I am liking Iceland so far for campiness.
The Russians got booed......
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Wow Poland! Their milkshake brought me to the yard!
I love piecing together European colloq. via Youtube.
Somebody said drummers jumped in the water and the audience had penguins; could somebody tell me more so I can search it better?
Dude if you like Winny Puhh, you will love TISM..... Greg the stop sign and He'll Never be an old man River.
My favourite is TISM - Thunderbirds Are Coming Out.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If Nevena from Bulgarian Idol isn't on it, I just don't care.
So beautiful and moving. Somewhat reminiscent of Celtic and Chinese folk music I used to find on the Real World label - Sami musician Mari Boine springs to mind. Thanks for the link Spanky.
Europe is dead? Long live Europe!
Honestly, Russia is doing a fair job at trying to kill Europe...
|
Honestly, the Nazis who grabbed power in the Ukraine are doing a fair job at trying to kill Europe...
Fixed that for you...
But regardless of the political situation, it should never affect the votes in this competition.
The contest is supposed to find the best song, and/or best performer.
While I don't necessarily think the Russian entry was the best, it was a pleasant song, sung well, by attractive and friendly sisters, who sang it like they meant it. They deserved better.
The contestants aren't responsible for the situation, they have one big break to perform for the world, and should not have to face booing and tactical voting.
Eurovision is political, it's inception was political, it was a weapon of the Cold War aimed at Eastern Europe.
It had never been about the best song it's about voting blocks and who is in and out in Europe.
Europeans are justifiably worried about destabilisation and possible conflict. The actions Russians send waves of fear through places like Hungary, Poland and the Baltic states because it sets a precedent.
Yeh it sucks that some singers got booed but given the tensions it's understandable.
|
|
I guess I was being hopelessly naive, in thinking that with the Soviet bloc being dismantled a quarter century ago, we can live without the incessant warnings against the Russian Boogeyman, swigging vodka by the gallon, and riding a giant cyber-bear with missiles for teeth.
I'd just like to sit down and watch a song competition, and be able to discuss which is the best song.
Yep it's never been about the best song. If it was Greece would vote for Turkey and Turkey Greece. You wouldn't have the Scandinavian voting bloc, the Eastern Europe voting bloc and so on.
The whole thing is a overblown over-budget tourism advert with a thousand years of nationalism thrown in.
It's warfare by campy glitter covered proxy
That's why I love it. It's so much better for everybody than real warfare.
It is a miserable song competition. Most years, there are one to three songs that people will remember. These usually do well... but the rest? Honestly? From "We are the winners" and songs with gnome hats and unicycles, boob songs, songs like Tatu's entry for Russia, to "rainbow songs" with everyone holding hands are wearing bizarre outfits to songs where everyone involved seem to be sincerely psychotic. Every year has songs that get NO votes - merely from being boring, usually. And they are still the results of entire countries' best efforts? I know, provision can be made for Andorra, Liechtenstein and so on, they can't have that big a music scene, so it's sort of understandable... but France? *shivers* In the end, the main reason it's so forgettable is that the music played in the ESC is in essence a dead genre of music. It is not what gets to the top lists.
That said, it is intensely political. It's much, much better as a political institution than a song contest. It is also one of the oldest pan-European phenomena... and works far better to spread the idea of Europe than any other conscious effort ever did. It has its points. Plus, I guess, boobies and such.
As for the Russian girls getting booed... well, it has always been part of the competition that it reflects current events. Not much to say except "what did you expect?" I agree that it's sad, though, especially when they were singing what they were. Still, my comment about Russia killing Europe was aimed at the Russian conservatives who felt the competition's winner meant Europe was dead. As far as I am concerned, bigots everywhere can suck it. Good on Conchita for sticking it to them.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
When I was a kid, I liked watching the Eurovision because it was full of all these exotic people and countries you'd never heard of. I liked that.
As age and cynicism set in, I kinda hate it. As a song contest, it's old fashioned, and pretty lame. And then 2006 happened and was awesome beyond words. All of the Eurovision, past and future, was justified in that glorious moment. :p
Well, I have to say, the music that is popular in the contest is NOT the type of music I really enjoy listening to. Almost all the songs in the top 12 are not really ones I enjoyed.
I like stronger beats and faster paced songs or something...I think you just have a lot of the vote influenced by a lot of old people who like really old sounding music.
That's not a bad thing, in fact I'm sure the music they enjoy is excellent and a much higher cultural quality than the music I listen to...it's just a different style of music.
|
|
In the end, the main reason it's so forgettable is that the music played in the ESC is in essence a dead genre of music. It is not what gets to the top lists.
Ha. yeah...except I consider that a 'feature', not a 'bug'.
As for the Russian girls getting booed... well, it has always been part of the competition that it reflects current events. Not much to say except "what did you expect?" I agree that it's sad, though, especially when they were singing what they were.
At least a singer can have a career for life, as long as their voice holds up.
I am more annoyed when athletes are prevented from competing, due to political events outside their control. You only have a short window of opportunity to compete at the international level, and missing even one Olympics could be the difference between entering the history books as a medal winner, or being lost to obscurity.Still, my comment about Russia killing Europe was aimed at the Russian conservatives who felt the competition's winner meant Europe was dead. As far as I am concerned, bigots everywhere can suck it. Good on Conchita for sticking it to them.
In that, we can agree.
The idea that a drag act is 'shocking' is the only shocking thing.But then, I'm English, and we have a long and proud tradition of pantomime (in which the male romantic lead is played by a woman, and the 'Dame' by a man), and sending our actors out in fishnets and heels, the less convincing the better.
If Kenny Everett was still alive, we could have sent Conchita some hirsute competition, in the form of his alter ego Cupid Stunt*.
