Eurovision 2022

Subject: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 May 22 - 02:53 AM

I forgot to start my annual Eurovion thread. Again!

Ukraine winning was no surprise and gives the world hope that, this time next year, Kyiv will be in a position to hold the final. I thought it was a good song too.

Sam Ryder coming second for the UK did surprise me. And we get all the glory with none of the cost :-)

The only other thing I would add is...


Give that wolf a banana :-D

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,The Sandman
Date: 15 May 22 - 04:32 AM

I was not surprised to hear ukraine had won,so the eurovision song contest is now being used as a political tool,what a surprise.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 15 May 22 - 04:53 AM

I don’t agree with your judgment on the quality of the Ukraine entry, Dave, but I completely understand the sentiments and motives of those who voted for it and, in view of the huge amount of apparently-politically-motivated voting that has gone on for many years in the contest, I have no criticism of the result. The contest provided the perfect opportunity for Joe and Jane Public to tell Ukraine that they are with them in their battle, and to stick two fingers up at Putin and his band of thugs.

It was the expected result, and I’m very happy with it.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 15 May 22 - 04:55 AM

Should have typed, “…Putin and his band of murderous, rapacious, barbarous thugs”.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 May 22 - 05:39 AM

To be honest, the songs are just not my thing at all, and the strain towards making things as bizarre as possible from some entries is something I find laughable and annoying in turns. I did like Portugal's entry, and the one with the ladybottoms I found compulsive viewing. But bring back Terry Wogan! I thought that Graham f****** Norton (I can't say his name without inserting that expletive) was a bloody disgrace. Most of the time he talked over the presenters so that I could hear neither them nor him, and when the result came in he chuntered on for about ten minutes about how great the runner-up was and had hardly a word to say about Ukraine. And my God did they drag the thing out towards the end. The last thing you need at five past midnight at the end of a four-hour marathon is artificially-created tension by dint of long pauses before giving us each score, among other longeurs. Especially when you've already watched your team winning the FA Cup via extra time and a penalty shootout with scarcely a break between the two shows! The corkscrew came in handy...

I wouldn't miss it for the world!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 15 May 22 - 06:11 AM

Mum was the only one that watched it here and it (Freeview) went to "No Signal" before the end. I could have changed over to our standby Freesat for her but she decided she'd rather get some sleep.

I suppose, outside a passing interest, I largely parted company with it years ago. I remember getting excited about ABBA and Waterloo winning and Buck's Fizz (who's Making Your Mind Up, I thought a great song for the competition) winning was possibly the last time I watched the whole show.

I've yet to listen to any songs but, political or otherwise, I'd have no complaints about votes in support of Ukraine. UK coming second also seems interesting.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 15 May 22 - 06:28 AM

Mrs Bonzo decided that she wanted to zip through the songs so the marathon is downloading in full HD (1080p) from the iplayer using get_iplayer to an almost 16Gb file, which I'll obviously have to split into 4Gb chunks for a memory stick!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 15 May 22 - 06:50 AM

Steve, I was slightly nauseated by the crotch-and-arse-thrusting antics of the group you mentioned - way too overt for my tastes - but I did find myself mightily intrigued by the sylph-like young lady wearing a long dress, and with the black hair in a bowl-cut who wriggled her way through her performance. Now she can come up to see my etchings any time!

Haven’t a clue what she sang or which nation she represented, but otherwise she had my full and undivided attention! ;-)

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 15 May 22 - 07:44 AM

I gave up watching Eurovision following the demise of Terry Wogan.

I was hoping that we, as a nation, would give it up as the one and only benefit of Brexit!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,The Sandman
Date: 15 May 22 - 08:14 AM

MASTERS OF WAR, would have been an appropriate winning entry.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Felipa
Date: 15 May 22 - 11:35 AM

I listened to the Ukranian and British entries after the judging was over. I didn't listen to any song all the way through, because none of the songs I sampled was in a style I liked. But the Ukrainian entry was well and colourfully presented, and I did like the bits where they sang in traditional harmony and the fact that the act featured a traditional Ukranian flute. There was definitely some national character to their act; you wouldn't mistake it for American pop.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: RTim
Date: 15 May 22 - 12:44 PM

If I wanted too......and I didn't! I could have watched it here in New England, USA on our local Portuguese TV Channel.....and some of it was actually even in English.
However - Really NOT my scene!!

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 15 May 22 - 01:00 PM

Only saw part of it but the drone footage of various places in beautiful Italy was the highlight.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,The Sandman
Date: 15 May 22 - 02:29 PM

not my scene either.
i was playing live folk music

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 May 22 - 04:50 PM

It's funny how people who don't like Eurovision still enjoy whinging about it :-D

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 15 May 22 - 06:53 PM

Spent my evening in glorious singing with the annual Fifesing: still on Zoom owing to ongoing uncertainties re which way the virus might mutate again. Some wonderful archive audio and video recordings of past ( passed too) singers in between contributions from the still alive floor. Only went over to Eurovision after this had finished after 11pm. An evening not wasted!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 22 - 03:35 AM

It's a thread about a competition that, although it brings joy to millions, is very trivial in the overall scheme of things. It is nonsense to begin arguments about it and I am not going to indulge anyone that wants to turn it into a platform for their own private soapbox. In the words of a great sage, there are times when you need to stop arguing and accept that others are wrong. I now place the thread in the hands of the gods.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 22 - 03:38 AM

Eurovision Song Contest entry rules…

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 May 22 - 09:19 AM

How long does this competition run? Is it a series of performances over days or weeks? I see headlines about the contest results, coming in from the UK newspapers via Google News, but haven't clicked on any of them.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 16 May 22 - 09:38 AM

The final takes place on one night. There is/are elimination round(s) before that and countries may have their own selection process to choose the act and song before that.

