Eurovision Song Contest 2012

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  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    According to The Telegraph, British viewers flooded websites and social networking sites with calls for the BBC to quit the contest. They included Philip Schofield who tweeted, "It's time to pull out. Not even Robbie [Williams] could win it for us, it's too political." A BBC spokesman said political voting did not choose the winner but did affect the "mid-table positions".

    The FULL article.
    Eurovision 2012: BBC facing calls to withdraw
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/eurovision/9293527/Eurovision-2012-BBC-facing-calls-to-withdraw.html
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,467MI6 Agent
    On the other hand, you have to admit that a lot of British folk are rallying around it and getting a kick out of it, esp those left cold by the upcoming Euro 2012, so not a complete waste of taxpayers' money.
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  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    Yes, it's political and yes, many countries voting formtheir neighbours.

    But the fact, that Sweden won by far this year shows, that politics is not everything and let me remind Lena's victory 2 years ago.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

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  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    The UK need to hire William Shatner, to stand any chance. :))

    sorry but this is utter drivel.

    hire leonard nimoy with his rendition of 'bilbo baggins' and you might have a point though
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  • Lady RoseLady Rose London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
    On the other hand, you have to admit that a lot of British folk are rallying around it and getting a kick out of it, esp those left cold by the upcoming Euro 2012, so not a complete waste of taxpayers' money.

    I' m in this bracket. No interest in football whatsoever so Eurovision is sort of my TV event of the year ( along with X Factor and BGT ;% ) ......

    We got what we deserved really. It was an OK song but there was nothing memorable about it and nothing stimulating visually so it was all easily forgotten.

    I don't think the political voting is as bad as suggested. In the past few years Norway, Germany and now Sweden have won and Italy and Sweden have come twice in recent years. It's just us, The British. We are not liked in Europe and not making an effort doesn't help.

    On past occasions when we make an effort with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Blue we actually didn't do too badly.

    Time to enlist Gary Barlow .....

    Actually heard a few people suggest Steps should do Eurovision for us .... I don't think that's a bad idea as it goes ....
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    Lady Rose wrote:
    Actually heard a few people suggest Steps should do Eurovision for us .... I don't think that's a bad idea as it goes ....

    with eurovision usually culminating in the rapid decline and/or eventual demise of any brit artist taking part, i'd love to see this happen.

    on a serious note, i honestly think the 'professionals' like barlow etc would see eurotrash, sorry, vision as too much of a gamble. the likes of the hump, steps and blue could see it as a last ditch attempt to regain some kind of credibility with little to loose, whereas robbie williams and gary barlow could see it as a blot on the front page of their somewhat perfect record.

    i think a eurovision entry has to be funny, memorable, daft and not take itself too seriously, which is why the hump did so crap, and jedward in comparison whipped our oh so serious behind.
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  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    Lady Rose wrote:
    I don't think the political voting is as bad as suggested. In the past few years Norway, Germany and now Sweden have won and Italy and Sweden have come twice in recent years. It's just us, The British. We are not liked in Europe and not making an effort doesn't help.

    On past occasions when we make an effort with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Blue we actually didn't do too badly.

    Time to enlist Gary Barlow .....

    Actually heard a few people suggest Steps should do Eurovision for us .... I don't think that's a bad idea as it goes ....

    I agree regards the political voting and our lack of effort. We should either fully participate and give it our best shot or not participate at all. If we treat Eurovision more seriously than we are likely to be treated more seriously in return.

    As for Gary Barlow. Heard him being interviewed the other morning on Radio Five Live and he was asked about participating in Eurovision. His answer was an emphatic no.

    And my answer to Steps is also an emphatic no. :D
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    Here's my favourite song from this years contest, a jolly little number from Gaitana representing Ukraine. Came in a lowly fifteenth position with 65 points.

    Eurovision 2012 - Ukraine: Gaitana - Be My Guest (Final)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNrGbcoHKqo
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,754Chief of Staff
    Lady Rose wrote:
    Time to enlist Gary Barlow .....

    It wouldn't matter whom we got in....the UK has zero chance of winning Eurovision anytime soon....get Sir Paul McCartney or the The Rolling Stones....it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference....

