The Lowlight of the year (Eurovision Song Contest)

Member Name: eiley123

Product:	Eurovision Song Contest
Date:	25/05/08 (132 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny at times, occasional good performances

Disadvantages: Outdated, nonsense, too long, boring at times, a waste of time

EUROVISION 2008

Last night, 25th May 2008, saw the final of the 53rd Eurovision Contest. As it was Russia who won this year in 2009, if the contest still exists, it will be held in Moscow, Russia. This year it was held in Belgrade and as always was hailed a success by commentators on the night. However it is not just because the United Kingdom came joint last with two other countries that I wonder how much longer this monster can go on for.

The first contest took place on May 24th, 1956 in Switzerland, when I was just four years old. So for me, as a Brit it is something that has happened every year come hell or high water. From the very start it had little street cred in England. We did have some winning entries over the years such as:-

Puppet on a String sung by a very young Sandie Shaw.
Boob, Bang-a-Bang by Lulu. The title says it all.
Save Your Kisses For Me by the Brotherhood of man.
Love Shine a Light by Katrina and the Waves.

Katrina's winning entry was 1997 and since then the U.K's results have been steadily getting worse. Sure we have had some appalling entries but last night's performer and song were not bad at all. I think part of the problem is that we always seem to judge the mood of this contest wrong. When we are jazzing it up the voters seem to want melodic entries and when we get a winning entry we then seem to stick to that formula year after year.

Other issues cause problems such as friendly and strategic voting. When the war in Iraq started the U.K was very unpopular with many of the other countries in the Eurovision. Greece always gives it's highest score to Cyprus and vice versa. Since the troubles in the Balkans all of the countries that now exist out there tend to vote for each other. This is true of the Netherland countries and of Western European ones such as the U.K, Ireland and France. Our measly 14 points yesterday came by way of Monaco and Ireland. However you have to bear in mind that the winning entry was well into three figures. In fact Russia had 272 points so it was quite a difference.

I think that many of these countries just have a style of music which they enjoy and is similar. I guess that is why the voting goes the way it does with perhaps the political vote thrown in.

The contest has had various changes over the years and now has semi finals for some of the countries. This means that not all of the countries that enter actually take part. I think that they still have a vote though. Each country decides on it's entry each year by different means, sometimes by holding small shows and letting the public decide. Of course only some people vote and this can be dangerous as the U.K has often found.

The contest has included many a now famous name such as:-
Abba.
Sir Cliff Richard.
Julio Inglesias.
Olivia Newton-John.
Celine Dion.
Dana International.
The Shadows.
Gina G.
Nan Mouskouroi.
Plus the ones I had already mentioned.

The final night show seems interminable. It is usually on television for a good two or three hours with no commercial break. There is often an act that performs during the interval just before the results are given out. This is were I first saw Michael Flatley perform Riverdance and that year was sensational, for that if nothing else.

Over the years the entrants have varied somewhat with the changes which have taken place especially in the East. One thing that has always seemed strange to me is that Israel takes part as I would not really consider them as part of Europe however their entry is usually pretty good.

Eurovision is for me something which I might watch the odd snippet of but could not stomach the whole show. I think this is were the U.K differ from our European neighbours. These countries seem to really love the contest and have well known performers queuing up to represent their country. These days it seems to be a poisoned chalice for any U.K performer and almost a kiss of death for their career. As such we will always lose out.

I just wonder with all the apathy that the U.K views the Eurovision contest if it is not time to bow out gracefully before we become a complete laughing stock. The contest costs more that any benefits which may come out of it and is no longer popular in Britain. It never really was but it used to have some appeal. I think the viewer in the U.K has moved on to viewing programmes such as Britain's Got Talent, American Idol and X Factor. For us Eurovision belongs back in the fifties in our Eurovision, and its, heyday.

Thanks for reading
(C) Eiley2008

Rating should be no stars but this is not allowed.

Summary: The best songs? Gawd help us.