[StethyEntinic]

Ummm... WTF is up with the UK and Belgian entries not being available for purchase in their respective iTunes stores?

Also, Nina Badric' Croatian entry was released in 2011 - is that allowed?

[irrehoobe]

Popbitch on Eurovision:

>> Eurobits 2012

[irrehoobe]

1st semi final is tonight, right?

Get up to date on some of the entries with this wonderful little run down:



I love how the describe Jedward's song as being like a theme tune from a teen tv series from the early 90's...

[Qahtwugc]

^^ I might watch if I need some lolz this evening.

ETA: I think, I already can't watch it anymore after seeing Montenegro...

[tomsmuidh]

Russia, wtf!!
I could even easily see them winning with that circus.

[irrehoobe]

Russia, wtf!!
I could even easily see them winning with that circus.

It's amazing. I totally voted for Russia.

Bread-making Grannies singing a traditional song that goes into a tacky eurodance number telling everyone to come on and dance while wearing traditional costumes? AMAZING.

I was surprised that Jedward were actually one of the strongest ones of last night's semi-final.

[rvadipoldkov]

I don't know, maybe I've got a heart of stone, but to me there's something so calculating about the Russian grannies that it turns me off. Not about them as people of course, but about the concept.

[freeringtonesioo]

The Eurasian cong contest is about right. When's China entering, anyway?

So where were we? The Spanish are telling everyone not to vote for their act (in fact the act is telling everyone not to vote for her) because they can't afford to stage the contest if they win. The Ukranians are having a racism scandal, with far-right groups claiming that the mixed-race representative will ensure everyone thinks Ukraine is a small country in Africa. Don't be silly, far-right groups. I can guarantee you at least 46% of British people alone have zero chance of spelling Ukraine, let alone finding it on a map at all. Iran's clerics have been pissing on at Azerbaijan about Eurovision being Unislamic and inappropriate because of girls going out on stage without their rugs on and people having fun without praying and gender-separation and stuff, like anyone gives a fuck what Iranian clerics think about anything, least of all anyone outside Iran. This total lack of give a fuck on anyone's part resulted in the Iranians getting their beards in twist and pulling their ambassador from Azerbaijan, 'cos that'll show 'em, yeah! Armenia has long pulled out because of security concerns, those concerns being mostly about Azerbaijan declaring all Armenians Azerbajan's number one enemies and thinking that means they're going to get twatted by Azerbaijani goons on arrival. Azerbaijani human rights groups in baku are kicking off as much as they can without getting arrested and tortured and telling all the acts to speak in favour of human rights on the night. Personally I'm hoping for at least one act-wrecking (as in, act-improving) stage invasion. Meanwhile, Sweden's act has incurred the wrath of the authorities by daring to meet with said human rights groups. Naughty Sweden! Oh, and the Russian grannies are probably going to win.

So, all good, clean fun. I can hardly wait for tomorrow night.

[Qahtwugc]

Oh, and you forgot one thing. We could easily make a one month special out of this contest in our fug thread here.

One example?
Well, here we have my home country Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has no chances of winning with her boring ballad, but THAT dress! It''s like she escaped a Halloween-Star-Trek-party!



Oh and please don't tell me that you guys weren't scared of this other balkan lady from Albania, sorta an albanian Gaga-Björk mash up?
Her unstoppable yellin' that starts around 2:05 is just



The final scary lady from the Balkans is from Macedonia, or Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (sorry, Greece!) with this awful goth-pop and the screaming round 2:30 (but the drummer looks hot, at least)

[freeringtonesioo]

Oh god, Albania. What's with the low-rent Diamanda Galas impersonation? And what the hell is with the hairpiece? ETA: And Macedonia appears to be in the throes of a low-rent Tarja impersonation. Brilliant!

[cauddyVab]

Was last years winner the most forgettable ever? A livelier crop this year with more good and more awful, both essential ingredients.

I'm channelling chanting and multipleley voting for Loreena tonight, but trying not to get my hopes up too much since europoppy-trancey-dance never does as well as I expect it to (Oh hai [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGDFbagMDPc"] Kate Ryan , Hera Bjork, and poor old Gina G who tanked with the first proper 90s-Europop entry.