    Any act that represents the UK must know they will get a humiliating points total...the only reason we can get anybody to do this show is that it's seen be a HUGE worldwide audience....

    i thought this years Eurovision was one of the best ever...with 8-12 really decent songs in it :))

    Nice to see Germany going to the UK for their song - written by Jaime Cullum :p

    I'm with More Than too....my fav song was the song from Ukraine -{
    YNWA 97
  • Moonraker 5Moonraker 5 Ayrshire, ScotlandPosts: 1,821MI6 Agent
    edited May 2012
    I don't think the political voting is no where near as bad as it was when it was an all-telephone vote - and even at that, was it political, or was it just voting for the familiar? Because we in the UK hurl big stones from our glass house. "...and 12 points from the United Kingdom go to......IRELAND!" Every. Year. 8-)

    The Hump has a great voice and sounded fantastic live, but was hamstrung by a forgettable ballad and the unfortunate honour of opening the show (peak viewing figures kick in around the 6th or 7th performer, apparently)

    We moan that no one likes us, but we're hosting the biggest show on earth this year (which Scott Mills cringely reminded everyone...). Yet Germany managed a respectable position despite being deeply loathed in southern Europe with the current financial situation and, as has been pointed out, was written by Jamie Cullum, Wayne Hector (over 30 no.1s) and Steve Robson (Olly Murs, Leona Lewis, Westlife, Paloma Faith and One Direction in his hit sheet, among others)! Why couldn't they pen one for the UK?

    Lloyd Webber proved it can be done with proper effort. It's not hard, just write a song that people want to buy. Loreen is on course to be the first Eurovision winner to hit no.1 in the UK since 1982... The blame lies, in my honest opinion, squarely with the BBC and it's selection criteria.

    There was quite a few decent songs this year though! Italy was my personal favourite, but our party rang 12 points in for "my performance" for Moldova. (I don't even have a goatee... 8-) )
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  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    edited May 2012
    I disagree with the cruise ship judgement for Engelbert.
    If you wanted to have cruise ship music and overacting at best, Lithuania was your thing ;)

    Blue last year was a brilliant choice for the contest and I am sorry, but hearing Engelberts song again, I have to defend him to a degree like I take side for Sir Roger :D . I love the song!

    Re. Moldova: WTF :D
    Re. Azerbaidjan: I was really scared, that these lips would explode during the show 8-)
    Jedward was hilarious - like last year. German TV dubbed their 2012 performance with their 2011 song. Mostly everything matched!

    Did someone recognize the sensible but straight political statement from the german jury?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZPSAtB6YIY

    Anke is normally a comedian but she hosted last year's show very well and she's a great ambassador for the jury.

    Best of Anke and Stefan Raab:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5baPIXgW7-k
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN48Qyp87E4&feature=related

    watch from 2:26: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldjlQxCw2GY
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,754Chief of Staff
    I don't think the political voting is no where near as bad as it was when it was an all-telephone vote - and even at that, was it political, or was it just voting for the familiar? Because we in the UK hurl big stones from our glass house. "...and 12 points from the United Kingdom go to......IRELAND!" Every. Year. 8-)

    When did we last give Ireland 12 points ? I'm trying to remember how many we gave them this year....was it 10 ? And I think that it had more to do with Jedward than Ireland....we are very close (geographically) to France....we don't seem to give them many points - and they had a great song this year, IMO...

    The political voting was still there though - after Sweden had got the 12 points...you had a very good idea where the other 'big' scores were going to go...

    Lloyd Webber didn't win though - was it 5th or 6th ? I would defend the BBC (slightly) here though...it must be quite difficult to get anybody of real note to attach their name to the UK entry at Eurovision....they know they are on to a hiding to nothing and it may not 'do' anything for their careers....

    The latest betting has the UK at odds-on NOT to win the Eurovision for the next 8 years....even at odds-on....that's buying money :)) :#
    YNWA 97
  • Moonraker 5Moonraker 5 Ayrshire, ScotlandPosts: 1,821MI6 Agent
    edited May 2012
    Sir Miles wrote:
    When did we last give Ireland 12 points ? I'm trying to remember how many we gave them this year....was it 10 ? And I think that it had more to do with Jedward than Ireland....we are very close (geographically) to France....we don't seem to give them many points - and they had a great song this year, IMO...

