Eurovision

[Sometimeswinning]

I dont know why I'm watching it! It needs to go really. How are we behind Israel? They're not even Europe!

Perfectly put, mackerella - I was going to say similar, but not nearly as well!

Nobody votes for whom they hate; it's just that, if you aren't anybody's preference, you won't get any of their points, which will go to people/songs who were (or at least whom they believe) were better than you/yours.

Another thing that I don't think we in the UK take seriously enough is that, for much of Europe, Eurovision is year-round. Many of the artists are top performing/recording artists in their countries, known and (often) loved throughout Europe.

Long gone are the days of not first hearing the songs until the actual contest, as they tour them around Europe (or at least give them loads of online exposure) for months beforehand. That's why it's possible for some of the 'growers' to do well on the night - they've already had months to grow in people's recollections and become earworms that they've already been humming and singing in the shower for ages.

What do the vast majority of us in the UK think in relation to Eurovision? We don't even have a big televised contest to choose the song (or presentation of the entry song, if judges have said "Yep, that'll do" chosen it independently) any more. We first start to think about EV once May rolls around and think we can just turn up, wing it and then get surprised and upset when we don't do as well as those who have planned, prepared, practised and promoted solidly throughout the whole year.

Most of Europe consider it a great honour to be chosen for EV, whereas we consider it a bit of an embarrassment - or at best, a bit of a laugh. And it shows.

We wouldn't enter the Olympics by sending a plump 60yo chap from down the pub who reckoned at short notice that he could probably give it a bit of a go - and then cry foul, unfair, everybody hates us, when Usain Bolt crosses the finishing line before our Trevor has even got going.

I’ve seen so much crap about Eurovision today.

BBC spends more than 5 times their contribution to Eurovision on Gary Linekar’s salary - I detest football but don’t go on about how they should get rid of match of the day.

BBC would have to pull out of the European Broadcasting Union - even if we stopped competing in Eurovision we’d still be in it and paying to be in the EBU.

And our nul points was totally deserved - we never bother doing anything decent. Smaller and poorer countries than us manage to turn in brilliant entries (hello, Iceland!) - we have no excuse.

The BBC and the UK should pull out of this now. It's ridiculous. At least James Newman took it for the joke it is

It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, though, as the rest of Europe doesn't treat it as a joke. Yes, they acknowledge and love the bonkers fun, the flamboyance, the kitsch, the over-the-top staging; but they still take it seriously. We turn up, ready for a bit of a giggle having made very little effort indeed, and then wonder why we get nowhere.

If it were a fancy-dress competition, most of Europe would have put teams of their finest minds, creative artists, tailors and seamstresses on the case for months - as we have fully proven we can do if we care enough, when it comes to things like Strictly and all of the top period dramas - whereas we would just grab a bedsheet or cut holes in a bin bag the night before.

Exactly, WeBuilt - it's that Boris Johnson style sense of entitlement that says "sod professionalism and experience, we'll just turn up and wing it and we're bound to win because we're British". Personally, I'd love it if we had a televised song contest to weed out the shit songs choose the UK entry for Eurovision - it's what loads of other countries do, including Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia and Italy (which is how this year's Italian entry was chosen)!

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I like how that loss unleashed idiots😂 Just saw people on Twitter moaning that (combo of few tweets so tldr) all these people want to come and live in UK but obviously hate UK so much they give them no points and how hypocritical it is😂 It also looks like Izrael getting some is very sore point and salt rubbed into wounds, for the fans.

But hey. It made history as second nul. Positive thinking!

How rude are you?

Of course people are pissed off that Israel was given points. They should not have been allowed to compete due to their current war crimes and utter ongoing genocide. But they're rich so who cares eh?

If it's not political, why is it we all know which countries will vote for each full marks? Ireland should remember that when it screws us for points every year.

