#Austria was better than sweden

[ruokasooda]

https://www.aftonbladet.se/podcasts/ab/program/1291

Eurovision and Melodifestivalen specialized journalists Tobbe Ek and Markus Larsson weren’t too happy about Finns not granting any televotes for Loreeen. Few quotes from Aftonbladet’s (one of the largest daily newspapers in Sweden) Eurovision podcast:

Ek: ”The reason is that Finns are jealous. They are collectively jealous at us Swedes and that led them not voting for us.”

Ek: ”How is it even possible that Finns think there were ten better songs than Loreen? That’s shameful.”

Larsson: ”The Finns gave points even for Germany over Loreen. That’s sick. Says lot about Finnish understanding about music and about their taste.”

Ek: ”I’m fucking furious.”

Larsson: ”Dumbass people.”

Ek: ”Finland was only country where Sweden didn’t get any points from the people. Shame on you Finland, it serves you right you didn’t win!”

Larsson: ”I agree! F*ck them!”

--------------------------------------------------

This is nothing new to us finns, swedes have always treated us like this. And it just culminates to eurovision which fucking sucks. I hope this gets spread out bit more so people can see under the polished picture sweden has put out.

I personally voted for germany and other 9 countries that in my own opinion had better songs than sweden, this type of articles just give so icky and bad feeling over everything. There are bad loosers in the world, but swedes seem to be really sore winners. Nothing seems to be enough they need it all. We already gave 12p by jury, but then again our jurys team leader was born in sweden so theres big conflict of interest in that. I think they know it was not pure win and are trying to pin the bad feeling into us.

[ori0ns-arrow]

HOW'S EVERYONE FEELING ABT THE EUROVISION SCORES CAUSE I GENUINELY FEEL LIKE I'M IMAGINING THIS NO WAY DID AUSTRIA GET THAT LOW WHILE BELGIUM GOT A BUNCH OF 12 POINTS

[mariacallous]

Evidence is mounting that Europe’s far right will score better than ever before in the upcoming European Parliament elections on June 6 to June 9—and that the continent’s young voters will fuel its ascent. The young adults now gravitating to far right aren’t Nazis or xenophobic racists, but they may have a hand in an outcome that will, at the very least, shift the European Union’s priorities and accents to the right. A particularly solid right-wing finish—and cooperation across the hard-right spectrum—could rattle EU unity and throw a wrench into the bloc’s workings at a time when it is confronting acute crises on several fronts, not least the war in Ukraine.

Since new laws mean that even people under 18 will be eligible to vote in some countries—16-year-olds in Austria, Germany, Malta, and Belgium, and 17-year-olds in Greece—there had been hope that these new voters would put a brake on the populist surge engulfing Europe. The idea behind giving 16- and 17-year-olds the vote was partly based on their long-term investment in politics. The policies designed today will affect them for many decades, in contrast to their grandparents.

And in the 2019 European Parliament election, young voters showed great promise by turning out in record numbers, a hopeful sign that reflected their enthusiasm for the common European project. With the climate movement rocking the streets, their votes went disproportionately to green parties that championed strong climate protection and deeper EU integration—two sets of long-term interests. This landed green representatives from Portugal to Latvia in the Brussels parliament and prompted the EU administration to approve the European Green Deal in 2020.

But the democratic exuberance of voters in their late teens, 20s, and early 30s could boost a very different trend this June, as growing numbers of younger voters are siding with far-right populist parties—the very ones that want to scupper the Green Deal and rein in the EU. In recent national votes conducted in Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, and France, young people voted in unprecedented numbers for extreme nationalist and euroskeptic parties. (Though some observers have argued that reporting about these trends is incomplete or oversimplified.) And surveys in Germany show the youth vote becoming ever more sympathetic to the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right party that has undergone a radicalization that makes it among Europe’s fiercest, hard-right electoral parties.

“There’s no doubt that these parties have been making inroads to younger voters,” said Catherine de Vries, a Dutch political scientist. “The parties don’t look so extreme anymore, as they’ve been around for a while now. And young people think that the mainstream parties have had their chance. The system still doesn’t work for them, so let the other guys have a try.”

A German study published this year by a team led by youth researcher Simon Schnetzer showed that a full 22 percent of the young people (in this case, ages 14 through 29) surveyed would vote for the AfD if German elections were held today—twice as many as just two years ago. The tally for the Green Party fell by a third during that time frame. A full quarter of those asked said they weren’t sure who’d they vote for—another all-time high result.

