Eurovision song contest

Well, know it's naff, but I find it compulsive viewing once a year.

And having seen and heard Scooch's entry for the first time, I think we have a real chance.
I only just came in at about song 20, but have not been impressed with any other offerings so far. France was the next best and Ukraine was absolutely gut-wrenching.

Scooch's idea of an airline song was refreshingly novel, well-presented and I liked the bit at the end when the 'steward' said "suck on this !" ;)

Bon chance a la Royaume Uni ! 8-)

[Lord Cheeky]

I have to say that IMHO the eurovision is a load of crap and to top if off they cancelled Doctor Who how dare they!!

I should really have known better and bow to the superior wisdom of Lord Cheeky.
It was the usual stitch-up, with bloc voting. Baltic states voting for each other, Former USSR states likewise, Scandinavia likewise, Balkan states likewise, the former Yugoslavia likewise.
Cyprus vote for Greece - what a suprise ! Germany seem to have an affinity with Turkey every year. And rather sinister was the Israeli votes for three Russian states.
No-one likes us in Europe and we don't care. But for Ireland and Malta GC we would have had no votes at all !
It amazes me that we remain enthusiastic members of the EEC when we know where loyalties would lie in the event of a crisis.
I know that the Eurovision Song Contest in inconsequential but this is indicative.
I would rather we created a border from Europe at the Chunnel, became a U.S Satellite, adopted the dollar. At least they speak the same language.

[Chris_Sav]

First time I've watched it in years, and then only as background noise whilst I was working on another website.

I thought our tune was quite catchy, but the voting reflected everything I have heard on partisan voting. I won't make the same mistake again!! some of the songs that got more votes than us (not difficult!) were complete rubbish!!

Sav.

[NigelS]

I thought our song was better than 23rd! Same old story of the last few years. If we didnt put so much money into it we would be out at the semis every year!

I have set a quiz Tommo, right up you alley I reckon!!

[Kevin Pringle (R.I.P.)]

tommo said:

I should really have known better and bow to the superior wisdom of Lord Cheeky.
It was the usual stitch-up, with bloc voting. Baltic states voting for each other, Former USSR states likewise, Scandinavia likewise, Balkan states likewise, the former Yugoslavia likewise.
Cyprus vote for Greece - what a suprise ! Germany seem to have an affinity with Turkey every year. And rather sinister was the Israeli votes for three Russian states.
No-one likes us in Europe and we don't care. But for Ireland and Malta GC we would have had no votes at all !
It amazes me that we remain enthusiastic members of the EEC when we know where loyalties would lie in the event of a crisis.
I know that the Eurovision Song Contest in inconsequential but this is indicative.
I would rather we created a border from Europe at the Chunnel, became a U.S Satellite, adopted the dollar. At least they speak the same language.

You missed out the fact that the UK entry was just total crap too. They needed putting on an airline with a one way ticket to Russia with no money. Luckily I too had enough sense to be out while it was on :D

:D Me too KP ;D

I think we should take a leaf out of the book of my works colleague Steve, who fancies himself as a golfer and plays a foursome round every Friday but has failed to win on the last three occasions : he has changed the rules and henceforth it will be a Stableford competition !

So, seeing as how Yugoslavia is now five separate countries taking part, all with the propensity to vote for each other, we should do the same, and instead of entering as the UK, submit separate entries as England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

On second thoughts, we won't be counting on any votes from Scotland. ;D ;D

Did you cop that Ukraine entry which come second ? Christopher Biggins in a silver llame catsuit, wearing bright red lipstick and with a huge pair of false tits ??? :o :o

Sorry Nigel, fine quiz but I've only just looked in and margo and I are off to see the Horsham Masters in about ten minutes time. :'(

IMHO

Firstly, the UK was very poor indeed. And well worthy of it's 23rd place.

Secondly, as the UK population treat the competition with a large degree of humour (as do the majority of our continental cousins, despite popular misconception) why should they get so upset about the voting??? It was the UK population (as a joke!!) that voted for that shitey song anyway.