​FORUMS ATE MY POST GODDAMMIT


In short, my top 5 prediction

1 - Serbia (he came close for them a few years ago and has a prefect spot in the running order)
2 - Sweden (I *want want want* it to win but am braced for it to not)
3 - Russia (maybe winning the televote but getting less from the national "professional juries")
4 - Jedwardland (and they'll be back)
5 - Bosnia (kinda love her shoulder pads)

UK, I'm not sure. Maybe the top 10?

With Germany winning, then Italy coming from nowhere to second last year, we old-Eurovision states IMHO have to stop whining about 'political voting'. Countries vote for acts they've seen promoted on local TV (Irelande douze points from UK is pretty much a given), but a strong song can blast right through that. But I still think Serbia will do it this year.

[irrehoobe]

Are we excited about Eurovision this year yet?

If not, this really subtle song from Sweden might help out:

[irrehoobe]

Euphoria is...well, it's like watching an advert for a 4CD set called 'EUPHORIA!!' I'm sure it'll do well and probably win, but...yeah.

Have we discussed France?



YES.

YES.

Though somehow despite buff men in their underwear, pretend kissing through two gas masks, and a Jean Paul Gaultier cameo, it's still not gay-er than Loreen's "Euphoria". I'm not quite sure why.

(I'm totally hoping those men are "performing" live with Anggun on the night though. For real. TOTTY PLEASE.)

[freeringtonesioo]

So, Armenia has pulled out:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17292360

The organisers of Eurovision song contest say Armenia has pulled out of the 2012 show in Baku amid new tension with its old rival Azerbaijan.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said it was "truly disappointed" by Armenian Public Television's decision.

Azerbaijani and Armenian forces fought a war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s which left at least 25,000 people dead.

A ceasefire was signed in 1994, but no permanent peace deal has been reached.

There has also been internal tension in Azerbaijan, where security forces used force to break up an opposition rally in the northern district of Quba on Friday.

Armenian Public Television accused Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev of making hostile remarks in recent days.

"Despite the fact that the Azerbaijani authorities have given security guarantees to all participating countries, several days ago the Azerbaijani president made a statement that enemy number one for Azerbaijan were the Armenians," the TV said in a statement quoted by AFP news agency.

Last month, a group of Armenian pop singers launched a Eurovision boycott campaign, saying: "We refuse to appear in a country that is well known for mass killings and massacres of Armenians, in a country where anti-Armenian sentiments have been elevated to the level of state policy.

"There is no logic to sending a participant to a country where he will be met as an enemy."

In a speech about local government on 28 February, which was posted on the Azerbaijani leader's website, President Aliyev said: "Our main enemies are Armenians of the world and the hypocritical and corrupt politicians under their control."

[cauddyVab]

If I was the BBC, I'd be hoovering the Brighton Dome, traditional refuge of eurovision finals in a crisis. Just in case, like.

[irrehoobe]

One of my friends hosts a Eurovision party every year. It got too big for his apartment so it moved to one of the gay bars. The promo video for this year's event is basically just a humourous fan-vid to Loreen's "Euphoria", which kinda shows which song is the favourite of the homosexual populous of Dublin.

[assonomaf]

That has basically made me love Euphoria, which I didn't care about before. Well done, Dublin; well done, Pantibar.

[Vomekayafboke]

Seconding that! Well done Dublin - this just added loads to my Loreen obsession!

[StethyEntinic]

I would be REALLY surprised if Loreen's Euphoria doesn't win. It's simply amazing and also shot very well.

My friends and I watched the online live HD stream of the Swedish Melodifestivalen last Saturday (how AMAZING that they just stream that shit online, and how fortunate us Dutchies are that none of you got to see our own country's dog and pony show). The Swedish show was SO professional and good-looking and funny and it had great songs and everything. Wow.

But could some Swede explain to me why they had representatives from like 9 countries there to cast international votes, but for Ukraine one of the 3 hosts did it? We all laughed out loud when we saw her do it and she said 'spasiba'. Awesome.

[Vomekayafboke]

So um...sorry just wanted to post this beautiful version because I'm slightly obsessed with the idea of Sweden winning. This will be my last Loreen-related post. Promise.