Beau Peep Notice Board => Outpourings => Topic started by: Malc on May 28, 2008, 02:12:56 AM
Title: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Malc on May 28, 2008, 02:12:56 AM
I was unlucky enough to witness what surely must be (if there is indeed a god) the last Eurovision Song Contest ever broadcast in the UK.
It was shown on some Aussie channel whose remit is to cover ethnic minority and other content, and it was the most cringe-inducing spectacle. It sucked Eurotrash to new depths as each geographical area voted for itself (even the Scandinavians, for goodness sake).
Poor old Terry Wogan was driven to admit on TV that if they asked him to do the gig again, he would decline.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Mince on May 28, 2008, 06:35:22 AM
I didn't watch it, as usual, but was miffed that I had to go two weeks before the next episode of Doctor Who because of it.
They should abandon the farce and spend the television-licence money (that I refuse to pay) on something more intelligent.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: madjock on May 28, 2008, 08:30:09 AM
Oh you mean the "Lets vote for each other because if we don't they will invade us contest" !
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on May 28, 2008, 09:50:10 AM
Blimey, Malc - were you at gunpoint? We forced the two little people in this house to watch the last ten songs against their pleading (they'd never seen one before, and were prejudging it purely on the words "song contest"). They loved it! So did their mother and I. Funniest TV we'd all seen in ages was the unanimous verdict. The kids' only real (bitter) disappointment was that they'd missed the previous acts, and we wouldn't let them stay up to watch the voting process, and see who 'won' (Azerbaijan was my favourite).
Come on, Malc, you loved it too, admit it. It's flawed on so many counts that it's marvellous entertainment, and much better than those olden times when people took it seriously. I'm disappointed that Wogan's thinking of quitting, but I understand. Bet he'll be there next year though.
Jock, many a true word... Who cares about the voting process if it keeps the peace?
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: madjock on May 28, 2008, 09:57:43 AM
Yup, true Tarks, but I think the main reason our family watches it, is for the witty banter fron Sir Terry Wogan. Without him it would be even more dull and lifeless than it already is ;D
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on May 28, 2008, 10:26:38 AM
It's many things, Jock - but dull and lifeless...? ??? Come on!
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: madjock on May 28, 2008, 10:32:18 AM
I think its just predictable, I think thats what im getting at, thats all lol
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Tom on May 28, 2008, 11:05:33 AM
I think this should go back to the old days with the panel. And Katie Boyle.
I do like the show, and some of the songs are good, but when you get entries that are absolutely ludicrous receiving more points than the good songs something needs to be done about the scoring. But having said that, it's the way how the people within the countries have voted, and to change that wouldn't seem right.
Glad I don't work for the EBU!
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: madjock on May 28, 2008, 02:26:19 PM
I say, yes let them all sing, but then, hand it over to the USA and Australia to vote ;D
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Vulture on May 28, 2008, 03:14:21 PM
I say, yes let them all sing, but then, hand it over to the USA and Australia to vote ;D
The USA? You'd trust them with such a difficult task?
The USA would have dropped it years ago. Unlike Britain, they would not have let it descend into the utter drivel it has become.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: madjock on May 28, 2008, 06:10:48 PM
I think you missed out a word there Mince. The word "complete" goes between "the" and "utter" ;D
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Roger Kettle on May 28, 2008, 06:25:27 PM
I think the last time I watched the contest, the winner was a German girl with a guitar. I seem to remember it being quite a pleasant song and I suppose I'm going back 20 plus years. Anyone else recall it?
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Mince on May 28, 2008, 06:47:37 PM
I think the last time I watched the contest, the winner was a German girl with a guitar. I seem to remember it being quite a pleasant song and I suppose I'm going back 20 plus years. Anyone else recall it?
You were still watching it when you were 80?
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: madjock on May 28, 2008, 06:58:31 PM
1982 Germany | Nicole - Ein Bisschen Frieden - The only ever German winner! ;D
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: madjock on May 28, 2008, 06:58:59 PM
I googled it before Mince starts on me!
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on May 28, 2008, 07:03:50 PM
I say, yes let them all sing, but then, hand it over to the USA and Australia to vote ;D
The USA? You'd trust them with such a difficult task?
The USA would have dropped it years ago. Unlike Britain, they would not have let it descend into the utter drivel it has become.
Er...'scuse me? Is this the same USA that brought us Jerry Springer and Everybody Loves Raymond?
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on May 28, 2008, 07:15:51 PM
I remember a barefooted Sandie Shaw winning it for the UK in 1967, with Puppet On A String. Classic song!
Sadly, I don't think we had a telly in 1966, and I missed the magnificent Kenneth McKellar, singing A Man Without Love...which was apparently prophetic, since only two countries bothered to vote for him. Philistines!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzT4g9ahLvU
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: The Peepmaster on May 28, 2008, 07:44:10 PM
I'm going on holiday to The Philistines next month...
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Vulture on May 28, 2008, 09:04:33 PM
I say, yes let them all sing, but then, hand it over to the USA and Australia to vote ;D
The USA? You'd trust them with such a difficult task?
The USA would have dropped it years ago. Unlike Britain, they would not have let it descend into the utter drivel it has become.
Thanks, Tarquin. I rest my case!
Er...'scuse me? Is this the same USA that brought us Jerry Springer and Everybody Loves Raymond?