The grounds for the pronounced shift are vague: Researchers tend to cite a general unhappiness with the post-pandemic economic and political conditions. “It seems as if the coronavirus pandemic left [young people] irritated about our ability to cope with the future, which is reflected in deep insecurity,” wrote the study’s authors. The issues described by participants that most impact this insecurity included their personal finances, professional opportunities, the health sector, and social recognition. They expressed less concern about the climate crisis and more about inflation, the economy, and old-age poverty.

“We can speak of a clear shift to the right in the young population,” said Klaus Hurrelmann, one of the study’s authors and a professor at the Hertie School in Berlin. The AfD’s foremost campaign priority of stopping immigration and refugee relief plainly struck a chord: Compared to a separate study conducted five years ago, about half as many (26 percent) of the young participants (26 percent) in the 2024 study said they were not in favor of taking in refugees. But just as important as the content of immigration policies, the authors underlined, was the idea that young people feel unheard or involved in the political process.

The change in sympathy in many young Germans reflects survey results, elections, and the statements of other young people across Europe. In the Netherlands’ elections last year, the most popular party among people under 35 (at 17 percent) was the Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, a far-right populist with a long record of EU-trashing.

The explanation provided by many Dutch experts: It’s all about bestaanszekerheid, a Dutch word translated as “livelihood security.” This refers to having a decent and regular income, a comfortable home, access to education and health care, and a buffer against unexpected problems, de Vries told the Guardian. Young peoples’ leading concerns in the Netherlands are housing, overcrowded classes, and struggling hospitals, she said, which Wilders addressed in his campaign.

In Portugal’s March legislative elections, the far-right Chega party, which prioritized courting young people, raked in more of their votes than any other party. The meaning of chega, which can be translated as “that’s enough,” accurately describes many young voters’ motive for supporting it. Their gripes: “a very low average wage and an economy that cannot absorb educated young people,” according to political scientist António Costa Pinto in an interview with Euronews

“In the past, right-wing sympathizers accused immigrants of taking their jobs,” said Eberhard Seidel, the managing director of a Berlin-based nongovernmental organization called Schools Without Racism. “Now there are enough jobs but not enough housing for people who work. They still have to live with their parents.”

Observers say that the far right has excelled at grabbing the youth’s attention, not least with the social media platform TikTok. The recent German study found that 57 percent of young people imbibe their news and politics through social media. More than 90 percent use messaging service WhatsApp, followed by Instagram (80 percent) and YouTube (77 percent). TikTok stands at 51 percent; more than half of all 14- to 29-year-olds now use the app regularly, compared to 44 percent last year. The epiphany prompted an immediate response from German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who on declared in his first video on the platform, posted on March 19: “Revolution on TikTok: It starts today.”

Other opinion surveys show that young voters are diverse, divided, and undecided. A YouGov poll conducted in August 2023 showed that young Europeans are overwhelmingly concerned about the climate crisis and its likely effects, and more willing than older people to change behavior to mitigate those effects. Another poll, conducted in Germany, showed human rights violations at the top of younger people’s lists, followed by climate change, sexual harassment, and child abuse.

Younger voters still aren’t the drivers of xenophobia in the way that their parents’ generation was, Seidel said. A vote for the AfD doesn’t necessarily mean that they favor expelling immigrants from Germany or exiting the EU. “They take the basics of democracy and the social system for granted,” he said. “And they’re not fully aware of the implications of a rightward lurch in their political systems.”

Neither were Brexit’s voters, Seidel noted. And they found out the hard way.

[chrisis-averted]

Eurovision 2023 Songs ABRIDGED

Yes, I’m doing that again. You’re welcome!  😙 Once again, this is for humor purpose, don’t take it too seriously.

