Eurovision Malmö 3

[RedToothBrush]

Let's get a result...

I'm pleased Switzerland won. Their song has wedged itself in my head this morning - including going off to Google the lyrics because I thought they couldn't possibly be singing about ammonites only to discover they were, in fact, singing about ammonites. I thought the staging was impeccable, and it was really well performed (and I am in awe that they could sing while doing that bullet time thing). I can see it being a Eurovision performance I revisit in future years (on which note I would like to say that much as Loreen has very impressive core strength, she could have given us at least a bit of Euphoria in there).

I thought the UK's staging in terms of the 'which way up is this room?' thing was really clever but making it the gayest thing to have ever gayed may have been a step too far, it wasn't a particularly memorable song, and while I'm not saying I could sing it any better it didn't really have the vocal wow factor.

assuming that Jewish people are stealing or tricking people is a long held anti-Semitic damaging belief and I don’t think it hurts for anyone to be aware of that.

And assuming that all Palestinians are terrorists, or support Hamas is another long-held damaging belief, and I don’t think it hurts for people to be aware of that.
This may not be the right thread for this conversation, but it’s clearly difficult to reply to comments made here, on another thread.

We still regularly sing 'Give that wolf a banana' in our household, so perhaps you're right not to take my music taste very seriously.

(Also subwoolfer's Melocoton, which I like even more.. )

Except no one has said all Palestinians are terrorists? In fact a few of us mistook a sarcastic post stating this and rebutted it. I have also said that many Palestinians do not support Hamas and are starting to speak out, the same way all Israelis I know personally do not support Netenyahu

But there is no denying the Gazan government ARE terrorists.

True!

Olly's staging was sleazy (what possessed him to go with that scenario?), his singing was third rate, and the song was awful anyway.

In the clips of past winners, I saw Sandie Shaw singing Puppet On A String. Her performance was fresh, showed talent and ability and did not rely on the over the top staging which happens now. And I felt such a twinge of nostalgia for the way Eurovision used to be: populist catchy songs performed by real singers. And what was wrong with that? It gave us mighy ABBA.
For the record, I voted for Israel because she could carry a tune and sorrow was beautifully expressed. I also liked Armenia's offering because of the fun presentation and gaiety. Switzerland's Nemo was a worthy winner. I agree.
The UK has to take a long hard look at what they consider makes a good entry.

I don't think it shows that at all. I think it shows that a variety of genres and countries can succeed, that performance and what is popular has changed over the last 70 years (just as it did between 1886 and the first Eurovision, no doubt), but that quality songs performed well often win. Zitti e Buoni, Arcade and 1944 are for me infinitely higher quality than, say, La Det Swinge or Diggyloo Diggyley*. Some of those old Eurovision songs are very much of their time (and occasionally not very good examples of such). I have a soft spot for a lot of the 90s ones but that's because I was a kid then and it is a nostalgia hit - for me trying to be objective, the more modern winners are better. Every decade has its platinum standard winners though - Poupee De Cire, Danseuse, Ding A Dong, What's Another Year..all of these are beautiful songs to this day.

Nothing beats the winners run from 2003-2005 for me though! Three iconic women. What a time to be alive.

*I do actually like both of these songs! But they are naff.

I'm sorry I have to step in here and ask you where you are getting your information from?

I am a Palestinian myself- from the West Bank. No one from my family has been thrown off roofs- my cousin is queer and actually, counting the women on my mum's side, we outdo the men in the family in terms of degrees( undergraduate and postgrad)

Dresscode is akin to Europe. Yes I don't walk around half naked but I probably would not anywhere, so it's moot metric. And come to think of it, (alot of Gazan teen girls dress the same as many others in Europe actually reflecting back)

I find it quite laughable that this is the line of argument some people have to justify a military occupation and illegal settlements and killing civilians.
And about the LGBTQ thing - it is such a crux from some people, which is ridiculous.
-Being Gay, is not accepted in ANY abrahamic religion so don't even start
-The United States still has conversion therapy- it is 2024.
-Gay Marriage was only recently accepted in some countries in Western Europe
-Homophobia and LQBTQ+ phobia is still a problem in the UK.
-Abortion is illegal- Wow, what have you got to say about abortion rights in the US?
-How many of you have travelled to UAE or Turkey on Holidays? Not LQBTQ+ friendly technically are they? But this is hill you choose to die on when justifying the killing? Really?
-If this thread had started in 1981 do you think you'd stick to your point? We cannot come across as holier than thou. We all need to do better.

