Eurovision
May. 17th, 2004 11:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hnpccSo as is traditional we went to a Eurovision party last night and watched the (delayed) broadcast.
Despite nearly accidentally learning who won from the ABC news (a quick changing of the channel was required) we managed to avoid all spoilers and settled in with homemade pizza and self-saucing chocolate pudding to watch.
It was great. :-)
Thoughts:
Iceland sucked. The song was actually quite good, the singer just wasn't up to it. They should have had the bloke from Malta singing it.
Russia really sucked. Talk about "here's our vote - please don't invade again". And why not to let your dad get you into a major competition when your singing really isn't up to it.
I liked Deen, pretty much no one else in the room did. Go Deen. Dean hated Deen.
The Ukrainian song was great, except once you get the lyrics stuck in your head as "titty bum titty bum" it loses something.
Sweden - give that woman a pole to dance around!
The male host looked like Herman Munster. But without the personality. And his French sounded like a random series of incomprehensible phrases. In other words I found him very hard to understand. Actually I found him hard in English too, and it took me a while to realise he was speaking English. Hm.
Loved some of the phone in hosts though, particularly the guy who'd obviously learnt English in the US. Great hybrid accent.
Helloooo Russia! ;-) Who's been pashing in the corner with a vodka in one hand then? ;-)
The hostess' tattoo was nice. And she looked like she'd knocked back a few towards the end of the night...
I love Eurovision voting patterns. Although I did get the feeling that Norway were on the phone to Sweden just before Sweden's results were announced, going "C'mon, we weren't that bad... please? We voted for you!" The Nordic bloc seemed a little fragmented this year - Norwegian diplomats will undoubtedly be phoning around. *giggle* Good to see the Flemish/Dutch bloc holding firm, although France refuses to give Belgium votes the years that Flanders is entering. ;-) The Russian/formerly parts of/Baltic, Former Yugoslav and Turkey-Greece-Cyprus blocs were all there though.
Did the UK vote for Ireland come entirely from teenage girls who loved Westlife or what? ;-)
Much disappointment that neither the Hi-Five act or the Austrian Wiggle from last year were back for the final. They were funny. Even if I did have to agree with Des' comment that Hi-Five should sue. Firstly for plagarism and secondly for defamation. ;-) I liked Des' commentary, but I still think it'd be funny to have him and Wogan in the same box.
I miss making countries sing in one of their official languages though. :-) Some of the English lyrics are... not entirely wrong, but not entirely right either. And where else are you going to hear songs with choruses like "Diggyloo, diggylay, alles tippert por mej?" (No, I can't spell in Swedish. Why do you ask?)
And Sal and my new plan is to get accreditation from the Warrandyte News and Warragul Gazette and go and take part. Probably not next year, but maybe the year after. ;-)
And hey, go Ukraine! Bring on the whips and chains! (Hope Des managed to pick up at the afterparty. Sure sounded like he was intending to try...)
Despite nearly accidentally learning who won from the ABC news (a quick changing of the channel was required) we managed to avoid all spoilers and settled in with homemade pizza and self-saucing chocolate pudding to watch.
It was great. :-)
Thoughts:
Iceland sucked. The song was actually quite good, the singer just wasn't up to it. They should have had the bloke from Malta singing it.
Russia really sucked. Talk about "here's our vote - please don't invade again". And why not to let your dad get you into a major competition when your singing really isn't up to it.
I liked Deen, pretty much no one else in the room did. Go Deen. Dean hated Deen.
The Ukrainian song was great, except once you get the lyrics stuck in your head as "titty bum titty bum" it loses something.
Sweden - give that woman a pole to dance around!
The male host looked like Herman Munster. But without the personality. And his French sounded like a random series of incomprehensible phrases. In other words I found him very hard to understand. Actually I found him hard in English too, and it took me a while to realise he was speaking English. Hm.
Loved some of the phone in hosts though, particularly the guy who'd obviously learnt English in the US. Great hybrid accent.
Helloooo Russia! ;-) Who's been pashing in the corner with a vodka in one hand then? ;-)
The hostess' tattoo was nice. And she looked like she'd knocked back a few towards the end of the night...
