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  #1  
Old 05-22-2021, 03:40 PM
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Music Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Okay, so I know this is largely a US/UK board, so many of the people dither from "WTF is Eurovision?" to "Why would I watch it, they seem to hate us!", but you know what? I DON'T CARE. I am going to post this thread and be subjected to ridicule, if necessary.

The "why bother watching" question is bizarre to me, I always watch the finals, also when we aren't in them (so about half the time), though I will admit to being rather more vested when we are in the finals. Because the camp spirit, the costumes, the stage show, the festival feel of it all! It is the stress and intrigue of international politics and a few millennia of European drama and turf wars in a sing-and-dance-off! What's NOT to love?!?


I watched both semifinals this year, which I usually don't do, though as I said, I always watch the finals. Partly my semifinals love this year was due to us not having a contest last year, so being extra deprived, though the Netflix movie which was released right then was a fortuitous substitute clearly made by and with people who love the contest and really captured the spirit of it. I am fairly sure I will in future continue to watch the semis also.


ETA: Oh, I forgot to say, the final is on in just over 4 hours.
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Old 05-22-2021, 04:26 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

I did not know what to expect from that thread title. +1.
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Old 05-22-2021, 04:30 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

It is to weed out the people who haven't seen the EXCELLENT Eurovision movie.
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Old 05-22-2021, 04:50 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!


A recap of tonight's contestants. Half of them appear to have shopped in the same costume store, rather embarrassing.

Israel has a good song - again - but I can't help thinking the past few weeks of strife will influence people just too much.
Italy is a betting favourite, though I think it is not as fun as Finland's similar piece.
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Old 05-22-2021, 05:40 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

:weirdthread:
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Old 05-22-2021, 06:02 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Miisa View Post
It is to weed out the people who haven't seen the EXCELLENT Eurovision movie.
Task failed successfully.

Anyhoo, EuroVision is a popular niche among Americans who like to get their entertainment outside the standard radio pablum. And it really was Lordi that put it on the radar for a wider audience.
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Old 05-22-2021, 08:13 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Cyprus. Pretty catchy song, but honestly, most of the performance relies heavily on the stage production and THAT DRESS
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Old 05-22-2021, 08:14 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Though I think all performers are just hugely inspired by a live audience. Been so long
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Old 05-22-2021, 08:18 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Albana has been over for 30 seconds and I have forgotten it already
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Old 05-22-2021, 08:25 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Miisa View Post
It is to weed out the people who haven't seen the EXCELLENT Eurovision movie.
And who don't open every thread at :ff: in case.
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Old 05-22-2021, 10:38 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

You know what is even more awesome? Having the performances interpreted for the hearing impaired.

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  #12  
Old 05-23-2021, 10:31 AM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Putting these thoughts here to die before I forget all this until it is relevant again next year. Feel free to keep ignoring this, or if you have an interest, bear with my stream of thought.


I think the semifinals are the best thing to happen to Eurovision for ages, maybe ever, and I truly believe the "big 5" are gradually shooting themselves in the leg by insisting they get to bypass it. For a while I thought that other countries were somehow boycotting the automatic finalists because of resentment, but came to realize that more often than not, those songs simply shouldn't BE in the finals, they are just not good enough and wouldn't have made it past the semis in a fairer system. I remember back in the 90's there was some chatter in Finland that maybe we should just not send an entry to EV any more, as it was so embarrassing and soul-crushing to always be at the tail end with the points, often only getting the standard 2 pity-points from Sweden in what was then very political voting. Then something magical happened after the eastern block fell apart and there were like a million new countries to contend with. First they barred the worst-performing countries from entering the following year, something I fully understand the big 5 vetoing in their own cases. This also really did nothing to actually improve the quality of the songs the following year., it was purely to reduce the large numbers. Then at some point the idea of semi-finals came up. As it currently stands, about a third of the countries get weeded out before the finals. For Finland, this has meant on average being out about every other time, so a bit more than the average as we are admittedly usually a bit crap.

But, I have to say, it is sooooo much better to NOT being the finals at all than to be there with a 0 points-worthy song. You can get over your semi-final loss that happened a few days earlier and then on Saturday night really watch and enjoy it as a spectator, cheering for songs you actually come to like, without the stress of having a team you feel obligated to root for despite you knowing it is not very good.

Being in the finals year after year has given many of the big 5 an unrealistic view of what is actually going on. It was no accident that the four lowest-scoring songs/countries this year were automatic finalists (3 of the big 5 + the host country), while the remaining two of the big 5 actually made a very real effort and scored 1st and 2nd, as they had actually good songs. And having been in an country that repeatedly ended up in that lower-right-hand bracket much of my life, I know it stings and sours your whole experience when it happens year after year. I wouldn't want to watch either, and would try to throw the blame at something external, maybe political. For us the scapegoat was sometimes the language thing (remember when the songs had to be in a language native to that country? Well, the top three did that this year, so...), sometimes that we didn't have enough expats elsewhere, or that the other countries just favoured their neighbours in the votes. Weak excuses.

For the UK, no, it wasn't Brexit; people don't downvote, and honestly, most Europeans don't actually mull that much on Britain leaving the EU. It just complicates their lives a little with travel, ordering stuff online etc, but no, they aren't "punishing" anyone, any more than they were "punishing" Germany or Spain in the finals. Especially the jury votes are almost 100% focused on musical skill, and doing badly on BOTH jury and audience votes means the songs were just not that good. There is no co-ordination between the voting countries or the audiences, no-one is "owed" votes from anyone else, and while getting a few stray pity votes from neighbouring countries or ones where you have ex-pats might be comforting on the surface, those stray votes are ultimately not a testament to the quality of the song that has no place being in the finals at all, and to be in the left column you need, well, a good song that gets at least some points from the majority of countries and plenty from the audience.