Albania: treasure your family, it’s not going to be there forever 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

Armenia: I want to meet my soulmate 🥺

Australia: dare to try new things 🤩

Austria: yeah, fuck the music industry, it just exploits artists 👻

Azerbaijan: we broke up but I still think about you 🥺

Belgium: you got me to love myself 🥰

Croatia: yeah, fuck Russia 😈

Cyprus: you’re toxic as hell, girl 😠

Czechia: yeah, fuck gender inequality 🧕

Denmark: I’m afraid of starting a relationship because it might go bad 😥

Estonia: I want to connect with people 🤗

Finland: it’s Friday, I’m tired as fuck, I just want to party and get drunk 🥴

France: I have changed, for good and for ill 😌

Georgia: I have faith there will be better days 😌 

Germany: we are made of beautiful and ugly things 🤩

Greece: it’s those who are broken that help others more 🥰

Iceland: I got out of a toxic relationship and I’m euphoric 😃

Ireland: treasure your uniqueness 🌈

Israel: I’m rare and precious, like a mythical creature 🦄

Italy: I’m a hopeless romantic 🥺

Latvia: I lost hope in this world 😔

Lithuania: I got out of depression thanks to you 🥰

Malta: I’d rather stay at home than get out and party 😴

Moldova: I shall marry you in the forest under the sun and moon 🦌

Netherlands: I lost fascination with life and I’m scared I’m wasting time 😥

Norway: I’m a goddamn queen 👸

Poland: I slept with half the jury because sure as hell I can’t sing I am sexy and want to party 🥴

Portugal: oh fuck I’ve fallen in love and I’m a mess 😵

Romania: I’ve fallen head over heels for a girl who’s toying with me 🙃

San Marino: oh wow, you’re sexy, wanna come home with me? 😍

Serbia: the world is severely fucked up 😡

Slovenia: our generation sees no hope in the future, so we at least we enjoy the moment 🙃

Spain: I love you, my child 👩‍👧

Sweden: I want the only man I cannot have 🥰

Switzerland: our generation feels trapped in the wars caused by people who don’t care about us 😡

Ukraine: we are stronger than they think 😡

United Kingdom: I got cheated on, so now I’m having fun without him 😏

Eurovision Songs Abridged 2021 | 2022

[hetalia-club]

Got Bored And Made An Entire Hetalia Baseball League (HBL)

the league is meant to have fictitious and near impossible goals for regular humans to achieve. They are all scaled beside each other accounting for superhuman strength.

~Austria's Stats~

Batting Average Regular Season- .292 Projection- .300 Career- .304

Running Speed MPH- 13-15 Hitting Power MPH- 85-90 Regular Season Stolen Bases- 5 Career Stolen Bases- 90

Austria is a methodical and precise player who excels in getting on base and hitting doubles. His disciplined approach at the plate results in a high number of walks, and his ability to consistently make contact with the ball makes him a reliable hitter. However, his lack of speed and power means he won't hit many triples or home runs. Austria's strengths lie in his strategic play, precision, and consistency, making him a valuable player who can reliably get on base and drive in runs with doubles and singles.

Freedom Fighters - link to their team and positions

Other Players: (will update with link as they are added) America Russia Sweden England Ireland Iceland Canada Denmark Turkey France Scotland Greece Germany Japan Nyo!America Prussia China Nyo!England Spain Austria Italy Norway Romano Finland

breakdown below >> (Chat GTP helped with this part because I'm not good at describing things or sports talk)((it also made me the lay out above I made the stats and it put them in MLB format for me & calculated batting average because math :/ ))

Player Analysis: Austria

Methodical and Precise: Austria’s disciplined and strategic nature is reflected in his high number of walks and doubles. He approaches the game with a keen eye and a focus on precision.

Calm and Collected: His ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts demonstrates his calm demeanor at the plate, waiting for the right pitch to make his move.

Dramatic Flair: Austria’s dramatic personality can sometimes make him more emotional on the field, which might occasionally lead to overreactions to bad calls or mistakes. However, this also means he brings a lot of passion and flair to his play, which can be inspiring to his teammates.

Whiney Tendencies: His tendency to whine could sometimes affect team morale, especially if he is overly critical of umpires or teammates. However, this trait can also make him more vocal about his standards, potentially pushing his team to perform better.

Stat Distribution Analysis

Best Stats

Doubles (2B):

Regular Season: 30 | Projected: 32 | Career: 450

Analysis: Austria's high number of doubles showcases his ability to hit the ball with precision and power into gaps, making him a consistent extra-base hitter. This aligns with his methodical and precise nature.

Walks (BB):

Regular Season: 70 | Projected: 75 | Career: 1000

Analysis: Austria's high walk totals reflect his disciplined approach at the plate. His keen eye and patience help him to get on base frequently, contributing significantly to his on-base percentage.

