It’s like the World Cup, except that it involves only Europe (and Israel and a bunch of former Soviet Republics) and instead of a soccer team, each country fields a singer or a band. And the winner is determined by voting. And there’s no off sides.
The Eurovision Song Contest was ABBA’s big international break, as well as Celine Dion’s (she sang and won for Switzerland in 1988. Don’t ask me what she has to do with Switzerland). I learned to appreciate the fun of watching this event when I lived in Germany, where a group of my friends would get together to watch, critique the bands (and the dancers’ butts), and vote multiple times for our favorite asses acts. There was also usually a lot of Rotkäppchen-drinking involved.
Last night we invited a few friends over, blended up several batches of margaritas (thanks to Ali’s tedious but successful search for bagged ice), and gathered around the TV for a fabulous evening of good old-fashioned Euro pop. Twenty-four acts banged out their performances, and then the home audience was given a few minutes to call in our votes. This was then followed, as always, by the tedious reporting of results live from each country (although we were told that this was nothing compared to the tedium from back in the day, when results were called in over a crackly phone line and repeated in a ridiculous number of languages).
The highlights this year included the German country-western entry called Texas Lightning and the rubber-mask-wearing Finish metal band Lordi (who became the evening’s surprise winners). But the song I annoyingly can’t get out of my head this morning is the sing-songy and repetitive ‘We are the winners of Eurovision’ performed by the Lithuanian group. Damn you, LT United!
It was more like ‘We are the weeners of Eurovision!’ but it was great.
Ridiculous many language, hmm French and English-that’s not much, they should have added German, Spanish, Russian, Polish,…you get the picture right?
I miss the fact that we don’t get all the 12 points said, now we have to read to which nation gives you points. Liked the old system better. Ohh what did you think of the Dutch joker?
I missed the phenomenon this year and I now I can’t hold a decent conversation with my European friends. I’m gonna have to pay more attention next year.
Do you remember Guido Horn?? Man did I want him to win….
LT United were truly dire…and yet hlf of Europe are annoying themselves by humming it at present. Curses! You get the feeling they wrote that song in 15 minutes before the show started. Truly dire. I thought poor Denmark deserved better.