• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Eurovision

DrPaulLee

DrPaulLee

Justified & Ancient
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Messages
2,202
Does anyone think that the lack of votes for the UK's entry into Eurovision is a Europe-wide conspiracy? :D
 
Well, our entry didn't really stand out from all the others, so I didn't expect it to win.
That said, I do think that the majority of countries in the world wouldn't vote for Britain (political reasons and nothing to do with musical tastes).
As a nation, we should pull out of the competition and leave them all to get on with it without us.

Conspiracy? No, I don't think so.
 
Ha, Germany didn't even make it into two figures... I hate the Euro song contest, its all politics. I mean who in their right mind would give Norway or whoever had this really awful song any points at all?
It was very eastern european concentrated this time.
I think that contest is well out dated. The songs are not like songs people would normally come up with. They are too nicey-nicey in my opinion.
Maybe it was fun in the 60's and 70's but now its only a showground for countries telling how much they like/ not like each other. Its ridiculous.
 
Personally I love Eurovision. Moldova and their funky grandma was robbed!
I'm sure that in the 60's and 70's it was more politically oriented due to the fact that the judges for most countries were hand picked by political factions. Now though almost all (if not all, but I'm sure some are fixed) of the voting is done by the viewers it kind of messes up the 'political voting' theory. Did Israel do so well because most Europeans support the idea of a Middle-Eastern iron curtain (peace wall)? Did Germany do so badly because people can't forget their 1940's jaunts accross Europe?
Face it, most of it is down to who liked the songs more than anything else. Of course an Eastern European country will be more likely to vote for another Eastern European song due to a shared musical background.

http://www.eurovision.tv/english/scoreb ... final.html
Can anyone explain the scores we gave in political terms, I'd love to hear more reasons than just the claim 'it is all political'.
 
Israel's in Europe now? When did that happen?
 
Leaferne said:
Israel's in Europe now? When did that happen?
Click to expand...

Any country that is a member of the European Broadcasting Union is eligible to take part.

Lebanon had to withdraw because their laws meant they couldn't show the Israeli performance. The EBU rules say all must show the entire contest. So much for international unity etc ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainmen ... 362373.stm
 
the voting in the eurovision is now dominated by the fragmentation of post-communist eastern europe. it has created a series of smaller states who share a cultural outlook in common with many of their neighbours and so vote according to those cultural divisions. it's no surprise that the 4 major european powers of the last 500 years fared so badly because they have maintained their borders and generally been culturally at odds with their each other (spain-england/britain-france/france-germany/britain & france-germany) and tend not to have as many 'co-operative' neighbours.
 
No, rather I think the lack of votes for Wig Wam was due to too many eastern european countries voting on each other.
 
Rrose Selavy said:
Leaferne said:
Israel's in Europe now? When did that happen?
Click to expand...

Any country that is a member of the European Broadcasting Union is eligible to take part.

Lebanon had to withdraw because their laws meant they couldn't show the Israeli performance. The EBU rules say all must show the entire contest. So much for international unity etc ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainmen ... 362373.stm
Click to expand...

Lebanon is opening up to the world now, so we can look forward to some sexy belly dancing songstresses in ESC in the future.
 
Oh its all crap,

all the Baltic states vote for eachother, the Scandanavian countries give high points to eachother, Greece always gets 12 from say Turkey. germany always gives 12 to Austria....

its so predictable its laughble, the only reason we do so badly is we are an island and don't have any neighbours... :lol: :p

*AC thinks*.... actually, no the reason we never do well is we don't churn out the cheesy music most of Europe tends to lap up :lol:

I say we join the U.S and Australia etc. and do our won World-a-vision 8) :lol: :lol:
 
Eurovision has replaced wars in Europe. There are still alliances being made and broken, and most other traits of war, just without as many people dying. (except gemini the other year lol)
 
apocalypse cow said:
Greece always gets 12 from say Turkey.
Click to expand...

I thought these two usually gave each other no points due to, claimed, 'political reasons'. Wasn't there some kind of argy-bargy When Alexander the Great was about, and there was that Troy business? Surely this year shows that the conspiracy is being diluted, just a bit. ;)
 
vicjameson said:
apocalypse cow said:
Greece always gets 12 from say Turkey.
Click to expand...

I thought these two usually gave each other no points due to, claimed, 'political reasons'. Wasn't there some kind of argy-bargy When Alexander the Great was about, and there was that Troy business? Surely this year shows that the conspiracy is being diluted, just a bit. ;)
Click to expand...
Greece and Turkey always give each other maximum points. I suspect it is to show us all how much they love each other really...(I think Cyprus might have something to do with it) ;)

Edit I meant Greece and Turkey not Cyprus and Turkey. :roll:
 
Germany has always given Israel 10 points [this time only 5 :shock: ] and obviously we never got any from Israel. This is regardless of the song tey churn out, so I guess they are "guilt-points", but what does that have to do with singing?