Thirdly, the voting. Nothing wrong with a demonstration of loyalty is there? I like the fact the Balkan countries are trying to mend the divisions of the past by alloting points to one another. I mean, it is not the fall of the Berlin wall but it is a gesture. I like it when the Scandinavians stick together - they are, after all, a common people with a common culture. As for the East Europeans - well, I and they are just glad they are in it!!! There is no consistency in expecting Germany or Poland or Italy to vote for the UK (regardless of whether the song is good) when, for the other 364 days of the year, a significant minority (being generous) of the UK population slag the germans about events of 60 years ago - complain about the Poles 'taking 'our' jobs' and laugh at the Italians because they may have some corruption issues(!!). That kind of behaviour shows no loyalty so why do we expect them to be loyal to the UK in a singing competition???
Finally, it is also true that the UK will get more votes when:
They pick a better song
They have no troops in Iraq
The foreign policy is shifted away from alignment with the US slighty.

Again - just my opinion. It's good to excercise (excorcise more like!!) the brain on a Monday.

reformedcharacter said:

There is no consistency in expecting Germany or Poland or Italy to vote for the UK (regardless of whether the song is good)

But surely, that's the whole point of it - a Song contest ?????

Maybe we should scrap it, and instead have a "voting for popularity of your country within Europe" contest. (Cut straight to the chase and just have the voting.)

Oh yes, and we (the UK) would still come last.

I think it's time to see an independent entry from Scotland, something like Kenneth McKeller with a background of heather and a hunting dog would be nice - or Andy Stewart skipping around in his kilt (I'm showing my age now) ;) ;D ;D ;D

I agree - and I bet Scotland would not come 23rd. A much more popular nation around Europe!!!

Yeh, you sided with France against us in the Hundred Years War. >:(

Yup!! When you know the history of how the English have treated Scotland it's no surprise really is it?!!! Every other country for that matter!!

Well, I've spent quite a bit of time and trouble recently on quizzes which bring the beautiful geography and the history of Scotland to the fore.
And if you substitute the words "how you treated the Irish" I'd be inclined to agree with you.
But if you compare England's noble history with that of Scotland, our campaigns have been waged on a global basis, whereas Scotland's wars have almost exclusively been waged against England !

Now there's a thing - and a typical one at that. Why is it campaigns when referring to England but wars when referring to the Scots?!!!!

[CraigC]

Eurovision may be fun and not to be taken too seriously, but it has now got to the stage where no country in western Europe has a chance of winning it. It may be a nice club for countries in the east, Scandinavia, or the Balkans to vote for each other, but that is not the point of the competition.

Britain, Germany, France and Spain supply virtually all the funding for it, and therefore never have to go to the semis. However, just check the voting and you'll see that not one of those four finished above the bottom 6. Time for us to pull the plug on the funding (which we as licence fee payers provide) at least for a year and do the same as Italy have already done - withdraw. A fun competition should not be a political football funded by those that are the targets of some kind of political point-scoring.

The Scooch song - a Steps style late 90s pop song - may not have been great but it was not the 22nd worst song, there was some real garbage. The French song, joint 22nd with Britain, was one of the better songs, had an Indie feel about it.

Time for the big 4 to withdraw - if the rest want an eastern Eurovish - let them have it, but they can pay for it.

Good point - and well made!!!

reformedcharacter said:

Good point - and well made!!!

Yes I agreed 100% too.

Yay!! Tommo and I in agreement once more. All is back to normal with the world!!

Well I didn't really want to be dragged into an England-Scotland war being a quarter Scottish myself. ;)

Quite right. It is clearly that part of you that is clearly an excellent judge and a diplomat!!

[Hon Vice President (R.I.P.)]

Enter one half of a saddo pair who love the thing!

Love it enough, in fact to have spent the middle Saturday of our honeymon watching the competition in our cosy wee love nest! 8-) ;)

The UK is on a hiding to nothing, we could enter the WSBBL male voice choir next year and still not be required to go through qualification.

The whole thing reles so much on the Beeb to facilitateit that we are exempt from religation.

That said, the whole bloody thing has become a farce and a tactical withdrawal is somewhat overdue.. >:(