    That's supporting my point. It's not political in the literal meaning of the word, and it's not necessarily neighbourly, it's the familiar. You don't have to do an in-depth Google search to see that Ireland consistently benefits from big point scores from the UK (don't split hairs that we didn't give them 12 this year, guaranteed it's generally in the 8, 10, 12 category). The UK similarly tends to benefit the most from Ireland's votes.

    Why? Because a) we 'share' Northern Ireland and b) we share the same acts and celebrities. There's a diaspora that spills over the land border that vote for their own side, and that's exactly the same as Scandinavia, Cyprus and Greece, the Balkans and the Baltics. We don't give guaranteed huge points to France because, well, we don't have a huge French ex-pat community and we don't know who's big in France at the moment because they're not constantly in the British media.
    Sir Miles wrote:
    Lloyd Webber didn't win though - was it 5th or 6th ? I would defend the BBC (slightly) here though...it must be quite difficult to get anybody of real note to attach their name to the UK entry at Eurovision....they know they are on to a hiding to nothing and it may not 'do' anything for their careers....
    No, Lloyd Webber didn't win, but he dragged the UK out of the bottom 5th where it had languished for years and put in a very respectable showing. He showed that we can pull big points and rise above the neighbourly voting (that will always be there) when we put in a bit of effort. (How can the BBC fail to get Jamie Cullum and two major British song writers, but the Germans can get them onboard? Since many European countries X-Factor/Pop Idol winners automatically go to Eurovision, why can't The Voice winner for example?)

    Even if we were putting in a bit more effort and not languishing in the bottom 3 and getting into the top 5 or 6 is good going. The whining that comes out of the UK about not winning sounds more like arrogance than anything else, especially given the nations that stick in there year after year and have never won. I'd say it was about the taking part and not getting completely humiliated constantly, rather than expecting to win every year just because we're Britain and we're a major player in the world's charts.

    Italy withdrew in 97 because they never won, only to come back in 2011 and come second. Perhaps a break is needed just to refresh our attitude to it - either enjoy it for what it is or work harder.
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  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    It's a waste of time and money IMO.

    I mean honestly, what is Eurovision for?
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  • Lady RoseLady Rose London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
    No, Lloyd Webber didn't win, but he dragged the UK out of the bottom 5th where it had languished for years and put in a very respectable showing. He showed that we can pull big points and rise above the neighbourly voting (that will always be there) when we put in a bit of effort.

    Exactly! And the point of the UK voting for Jedward and not Ireland also proves the point that we need to up the game quite considerably. When listening to the commentary you nearly always hear the words 'He's a big star in Russia' or ' massive hit across Eastern Europe' ... They send their big stars or at least well known stars to represent them, which also proves they take it seriously. Apart from Andrew Lloyd Weber and Blue ( who both performed respectfully ) we have not sent anyone of any note and sometimes bordering on insulting - remember Peter Watermans cringeworthy effort sung by the bloke who's name I have no idea of ?????


    The UK vote for Jedward because they are well know and popular, nothing to do with being Irish.

    I' m not bothered about winning necessarily just to have a respectable showing in the tables. If we are going to invest so much money in it then why don't we invest in some proper talent too ??
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,754Chief of Staff
    Sir Miles wrote:
    When did we last give Ireland 12 points ? I'm trying to remember how many we gave them this year....was it 10 ? And I think that it had more to do with Jedward than Ireland....we are very close (geographically) to France....we don't seem to give them many points - and they had a great song this year, IMO...

    That's supporting my point. It's not political in the literal meaning of the word, and it's not necessarily neighbourly, it's the familiar. You don't have to do an in-depth Google search to see that Ireland consistently benefits from big point scores from the UK (don't split hairs that we didn't give them 12 this year, guaranteed it's generally in the 8, 10, 12 category). The UK similarly tends to benefit the most from Ireland's votes.

    Why? Because a) we 'share' Northern Ireland and b) we share the same acts and celebrities. There's a diaspora that spills over the land border that vote for their own side, and that's exactly the same as Scandinavia, Cyprus and Greece, the Balkans and the Baltics. We don't give guaranteed huge points to France because, well, we don't have a huge French ex-pat community and we don't know who's big in France at the moment because they're not constantly in the British media.