You may think I am rude, you are entitled to that opinion. Same way like I am entitled to the opinion that "but immigrants want to come here so why don't they vote for us, hypocrites" brigade are idiots

It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, though, as the rest of Europe doesn't treat it as a joke. Yes, they acknowledge and love the bonkers fun, the flamboyance, the kitsch, the over-the-top staging; but they still take it seriously. We turn up, ready for a bit of a giggle having made very little effort indeed, and then wonder why we get nowhere.

Exactly. We see Eurovision as way beneath our own highly sophisticated musical tastes, and constantly talk about how crap and cheesey it is, and then tantrum when we don't do well in it!

I think we should embrace that we will always come near the bottom and just go with it.

@Tiktokersmiracle

Yeah but we've still the best scientists so who cares They hate us. Some of them so badly they refused our vaccine Sod them. Just re-enforces why we were right to leave in the 1st place. It's about time we told them to stick this political and back scratchy bollocks. Any event where Israel is welcome and voted for isn't worth our time

Is this serious?

Eurovision is staggeringly cheap for what we get. The £333k quoted up thread, for 8 hours of prime time, works out at around the per hour cost of most formatted daytime shows. Take Eurovision out of the listings and the BBC could only afford to replace it with something like Bargain Hunt.

@ilovesooty your point?

We need to send Will Young.

@Letsgetreadytocrumble

It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, though, as the rest of Europe doesn't treat it as a joke. Yes, they acknowledge and love the bonkers fun, the flamboyance, the kitsch, the over-the-top staging; but they still take it seriously. We turn up, ready for a bit of a giggle having made very little effort indeed, and then wonder why we get nowhere.

Exactly. We see Eurovision as way beneath our own highly sophisticated musical tastes, and constantly talk about how crap and cheesey it is, and then tantrum when we don't do well in it!

Yup. Not bothered enough to put on a proper performance but not ballsy or disinterested enough to go for the show/shits and giggles. None of the work or humour, but still want to win/get points. Average is, as average does and with so many countries and a limited number of points, average doesn't place.

There's a mind boggling arrogance to shout "we don't win because they hate us!". You're assuming they give a shit .

@SchrodingersImmigrant

You may think I am rude, you are entitled to that opinion. Same way like I am entitled to the opinion that "but immigrants want to come here so why don't they vote for us, hypocrites" brigade are idiots

But I've not said that I pointed out that to include a country currently willfully killing women and children over land they never owned and just stole should not be included. We wouldn't allow a team from any other terrorist groups in so why Israel?

And as for those countries who ignored that fact and voted for them, yet didn't vote for us over something as petty as Brexit and vaccines don't deserve any respect.
They should have been shunned to show a clear message to Israel that we find their war crimes and genocide disgusting acts.

We are very much allowing countries which are guilty of ethnic cleansing and genocides, to participate in various games and businesses. Always have. It's just that they are too far for people here to care.

Not saying that's right btw. Not at all

The song was shit.

The performance was shit. The guy couldn't sing and looked like he had been dragged out of Wetherspoons. Could the UK not afford to get him a few clothes?

But sure, coming last was political.

yet didn't vote for us over something as petty as Brexit and vaccines don't deserve any respect.

Lord. Lordi, even. They didn't vote because the song was sad, the singer a shambles, it was like a bad karioke attempt after several pints in a pub.

This year has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the song being shit.

What about Germany and their novelty song - also null points. Was that punishment for WWII? The Netherlands - null points - did they offend by being a fabulous host country? Belgium - only 3 points, for a cruisy and professional offering - has their chocolate gone bad?

Really, the UK's entry was so offensively awful it should have got a minus score.

And as for those countries who ignored that fact and voted for them, yet didn't vote for us over something as petty as Brexit and vaccines don't deserve any respect.

Vaccines and brexit had nothing to do with votes. Mediocre everything did.

I forgot Spain. Null points. Quite a nice song, too.

^Nul!

Bill Bailey has volunteered :D