I love Eurovision voting patterns. Although I did get the feeling that Norway were on the phone to Sweden just before Sweden's results were announced, going "C'mon, we weren't that bad... please? We voted for you!" The Nordic bloc seemed a little fragmented this year - Norwegian diplomats will undoubtedly be phoning around. *giggle* Good to see the Flemish/Dutch bloc holding firm, although France refuses to give Belgium votes the years that Flanders is entering. ;-) The Russian/formerly parts of/Baltic, Former Yugoslav and Turkey-Greece-Cyprus blocs were all there though.
Did the UK vote for Ireland come entirely from teenage girls who loved Westlife or what? ;-)
Much disappointment that neither the Hi-Five act or the Austrian Wiggle from last year were back for the final. They were funny. Even if I did have to agree with Des' comment that Hi-Five should sue. Firstly for plagarism and secondly for defamation. ;-) I liked Des' commentary, but I still think it'd be funny to have him and Wogan in the same box.
I miss making countries sing in one of their official languages though. :-) Some of the English lyrics are... not entirely wrong, but not entirely right either. And where else are you going to hear songs with choruses like "Diggyloo, diggylay, alles tippert por mej?" (No, I can't spell in Swedish. Why do you ask?)
And Sal and my new plan is to get accreditation from the Warrandyte News and Warragul Gazette and go and take part. Probably not next year, but maybe the year after. ;-)
And hey, go Ukraine! Bring on the whips and chains! (Hope Des managed to pick up at the afterparty. Sure sounded like he was intending to try...)
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no subject
Date: 2004-05-17 12:51 pm (UTC)The Netherlands gave us those 5 points (only bloody 5!) because of the great talent that we had ;-)
Ok... probably not :-)
Bloody Germans not giving us anything. We're next-door too you know. We've not forgotten about the war yet! ;-) And don't get me started on the French!
Aaaaah I love Eurovision.
(must say I'm totally shocked with the love of Australians for it)
no subject
Date: 2004-05-17 04:23 pm (UTC)The Australian thing... dunno why, but it's certainly quite large here in Melbourne. Maybe the nation of emigrants thing, maybe just a nation of dags. Hey, we caused Abba's break up... :-)
no subject
Date: 2004-05-18 03:17 am (UTC)I now remember that film with the girl getting married singing all kinds of Abba tunes.. What was it called again... Muriel's wedding!
You're right, we were in the lead for a while and should take comfort in that.
A very brief while nevertheless, but still, the lead! :-)
How do you know so much about the flemish/walloon thing?
no subject
Date: 2004-05-18 11:50 pm (UTC)Me personally? No. Australian fans... well, a good case can be made.
Basically when they toured out here there were already some problems - one of the women didn't want to be so far away from her kids, they were a bit tired of concerts etc - but it was still mostly OK.
Then they hit Australia, and the first group of really rabid fans they'd encountered. And that was basically enough to send the tensions over the edge and cause the band (and the marriages) to break up. Bob Jones (who was Security for the tour and is in the ABBA movie) has a book out which mentions part of it (and lots about Fleetwood Mac).
I now remember that film with the girl getting married singing all kinds of Abba tunes.. What was it called again... Muriel's wedding!
Ah yes, "Muriel's Wedding". Muriel was supposed to be the absolute total dag. But Abba's back in now... ;-) not that it ever really went out here... ;-)
How do you know so much about the flemish/walloon thing?
I lived in Hasselt in 1990. Which is also where I first encountered Eurovision and why I barrack for Belgium in both Eurovision and the World Cup. :-) (Although if Australia ever makes it in I'll be torn...)
no subject
Date: 2004-05-17 03:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-05-17 04:27 pm (UTC)As to why they won.. well, I was using the "Strictly Dancing" X-factor scoring category to score the acts.. and Ukraine had good energy, sex appeal and actual co-ordination. And you could remember which act they were at the end, which helps when trying to vote. There were far too many unmemorable songs sung by men in white this year - what was it, an AFL umpires convention?
no subject
Date: 2004-05-18 11:58 pm (UTC)Don't feel inclined to disagree with most of your comments. I was quite happy that the Ukranian entry won as it was fun and had great energy. I have to agree with Des about them adopting the Xena look. Well new Zealand has LOtR now and doesn't need Xena any more. Seems fair that they should pass her onto the Ukraine.