March 13, 2008

Eurovision is coming, let the piss-taking begin.

Last year's winner urged for people to vote for something different, and she won big. Albania and is honouring that sentiment by trying to do what won last year, only not as well. The "Wiggle Wiggle Song" from Iceland didn't make it to the contest, which is a pity, because they do seem to be trying their best to industrialise a classic children's dance instruction song. Instead, they chose to send this not so bad example of 90s Europop (kind of like Poland's entry, only with their shirts on, and with a tune). Cyprus has gone for the semi-classic attractive woman surrounded by cute backup singers/dancers, which is only slightly less classic than the unattractive male surrounded by scantily clad backup dancers, as in Turkey's 2007 entry - perhaps it was shame that inspired them to enter what appears to be an actual band this year. But Greece seems to be banking on backup dancer power for their entry, which has a good intro but goes rapidly downhill when the song actually begins - they are reduced to stripping off shirts in the last few seconds, perhaps as an act of contrition. Finland has apparently decided that rock is what it does best, with or without monsters (though this is pretty poppy for Finland). Will it get noticed next to Latvia's Pretty Pirates? (The folk-fan in me is cringing - they really should have just plagerised Barrett's Privateers.) and finally, for the first time in a long time, the UK is not sending an embaressingly bad song. But it's too late, my heart has already been lost to My Lovely Turkey (as previously linked by roryk). (It would be even funnier if we could figure out what he was saying.) Rumours are that once again Eurovision will be broadcast live on the internet, but sadly, they probably won't let us vote. NB: Dreadnought wants a co-writing credit on this post. Not that he did any of the actual writing, but he did tell me what to say.

posted by jb 16 years ago
  • "22-year old singer Hind Laroussi [...] has been chosen by NOS to represent the Netherlands... Een andere mooie Hollandse naam...
  • (Which isn't meant to suggest that she's not really Dutch, of course. Just that Holland puts out singers and songs that have nothing particularly Dutch about them. Which isn't surprising, as Holland is pretty much all-techno, all-the-time, and it's all-crap. OK, I'll shut up now.)
  • Ah Eurovision, how I love thee. Back in the Motherland, they're choosing their entry this weekend. I can only hope that it isn't either of these two... *waves to jb and Dreadnought*
  • Idunno, mothy. The costumes for Bwo remind me of the work Jean-Paul Gaultier did for The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, only crap.
  • None of those have the slightest chance against the possible entry from Spain... : )
  • Where's Franco when you need him?
  • Flags, that is possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. *dances the Tres! El Maiquelyason! and Cuatro! El Robocop!* *iz ded of joy*
  • That "I love Europe" is kind of catchy, and does promote continental peace and love. And I'm digging the Elizabethan ruffs in the other, but I'm still trying to figure how they relate to dancing all night with the bourgeoisie. But the Chiki-chiki song is also growing on me - and in performance he has great backup dancer power. (This is my new phrase of the week.)
  • Nothing can ever equal the sheer majesty of My Lovely Horse. (Youtube)
  • TUM, Dustin the Turkey would disagree.
  • Dustin must win.
  • Uno! El breikindance! I am so happy right now.
  • If they promise that Terry Wogan will interview Dustin, I might even watch.
  • After the first semi, my hopes aren't high. Lots of cheesy pop, and a few interesting numbers but none that really gel. Dustin was funny, but as Dreadnought pointed out, wouldn't have made much sense to anyone who didn't catch those really rapid and hard to hear references. Whereas there was the inexplicable (and thus intriguing) entry with the vegetables, but I never figured out what was going on. Bosnia & Herzogovina's entry is growing on me.
  • Oh - B&H wasn't the one with vegetables - they were the ones with laundry and bridal backup singers.
  • It's that time again...