Worst Stats

Triples (3B):

Regular Season: 2 | Projected: 3 | Career: 30

Analysis: The low number of triples indicates that Austria lacks the speed to turn hits into triples frequently. His play style is more focused on precision and strategy rather than raw speed.

Home Runs (HR):

Regular Season: 10 | Projected: 12 | Career: 150

Analysis: Austria's home run numbers are relatively low, indicating he is not a power hitter. His strengths lie more in contact hitting and precision rather than hitting for power.

[beauty-and-passion]

Eurovision 2024: 38 songs, first impressions

Wake up, bitches, it's that time of the year again.

No, not Christmas. It's Eurovision time, aka the time when we can verbally destroy each other and call our neighbors "filthy traitors", but in the end we would still be united against the real enemy: the jury.

As we all know, last year Sweden won but Finland caught the Snitch or, to put it simply, Finland won our hearts, but since the newly crowned King of Europe Käärijä was too busy being majestic and Finland was too busy being precious, Sweden graciously offered to host the competition for its neighbor.

Yes, this is what happened. No, you don't remember something different.

And yes, I ultimately decided to follow this year's competition. As someone said in some old post, Eurovision is a bit like that toxic relationship you can't escape from. And maybe you don't really want to escape from it.

So, since we're trapped in this hellhole, at least let's enjoy our time together with a heavy dose of sarcasm and a sprinkle of wholesomeness. Eurovision might have flaws, but nothing is perfect in this world after all.

As per every year, I always do my first listening while doing my chores, so the songs are in the background and I have no idea who sings what or from what country they're from. I just let them flow and see if something gets my attention.

And this year a lot of them did! I couldn't identify a clear winner, but I found a ton of small, beautiful gems everywhere. Oh, this year seems very, very promising.

As always, this is my first listening: many more will follow and my opinions may drastically change. So please, don't take my comments too seriously: this is all for fun.

__________

ALBANIA

Pretty nice song and pretty nice rhythm, I really like it.

But also... I've been to Tirana in January and I've listened to the songs they have there. And even if this one is very good, I would've loved more true Albanian rhythm.

Still, this will probably end in my personal playlist, so that's a plus for me.

Vote: A Titan in disguise? *Greek mythology intensifies* *Cronus intensifies*

__________

ARMENIA

We all stan a song in Armenian and if you don't, you will start doing now because yes, we have Armenian and yes, it sounds great.

So let's all thank Armenia for bringing its beautiful language - along with some nice Balkan rhythm that kept slapping me in the face.

But you know me, I'm a simple Mediterranean: I hear Balkan rhythm, I love it.

Vote: I will always be a slut for Balkan rhythms

__________

AUSTRIA

If Armenia slapped me with Balkan rhythm, Austria bitchslapped me with the whole 1990 decade.

But you know me, I am a simple Millennial: I listen to something that seems to come straight from the 90s, I dance.

Vote: We! Will! Rave!

__________

AUSTRALIA

This was... good. Just good. And the singer is good too. Maybe even too good.

Sigh, Australia forgot again that this is Eurovision. Please, someone, remind them this is the show of fire, sparkles and insanity.

Vote: "What ya gonna do in the real world?" Easy, WE! WILL! RAVE!

__________

AZERBAIJAN

Luckily Azerbaijan remembered that hey, they're the country that delivers good stuff! They should bring a good song!

And so they did and delivered us a good song, with good verses and a wonderful chorus in Azerbaijani.

The only problem is that the chorus is much better than the verses and if the song was entirely in Azerbaijani, it would've been a banger. Unfortunately, it's just good.

Vote: great job, Azerbaijan. Next time, ditch English entirely

__________

BELGIUM

"Are you still playing the game?" If you mean The Game, I think we all lost it.

Vote: +1 for the power move of making everyone lose The Game

__________

CROATIA

As soon as I started listening to it, I was assaulted by a sick rhythm. Then by a guy who tells me he's a big boy. Then by his anxiety. Then by more sick rhythm.

Then by what is probably the greatest line ever said in the history of music:

One last thing: the singer's name is Baby Lasagna. Baby Lasagna. He's speaking to my Italian heart and, even more importantly, to my Italian stomach.

And you know me, I'm a simple Italian: food is mentioned, I vibe.