(But it would have "all been in the best paahhhsible taste!")
*yes, I know. This was primetime TV, as well.
I just didn't warm to the beard with lipstick combo. Maybe it was the shade of 'stick, or could've she have dyed the beard?
Let to some interesting questions about "Is he a boy or a girl, Daddy?" from the Devney brood - I suppose the presence of a beard made them instantly default to boy despite the feminine 'trappings'.
And the bogglement over the blatant objectification of the act with the 'washer women' in it - made me cringe (can't remember the country).
But in my opinion, most of the stuff in EVSC is naff because Europe as a whole is about a decade behind UK/US in their musical tastes. I love watching it for the floor show tbh - because the BBC do so much, it's bound to look good, even if it sounds like a pile of 15 year old CDs found in Poundland.
It isn't Europe as a whole, it's the ESC, and it's not ten years, it's twenty to thirty.
And sometimes, it just isn't possible to be tasteful. Now, shake what your mama gave you...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Europe as a whole is 15 years behind, the ESC is ever further back :-)
And my shaking is limited to bottles of ketchup or brown sauce - neither of which were provided by my mama, so I'm afraid I'll have to decline.
(insert joke regarding 'tastefulness' of sauce/ketchup here)
Europe as a whole is 15 years behind
Are you going to share the in-depth statistical analysis that backs up this claim, or are you just being randomly offensive? :p
Europe as a whole is 15 years behindAre you going to share the in-depth statistical analysis that backs up this claim, or are you just being randomly offensive? :p
Just randomly offensive! Feel free to insult British music as commercially-driven, image-centric, unimaginative, repetitive drivel! I'll agree with you...
It's all subjective innit?
Full disclosure - I don't think I've heard any European pop music apart from Aqua, Ace of Base & ABBA*. My opinions are uninformed and ridiculous. That's how I roll! (rock & roll?)
... Soooo... Three examples from thirty to twenty years ago, two from Sweden and one from Denmark, and that is your statistical sample for "European pop"??? The most pressing question then is... How come European pop is only fifteen years behind???
My statistical sample is based mainly on bands beginning with the letter A, so I could make the HMV joke later on - I know about Roxette. (Sweden again?)
My other pressing question is... fifteen years behind what? And in what fashion? And is that even a bad thing? Things are likely to become existential at this point...
Have I said before that my opinions are uninformed and ridiculous? Coz they are - they aren't even my opinions.
Yes, it would be quite wrong.
[off-topic]Have you read my text message?[/off-topic]
If the consequences of moving forward in time is reaching the age of dubstep, I'll happily stay 10 to 15 years behind ;)
And the bogglement over the blatant objectification of the act with the 'washer women' in it - made me cringe (can't remember the country).
And that would be Poland. (How that song made it past both the Polish competition and the semi-finals is a mystery to me. Are boobs really that much more important than not having your ears bleed?)
If the consequences of moving forward in time is reaching the age of dubstep, I'll happily stay 10 to 15 years behind ;)
And the bogglement over the blatant objectification of the act with the 'washer women' in it - made me cringe (can't remember the country).And that would be Poland. (How that song made it past both the Polish competition and the semi-finals is a mystery to me. Are boobs really that much more important than not having your ears bleed?)
I read it actually got lots of votes from viewers and those were judges that kept it so low in final results.
*sigh* I cringe every time coworker is turning it on...
The problem is that as far as I know there were no new Polish song that would be good in recent years, except for niche genres - such as Celtic/Slavic/Nordic folk metal, small bands that don't get to be aired on radio/tv, etc.
|
... Soooo... Three examples from thirty to twenty years ago, two from Sweden and one from Denmark, and that is your statistical sample for "European pop"??? The most pressing question then is... How come European pop is only fifteen years behind???
To be fair, this has often been true of the European music which airs in the UK.
For example, 2Unlimited were cringingly off-the-pace when this charted in the UK.
But that is probably because we mostly here the US/UK imitating pop music, rather than the inventive stuff.
Off the top of my head, some European artists who are not naff, derivative or behind the times: Bjork, Fireside, Minus...
If the consequences of moving forward in time is reaching the age of dubstep, I'll happily stay 10 to 15 years behind ;)
And the bogglement over the blatant objectification of the act with the 'washer women' in it - made me cringe (can't remember the country).And that would be Poland. (How that song made it past both the Polish competition and the semi-finals is a mystery to me. Are boobs really that much more important than not having your ears bleed?)I read it actually got lots of votes from viewers and those were judges that kept it so low in final results.
*sigh* I cringe every time coworker is turning it on...
The problem is that as far as I know there were no new Polish song that would be good in recent years, except for niche genres - such as Celtic/Slavic/Nordic folk metal, small bands that don't get to be aired on radio/tv, etc.
A friend of mine told me the Polish entry was meant to be satire, a dig at the old fashioned attitudes that are still prevalent in Poland.
A friend of mine told me the Polish entry was meant to be satire, a dig at the old fashioned attitudes that are still prevalent in Poland.If the consequences of moving forward in time is reaching the age of dubstep, I'll happily stay 10 to 15 years behind ;)
And the bogglement over the blatant objectification of the act with the 'washer women' in it - made me cringe (can't remember the country).And that would be Poland. (How that song made it past both the Polish competition and the semi-finals is a mystery to me. Are boobs really that much more important than not having your ears bleed?)I read it actually got lots of votes from viewers and those were judges that kept it so low in final results.
*sigh* I cringe every time coworker is turning it on...
The problem is that as far as I know there were no new Polish song that would be good in recent years, except for niche genres - such as Celtic/Slavic/Nordic folk metal, small bands that don't get to be aired on radio/tv, etc.
Maybe, but it's still crappy music...
This year was a bit meh....