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Tom on May 28, 2008, 09:21:12 PM
So does anyone have their all-time favourite Eurovision song? One song out of all the thousands that have gone before? And not all are bad.
My favourite one is "Fra Mols Til Skagen", sung by Aud Wilken for Denmark in 1995. Sadly she didn't win.
Coming in a very close second (or joint third) is the UK's "Love Shine a Light" by Katrina and the Waves in 1997 (which we won with!), or France's Amina in 1991 with "Le Dernier Qui A Parl?", sadly, she didn't win either.
Get your thinking caps on, take a trip down memory lane, and see if we can remember your favourite...
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Roger Kettle on May 28, 2008, 09:57:52 PM
Oh, Lord. How about Abba? Whatever you think of them, they wrote probably the best pop songs of their generation.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Tom on May 28, 2008, 10:06:15 PM
Yes, Abba are the Eurovision's biggest success, I'd say.
And although not a song, Riverdance isn't doing too bad for itself either.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Vulture on May 29, 2008, 06:30:05 AM
Yes, Abba are the Eurovision's biggest success, I'd say.
And although not a song, Riverdance isn't doing too bad for itself either.
When I hear River-dunce, I can't help thinking of Mince in a dinghy on the Thames.
Does the dinghy have a slow puncture?
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Malc on May 29, 2008, 01:28:00 PM
Abba and Riverdance are the best things to come out of Eurovision, no doubt about it, and I use the term "come out of" advisedly as they weren't the massive hits they became later.
Cliff Richard, Sandie Shaw and didn't Lulu have a go too? She did quite well, Joint winner (along with about six other nations).
Volare is the most widely recorded Eurovision song, it came third, but I don't know the year. I heard about this on a TV documentary a few years ago.
Maybe we should post amazing Eurovision trivia (but it must be TRUE).
Go on then.....
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Malc on May 29, 2008, 01:38:48 PM
Here's three good 'uns.
Celine Dion kick-started her career with a Eurovision win in 1988. The French-Canadian performed Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi for Switzerland.
ABBA's first attempt at Eurovision was in 1973 with Ring Ring, which failed to win the Swedish national selection competition.
When 18-year-old Dana won the 1970 Contest for Ireland, she beat established singers Mary Hopkin (UK - placed second) and Julio Iglesias (Spain - placed joint fourth).
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Tom on May 29, 2008, 02:23:52 PM
Here's some more trivia for you:
Finland's entry in 1973, Marion Rung, came sixth with Tom Tom Tom. ;D I've only just found out about that one!
The first country to get "nil points" was Belgium, back in 1962. Fortunately, they were joined the same year by Spain, Austria and The Netherlands. 16 countries took part.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: madjock on May 29, 2008, 05:26:38 PM
Ireland hated Johhny Logan winning as it nearly bankrupted them hosting the event! :D
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: The Peepmaster on May 29, 2008, 05:38:27 PM
Ireland hated Johhny Logan winning as it nearly bankrupted them hosting the event! :D
And one of my favourite songs from the 60s came from Ireland, of course.
Joe Dolan didn't get ANY points in the Eurovision Song Contest, interestingly, mainly because he didn't enter.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Joan on May 30, 2008, 02:58:21 AM
Help, there's too much nostalgia on here at the moment! Now I'm back in 1964 walking down the street in Bowmore, Islay, singing "Do Wah Diddy Diddy".
Mince, I need your help - have tried all ways to embed youtube video, including copying code from other people's posts, but when I do it, it comes up with two sets of video and a whole lot of the code - will leave it to show you what's happening - could you please fix it and tell me what I'm doing wrong? Here's the link
Okay .... after my spending a lot of time trying to do that, the link seems to have embedded it once - can everyone else see it? I won't leave the "embedded" videos now - sure you don't want to see three lots of it, but would appreciate your advice on this, Mince.
I think I'm going nuts, or maybe it's that sip of butterscotch schnapps I had last night. ::)
PS The "roll eyes" smiley doesn't seem to be working.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: The Peepmaster on May 30, 2008, 08:32:57 AM
I reported the fact that the Roll-eyes smiley wasn't working a while back. It's a mystery. We only ever regularly used it on Mince (who's the guy that controls, and tinkers with the back side of this forum). It was an extremely useful icon in that respect. I can't imagine what's become of it. All the other smileys appear to be working normally...
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Malc on May 30, 2008, 09:17:34 AM
It's obvious that Mince has sabotaged the Roll Eyes smiley.
Still he's got his hands on the controls, so he can do what he likes.
He can disable the roll eyes smiley, write the feem toon, or even sing the feem toon.....
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: The Peepmaster on May 30, 2008, 10:12:07 AM
He doesn't control ALL the world's smilies though. (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/rolleyes008.gif)
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Vulture on May 30, 2008, 10:58:21 AM
I reported the fact that the Roll-eyes smiley wasn't working a while back. It's a mystery. We only ever regularly used it on Mince (who's the guy that controls, and tinkers with the back side of this forum). It was an extremely useful icon in that respect. I can't imagine what's become of it. All the other smileys appear to be working normally...
Do you mean he 'a*ses around' ?
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: Mince on May 30, 2008, 11:02:07 AM
I haven't touched the smileys.
If it ain't working, then I can only assume that in your attempts to mess with the smileys you have in your incompetence sabotaged the very thing you were trying to keep. And that's really funny.
Title: Re: Eurovision Song Contest
Post by: The Peepmaster on May 30, 2008, 12:03:57 PM