EUROVISION

 

“The winners do get their 15 minutes of fame and some success on the charts, but beyond ABBA and Celine, Eurovision winners almost never have long-term success. Again, Eurovision long ago moved away from the sort of music that leaves a lasting cultural impact.”  https://www.thewrap.com/eurovision-guide-confused-americans-celine-dion-abba/

“Incidentally, this year I also submitted a song for the Eurovision. A mixture of Boni M and Rammstein with lyrics about Greta Tunberg. Though it didn’t get selected by the jury, I’m still quite proud of it (there’s always next year).”  https://www.iamexpat.de/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/expat-survival-guide-eurovision-song-contest-2022

“Before long I’m watching a topless hunk play a laser harp on a flaming stage; a woman writhing about with an electric guitar; silver men spinning in hoops; people in balloon-like hammer pants grooving atop a fountain. Not since my wedding day have I seen the like.”  https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/eurovision-2022-topless-hunks-writhing-women-and-marty-whelan-it-s-like-my-wedding-day-1.4875080

“In this over-the-top satirical take on the music industry, Andy Samberg plays a dim-witted, narcissistic pop star called Conner4Real. His Lonely Island partners…”   https://screenrant.com/eurovision-song-contest-similar-movies/

“In a dress with a light blue ruffle and bows in her hair, the German contestant seemed to have come straight out of a manga, while the Cypriot rockers floated in a cage above a cloud of smoke.”  https://www.lemonde.fr/en/m-le-mag/article/2022/05/10/under-the-kitsch-of-eurovision-is-an-undercurrent-of-geopolitics_5982947_117.html

““Eurovision’s ‘no-politics’ rule has sometimes got them into tricky territory, so I think they have done the right thing this time,” says Paul.”  https://www.nationalworld.com/culture/television/eurovision-2022-ukraine-win-most-political-song-contest-dr-eurovision-3692245

“For the six national juries, the scores were recalculated to give a “substitute aggregated result for each country concerned," the EBU said - but refused to provide the details of the irregularities.”  https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-eurovision-ebu-explanations-vote

“Get ready to mark your Eurovision Bingo cards! Of course, if you want to have a shot of drink each time you spot one of these things, you are welcome, but drinking is not compulsory. You can just shout “Hola, mi bebébé. Llámame, llámame!” instead, or whatever you fancy.”  https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/live/2022/may/14/eurovision-song-contest-2022-turin-italy-ukraine-live-updates?page=with:block-627fe8de8f083b856379a9f6

“I have long studied Eurovision as a cultural and political event. If Ukraine does win, I believe it will continue Eurovision’s ongoing legacy of marking the boundaries of the liberal West.”  https://theconversation.com/walking-through-europes-door-singing-how-eurovision-helps-define-europes-boundaries-and-why-ukraine-will-likely-win-179618

2003 – “The Czech Republic has never entered the Eurovision Song Contest, and this year's Eurovision - which will be held in the Latvian capital Riga on Saturday, May 24 - won't even be shown on Czech television.”  https://english.radio.cz/no-eurovision-czech-republic-8074142

2017 - “Given the several crises that are going on in the world today, this contest feels especially political,” said Dean Vuletic of the University of Vienna, a historian of contemporary Europe who specializes in Eurovision. “But when you look back it is really is not anything new.”  https://www.politico.eu/article/13-times-eurovision-song-contest-got-political/

“There are vacillations from year to year in Eurovision; one year a solo singer will win with a very emotional song, and then the next year there’s a bunch of those. Then it’ll go the other way, to [Finnish heavy metal band] Lordi winning with these monster outfits, which we kind of did an homage to in the movie. That’s clearly not about the songwriting.”  https://www.vox.com/culture/21294429/eurovision-review-interview-will-ferrell-rachel-mcadams-netflix

“If you want to predict how a particular country will vote, don't worry about the singing--look at how that country voted in the past.”  https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/05/the-crazy-politics-of-the-eurovision-song-contest/239327/

“Israel’s place in the contest has also remained a contentious issue for some, with a number of fans on social media even questioning the ethics of excluding Russia from the contest while allowing Israel to participate.”  https://www.varsity.co.uk/opinion/23735

“A trumpet-playing German dancer dressed as a middle finger! A singer accused of advocating Satan-worship! A smattering of central and Eastern European talent show veterans! And, for some reason, Flo Rida! They're all on hand, along with scores of other eccentrics, to cheer up a region itching for a party.” https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/eurovision-2021-preview-scli-cmd-intl/index.html

“From what I can gather, the European Song Contest is like American Idol in its heyday, if you took every boring white guy with a guitar and replaced him with a techno dancer in drag and also everyone was huffing glue.”  https://observer.com/2016/05/the-eurovision-song-contest-a-primer-for-dumb-americans/

"We make music so that everyone can find something for themselves, to make them feel better or happier. I like to say that our song is about what it's like to go out when it's raining and you want to dance and cry at the same time,” Hašková said.  https://www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/how-to-watch-czech-band-will-kick-off-eurovision-final

“Yes, after years of songwriters criminally refusing to drop the name Keith into their lyrics, Norway’s wolf guys Subwoolfer have come up with the goods with novelty shot Give That Wolf A Banana…”  https://metro.co.uk/2022/05/14/eurovision-2022-my-night-at-turins-pala-olimpico-16645135/

“Eurovision has a long history of the public vote being overruled by professional judges; it happened to Norway in 2019, Russia in 2016, Italy in 2015 and now the United Kingdom in 2022.”  https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsandculture/arid-40872851.html

“The final hour of the broadcast is all about the voting, which is long, awkward and needlessly complex. I love it. It’s as if Eurovision pioneered the interminable Zoom call, years before COVID would go on to habituate the world to it.”  https://wamu.org/story/22/05/13/a-fight-to-the-glitter-end-your-guide-to-eurovision-2022/

“The song hits the right notes—nostalgia for an earlier, simpler time and for family and rootedness.”  https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/may-web-only/ukraine-eurovision-2022-final-kalush-orchestra.html

“I mean honestly, what a pile of **** it really is, I can't tell if people take it seriously or not.

I personally won't be watching it tonight as it's the most tedious thing on TV after the Queen's Speech and a complete and utter injustice to music. I mean we could put Coldplay out and still probably get beaten by Slovakia and Azerbaijan.”  https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2012949

“Which suggests that Sam Ryder - our glutton for punishment, sorry, I mean UK entrant this year - only has to score one measly little point to improve and for that to be hailed as progress. Of sorts.

Perhaps the fact he resembles a blond Jesus Christ may provide the divine inspiration clearly required to stop us being quite so unpopular.”  https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/eurovision-can-the-uk-avoid-nil-points-in-turin-267117/

“We don’t know who’s behind the yellow wolf masks, so I cannot realistically rule out Michael Mørkøv's abandon in the Grand Tour having been a ruse, so he could be one half of the mystery duo on stage in Torino.”  https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/10629/eurovision-performances-as-giro-ditalia-teams

“"Only at Eurovision do people celebrate bananas, heartbreaks, and wash their hands in one and the same show," Swedish fan Martina Fries told AFP Saturday.”  https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/2309998/eurovision-wolves-witches-and-rapping-ukrainians