Eurovision Song Contest

[topher]

Here you go.

[Deleted]

Oh, I'd forgotten that it's usually around this time of year isn't it? I'm excited already! Last year I absolutely laughed my ass off from beginning to end.

*Makes mental note to have lots of booze in the house that night*

[dwanollah]

I still wish I could get a copy of this with the BBC commentary. Mommy and I watched when we were in Ireland a couple years ago, and laughed until it hurt. But the official DVD didn't have none of that Spectacularosity, durn it all.

[lenaanthem]

So, is anyone following the national preselections? I'm pretty obsessed with the Swedish preselection, Melodifestivalen. Thank god for the live online streaming at the official site which allows me to watch the whole thing. It's six weeks of pure entertainment! This weekend is the final. Too bad my favorite (SANNA) won't win.

[Deleted]

God, I love the Eurovision Song Contest! Like many here in Europe I kinda grew up with it and have been following how it just became wackier from year to year. Now that there are so many "new" countries taking part it's even more fun. I still wish though everybody would sing in their own language like they used to.
Germany's usually doing really bad (we only won once, in the early 80s), and the preselection is a big deal. Every year people are pessimistic and then the competition starts, we get our hopes up, see that our neighbouring countries only give points to each other, not us, and then Germany ends up (almost) last. Then everybody goes back to hating it, a new system to preselect the song is announced and people forget about it until next year.
Viewers can vote for the German entry during a TV show on Thursday. It will probably be the girl band [url=God, I love the Eurovision Song Contest! Like many here in Europe I kinda grew up with it and have been following how it just became wackier from year to year. Now that there are so many "new" countries taking part it's even more fun. I still wish though everybody would sing in their own language like they used to.
Germany's usually doing really bad (we only won once, in the early 80s), and the preselection is a big deal. Every year people are pessimistic and then the competition starts, we get our hopes up, see that our neighbouring countries only give points to each other, not us, and then Germany ends up (almost) last. Then everybody goes back to hating it, a new system to preselect the song is announced and people forget about it until the next year.
Viewers can vote for the German entry during a TV show on Thursday. It will probably be the girl band Monrose who are pretty popular.

Gah, I can't wait! Is it May yet?

[goggle]

lenaanthem said:

So, is anyone following the national preselections? I'm pretty obsessed with the Swedish preselection, Melodifestivalen. Thank god for the live online streaming at the official site which allows me to watch the whole thing. It's six weeks of pure entertainment! This weekend is the final. Too bad my favorite (SANNA) won't win.

I haven't been able to get the streaming to work, but it's probably because of my crappy computer. I just watch the performances on YouTube the next day.

I wrote about Eurovision last spring on my blog and got a good response (except for a little hate mail) so I'm doing it again this year.

[lenaanthem]

I think there was only one week when I couldn't get the stream to work at all. Sometimes the RealMedia stream works but the Windows Media one is down, or vice versa. Well, I'll just die if I can't get the final to stream. I hope they're prepared for more traffic. It's just not the same watching the videos on YouTube afterward, I want the whole experience! Although it is less stressful watching the performances when you already know who won. Oh well, the Andra Chansen songs were better than the ones in the final, I think. Not enough schlager in the final!

[Deleted]

My people! Eurovision's been really popular in Australia for years (showning on the multicultural channel ever since I can remember), but I thought since it's not on American TV (so I've heard) , no one'd be interested in discussing it. Wasn't there meant to be an American version in the works, with a song from every state? I remember hearing something after last year's contest.

Yeah Dwanollah, Terry Wogan's a god, and the semifinal guy's pretty good too --there was a huge outcry here a couple of years ago when SBS decided to replace Terry with a staggeringly unfunny local comedian (he spent most of the time bragging about which contestants he'd met in the hotel) to "provide Australian content" . They had to replay the Wogan version the next week, and they've left it alone ever since. The subtitled comments on the DVDs are gold though; my favourite's about the Bosnian 2004 cotestant:

"Deen combines his star status with his study of economics."

If only Britney could have done that...

Lena Anthem, I'm sort of following them --basically just listening to the ones I think I'll like and the big favourites. Is the guy from The Ark really singing "Boobs, I like to shake 'em," or is it just me?

So does anyone have any predictions yet? From what I've heard it's a pretty ordinary year so far. Goggle, I'm enjoying your reviews, but the Irish song is dire --the singer's so bad they should draft RPR in!

[lenaanthem]

mutley said:

"Boobs, I like to shake 'em,"

Ha, that's exactly what it sounds like. It's "grooves," right? ...which doesn't even make sense. JUST SING IN SWEDISH!!

[Deleted]

lenaanthem said:

JUST SING IN SWEDISH!!

But if everyone sang in their own languages we wouldn't get genius lyrics like "Tell me, who's that lucky hero/ Sleeping, tidy on your pillow" (from Slovenia 2006 --God, I'm a loser). Still, if The Ark get through, it could be Tom Cruise's new theme song.

BTW, since my schlager addiction hasn't forced me to learn Swedish yet, what does your quote mean?