EUROVISION THREAD 3. THE UK ARE TOP OF THE LEADERBOARD (FOR NOW)

[RedToothBrush]

JUST THAT.

[mathanxiety]

#West coast of the Black Sea, ahem...

[mathanxiety]

Yes, and a case in point, the Moldova entry has similar appeal for Balkan voters.

Often if you read comments under YouTube videos of the songs you can see comments from people in neighbouring countries who love them. In the case of Moldova, there are plenty of remarks to the effect that this would be a great Balkan region wedding song and that every aspect of the song has deep roots in the music of that part of the world (East coast of the Black Sea and south into the Balkans).

[BringBackCoffeeCreams]

@RedToothBrush

Hope this is readable. Its an info graphic of social links and voting patterns. People say its political but I think its more a question of common cultural links and heritage. In this respect the UK is always going to be something of an outlier because we are an island.

I agree. I'm in Sweden and we often give most points to Norway and the brits say it's political but it really isn't. Norway pick the song they like best and we're close enough in culture that we also like it best. Take this year and the Give The Wolf A Banana song. All the kids in my DS's school wanted that one to win, not because they're political, but because they love it and they've heard it played in school and they've learnt the words.

A few years ago there was a really weird song Bosnia. Most of Europe were like WTF? But all their neighbours gave them 12 points. Obviously all political. Except I was watching with my Croatian friend and she was dying laughing. Apparantly, for those who understood the language, the song lyrics were absolutely hilarious and that's why all their neighbours gave them 12 points.

[MarshaBradyo]

I agree with Cats and Turin part, it’s a song which people loved

he was very good

I don’t usually watch it but his song was much better than I remembered them to be

[mathanxiety]

Germany's song was great! I can't believe it was last

No, no, no, it was dire. And the staging was even worse than the song.

[mathanxiety]

If it’s not political, how is it that Greece and Cyprus always award one another 12 points? Same as Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Because they're virtually the same country, share the same musical taste. Take a look at a map. They speak Greek in Cyprus (in the parts that are not part of Turkey anyway). Georgia and Azerbaijan are neighbours, with a significant diaspora in each other's country.

When countries cast votes for each other it usually follows a pattern in which their songs enjoy widespread popularity outside of the regions in which the votes are cast.

There are regional cultural affiliations within Europe - Scandinavia, Baltic, Eastern bloc, Western, Balkans, Caucuses. Some countries flow between regions - Bulgaria swings toward the Balkans sometimes; Malta's taste is unpredictable. Switzerland gets votes from several quarters.

The existence of diasporas usually skews a vote in favour of the home country's song, but the vote isn't always reciprocal. Turkey got votes from Germany and other western European countries many times but didn't reciprocate.

It's not a simple, "They don't liiiiiike us!" They like other entries.

[Justkeeppedaling]

@SmiledWtherisingsun

Wish we could join Europe again 😞

Well we never actually left Europe. We did leave the European Union though so that's why you might be getting confused.

[DressingGownofDoom]

Oh ffs why is every post cut off halfway through at the minute

[DressingGownofDoom]

@Peregrina

I am surprised that Boris isn't claiming the credit for our second place. But on the other hand, anything with Euro..... in the title is difficult for Brexiters because their globes and maps have a space where Europe is.

I voted to remain but I don't think not wanting to be in the EU - the institution means that leavers don't want to be part of Europe the continent

[Whatalovelydaffodil]

@SmiledWtherisingsun

Wish we could join Europe again 😞

I am not sure if you're being sarcastic or not!

[SmiledWtherisingsun]

Wish we could join Europe again 😞

[SmiledWtherisingsun]

@SoggyPaper

Apparently Georgia have sought clarification about why their jury result was not accepted. The say they awarded12 points to Ukraine, but the aggregated result gave 12 points to the UK.

eurovoix.com/2022/05/15/georgia-jury-voting-eurovision-grand-final/

Stop it!

[SmiledWtherisingsun]

@SpaceCadetCat

Germany's song was great! I can't believe it was last

I know right?!

[RedToothBrush]

Source dgquarterly on twitter.

[RedToothBrush]

Hope this is readable. Its an info graphic of social links and voting patterns. People say its political but I think its more a question of common cultural links and heritage. In this respect the UK is always going to be something of an outlier because we are an island.

[StCharlotte]

@thecatsthecats

I love that people are still arguing that Europe hates us.

I was in Turin, and as soon as people knew we were British they started singing Spaceman at us. They loved the song. LOVED it.

That's it. That's the whole story.

Yep me too. I've never felt more loved. It was brilliant😊

[SpaceCadetCat]

Germany's song was great! I can't believe it was last

[Blossomtoes]

If it’s not political, how is it that Greece and Cyprus always award one another 12 points? Same as Georgia and Azerbaijan.

[ilovesooty]

@mathanxiety absolutely.

[mathanxiety]

@IdisagreeMrHochhauser

I'm a remainer and I think that Eurovision is political and remains political. We are respected at the moment as we have been giving Ukraine a lot of military hardware. Did the Ukrainian jury really like our song the best or were they feeling more positively towards the UK anyway or want to demonstrate that close relationship?

Every year I watch it and think why do I bother with this? It's always frustrating.

Codswallop.

If the Eurovision were political then Poland would have come second this year. Their song was good and the singer was great. They're hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees.

Everyone and his aunt has been sending aid of all sorts to Ukraine. Nobody is keeping a spreadsheet and whipping it out for Eurovision.

It it was political then countries which are generally well regarded on the international scene would always make it to the top of the left hand column. Iceland, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, plucky little Georgia, Finland with its admirable education system, etc.

But actually the placement of their entries reflects the quality of their songs. Ireland has tanked for a good few years now, and rightly. Iceland has been up and down. Sweden has sent some boring Eurovision-by- numbers entries for a few years, the Netherlands have been up and down, Georgia consistently sends wtf entries, and Finland sends rockers of varying quality year after year which are somewhere along the spectrum that has Nuuku Pommiin on one end and Hard Rock Hallelujah on the other.

[thecatsthecats]

I love that people are still arguing that Europe hates us.

I was in Turin, and as soon as people knew we were British they started singing Spaceman at us. They loved the song. LOVED it.

That's it. That's the whole story.

[SoggyPaper]

Are people still banging on about brexit and remain? Bloody hell. That ship has long sailed.

It’s starting to sound like the sort of people still complaining about the decimalisation of currency or the replacement of O-Levels with GCSEs. It’s just no longer relevant.

Sure, whinge about the specific issues that come up as a result of brexit. But to keep going back to the should we stay or should we go debate in the first place is pointless. As is going on about Remainers or Brexiteers.

[KimikosNightmare]

@Peregrina

I am surprised that Boris isn't claiming the credit for our second place. But on the other hand, anything with Euro..... in the title is difficult for Brexiters because their globes and maps have a space where Europe is.

I voted Remain , but honestly bore off with comments like that. Is really beyond your imagination that it is possible to have no issues with European culture and tradition and even the concept of the European Enlightenment and dislike the EU?

[Peregrina]

I am surprised that Boris isn't claiming the credit for our second place. But on the other hand, anything with Euro..... in the title is difficult for Brexiters because their globes and maps have a space where Europe is.

[FieryPitOfMordor]

@MrsLargeEmbodied

DH reckons Boris put in a good word

Can’t have done - we’d definitely have got 0 if he’d tried to intervene!