See for the history

and here for our own (UK) selections over the years.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 22 - 10:26 AM

As Dave quite rightly says, in the real scale of things it's trivial nonsense, just entertainment - rather like Strictly Come Dancing, The Voice, and X-Factor - but the inescapable fact is that it's harmless fun and, despite what the po-faced misery-guts try to say, it gives pleasure to millions of TV viewers all over Europe and beyond on one night a year (three nights if you include the semi-final shows).

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 22 - 10:38 AM

I can be great fun, Stilly. If you chose to take a drink or something to eat from each country performing in the final you have the makings of a great party. But if you want to see the results too I would recommend a drink for only about 20% of them :-D

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 16 May 22 - 10:54 AM

The very idea of the ESC is utterly wrong, all the more so when it fuels nationalism. Linking or disliking any country in general is quite mistaken and should not be encouraged.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 22 - 11:15 AM

It was formed to promote harmony in Europe, Grishka. From the Wiki entry

"The Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la chanson) was first held in 1956, originally conceived through a desire to unite European countries through cross-border television broadcasts following World War II, and in doing so to test the capabilities of international broadcast technology. Following a series of exchange broadcasts in 1954, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) commissioned an international song competition, from an idea developed by Sergio Pugliese and Marcel Bezençon and originally based on the Italian Sanremo Music Festival."

Whether it has become nationalistic is another matter but, even if it has, we should not throw the baby out with the bath water. I have never been but I would love to go. Looking at the atmosphere at the venue it seems that everyone gets on very well and that should be encouraged.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 16 May 22 - 11:19 AM

I don't remember seeing a parade of flags before in the Eurovision Song contest. Was this the first time? It seems to me to be an unnecessary innovation, bound to fuel nationalism. Let the songs speak for the countries involved.

DC

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 22 - 11:26 AM

Not sure about that, Doug. They parade flags at the Olympics and I find that acceptable. You have reminded me of something though - The flag of St George, used for England in various events rather than the Union Flag for the UK, is another thing that has become misused. It seems people relate it to right wing nationalism but that is not the fault of the flag. We should stand against these people taking over innocent things like St George - And Eurovision!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 May 22 - 11:53 AM

Wise words, Dave.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 16 May 22 - 12:06 PM

I would do away with the flags, oaths and national items in The Olympics if I had my way. In the same way as the songs in Eurovision, let the sport speak for the countries involved.

DC

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 May 22 - 12:11 PM

Fairy Nuff, Doug. Maybe you are right and partisanism does cause more trouble than it is worth. I have often said that government would be much better without party politics so why not do away with the concept of nations too!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST
Date: 16 May 22 - 01:33 PM

"It was formed to promote harmony in Europe".
It clearly has not done that, we had the war between Serbia and Croatia.
Doug Chadwick is talking sense.

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 16 May 22 - 01:35 PM

..... and national anthems .....

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Ernest
Date: 16 May 22 - 01:36 PM

Do you really think that nationalists would turn into internationalsists if there were no flags shown?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 16 May 22 - 02:30 PM

Do you really think that nationalists would turn into internationalsists if there were no flags shown?

Maybe not, but perhaps some those who have not given the matter much thought could be less drawn towards nationalism.

DC

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 May 22 - 08:01 PM

"...in the real scale of things it's trivial nonsense, just entertainment - rather like Strictly Come Dancing, The Voice, and X-Factor - but the inescapable fact is that it's harmless fun..."

Well I wouldn't know about the X-Factor or The Voice as I've never tuned in, but I watch Strictly avidly and I would never miss Eurovision. I love Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, Queen and the Beatles. I can't be doing with Mahler, Steve Reich, Benjamin Britten, Bob Dylan, almost all films and novels, or any boy band. I hesitate to call things I don't like, or just steer clear of, trivial nonsense. There's a danger inherent in that. I think it's better to see the arts and entertainment (which should be the same thing, sort of) as a huge spectrum encompassing all of human culture. It's very democratic in that you can take from it and interact with whatever you like (affordability can, admittedly, be a limiting factor) and ignore the rest. At least you can once you leave school and can cease from having Shakespeare and Wordsworth thrust down your throat by bores.

I suppose you could call Blackadder and Basil Fawlty trivial in the overall scheme of things, but begod they've temporarily lifted me out of life's vale of tears many a time. That'll do me!

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST
Date: 17 May 22 - 12:36 AM

harnless fun?
fun is in the eye of the beholder, I agree with Doug, it would be better if flags were not paraded.
harmless?

Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GerryM
Date: 17 May 22 - 02:45 AM

Better some harmless fun than a farmless Hun, I always say.