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Eurovision 2022

15 May 22 - 02:53 AM (#4141687)
Subject: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome

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


15 May 22 - 04:32 AM (#4141691)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,The Sandman

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.


15 May 22 - 04:53 AM (#4141693)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman

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.


15 May 22 - 04:55 AM (#4141694)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman

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


15 May 22 - 05:39 AM (#4141698)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Steve Shaw

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!


15 May 22 - 06:11 AM (#4141705)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Jon Freeman

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.


15 May 22 - 06:28 AM (#4141710)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Bonzo3legs

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!


15 May 22 - 06:50 AM (#4141713)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman

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! ;-)


15 May 22 - 07:44 AM (#4141715)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,Ray

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!


15 May 22 - 08:14 AM (#4141716)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,The Sandman

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


15 May 22 - 11:35 AM (#4141731)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Felipa

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.


15 May 22 - 12:44 PM (#4141740)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: RTim

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


15 May 22 - 01:00 PM (#4141742)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: WalkaboutsVerse

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


15 May 22 - 02:29 PM (#4141745)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,The Sandman

not my scene either.
i was playing live folk music


15 May 22 - 04:50 PM (#4141757)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome

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


15 May 22 - 06:53 PM (#4141777)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Tattie Bogle

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!


16 May 22 - 03:35 AM (#4141802)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome

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.


16 May 22 - 03:38 AM (#4141803)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman

Eurovision Song Contest entry rules…


16 May 22 - 09:19 AM (#4141832)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Stilly River Sage

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.


16 May 22 - 09:38 AM (#4141836)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Jon Freeman

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.


16 May 22 - 10:26 AM (#4141846)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman

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).


16 May 22 - 10:38 AM (#4141849)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome

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


16 May 22 - 10:54 AM (#4141850)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST,Grishka

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.


16 May 22 - 11:15 AM (#4141854)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome

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.


16 May 22 - 11:19 AM (#4141855)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Doug Chadwick

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


16 May 22 - 11:26 AM (#4141856)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome

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!


16 May 22 - 11:53 AM (#4141858)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Backwoodsman

Wise words, Dave.


16 May 22 - 12:06 PM (#4141860)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Doug Chadwick

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


16 May 22 - 12:11 PM (#4141862)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Dave the Gnome

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!


16 May 22 - 01:33 PM (#4141866)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST

"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.


16 May 22 - 01:35 PM (#4141867)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Doug Chadwick

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


16 May 22 - 01:36 PM (#4141868)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Ernest

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


16 May 22 - 02:30 PM (#4141876)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Doug Chadwick

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


16 May 22 - 08:01 PM (#4141902)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: Steve Shaw

"...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!


17 May 22 - 12:36 AM (#4141916)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GUEST

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


17 May 22 - 02:45 AM (#4141919)
Subject: RE: Eurovision 2022
From: GerryM

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