Eurovision!

[Laurie]

Oh my god, I just downloaded the semi-finals and finals for Eurovision 2007. This is awfulsome. I love it.

[TL]

Yeah - my sister lives in Sweden, and I had an all-day text message conversation with her about it.  She got really defensive when I said the Swedish entry, The Ark's, song sounded like a rip-off of Abba's "Waterloo," but had to ultimately admit that they're only good in relative terms (like compared to the English entry - Peeeeee-Yooooo!  What a shtinker!!).

[Laurie]

I kind of liked Israel's entry. Are they admitting through a lovely song and dance that they totally have nuclear warheads, wink wink, nudge nudge? Watch out, Lebanon, they'll blow you away... WITH MUSIC! And also bombs.

[TL]

I haven't checked out Israel's entry yet, but I plan to sit down and go back through them all over the next couple of days - it truly is jaw-droppingly funny.  And by the way - Israel is now part of Europe?  What's up with that?

[Laurie]

I'm sad that I couldn't find any BBC rips. I want to hear Wogan get WASTED.

"In the end, it all comes down to dancing in silly hats." Too true, Wogan, too true.

[TL]

"In the end, it all comes down to dancing in silly hats." Too true, Wogan, too true.

That's one mode, the other is some vague connection to "folk tradition" backed by a thumping cheezy early 90s house music beat:
[youtube=425,350]HzDomb3YeMg[/youtube]

[Susannah]

Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973--a country's eligibility is determined on whether or not they're a member of the European Broadcast Union, not if the country is in the EU or physically in Europe. 

Does anyone remember the 1998 Eurovision winner, Israeli Dana International?  She ruled. She also happened to be a transsexual, which later became the subject of a few too many conference papers I heard at various MLA conferences.

[youtube=425,350]ekGwczVBPNI[/youtube]

[Susannah]

Damn, it didn't work. I followed the instructions, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekGwczVBPNI

[Laurie]

Follow the instructions, sans extraneous umlaut.

[TL]

Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973--a country's eligibility is determined on whether or not they're a member of the European Broadcast Union, not if the country is in the EU or physically in Europe.

Man - I guess I'm a Eurovisi-dummy!

[Susannah]

I can't even post YouTube clips correctly, I think I'm the bigger dummy

[bobby.]

Ukraine and Romania were the champs!

[Laurie]

Oh my lord. Switzerland's entry: "Vampires Are Alive." No words... None.

Okay, a few words: That one backup dancer had some crazy mohawk/fauxhawk hair. Also, I love the Swedish commentator's disbelief at the act's name. He kept repeating DJ Bobo over and over again: "DJ... Bobo? DJ Bobo... DJ Bobo? DJ BOBO! BOBO! Bobo? Okay, DJ Bobo!" I loved it.

[youtube=425,350]UxFW8kJ5IhA[/youtube]

Wow.

[Laurie]

Okay, I've now watched all of the entries for the semi-finals AND the finals, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE UKRAINE DIDN'T WIN. I mean, look at their performance:

[youtube=425,350]Icjl_0RQS2Y[/youtube]

First of all, the song's incredibly catchy and actually makes me want to dance -- in a good way, seriously. Secondly, just look at those go go boys! Oh wow, I love spastic dancing! That's so great. Also, THE COSTUMES! We've got the weird guy playing the accordion in short shorts, we've got the zaftig ladies in curve-hugging Andrew Sisters wear, we've got super-shiny Don't Ask Don't Tell GO GO BOYS! What's not to love?

Eh, the lesbian part of me kind of loves that Serbia won. Has Marija officially come out? I mean, we've got the back up dancers in Dolce & Gabbana pantsuits embracing each other and clutching their hands together to make the painted hearts whole, and then there's Marija. Come on, guys.

[youtube=425,350]N1F8UPp83cE[/youtube]

And, yeah, I hear the ABBA in The Ark, Sweden's act, but man, I love the lead singer. He's wearing culottes, a cropped silver motorcycle jacket with a feather cowl, and a gigantic necklace made of big silver paillettes. Oh, and gloves. I love it.

[youtube=425,350]Jf0AwMR_fM4[/youtube]

You know you love it. Also, I just read on the BBC website that he is openly bisexual. Obviously.

I also kind of liked France's entry. It's catchy! And poppy! I like that.

[youtube=425,350]P4VcSQE7DXg[/youtube]

So wonderfully gay.

The worst was obviously Ireland's entry. Wow, that was NOT a pleasing vibrato. It sounded like a goat's death rattle. Not good.

Oh, and Belarus had an awful song sung in heavily accented English with super dated choreography -- like a La Bouche video or something. Yikes. It was wonderfully awfulsome, of course.

And what was with that opera lady with the LED hands? That shit was crazy.

And the drums! From I forget which country. With the beatboxing! It was kind of awful, but also pretty awesome! By definition, awfulsome!

Also, Georgia had a pretty solid song. Super Björky. Plus, SWORDS!

[youtube=425,350]bmGJF_UfONo[/youtube]

Okay, I should probably go to sleep. I have work tomorrow.

[Tyrannosaurus Rocks]

Bring back Lordi.