Eurovision song contest...what do you do to avoid it?

[anme]

I don't see the need to consider the départements sur la mer of France.

They were only under discussion because someone claimed Australia was only a few hundred miles from Europe. Do French overseas departments (or whatever) count as France, and Europe? Does anyone consider the Falkland Islands to be part of Europe? Are they part of the UK (answer: no)? What about Hong Kong until 1997? Or India until 1947? All good questions that we should probably not debate here.

Anyone who wants in should be able to join with the caveat that the competition should always be hosted in Europe.

I would limit the entrants to member broadcasters of the EBU, plus at most a small number of invited guests. This is not because I want to deny the good people of Chile and Botswana the chance to compete, but simply on practical grounds that the damn thing is long enough already.

If Australians want to get up at 5am that's their choice.

Australians are well educated people and I believe they are capable of programming a VCR.

 

[SS4]

They were only under discussion because someone claimed Australia was only a few hundred miles from Europe. Do French overseas departments (or whatever) count as France, and Europe? Does anyone consider the Falkland Islands to be part of Europe? Are they part of the UK (answer: no)? What about Hong Kong until 1997? Or India until 1947? All good questions that we should probably not debate here.

Agreed

I would limit the entrants to member broadcasters of the EBU, plus at most a small number of invited guests. This is not because I want to deny the good people of Chile and Botswana the chance to compete, but simply on practical grounds that the damn thing is long enough already.

I'm not that bothered about the entrants as there can always be more preliminary rounds if need be.

Australians are well educated people and I believe they are capable of programming a VCR.

As long as they don't succumb to the Y2K bug . I consider ESC to be more like a sporting event than a regular "talent" show - the distinction being that it just doesn't feel the same watching it recorded as watching it live but whatever floats your boat.

As for the competition itself I must admit I preferred some of the performers to Justin Timberlake

 

[radamfi]

They were only under discussion because someone claimed Australia was only a few hundred miles from Europe. Do French overseas departments (or whatever) count as France, and Europe? Does anyone consider the Falkland Islands to be part of Europe? Are they part of the UK (answer: no)? What about Hong Kong until 1997? Or India until 1947? All good questions that we should probably not debate here.

French overseas departments are part of France but not Europe as Europe is a physical rather than a political construct. By contrast, even Jersey and Guernsey are not part of the UK.

I would limit the entrants to member broadcasters of the EBU, plus at most a small number of invited guests. This is not because I want to deny the good people of Chile and Botswana the chance to compete, but simply on practical grounds that the damn thing is long enough already

You could have more semi-finals or even quarter-finals as well with fewer countries in the final.

Australians are well educated people and I believe they are capable of programming a VCR.

Even if Australians don't record it or watch it on catch-up, it is repeated on the Sunday evening.

 

[furnessvale]

Hardly convincing us that your opinions are based in much reality then.

Who is the US?

If you mean you I have no desire or intention of convincing you of anything.

As you are intent on personalising this I will leave it before the mods come in.

 

[anme]

You could have more semi-finals or even quarter-finals as well with fewer countries in the final.

Sure, you could, but would anyone really want this? Is there really an audience for more semi- and even quarter-finals? Would it be worth entering a song if the chances of reaching the final were even lower?

I quite enjoy the Eurovision song contest myself, but I don't watch the semi-finals, and the prospect of it becoming a month-long world cup style marathon is not something I wish to contemplate.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Even now there still isn't a question mark in the thread title, but a full stop!

As this thread concerns songs and you seem to be the very person to ask a question of, as your attention to punctuation correctness is par excellance. My question concerns grammatical correctness as having heard a song played, one phrase seems grammatically incorrect, but it may well be a tense that I am unfamiliar with.

The song appears to be "Big Fun" that was recorded and released on 21st September 1988 by a group called Inner City. One line of the song states...."We're having Big Fun" and someone has told me that Big Fun was one of drugs used for recreational use in those days.

 

[Liam]

But to stay on topic, let's not stray too far from the fact that there seems to be no logical reason why Australia should not have been invited to take part in the Eurovision song contest.

Why is Israel in it? It's debatable whether Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia are in Europe, but Israel ceratainly isn't. Even Cyprus is politically European but geographically, it's Asian. Morocco were also in Eurovision once.

On the France thing, they recently played a 'home' Davis Cup tennis match on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

 

[miami]

They were only under discussion because someone claimed Australia was only a few hundred miles from Europe. Do French overseas departments (or whatever) count as France, and Europe?

They vote for MEPs.

Does anyone consider the Falkland Islands to be part of Europe? Are they part of the UK (answer: no)? What about Hong Kong until 1997? Or India until 1947? All good questions that we should probably not debate here.

Not really good questions, the answer is clearly no. However French overseas departments are in France, and in the EU, and elect members of the european parliament.