:?
 
Another one is the amusingly predictable WW1 throwback alliance of France and Portugal. :lol: I find it pretty funny actually. I'm only sorry I missed it this year. Usually I at least watch the voting even if I miss the "music".
 
Yes but don't the UK and Ireland also 'favour' each other!

And for some reason, Malta also doesn't forget the UK either.
 
lutzman said:
Malta also doesn't forget the UK either.
Click to expand...

Malta do seem to have penchant for rotund, motherly, slightly operatic female singers. I've noticed.
 
The Times, June 05, 2006

Eurovision is set to make song and dance in the US

By Adam Sherwin, Media Correspondent

IT IS a byword for disasters both musical and sartorial, but now the Eurovision Song Contest is going global with a prime-time remake on American network television.

Executives are desperate to find a challenger to the Fox television network’s American Idol, the talent show that generated 63 million votes for last month’s final, more votes than any US president has received.

The furore caused by the Finnish metal-monsters Lordi, who swept to victory in the 51st Eurovision this year, has convinced the NBC network that the answer lies in “old Europe”. Under a deal with the European Broadcasting Union, NBC will adapt Eurovision as a state-by-state song contest.

It is the first time that the Geneva-based network of national broadcasters has licensed the format outside Europe.

Each state will select a band or singer to represent it in a national final, which could run for several weeks. Unlike American Idol, where competitors re-create established hits, the focus will be on original songwriting.

States are expected to choose artists reflecting their musical heritage, such as country in Tennessee or a new young soul singer from Detroit.

A phone vote will decide the winner but viewers would not be allowed simply to choose their own state’s entry.

Like Eurovision, tactical voting could come into play, with Mid-Western states favouring each other over New York or Los Angeles.

Reveille, the US television company that successfully adapted The Office for NBC, is producing the show for the network.

Ben Silverman, its president, said: “People are looking at American Idol and saying, ‘How can I get a piece of that?’. Eurovision is the granddaddy of all talent shows and the Super Bowl of singing.”

While Eurovision’s reputation for kitsch is central to its enduring appeal, the American version hopes to be taken seriously. NBC will build an online “grassroots community” during the regional heats before presenting TV viewers with a “quality show that has its own unique flavour”.

The success of American Idol means that the networks are engaged in a search to bring talent shows to the screen — ABC has bought Fame Academy while CBS has Rock Star.

NBC executives were impressed with the 110 million audience attracted to this year’s Eurovision contest.

Eurovision was created by Marcel Baison, a Frenchman, in 1956 to exploit new technologies that allowed Europe-wide live broadcasting.

HIGH NOTES

* The first Eurovision Song Contest took place on May 24, 1956, when seven nations participated. Switzerland won

* Competitors have included Abba, Sir Cliff Richard, Nana Mouskouri, Lulu, Céline Dion, Dana International and t.A.T.u.

* Ireland holds the record of most wins (seven). Britain has won five times, the last time with Katrina and the Waves in 1997

* In 1974 broadcasting of Portugal’s entry on national radio was the signal for rebels to begin the Carnation Revolution

* Between 1977 and 1980 Eastern bloc countries staged a rival Intervision Song Contest, held in Sopot, Poland

* A qualifying round was introduced in 2004 to limit entries to a maximum of 40 countries

* In 2005 Ukraine rewrote its entry because the Orange Revolution anthem was deemed too political

* Lebanon withdrew in 2005 when it emerged that Lebanese law made it impossible to broadcast the Israeli entry on national television

Copyright 2006 Times Newspapers Ltd.
Click to expand...
 
DrPLee said:
Does anyone think that the lack of votes for the UK's entry into Eurovision is a Europe-wide conspiracy? :D
Click to expand...

my normal answer would be "no, its cos our entry was cr*p", but for the first time since the 1960s im VERY embarrassed to say, i quite liked it. perhaps it was "too english" (it reminded me of "theme from a beggars opera" from the late 60s too), so didnt appeal to other countries. many countries still voted for their "friends" too :(
 
RealPaZZa said:
DrPLee said:
Does anyone think that the lack of votes for the UK's entry into Eurovision is a Europe-wide conspiracy? :D
Click to expand...

my normal answer would be "no, its cos our entry was cr*p", but for the first time since the 1960s im VERY embarrassed to say, i quite liked it. perhaps it was "too english" (it reminded me of "theme from a beggars opera" from the late 60s too), so didnt appeal to other countries. many countries still voted for their "friends" too :(
Click to expand...

