Eurovision 2024

[RunningAndSinging]

Anyone interested in the build up this year? I have been more aware this year as the songs are announced. I like Croatia, Ireland and Finland. Dizzy is hopefully going to do well which makes it exciting - Olli Alexander should be good performing live and he is well known in Europe.

Just reading about the controversy with Israel’s entry and I see that Iceland might send a Palastinian singer.

Ukraine have been the favourites for a while but Croatia is just ahead of them now.

Well, one of my pre-booked free-cancellation stays in Croatia have called the win for Baby Lasagna, as I see they've cancelled and relisted at a much higher price.

Sad thing is, we're questioning going next year anyway. It was going to be our son's first Eurovision - hopefully catch a couple of family shows, then back home for the final. I didn't have "potential terrorist and political tension" on my list of reasons not to take him.

In Swedish law there is a presumption of innocence. So you’re considered innocent until proven guilty. The whole thing with Joost seems to be going against this.

The fact is that if Israel and that song were singing for, for example, Slovenia it would be regarded as pretty run of the mill and it would be at about 50/1 in the betting.

the worst case scenario of an Israel win in the teeth of public sentiment

If Israel win it will be because of public sentiment, surely?

This says it all for me.

Sorry, combined two quotes there by mistake. I agree with ilovesooty's post. Without the protests the Israeli song would have been in a middling position imo.

Not if it's caused by block voting by non-viewers.

Non-viewers are the public. Casual viewers are the public. Eurovision devotees are the public.

It's pretty standard in many work situations for you to be suspended on full pay while you're under investigation for a serious criminal offence. If a newsreader for example was arrested on suspicion of murder then you wouldn't expect to see them still reading the news while awaiting trial. If they were awaiting trial for breach of planning laws then you probably would.

Because we have zero details, we're not sure where this case sits.

Dutch press are apparently reporting that he made a threat to a member of the production staff.

Not that he hit her.

Bambie Thug is being quite outspoken about the EBU and Israel.
Also there is a clip of Eden of Israel being told she didn't need to answer the journalist's question and someone blind shouts 'why not'. Is that Joost?

The Israeli song was previously called October Rain but is now called Hurricane. I've not heard it but it sounds like it may have previously had a political message?

news.sky.com/story/eurovision-2024-bambie-thug-calls-on-ebu-bosses-to-show-humanity-as-israel-hamas-war-overshadows-event-13133249

someone blind shouts 'why not'. Is that Joost?

Yes.

I agree with you, EvilRinga.

Mistrust of the voting system has been around for as long as I can remember, since Cliff sang 'Congratulations', but has now reached a crisis point owing to social media campaigns and out and out manipulation.

If people thinks that a nation or an interested party cannot manipulate a televote or a jury vote then they are very naive.

But a hypothetical non-viewer block vote probably wouldn't represent the majority of the public. There's no room for an opposing POV from the non-viewers who don't actually want Israel to win.

And if the 2% of the public who feel strongly for whatever reason vote a hundred times each they may get a majority of the votes but that doesn't mean that they represent "public sentiment"

Am sure Eurovision want this to be a song contest. But the political issues are bubbling up and can't be contained. Who knows how many countries will get a significant social media movement in favour of voting for Israel or in favour of voting for Croatia / Switzerland as the best options to block Israel.

The only way to get it to be a true song contest would be to find an audience who never used social media and let them hear the songs with no idea which country was performing and they then do a blind vote. Not possible.

Swedish media saying there was no physical incident now. It was just verbal.

https://www.svt.se/kultur/incident-utreds-kring-nederlandske-artisten-joost-klein

This has been updated to read
Joost Klein, the Netherlands' representative in the Eurovision song contest, did not participate during the genre break on Friday. It should be about an "incident" concerning the artist, according to the EBU.

On Saturday morning, the police confirm that a man is suspected of unlawful threats.

The Voice of Europe
Blindfolded celebs from each country to turn around.
I'd watch that.
Shame this is not my Tom Jones username!!

Trying to find out what is deemed unlawful threats in Sweden. My understanding of this is the range is much bigger in Sweden in terms of what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. It could be something really bad but it equally could be something that we here in the UK (and the Netherlands) would think "What the hell. Is that it?"

Being told he HAS been disqualified... Will verify.

EBU statement
https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/release/statement-dutch-participation-eurovision-song-contest

The Dutch artist Joost Klein will not be competing in the Grand Final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Swedish police have investigated a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following his performance in Thursday night’s Semi Final. While the legal process takes its course, it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the Contest.

We would like to make it clear that, contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member.

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at our event and are committed to providing a safe and secure working environment for all staff at the Contest. In light of this, Joost Klein’s behaviour towards a team member is deemed in breach of Contest rules.

The Grand Final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest will now proceed with 25 participating songs.

The rest of the afternoon might yet produce more chaos...

Wow! That takes the fun out of it a little. Hopefully it will still be a fun evening for everyone.

It's really taken the shine off the contest