I would limit the entrants to member broadcasters of the EBU, plus at most a small number of invited guests. This is not because I want to deny the good people of Chile and Botswana the chance to compete, but simply on practical grounds that the damn thing is long enough already.

Yes, technicalities aside, eurovision should be broadcasting organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area, as defined by the International Telecommunication Union, or are members of the Council of Europe.



However the key remains it needs to be a good show, at least between the songs.

https://youtu.be/no1v1-2HZ6g?t=2h36m30s

Love love peace peace
[Måns]: Old women baking bread
Peace peace love love
[Petra]: And a man in a hamster wheel
Love peace peace love
Make it unforgettable
You will be the best
And win the Eurovision Song Contest

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I have never, ever, watched Eurovision. I prefer to do more productive things with my time.

For those that don't know what it's about:

It's an annual celebration of our culture, and the highlight of the year...
The impact of the show one can not overstate, No matter where you go, it's a source of debate. But it's something you either love or hate! That's Eurovision

(https://youtu.be/F-or2LKrAHM?t=7m00s)

 

[the sniper]

Why is Israel in it? It's debatable whether Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia are in Europe, but Israel ceratainly isn't. Even Cyprus is politically European but geographically, it's Asian. Morocco were also in Eurovision once.

The truth is out there... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Broadcasting_Area :roll:

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Originally Posted by Peter Mugridge
I have never, ever, watched Eurovision. I prefer to do more productive things with my time.

For those that don't know what it's about:

I know what it is about, but I have absolutely no interest at all in watching pop songs of any kind whatsoever at any time or any place.

Hence why I have never watched it.

For the record, I have never watched Top of the Pops either. Or anything similar...

 

[radamfi]

I wonder whether residents of French overseas departments can vote in the contest? They have French TV and can dial European France without using the +33 code, but if you dial them from outside France you have to use a different country code than +33. I don't think you can, however, dial France from New Caledonia without using the +33 code as New Caledonia is more autonomous.

 

[Requeststop]

The truth is out there... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Broadcasting_Area :roll:

Well done sniper. The EBU has 71/72/73 Members depending on which site you look at from 56 Countries and 33 associate members from 21 countries from Australia to the USA via, Brazil, Cuba, South Korea, Oman and many others.

In the old days before 1989, there was the East European version of the EBU called Intervision, and they had their own song contest held in Sopot in Poland every year. They invited all "fraternal" nations to send a song. Voting was done by viewers switching on their lights in their room if they liked a song and some fool "supposedly" went around all the streets counting the lights. "SNORK"

 

[Harbornite]

Regarding overseas Territories, the French have overseas departments and collectivities, the difference being whether or not they territories are self-governing. The departments are considered to be extensions of Metropolitan France (a bit like Algeria used to be) and are represented in Europe (as mentioned above)

 

[Liam]

The truth is out there... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Broadcasting_Area :roll:

I eagerly await the Saudi entry in the coming years.

 

[Bevan Price]

Eurovision song contest was on TV in background whilst I was using the computer. Average quality of songs seemed marginally better than in some previous years, but there hasn't been a really memorable Eurovision song since 1974. No - I wouldn't spend my money to buy any of this year's songs. Might be different if it had been European Rock Band Contest.

 

[miami]

I eagerly await the Saudi entry in the coming years.

Think Bucks Fizz, with Burkhas

 

[LowLevel]

I must admit reading this thread has shattered many of my mental pictures regarding my well regarded fellow contributors. There was I, imagining Paul and his good lady wife wearing some pleasingly camp outfits, having a bit of a boogie around the car park of their local Waitrose while stocking up on supplies for this annual aural and visual feast.

Imagine my shock to read that he hates it!

My tongue is of course firmly in cheek and I have to admit I loathe Eurovision as much as anyone. I did some reading and tried not to pay too much attention to Facebook.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I must admit reading this thread has shattered many of my mental pictures regarding my well regarded fellow contributors. There was I, imagining Paul and his good lady wife wearing some pleasingly camp outfits, having a bit of a boogie around the car park of their local Waitrose while stocking up on supplies for this annual aural and visual feast.

Imagine my shock to read that he hates it!

My tongue is of course firmly in cheek and I have to admit I loathe Eurovision as much as anyone. I did some reading and tried not to pay too much attention to Facebook.

