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Post by RitaLittlewood on May 23, 2008 19:43:27 GMT
I'm a maybe. Depends if I'm doing something else.
Patsy
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Post by sallywebster on May 23, 2008 20:08:44 GMT
I voted No.
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Post by eithne on May 23, 2008 22:26:02 GMT
Well Ireland's rather poor entry got eliminated the other night as we are not guaranteed a place in the final like the UK, so I won't be watching. Personally I think Ireland should follow Italy's lead and leave the competition until its songs and not country's that are contesting in the Eurovision.
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Peter
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Post by Peter on May 23, 2008 22:41:28 GMT
I didn't last year for once, but i usually do out of habit, It's crap, it's crass, cheap and vulgar - but still bloody good fun!
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Post by RitaLittlewood on May 23, 2008 23:21:22 GMT
I love Terry's comments. I know a lot of people don't but he sums up what a lot of us are thinking, especially when it comes to the voting.
I'd been looking forward to see how your entry got on, Eithne. How on earth did that win the contest to enter?
Patsy
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2008 4:28:17 GMT
Couldn't agree more - it's absolute garbage, but hugely entertaining - sort of 'train-wreck' TV.
The voting's a joke, the songs are for the most part awful, Terry Wogan is bloody irritating, but we still stay up 'til the bitter end, and it's one of the few times our daughter comes and watches a program with us.
Fantastic! ;D
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Peter
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Post by Peter on May 24, 2008 10:28:38 GMT
I think it's because of Terry that I still watch it!
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Post by stratford on May 24, 2008 12:51:01 GMT
You summed it up very well blackcatz. I shall certainly be watching.
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Post by pearly queen on May 24, 2008 19:14:19 GMT
I voted for maybe - but I'd like to retract that vote and submit a 'no'!
It's only been on 15 minutes and my ears are bleeding!
Can't cope - what a load of rubbish!
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Post by stratford on May 24, 2008 19:28:23 GMT
Clearly I haven't been but I can hear it. Pearly Queen I shall send you some earplugs.
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Post by RitaLittlewood on May 24, 2008 20:50:04 GMT
Russians tearing their shirt open! Whatever next?  The hosts suit is strange. Does it fit him? Patsy |
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2008 6:37:21 GMT
Great fun (as always), and overall I thought the standard was above average.
However, have to say that the cynical voting is starting to spoil things - Andy Abrahams (sp?) put on a fantastic performance, and it was worth a hell of a lot more than the paltry 14 votes he got.
... and also, taking as read the 'neighbourly' voting, there were much better songs that they could have voted for (in their little group) than the winner (Russia) - Croatia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan to name a few.
This from ITN News this morning:-
'Veteran Eurovision Song Contest commentator Sir Terry Wogan has cast doubt on whether he would be involved in covering the event again.
He said it was "no longer a music contest" and that prospects for Western European participants were "poor".
Sir Terry spoke out near the end of his commentary after Britain's entry Andy Abraham had a disappointing night in the 53rd contest.
The former binman finished joint last of the 25 finalists.
Heart throb Dima Bilan of Russia romped to victory with a massive 272 points with a big ballad, produced by US R&B star Timbaland, called Believe.
Bilan was returning for a second time after he narrowly lost out to shock Finnish rockers Lordi in 2006.
Saturday night's contest was held in the Serbian capital Belgrade and was watched by more than 100 million television viewers across Europe.
Sir Terry said 43-year-old Abraham, who found fame on TV talent show the X Factor, deserved more votes from other countries than he received.
He said: "It's a disappointment, considering that Andy Abraham gave, I think, the performance of his life with a song that certainly deserved more marks than it got."
Referring to certain other songs in the competition, he added: "You have to say that this is no longer a music contest."
And he said: "I have to decide whether I want to do this again. Western European participants have to decide whether they want to to take part from here on in, because their prospects are poor."
He did not want to take anything away from Russia, though, which had won comfortably.
Abraham co-wrote a soulful song called Even If but bookmakers had feared for its fate, giving it long odds of 66-1 before the start.
Sir Terry said, though: "What a blinding performance he gave for the UK."
However he received only 14 points.'
In fact, having just watched AA's powerhouse performance again on Youtube, I'm spitting feathers.
What is the point in spending all that time and money on a 'competition' when there is no competition? Why not just make it a Music Festival, or Eastern Bloc Song Contest?
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Post by RitaLittlewood on May 25, 2008 11:41:32 GMT
I think he'll be back but it's the quietest he's been. We were playing 'Guess The Votes' last night and got most right. He's spot on about it no longer being a music contest but it hasn't been for years. I saw Norway's entry and that was miles better than Russia's. I wouldn't be surprised if these blocs change the points before they give them to help their neighbours.
Patsy
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Post by sootycat on May 25, 2008 11:56:41 GMT
I think the time has come for us to be no longer in so called competition..
To call it a competion is a complete farce.