    Yes...we do give Ireland a fair number of points...but when you take in all that you have said - the familiar aspect, then why do they only give us low marks - I reckon about the 4-6 points mark...?...so that doesn't appear to ring true :s

    As for putting more effort in....I'm not sure how...?...Lloyd Webber has had a go (probably as pay back for the BBC puting his shows on at peak time Saturday viewing :)) although he didn't bring a 'name' singer with him )....Blue had a go....and good old Englebert was chosen BECAUSE of his big fan base in the Balkan countries and across parts of Europe...and hadn't the songwriters wrote other hit songs ? And they all failed to various degrees...As I said, I can't see any credible artist representing the UK...

    And as for the other countries sending their big stars..?..have you ever heard of them before ? 99.9% you will probably never hear of again either...their 'big stars' have nothing to lose and everything to gain (600m+ audience)...so they don't care if they bomb or not...

    Your points just don't stack up :s


    I don't care if the UK come last every year, I'll still enjoy Eurovision -{ -{
    YNWA 97
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    Anyone want to hazard a guess as to the point of Eurovision?

    Before anyone gets whiny and pissy, I'm not asking this in the style of a petulant child tugging at Mum's cardy, I'm genuinely curious to what purpose the contest has.

    Is it meant to be;

    A) a political arse tickling contest, vote for your neighbours style

    B ) a showcase of true musicial talent from across Europe?

    C) a bit of a laugh, not to be taken seriously?

    D) something to watch cos there's nothing else on?


    It appears to me the more quirky acts get more votes, so why don't we drop the serious tone next time and get some nutcase reject from the x factor to have a go?
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  • Moonraker 5Moonraker 5 Ayrshire, ScotlandPosts: 1,821MI6 Agent
    edited May 2012
    Sir Miles wrote:
    Yes...we do give Ireland a fair number of points...but when you take in all that you have said - the familiar aspect, then why do they only give us low marks - I reckon about the 4-6 points mark...?...so that doesn't appear to ring true :s
    Again, click on the link above, we're the biggest recipient of Ireland's points, that's undisputed as it's laid in statistics (boosted since the introduction of tele-voting as the juries were more fair, but when we put in REAL crap like that duo in 2003 we get what we deserve).

    No, we've never heard of eastern Europe's big stars, and never will again after Eurovision, but they ARE familiar in their own zones of influence. They ride high in the charts of neighbouring countries, maybe not the UK, but then it's the neighbouring countries points that count. You're right in that they have nothing to lose. Ours won't enter because it might harm their career (but then how can you say my points don't add up when we don't send our biggest stars and therefore it's unproven? 8-) ), Blue didn't end up in the bottom trough of the board, didn't win, but didn't embarrass themselves.

    And Engelbert was as you say, chosen for his apparent fame in Eastern Europe. In what decade, though, exactly? What's the demographic that watch it these days? Engelbert may well be huge among the octogenarians as he is here, but not going to pull much from the folk that voted for Euphoria.

    It's our problem if we won't put in credible artists. But we can't put in dross and then complain of never winning.

    Wonder if there's an argument in France to pull out, since they compete every year and haven't won since 1977...
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  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,754Chief of Staff
    Again, click on the link above, we're the biggest recipient of Ireland's points, that's undisputed as it's laid in statistics (boosted since the introduction of tele-voting as the juries were more fair, but when we put in REAL crap like that duo in 2003 we get what we deserve).

    I don't need to click the link...I watch Eurovision and have seen that Ireland regularly give the UK points (average 4-6 points I think)....of course Ireland give the UK more points than the other nations....if you only get single figure totals then it's obvious a score of 6 is more than half...even Malta don't vote for us anymore...

    We have sent big stars before...and won...Lulu, Cliff, etc. and we have sent unheard of acts and won...Brotherhood Of Man, Bucks Fizz, etc.

    As for Blue....didn't Jedward beat them ? And that's not embarrassing ? 8-) :))

    BTW, I'm not complaining that we don't win...I have no idea where you got that idea from at all :s
    YNWA 97
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    It just me or does the hump look like an older Jonathan 'sachsgate' Ross?

    humper9897_1.sflb.ashx&width=580&height=350&quality=85&mode=crop

    "We wheely lav yurwovwision"

    Jonathan-Ross-007.jpg

    "Can't believe only beat Norway"
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
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