Vote: my cats will vote for him

__________

CYPRUS

Oh no, please help this young lady! She forgot she's from Cyprus and she should send sick bops in Greek!

Vote: it's not a bad song at all. It's just not Cyprus-worthy

__________

CZECHIA

Oh, sorry, I didn't know this was a therapy session. I'll wait in the hall.

Vote: it's not bad, it's just... nope

__________

DENMARK

After a lot of disappointing years, finally Denmark brought a great song! The singer is good, the rhythm is good and it deserves a place in the final.

Vote: it's not in Danish, but we can't have everything

__________

ESTONIA

This song is an instant favorite. Native language, sick rhythm, adorable weirdos, all in one package.

And let me repeat that: Estonian! Beautiful Estonian language! It was such a wonderful surprise to listen to it! I literally stopped what I was doing and perked my ears because mmmh, it sounds like Finnish, but it's not exactly Finnish... what's that? And it was Estonian.

I am in love <3

Vote: pure Moldovian spirit in Estonia? I approve.

__________

FINLAND

So, let's recap:

we have a singer named Windows95man.

He wears a blurred Windows logo and no pants.

He comes out from an egg made of jeans.

The other singer isn't always in tune and he's dressed in pieces of jeans that make him look like a paperman.

He has the balls to ask if there's anything wrong with how he dresses.

The song screams of the 90s.

And then, during the performance, a pair of shorts literally fell from the sky.

With fire.

If that's not pure Eurovision, I don't know what it is.

(And before you ask: of course they cannot use Finnish, only Käärijä can and only the next Käärijä will be allowed to use it.)

Vote: Even if Finland sent the worst, most boring singer ever, for this year I would've given it a free pass. But Finns are such bosses, they decided to send this. Respect only

__________

FRANCE

And here on the right, you can see the French Frenching harder than ever.

Vote: a song named "Mon Amour". Seriously. Seriously. What will be the next one about? La Tour Eiffel? Oh wait, you already did that

__________

GERMANY

I'm mad because I already know this song will get zero points just because "iT's GeRmAnY", even if it's actually good.

Vote: thank you Germany for still sending good songs. You deserve more

__________

GEORGIA

You're "rising from the ashes like a phoenix"? Well, now I remember Conchita Wurst with Rise like a phoenix, which is way way WAY better than this song.

And since Conchita is Austrian, I also remembered the memo we got this year, which is one and one only: WE! WILL! RAVE!

Vote: more rave, less this

__________

GREECE

What? What? What do my ears hear? Greek rhythm? Greek language? And it comes together with a more modern vibe?

See, Greece? SEE? This is how you do things well. This is how you choose a good singer to represent your country. Thank you, Greece, for finally picking someone competent and not the umpteenth child.

Vote: finally, a song Greece-worthy

__________

ICELAND

I don't know why, but this song reminds me of another, more famous song. Can't exactly pinpoint which one, but it's way too familiar and I don't like it.

Vote: as soon as it was over, I forgot it

__________

IRELAND

And here on the left, you can see Ireland coming back to their roots, aka the most insane, batshit crazy stuff they have, stuff that will make you question what the heck happens on that island and if everyone's okay.

Vote: not a favorite, but it's definitely something I've never heard before. So that's a plus

__________

ISRAEL

I still have no idea why Israel is here, but I suppose that some have a free pass for killing innocents.

The singer isn't bad either, but the rhythm keeps reminding me of another, more famous song. Just like Iceland, I don't remember exactly which one, except that the famous one was better.

Vote: you shouldn't even be here

__________

ITALY

I already made a post commenting the Italian songs from this year and told a couple things about Angelina Mango and this song's meaning.

Here I can only reconfirm that this song is still a huge bop, the southern rhythm is still my Roman Empire and we may still have some chances of winning this year's Eurovision.

Vote: her southern accent my beloved

__________

LATVIA

The rhythm isn't so bad, but it's just so. Very. Forgettable.

But hey, I suppose it's good for re-listening, because I listened to it twice and both times it was like listening to it for the first time.

I didn't like it both times, but that's a detail.

Vote: just as forgettable as the Icelandic one

__________

LITHUANIA

You know, I respect Lithuania. Their songs are not my favorite, but they keep using their own beautiful language. Hence why, they deserve a place in the final.

