In an interesting piece behind a paywall, the Ankler said that the very expensive to run Eurovision song contest has kept going due only to tradition and that if someone would propose it today, it would be turned down in the wink of an eye. Of course, it was a much different beast in 1958, with everyone in formal wear singing in front of a house orchestra in a concert hall and no dancers or flashy special effects--and only seven contestants. And it was reflecting the mainstream western European adult sensibility of easy listening music (none of that American rock and roll). Even in 1974, when ABBA basically began their international career at Eurovision, the production on their hit song "Waterloo" was understated compared to the overblown spectacle Eurovision has become--and the fall of the eastern Soviet bloc has made a big difference in what the contest has become.
Mark Jeffries spotligh...@gmail.com On Fri, May 10, 2024 at 8:38 AM John Edwards <jedward...@gmail.com> wrote: > The EBU did apparently take steps to ensure that any booing last night > wasn't audible on the broadcast, and isn't above sweetening or inserting > sounds of cheering to ensure that any booing doesn't go out on TV. Social > media last night indicated that there was some booing, but I'm not sure if > it was as pronounced as during the dress rehearsal on Wednesday. > > John > > On Thu, May 9, 2024 at 7:42 PM Mark Jeffries <spotligh...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Singer Eden Golan has been told not to leave her hotel in Malmo, Sweden, >> except for rehearsals and performances, as throngs outside are protesting >> Israel's presence in the annual song contest--the song was originally >> entitled "October Rain," but the Eurovision bosses rejected it as too >> controversial, so it was rewritten and retitled "Hurricane" (video of song >> in link)--Golan's rehearsal yesterday was interrupted by boos from the >> audience, although no boos were evident during today's semi-final heat >> telecast (I'm assuming that Sweden's SVT is not sweetening the audience >> response like some American reality comps)--she made it into the Saturday >> finals after an all-viewer vote (the finals are at 3 p.m. ET in the U.S. on >> Peacock), as did the Irish rock band Bambie Thug, who had to change their >> costumes on Tuesday's semi-final heat when it was found that Celtic writing >> on the costumes said "CEASE FIRE" and "FREEDOM FOR PALESTINE": >> >> https://www.thewrap.com/eurovision-protests-israel-eden-golan-hurricane/ >> >> The European Broadcasting Union of pubcasters who organizes Eurovision >> has always maintained that the contest is apolitical and that Israel's >> pubcasters are valid members of the organization, but politics has always >> butt into the proceedings over the years (like the Ukraine winning in 2022 >> after the Russian invasion) and with the panels of industry people voting >> on Saturday along with viewers, it will be interesting to see how Israel >> does and if the EBU will get hit with either coddling Zionism or supporting >> anti-Semitism. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "TVorNotTV" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to tvornottv+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/dcfd7865-998b-47ea-86a4-038337097418n%40googlegroups.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/dcfd7865-998b-47ea-86a4-038337097418n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > > > -- > John Edwards > "You can insure against the weather, but you can't insure against > incompetence, can you?" - Phil Tufnell > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to tvornottv+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAJLXtMJkx7%2BJfqbETDhNgMidVt1eaF4i3OXGL5BJ9bQmPvgE6w%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAJLXtMJkx7%2BJfqbETDhNgMidVt1eaF4i3OXGL5BJ9bQmPvgE6w%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAJ_uKi-fddgDd8EPeB3-yGVa6S-M%2BYUfVaPUCwDK%2BkvsnE%3Dyyg%40mail.gmail.com.