Since our nearest Waitrose is situated in Wilmslow, some miles removed from our tranquil rural area and the car park there is always busy, that would be the last place that my good lady wife and I would deign to make such a visit "for a bit of a bogle" and heaven forbid that we were ever to garb ourselves as you describe...
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Think Bucks Fizz, with Burkhas

If one ever wanted a catchy name for the Nepalese entry, garbed as you describe above, they could appear under the name of "Gurkhas in Burkhas"

 

[SteveP29]

To avoid it, I watched Back To The Future for the 374th time, then Total Recall (Schwarzenegger version) for the 300th time.
Both infinitely better and more educational

 

[Harbornite]

Since our nearest Waitrose is situated in Wilmslow, some miles removed from our tranquil rural area and the car park there is always busy, that would be the last place that my good lady wife and I would deign to make such a visit "for a bit of a bogle" and heaven forbid that we were ever to garb ourselves as you describe...
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If one ever wanted a catchy name for the Nepalese entry, garbed as you describe above, they could appear under the name of "Gurkhas in Burkhas"

Where do you go shopping. Paul? I suspect that you frequent Marks and Spencer.

 

[Calthrop]

I don't own a television

I know what it is about, but I have absolutely no interest at all in watching pop songs of any kind whatsoever at any time or any place.

Hence why I have never watched it.

For the record, I have never watched Top of the Pops either. Or anything similar...

I fall in this camp. I think the last time I watched this idiot programme, was in 1970.

World's telly- and pop music-haters, unite !

 

[St Rollox]

Lulu was the one and only Scot to win it in 1969

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Where do you go shopping. Paul? I suspect that you frequent Marks and Spencer.

Oh dear, has our "Sparks" card betrayed our shopping preferences at the M & S Store at Handforth Dean....the one with the very nice delicatessen counter.
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Lulu was the one and only Scot to win it in 1969

There was someone else from Scotland representing Great Britain many years ago in 1966 with what I took to be wearing a short skirt, but it turned out to be Kenneth McKellar in a kilt....

 

[Harbornite]

Oh dear, has our "Sparks" card betrayed our shopping preferences at the M & S Store at Handforth Dean....the one with the very nice delicatessen counter.

That doesn't surprise me. Here in Harborne, we do quite well for shops as we've got a Waitrose and an M and S foodhall. We also have an Iceland but we only frequent there during the evening becasue we need to keep up appearances.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

That doesn't surprise me. Here in Harborne, we do quite well for shops as we've got a Waitrose and an M and S foodhall. We also have an Iceland but we only frequent there during the evening becasue we need to keep up appearances.

Hmmm. Iceland Harborne 702. Opening times 8am-7pm Mon-Sat. Methinks someone is stretching the definition of 'evening' a little, unless your trips are quick rushes to find any reduced-to-clear stuff just before closing time

 

[Class172]

That doesn't surprise me. Here in Harborne, we do quite well for shops as we've got a Waitrose and an M and S foodhall. We also have an Iceland but we only frequent there during the evening becasue we need to keep up appearances.

Indeed, those are only a 15 min walk from where I am. Venturing slightly further out will take one to Morrisons, Aldi and Sainsbury's: plenty of choice, though I admit I have never set foot in an Iceland in my life.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Indeed, those are only a 15 min walk from where I am. Venturing slightly further out will take one to Morrisons, Aldi and Sainsbury's: plenty of choice, though I admit I have never set food in an Iceland in my life.

The only food item that my good lady wife sets is that food dish that is served in aspic, as described in her 1902 issue of Mrs. Beeton's Cookbook.

 

[Class172]

The only food item that my good lady wife sets is that food dish that is served in aspic, as described in her 1902 issue of Mrs. Beeton's Cookbook.

Indeed, a nice fruit jelly is also very enjoyable when it sets as required.

Well noted Paul!

 

[Crossover]

I watched the scoring, I always do, you all now have permission to shoot me.

However, as tedious as that was in previous years where you could pretty much predict where the 12 points would go from each country, it wasn't as much the case last night. As well as that, the public vote made it completely unpredictable until the end.

In the previous guise without the public vote, you would have known Australia were going to win after a quarter of the votes.

I did think the new method of presenting the votes was an improvement and much less predictable than one may have expected. The representatives of each country only giving the 12 points also speeded things up, though the presenter in the studio had a slightly awkward feeling about how she was asking for the 12 points. Oh yes, I also believe the visual representation showed the 12 points for one country before it was actually announced too!

 

[Harbornite]

Hmmm. Iceland Harborne 702. Opening times 8am-7pm Mon-Sat. Methinks someone is stretching the definition of 'evening' a little, unless your trips are quick rushes to find any reduced-to-clear stuff just before closing time

Lol, when does evening begin then? In all honesty, Iceland isn't bad for some things but we usually go to Waitrose, with occasional visits to Sainsbury's, Marks or Co-op. We used to go to Asda in Oldbury and the Morrison's in Five Ways, but not any more.
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Indeed, those are only a 15 min walk from where I am. Venturing slightly further out will take one to Morrisons, Aldi and Sainsbury's: plenty of choice, though I admit I have never set foot in an Iceland in my life.

Whereabouts are you based? I take it that either University or Five Ways are your nearest stations?