Vote: keep showing us the beautiful Lithuanian language, I believe that one day I will find I song I like

__________

LUXEMBOURG

Do you know what I feared the most this year? That Luxembourg came back after 30 years and the song was shit. That they showed us something stale and boring.

But Luxembourg stepped in like the queen of the party and said: "Please, hold both my French and my English, because I can and I will drop something sick". And so they did.

Amazing rhythm, amazing singer, amazing return.

Vote: Luxembourg is back and wants to win

__________

MALTA

Malta is my personal Sweden. Even when they send a song I don't really like (like this one), it's just weak. I don't remember a song coming from them that I considered truly "bad".

I don't know what kind of sorcery Malta does, but it works on me every year.

Vote: Malta has too much power on me

__________

MOLDOVA

Don't worry, Moldova: you can't always be the best every year. You deserve to relax once in a while and this year you've been covered by a lot of other countries.

Vote: it's not the huge bop you would expect from Moldova, but that's okay. I'll let it pass, because Moldova always does great things for Eurovision

__________

THE NETHERLANDS

This song has a lot of amazing things.

First, the language: thank God, the Netherlands are still sending songs in their native language as it should be. It's beautiful to listen to it and I love to hear words that kinda remind me of both German and English.

Second: despite what it seems, this song isn't a satire/parody of Europe. On the contrary, it's a celebration of how open Europe is and how easy it is to travel without borders.

And it may seem normal for us because we're used to it now, but I visited Albania this January and there were a shit ton of controls and checks to do. While last time I went to Greece, all I had to do was walk down a corridor, show my ID card and everything was fine. The open borders truly are a victory for everyone who likes to travel - and a sign of how much better Europe is. So a song celebrating them is very much appreciated.

Third: the song isn't just about open borders! It's about a man remembering his parents, about how much he still misses them. And it's about his victory. In the end, he's literally telling them: look, dad and mom, I finally made it to Eurovision.

And these soft, wholesome things always get me in my cold heart <3

Vote: top of the final chart, no questions

__________

NORWAY

Let's all thank Norway for bringing the folk theme, along with their beautiful language.

I don't know what happened this year, but we are blessed by so many beautiful languages it truly seems like Eurovision and not Englishvision.

Vote: a bit too many screams, but I appreciate the enthusiasm of speaking in your native language

__________

POLAND

Poland learned from last year and instead of bringing another ball of nothing, they brought a song more fitting for their vibes.

It's in English tho, and that's very sad because Polish is a nice language. But at least the singer is good and in tune.

Vote: She built the tower. If it's the one from Stephen King's series, then we should have a chat

__________

PORTUGAL

Portugal did a miracle last year, by bringing a song I actually liked. So in order to be coherent, this year they brought another boring, forgettable song.

Vote: nothing good lasts forever

__________

SAN MARINO

Don't worry, people, San Marino will bring all the party vibes we need. It will take them some time to come, because they took a detour to Spain, but the vibes are still great.

Vote: maybe this year they won't be the usual traitors and give us 12 points

__________

SERBIA

Serbian lyrics? Yes, please!

And even if this song has some ballad vibes, it's not the umpteenth boring ballad. It's a very nice, soft song and the singer's voice is good too.

Vote: great job, Serbia

__________

SLOVENIA

A song in Slovenian? We stan! We all stan!

I'm not sure I like the "rrruaph!" sound, but the use of a native language and the dark vibes are very appreciated.

Vote: all these countries are spoiling us with their beautiful languages and I'm here for it

__________

SPAIN

Spain rarely disappoints and once again they proved it: instead of bringing the umpteenth young gal, this year they chose a more mature singer and not only she has a wonderful angelic voice, but she sings in sexy Spanish and her song is perfect dance material.

Vote: We're all zorras

__________

SWEDEN

Since Sweden refuses to bring something else besides the same generic pop music in English, I want to start a new trend: the Swedish Suggestion Box. Here we can all suggest much more interesting Swedish songs (or artists!). There's only one rule: they shouldn't be boring, nor generic stuff you can hear on the radio 24/7.

This year, I would like to suggest Nanne Grönvall: she's a pop singer, but she mostly sings in Swedish. I particularly recommend the songs Håll om mig, Den Vilda, and Vi är dom tuffaste.

If you have other Swedish artists or songs worthy of attention, please recommend them in the comments/reblogs! Even if the songs are in English, they're still fine! As I said, the only rule is that it shouldn't be generic and boring.