Do you mean "Excerpt from a Teenage Opera" by Keith West? "Grocer Jack, Grocer Jack, is it true what mummy says you won't come back? Oh no-oh-nooooo...." That one? I see what you mean if you do.
 
gncxx said:
RealPaZZa said:
DrPLee said:
Does anyone think that the lack of votes for the UK's entry into Eurovision is a Europe-wide conspiracy? :D
Click to expand...

my normal answer would be "no, its cos our entry was cr*p", but for the first time since the 1960s im VERY embarrassed to say, i quite liked it. perhaps it was "too english" (it reminded me of "theme from a beggars opera" from the late 60s too), so didnt appeal to other countries. many countries still voted for their "friends" too :(
Click to expand...

Do you mean "Excerpt from a Teenage Opera" by Keith West? "Grocer Jack, Grocer Jack, is it true what mummy says you won't come back? Oh no-oh-nooooo...." That one? I see what you mean if you do.
Click to expand...

yeah thats the one, excerpt not theme lol!
 
One thing I always wondered about Eurovision is how we decide who can apply and why we can't get say Elton John or Robbie williams or even Iron Maiden to make an entry, after all maybe the rreason we always lose is because we are picking people with very little to none experience singing live never mind to a worldwide audience.
Can you imagine if we picked the actual best song written by someone in Britain (I think it is usually a coldpaly one) rather than some bloke we met down the pub who got through to the last 500 on pop idol.
 
min_bannister said:
Another one is the amusingly predictable WW1 throwback alliance of France and Portugal. :lol:
Click to expand...

That happens because the Portuguese are the 3rd most populous emigrant community in France, not because we have any kind of old alliance with France :twisted:

Our old European alliance is with England but I don't think we voted for them this year, lol.

It was all one big satanic conspiracy for Lordi to win! :lol:
 
Predatorpt said:
It was all one big satanic conspiracy for Lordi to win! :lol:
Click to expand...

On this occasion, I think it's DEFINITELY fair to say that the Devil had the best tunes. :twisted:
 
Bill Bailey Wants to Win Eurovision

Bill Bailey wants to win Eurovision

Bruce Dessau

July 23, 2007 12:20 PM

Good news for the UK's ailing Eurovision Song Contest reputation. Comedian Bill Bailey is the latest celebrity, following the likes of Jordan and Justin Hawkins, to throw his hat into the kitsch-shaped ring. The straggly-haired stand-up is reportedly writing not one but a number of Eurovision songs so that his fans can vote via his website for the one they want him to enter.

This might just be the last roll of the dice when it comes to the UK making any headway in the competition. Recent showings have been disastrous due to a combination of flat singing, frankly rubbish entries, an east Europe voting cartel and being the billy-no-mates of the continent thanks to Iraq. And after all, the competition has long been viewed as a joke - why not take that to its logical conclusion and send a comedian to represent us?

Last year there was a glimmer of hope when there was talk of Morrissey entering the fray (This Charming Boom Bang-A-Bang Man anyone?) but that came to nothing. Now Bailey is riding to the rescue. And the West Country wag clearly has a great way with a catchy melody. In his live shows he has re-arranged the EastEnders theme as a Bollywood hit, invented a house version of the BBC News theme and essayed Disney's Zip-a-dee-doo-dah as if played by a depressed Portishead. He has also put a whole new spin on The Killers' "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" lyric by singing "I've got ham but I'm not a hamster".

And best of all, Bailey wouldn't require much make-up to resemble the lead singer of 2006's Finnish Eurovision winners Lordi.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006
Click to expand...
 
At last, you might be in with a chance.
 
Eurovision is fab. Watched it since, oooh, The Shadows in 1974!!

Anyway I'm more concerned as to what has happened to Luxembourg? They used to be in it every year, now, for the last 5 years or so, they seem to have just disappeared. Has the country closed down then?
 
Nah, we haven't closed down. It's just that the last couple of times we participated, we hardly got any points, and so we decided it wasn't worth the money and the effort anymore. Now we prefer watching other countries making fools of themselves ;)
 
alytha said:
Nah, we haven't closed down. It's just that the last couple of times we participated, we hardly got any points, and so we decided it wasn't worth the money and the effort anymore. Now we prefer watching other countries making fools of themselves ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks. Didn't know we had someone from Luxenbourg on here! Question for you ...

Are you a buck toothed girl, and have you ever received any frightening verse from a bequiffed mancunian? :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top