Anyone else catch The Eurovision Song Contest?

Some classic entries, from what I could see - I missed the first 12, sadly, but the Israeli entry was pretty damn funny, and Romania was very much in the spirit of Eurovision. Bless 'em. Our entry sucked like the proverbial convention of whores, and I'm glad we didn't get any votes. We didn't deserve any votes. But it was also a great relief when Latvia finally got some. Phew. I was quite happy with Turkey winning, although I was kind of hoping for Belgium. Still, not to worry. Wish I'd seen German and Austria in full, though, because their entries looked hilarious.

Um. Sure, I guess, although I wasn't thinking much beyond the geekiness of us when I said it.

Oh, I wasn't going to analyse it in a serious, academic way or anything. But it would make a great, light-hearted epigraph.

Anyone else catch The Eurovision Song Contest?

We saw teensy little bits, Fay, it was about all I could stomach. Saw the end of the Austrian entry, and then a run through the last six or so, including that Luke-Skywalker-lookalike fey Norwegian chap with the designer mussed-up hairdo. Missed Turkey.

Tell me, is Terry Wogan still hosting in Britain? Only Terry could inject the right note of friendly cynicism that made the whole thing bearable. The German commentary was a triumph of platitudes and pointing out the obvious.

I'm a bit sad that I was so tired and had to go to bed that I missed "Royaume Uni - null pointes", though.

[Edited because my French spelling has deteriorated. I shamefully confess that I still don't know if it's right.]

Terry was indeed hosting. I watched it with my mum and dad, in a rare and random act of communal telly viewing. We laughed like drains. Terry was particularly endearing, chipping in when the hosts screwed up with cheery remarks like "No problem. You're sacked" and heckling the judges who rambled on for a bit before cutting to the point giving. And, naturally, commenting upon the, ah, original outfits and tunes on display. Heh.

Wow, I completely forgot the Eurovision was last night. I didn't even hear the Isreali song once.

Also, welcome, Emlah! May I ask from which part of the UnAmerican world you are?

[Edit: x-post with Fay. t waves When are you leaving for the USA?]

Heading to the States on Wednesday. Yay!!!!

Israel's entry was highly amusing - it was the first one I saw when I happened across the show. You guys had a cheesy male singer with five backing singer/dancer types. The girls were dressed in tiny pleated schoolgirlish skirts and white schoolgirlish shirts with ties. At a suitably dramatic moment they all ripped their tops off, to reveal little black corsety type tops (still retaining the collar and cuffs, iirc, and the skirts) with the word for 'love' inscribed on each girl's top ina different language. A little later, as I was still getting over the giggles, they all simultaneously grabbed their little corsety tops and pulled them down in such a way as to alter what was inscribed upon them - there was some kind of secret panel affair, so that each girl suddenly had a single letter on her bosom. The spelled out L O V E U. You could quite possibly hear my laughter all the way to Israel.

The UK entry, meanwhile, was the only one to get Nil Points, and everyone in my household wholeheartedly agreed that this was deserved. It was a truly wretched entry in every conceivable way. Lousy song, Lousy execution of song, Lousy sub-Steps group. breathtakingly lousy costumes which seemed to be the bastard offspring of Gina G's "Ooh Ah Just a Little Bit" microfrock and the black minidresses sported by those Robert Palmer video ladies back in the 80s. Only much nastier. And with pimp chains. Oh, we were dreadful. As Terry pointed out, the voting demonstrated how very unpopular we are in Europe right now - but, also, how utterly shit our entry was. Sigh.

As Terry pointed out, the voting demonstrated how very unpopular we are in Europe right now - but, also, how utterly shit our entry was. Sigh.

Oh, I don't think it's about Britain being unpopular, really. A crap entry would do it on its own.

Oh yeah, I also saw Poland's entry. That was a bit freaky. Missed Isreal. They must feel they have to keep up the camp quotient after Dana International.

Lucky you, Fay, with the flying to LA! You have to represent all of the UnAmericans, you know that, right?

Oh, Fay, you don't need me to tell you that, but have an amazing time each moment you're there, OK? You're like the UnAmericans representative, so you have to party hard enough for several people [Edit: x-post with Fiona, my sister in UnAmericanism] How long are you going to be there?

I knew that we had some cheesy song (it's a real cheesy singer), even cheesier than in the past (last year we had a dramatic 'light a candle with me' song). Now your description makes me wish I'd see it - I could use the laughter.

You could quite possibly hear my laughter all the way to Israel.

Oh, so that was that noise I've heard...

Poland's entry! Now her outfit was gorgeous. My mother described his look as more Coco the Clown, between the pink hair, the glitter and the embroidered doves. It was gloriously Eurovision.

I was so pleased Ukraine got some points, because it was their first go, and I was terribly embarrassed for Latvia, and delighted when someone finally gave them some points, 'cause they were making such a valiant effort with the hosting. Bless.

I look forward to representing all that is UnAmerican. Perhaps I should ritually burn the flag upon my arrival?

eta Nope, that sounds super negative. Perhaps just plant the Union Jack in the soil of California, then, and declare the land the property of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II?

(I'm there from 28th May to 3rd June. Yay!)

I was so pleased Ukraine got some points, because it was their first go

The composer of their song is Israeli, the same one who composed Dana International's song when she won a few years ago (his name is Tsvika Peek).

Embarrassingly jealous of Fay. But really wants to see her planting the Union Jack on USA soil. But if I could see it, I would have been there, so I wouldn't have been jealous.

Brain goes in circles. To stop it, I'm going to a class to give a presentation. [Edit: stopping it from going in circles, not stopping it all together. I'm going to need it for the presentation, and, well, in general]