----------

In a tangential note, last night for the first time ever I got to do what I had wanted to for years, used my VPN to watch the UK broadcast with Graham Norton commentating. Now, I love Graham Norton to bits, but after a while of listening to him I understand why Brits have gradually come to hate the ESC. His cynicism and scathing barbs, while fabulous and entertaining on his show, really sours the whole ESC experience, and focuses the feelings of bitterness towards other countries even more. Hell, I would not be shocked if ultimately he might be the reason y'all tipped over the edge and voted for Brexit. And I am absolutely convinced that it also has come to influence the attitudes when selecting songs in the UK selection process.
I had to shut the BBC broadcast off, it was just too upsetting.

---------

Also, let me just say that the way they release the votes at the end is absolutely brilliant, first the traditional slow burn with the gradual jury votes from each country and then giving the audience votes starting with the countries that got he lowest jury score, really keeps the suspense until the very end.


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  #13  
Old 05-23-2021, 11:18 AM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kamilah Hauptmann View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miisa View Post
It is to weed out the people who haven't seen the EXCELLENT Eurovision movie.
Task failed successfully.

Anyhoo, EuroVision is a popular niche among Americans who like to get their entertainment outside the standard radio pablum. And it really was Lordi that put it on the radar for a wider audience.
I have in fact today been watching a some Youtube semifinals reaction videos from earlier this year of Americans that are into it. Some of my new favourite people.
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Old 05-23-2021, 02:02 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crumb View Post
:weirdthread:
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  #15  
Old 05-23-2021, 02:40 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Is this Miisa's longest-ever :ff: post? :cheerful:

For a good long while anyway.
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  #16  
Old 05-23-2021, 02:44 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

I am passionate about this. No sports could ever excite me at all (though ice hockey world championships are ongoing, might look into that closer to the end though I don't understand much), and ESC is the absolute Superbowl of the non-sports campy musical theatrics crowd.


Also you mean individual post or thread started by me? Because if the latter, not even close.
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Old 05-23-2021, 02:46 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

But yes, the Big 5 concept needs to die.

Not featured in Miisa's analysis: the winner, Italy, was a hard rock song, a far cry from the chansons and pop songs of yesteryear, the Celine Dion and ABBA and Bucks Fizz stereotypes. And Finland placed 6th - their second-best ever - with a metal track. (And of course their earlier win was with Lordi's Hard Rock Hallelujah.)

Could this be a trend in ESC?
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Old 05-23-2021, 02:47 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Miisa View Post
Also you mean individual post or thread started by me? Because if the latter, not even close.
individual post. You have started threads of great moment.
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  #19  
Old 05-23-2021, 03:00 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeP View Post
But yes, the Big 5 concept needs to die.

Not featured in Miisa's analysis: the winner, Italy, was a hard rock song, a far cry from the chansons and pop songs of yesteryear, the Celine Dion and ABBA and Bucks Fizz stereotypes. And Finland placed 6th - their second-best ever - with a metal track. (And of course their earlier win was with Lordi's Hard Rock Hallelujah.)

Could this be a trend in ESC?
I think the big five do deserve some other recognition or reward, my issue with it is that is in not an actual benefit to them to be in the final automatically, as then the entries will all too often be well out of their league there and then audiences all too easily get bitter that they didn't do well. If a song cannot get through the semis it doesn't have a prayer in the final. It's like sending a random non-athlete couch potato to the Olympics because you have a free slot you can fill.

As for the metal/heavier rock trend, well, times and tastes change and the younger generations are voting more. Would the tracks you mentioned have been so widely accepted in the 70's, even amongst young people? And more importantly, would anyone who did like that kind of music been able to vote or did the older generation control the landline phones of the day?
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Old 05-23-2021, 05:00 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

I would also like to point out that Ja Ja Ding Dong could have placed better than four of the contestants.

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  #21  
Old 05-24-2021, 05:39 AM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

TUULETAR - Sofa Live #4 - Kalevala Rap Battle (improvised) - YouTube
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Old 05-26-2021, 12:11 AM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Bill Bailey offers to rescue the UK from Eurovision ‘nul points’ hell | Louder

Quote:
“I’d be happy to throw my hat in the ring for #Eurovision 2022,” Bailey tweeted to an overwhelmingly positive response.

We at Metal Hammer heartily endorse the ‘Bailey for Eurovision ’22’ campaign. A former Golden God winner, he’s a masterful musician, he’s got a quirky sense of humour, he has a heart of metal ... and it’s not like things can get any fucking worse for the UK, is it?
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  #23  
Old 05-26-2021, 11:46 AM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

I originally thought I'd heard he was tipped to replace Graham Norton, but in fact it looks like he's offering to do the singing.

Both options would be excellent and need to be pursued much more seriously.
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Old 05-12-2022, 03:03 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Fully expecting to be talking to myself on here, but I am resurrecting this as the second semifinal is tonight and the finals are on Saturday, wohoo!

Okay, so Ukraine will almost certainly win this year. Not only is it a pretty decent performance (as usual - they ALWAYS make the finals, though not as epic as their Dr Seussian performance last year), they also have all the sympathy votes this time around. So I am mostly watching to see who makes the top 5.
And that Finland makes it to the finals after tonight, which counts as a win in my book. If it doesn't make the cut I will boycott. For, like, a day.
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  #25  
Old 05-12-2022, 05:43 PM
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Default Re: Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Miisa View Post
Fully expecting to be talking to myself on here
Not at all!

... What are we talking about?
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