britain one, but I thought it was good, if that makes sense. Russia wins!
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 8, 2020 11:19:48 GMT
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Post by whatagain on Aug 10, 2020 8:50:08 GMT
Europe's favorite TV show ? Where does the author live ? Another reason not to watch it. Will be full(er) with ads.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 10, 2020 9:20:43 GMT
Europe's favorite TV show ? There is no other programme that is broadcast in every European country (and more) at the same time. That is one way to come to that conclusion. Now if you try to ask "which programme has the highest quality rating in Europe?" nobody will agree, so Eurovision wins anyway... I agree that there is probably no way that this programme can work in the United States, but who wouldn't love to see Rhode Island beat California?
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 29, 2020 19:33:31 GMT
I suppose I must mention that France won the Eurovision Junior contest today. Although it has existed for 20 years, it is only the 4th year that France has participated since the "major" countries don't take it seriously. And only 12 countries participated this year, partly because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. The contest took place in Poland which is in a raging rise of infections (even though it is only in its first wave) and is just about to join the 1-million club for the number of cases (right after Germany and Mexico).
Anyway, I was not at all impressed by the French song, but the little girl Valentina is a born star. We have been subjected to her for a few weeks on talk shows and stuff, and she speaks more intelligently than most singers who are 25 years old (yes, I know that's not saying much these days). She is 11 years old and contestants have to be under the age of 14.
It was Germany's first participation and they came in last of course, just like in the main Eurovision contest. I am going to end up feeling sorry for them.
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Post by bjd on Nov 29, 2020 20:13:54 GMT
I didn't watch it all but at least she was dressed for her age and not like a little tart.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 31, 2021 5:36:55 GMT
France has selected tradition for its trip to Rotterdam in May -- an Edith Piaf style torch song.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 12, 2021 11:20:08 GMT
France tops the odds again this year, which is so funny because it is almost always well placed in the odds and then sinks without a trace.
Even weirder, Malta is #2 in the odds and its song has a title in French for some reason.
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Post by whatagain on May 13, 2021 8:11:14 GMT
For Belgium Hooverphonic has been selected.
I find it a mistake to take bands that exists since 25 years. Eurovision should be for new artists to get some celebrity. Now what does Hooverphonic sing ? I have no idea. No song comes to mind. Nothing. Is it because they are Flemish that i nevear heard them ? Or did i forget ? Or did i just simply not pay any attention ? Don't know. Worst is that i don't try to listen to them...
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Post by kerouac2 on May 13, 2021 8:26:38 GMT
Well, let's check it out.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 13, 2021 8:29:40 GMT
Hmmmm... it doesn't sound at all like a Eurovision song. In fact it doesn't sound much like a song at all.
Let's try England instead. They haven't been doing very well.
Well, that's not going to change, apparently.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 14, 2021 18:44:53 GMT
Italy has moved into the #2 position for the Eurovision odds. Uh, I don't think so.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 16, 2021 17:20:14 GMT
And now Italy has been placed in the top spot by the bookmakers. I was going to post the song which is in the bottom spot (Georgia), but it is too unbearable.
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