Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that the Eastern Bloc have ruined the Eurovision Song Contest?

84 replies

CelticPixie · 18/05/2013 23:09

Call me sad but I have always loved the Eurovision and indeed look forward to it each year. Its always been good fun, but in the last ten years or so since the former Eastern Bloc nations were allowed to enter its changed and not for the better. The fun has gone now.

There has always been some political and neighbourly voting but now its got to the stage where the Western countries are at a massive disadvantage and struggle to get the points needed to win.

Is it wrong the hanker for the old days?

OP posts:
StuntGirl · 18/05/2013 23:11

YABU. Eurovision is brilliant, the more batshit entries we can shoehorn into it the better.

CSIJanner · 18/05/2013 23:12

YANBU - Graham was correctly predicting who was getting the 10 and 12 points before the countries had even announced their top 8!

dontlaugh · 18/05/2013 23:13

Not to dismiss your concerns Pixie, but it's the Eurovision. I wouldn't over think it. I think the Eastern bloc countries have brought a very dance/trance element to it, which appeals to my inner 90's child.

marriedinwhiteagain · 18/05/2013 23:14

Didn't Denmark stick up two fingers to Europpe. Yay they are in the lead!!

AgentZigzag · 18/05/2013 23:14

You need to be getting onto The Fail about that Celtic Grin

I'm not persuaded by your OP though, starting on the premise that it was good at some point in the past is never going to make for a strong argument.

There's no way I'd watch the voting, no way on earth, no siree

Original poster
CelticPixie · 18/05/2013 23:15

Graham is brilliant. Didn't think that Terry could be beaten doing the commentary, but Graham more than holds his own.

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 18/05/2013 23:16

It would be interesting if the countries competing were anonymous and the voting was about the song rather than politics.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 18/05/2013 23:18

YABU. That's a very uk centric view point.

kim147 · 18/05/2013 23:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HollyBerryBush · 18/05/2013 23:19

But the songs will appeal to regions - ie the Greek song wouldn't appeal to western Europe, but it will to Mediterreaneans, ditto, the Scandanavians seem to like the same odd stuff.

Fluffypinkcoat · 18/05/2013 23:21

YABU. Countries near to each other will have similar music tastes. Some musicians even do different versions of songs for Western Europe and Eastern Europe because slight changes make the songs sell better.

DontMeanToBeRudeBut · 18/05/2013 23:23

YABU because it is Eurovision, not the UN.

Hiphopopotamus · 18/05/2013 23:23

YABU

Denmark have just won, Sweden won last year, Germany the year before...

It does seem to be, float a decent song, with a decent artist, promote it before the event, and you win.

Keep putting out very older,' past it' artists with a sense of cynical irony, perhaps not do so well!

Mamf74 · 18/05/2013 23:24

I think it's an odd one really! DH used to do a lot of work in Greece and Albania and the Eurovision entries were being played on radio MONTHS ahead of the contest, by the time Eurovision came about these were established artists and songs.

A lot of the entries now are also collaborations with established writers who are employed to write commercial songs rather than historic "novelty" songs like in the past.

I think possibly the UK are slightly behind the curve in this, I know Blue entered a few years ago but if it was seen as more commercial and less kitsch here I think more serious people would enter and we'd get more out of it.

CSIJanner · 18/05/2013 23:24

The Greek song was fantastic, as was Romania and Malta. Instead tin pipe and drum Denmark has won.

yawn

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 18/05/2013 23:25

No, it's always been a complete pile of shite.

Bunbaker · 18/05/2013 23:26

I thought the best act was the presenter at the end Grin

marriedinwhiteagain · 18/05/2013 23:28

Hopefully now she's won she'll be able to stretch to some shoes :)

Bobyan · 18/05/2013 23:28

who Grin

Snazzywaitingforsummer · 18/05/2013 23:30

I don't like the bloc and obviously political voting. but the overall quality has got better I think. I have liked quite a few of tonight's entries a lot, though tbh I thought Denmark's winner was just OK. Agree with Mamf above that we always seem slightly behind the curve.

Snazzywaitingforsummer · 18/05/2013 23:31

And Graham is great. For my money he's better than Terry, whose ever more bitter cynicism got very wearing towards the end, especially in the light of his massive pay packet.

AgentZigzag · 18/05/2013 23:31

They keep very quiet about the amount of diplomatic incidents provoked by Eurovision Dontmeantoberude Wink

They don't want anyone knowing they've watched it for starters Grin

Kneebeefjerky · 18/05/2013 23:33

YANBU, they all actually take it seriously which is wrong. But most of them were deliberately booted out in the semis for exactly this reason. And Denmark, a western (ish) country won. As did Sweden last year.

And our song was shit.

Kewcumber · 18/05/2013 23:35

You think it was possible to ruin the Eurovision song contest. Really?! You think it was previously great and now has deteriorated Confused

You don't think it's just possible that you have matured a little?

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 18/05/2013 23:36

Ireland always vote for UK.

Block voting isn't limited to Eastern European countries and therefore YABU.