BUT
-Social Progression cannot happen under oppression

It's like you are expecting a starved and abused dog to do better then blame it for every shortcoming

Drinking alcohol can get you put in jail? Ooops do you think my Palestinian Christian neighbours in Ramallah know? Crap- I should check on them.

Utterly ridiculous line of argument.

Also, as it appears there are gaps in understanding- Where my family are from, the West Bank is NOT GAZA. The illegal settlements are encroaching on us daily; we find the settlers insufferable because of the psychological torture they put us through and we can't count on the military t help us because they are their personal entourage.
The Palestinians in EJ are NOT GAZA.
We are faced with very very different issues than the ones they face in Gaza.
The root problem is the occupation.

Please remember that Israel proper houses a small percentage or Arab Israelis. but its control extends beyond Israel 'proper' into the WB and whilst yes many Arab Citizens of Israel have many rights, the rest of us live under occupation

Hoping for peace for all of us one day soon :)

"I said right in the beginning of this process, I plan to be as gay as possible – and what’s gayer than a locker room?”

I am just as put off by female writhing bodies as male ones. Doesn't matter to me that it is a 'gay thing'. But no-one seems to have read the room here and realised that this staging might have offended huge swathes of conservative, and largely Catholic, Europe. Especially the south of it.
The viewing public certainly voted with their feet anyway.

Really interesting to see the evolution of the staging in that video - seems to have been a leap forward in every year ending in 8 for some reason.

👏

Did anyone like Spain? I thought it looked like Dollar had been brought back from the 80s, mutton dressed as lamb, and the dancers were as bad as Olly's. Why so many buns out last night? I think they also 'overgayed' and it didn't sit well with viewers.

Both are despicable

The start of the Swiss song reminded me of Panic at the Disco.

Thankyou for correcting the inaccuracies

I hope you and your family can live in peace very soon,
Stay safe

A man won Eurovision......

Hold the front page

There’s lots of complaints about not having ‘proper singers’ on the competition, and yet many of the contestants are top selling artists in their countries, and have had many hits before the contest.

We need a Sam Ryder kind of contestant for the UK! He was just a brilliant singer and performer!

Eurovision needs to apply consistency to how it determines the countries that take part in the contest as well especially if it’s not meant to be a political contest (at least in name!). I’m no fan of picking and choosing!

I second this too, wishing you all the best!

It's funny because I was thinking Spain should have been way higher in the scoring - strong song sung by an older woman. But she was still surrounded by semi-naked blokes. She didn't need that.

Croatia - winner of the popular vote - was a straightforward anthemic rock performance with no overtly sexual dancers.

of course but they are worlds apart in terms of severity and one is classed as racism, and is hugely on the rise worldwide

Slovenia was quite sexy too with almost naked people and they were almost last.

I'm not surprised UK got 0 public points. I'd heard the song on the radio previously and quite liked it but it was a weak vocal on the night and the staging and theme was awful. What's inclusive about a pornographic performance in a dirty toilet? Gross and demeaning to anyone.

I'm sure Eurovision release the actual votes each song gets at some stage. Or have I imagined that? It's quite interesting to see that breakdown and see how close or not some songs were.

I didn't hate the UK's song - it's got an earworm chorus. It was just a weak performance. Plus, the UK may seriously not have wanted to stage it again. Whoever advises the performers about these things may have left it that way thinking, 'Phew, that's us in the clear for another year.