UK could enter The Beatles in it and we would still come in last
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Post by RitaLittlewood on May 25, 2008 12:11:31 GMT
Didn't they claim once it wasn't fixed? There was no getting away from it last night. And where did all these countries spring from? Where's San Marino? The only good thing about last night (besides the end) was when Terry was namechecked along with that woman host from last year and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Our Terry's famous! Or should that be infamous?  Patsy |
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Post by Nick on May 25, 2008 12:15:51 GMT
Well what can I say....an absolute farce..and I have been a lifelong Eurovision fan (even when the contest was going through its dark un fashionable period in the 80's)
Last nights was a fiasco....Russia's song was OK..but it didn't deserve to win..the countries that awarded 10 and 12 points for Russia (apart from Israel) only did it because Russia supply their gas and oil and they have to keep them sweet otherwise they will cut off their supply like they did with the Ukraine a couple of years ago
The UK's song deserved to do much much better (although I would have preferred Michelle Gayle to get through)but Andy performed very well.
No wonder Spain and Ireland entered crap..they know they aren't going to get anywhere
I liked the French entry ..it is brilliant on the CD..but the bloke messed about on the stage too much..mind you ..who can blame him...western Europe don't get a look in now
The Portugeuse entry was a fantastic ballad and their best entry ever...15 years ago it would have stormed it..but as per it doesn't get a look in now..although they finished a respectable 13th..it should have been top 5
I think its time that the 'big 4' who pay for it all (France,Spain,Germany and the UK) stopped financing the contest and just got treated as ordinary contestants..then if countrys that want to enter can't afford the expense of hosting it if they win..then they shouldn't enter
Or better still we should take a leaf out of Italy & Luxembourgs book and drop out...and I noticed Austria & Monaco didn't take part this year either
We noticed last night that Sir Terence of Wogan didn't seem his sparkling witty self...and we commented that we thought he may quit...todays teletext news confirms it
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Post by RitaLittlewood on May 25, 2008 13:18:55 GMT
Excellent analysis, Nick. I used to write to a French girl who was a huge fan. She was saying in the 90s it was political. It wasn't as bad as the last few years, was it?
Patsy
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Post by stratford on May 25, 2008 15:32:07 GMT
I would have been shocked if we did well at all since it's so biased against us for not toeing the EU line and surrendering our country to the corrupt persons in Brussels. I agree with Nick and Terry about the quality of the songs, or lack of it in a lot of cases. The Russians were okay but didn't deserve to win. Posing skater going round and flinging his arms about. Was there a point to him apart from to make people dizzy? Violinist serving what purpose exactly as the orchestra played the music? And a pretty boy ripping his shirt open as Patsy noted last night. I wondered as I watched the remaining contestants if it had been replaced by a 'Who Can Show The Most Flesh' contest instead. I found this article from last year news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6647905.stm Similar sentiments to last night so perhaps he will be back next year after all. I do hope so. Eurovision without Terry is like chips without vinegar. Malta complained last year about the voting. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6654719.stm I have to agree about the UK's entry. That isn't my sort of music but having watched it online as I was posting here last night it's very good and so was Andy Abraham. It's a foot stomper and catchy. The audience also loved it. San Marino is adjacent to Italy Patsy with a population of 31,000 according to the BBC. |
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Post by Nick on May 25, 2008 16:10:26 GMT
San Marino is a tiny independant state totally surrounded by Italy
It has always been political to a certain degree..greece would never vote for Turkey and vice versa
Greece always gave Cyprus 12 points and vice versa
The Scandinavian countries always voted for each other
BUT when good songs were sang and well performed that influenced the voting and it would win through..but not nowadays...Some of the eastern countries could enter a man strangling a chicken and it would get 12 points from their neighbouring countries whatever it was...in fact I think they already know who they are going to vote for long before they hear the songs,which IMO had become irrelevant to the contest
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Post by CG Wendy on May 25, 2008 16:23:00 GMT
It`s always a kick in the guts when poor Britain gets 'non points' everytime. It`s time this obviously political farce was scrapped once and for all.
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Post by RitaLittlewood on May 25, 2008 16:36:21 GMT
Did Italy vote last night? There's so many I can't remember. All I know of San Marino is they have a Grand Prix but I thought it was just a place like Rome. I agree, Nick. It's just getting beyond the joke now. Even if the other nations complained nothing would be done.
Patsy
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Post by Nick on May 25, 2008 16:46:01 GMT
Italy haven't entered the contest since 1997 when they came 4th..even they they said it had become a farce and had nothing to do with real music
Luxembourg gave up in 1993
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Post by RitaLittlewood on May 25, 2008 16:58:35 GMT
Nick - Eurovision Supremo! Apply for Terry's job. ;D I had no idea both of those stopped entering. No wonder they're letting anyone enter now.
Patsy
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Post by stratford on May 25, 2008 18:06:21 GMT
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Post by Nick on May 25, 2008 18:15:00 GMT
Sorry Stratford..i didn't mean to come over all superior  |
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The hosts suit is strange. Does it fit him?