And I know Sweeden can do better than generic and boring.

Vote: Suggestions are open!

__________

SWITZERLAND

Switzerland is my second Sweden: even if other people might hate the songs it brings, I've rarely hated something coming from it. And if I did, it was with fiery passion. Yes, I'm looking at you, devastatingly boring 2022's entry.

So I'm very happy that this year we can all agree this is a great song, because wow. WOW. Mixing electropop with opera singing made something truly amazing to listen to and I can't wait to see if the singer manages to do it live. If he can, it will be magnificent.

Vote: fine, Switzerland, I'll forgive you for the 2022's entry. But only if you keep sending amazing stuff like this

__________

UKRAINE

Ukraine = quality and no one can deny it. I'm not a huge fan of this mix rap/Ukrainian rhythm they have been brought in these last years, but as long as I can listen to some nice Ukrainian language and some new vibes, I am all for it.

Vote: thank you, Ukraine, for always bringing amazing stuff

__________

UNITED KINGDOM

And here it is: the only country (with Ireland) that is legally allowed to use English in a song. Even if I dream that, one day, the UK will send a song in French and blow up the entirety of Europe.

The song per se isn't bad: very 90s' vibes, very dancey. But if I have to choose something with 90s vibes, I prefer the rave.

Vote: not bad UK, but could be better

[samueldays]

Two hundred thousand pounds a year to be Company Priest

Nice gig, if you can get it.

I go on sometimes about the Peace and Truce of Westphalia, the big European religious peace arrangement from 1648 where the Catholics would have Catholic countries, and the Protestants would have Protestant countries, and they had a mutual agreement to stop trying to compel each other to convert, which laid the foundation for later "secularism", whatever that is, because I have growing doubts about that word.

Individual countries (and some sub-country units) still had state religions and might even be theocratic, which is an important piece of understanding what kind of religious truce it was. Roman Catholicism was the rule in Austria, while Sweden had Lutheran Protestantism as its state religion, but the Peace of Westphalia established an arrangement where Austria would not try to invade Sweden to change Sweden's state religion, or vice versa.

The First Amendment operated similarly in America a century later. The individual states could have state churches, and several of them did, but the Federal government was supposed to stay out. This was a truce and a compromise to reduce fighting by having there be multiple small 'prizes' rather than an existential fight for the single big 'prize' of capturing the central government.

Later, there was a rise in "secularism", and a lot of very clever abstract thinkers looked at an ad hoc compromise signed in blood, and decided they wanted to make a generalized universal principle out of it. 'European countries and American states should be secular too! For that matter, individual companies also should be secular - enforced by state power if necessary! Abolish the state churches! No more religious discrimination in the workplace!'

(I feel like this is a repeating problem: abstract thinkers trying to make contingent agreements into universal principles and overreaching, but that's another essay.)

The major churches mostly agreed and complied with the truce, with some foot-dragging, and gradually settled down in the hope of a peaceful new era and doing missionary work by reason instead of the sword, which was a lot less risky for everyone involved. Even if it was tempting for a church to [re]capture the state and simply order everyone to praise Jesus while helping itself to tax money and organizational power.

And then this happens. A "Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer" is a Company Priest for a sort of nontheistic religion that is capturing the state and breaking the truce. It names itself 'antidiscrimination' in order to cover the very discriminatory practice of requiring it be taught to nonbelievers in schools, funded by the state, enforced at companies, and demanding important people sign affirmations of faith commitments to diversity. It is not a formalized religion - formalization would break its cover - but it is a particular religion with beliefs, creeds, and moral demands (particularly racial quotas) that are not merely the neutral "secularism" of keeping Protestants and Catholics from fighting. Its restrictions on "hate speech" and "hate facts" amount to nontheistic blasphemy laws.

This is not a novel thought, but sometimes I see a striking illustration of it like the exchange above, and I'm torn:

Part of me says that maybe someone could patch up the edges of "secularism", perhaps expand the definition of "religion", name the Name-Eating Thing as a religion to be kept away from government, or ban ideology from government (lol) and do classical liberalism better by preventing it from decaying into...this. The free market is the best cure for bigotry; Diversity Officers are useless wastes at best and bigots themselves at worst.

Part of me says that classical liberalism was always going to lead here via modern liberalism and leftism, and I should shed my lingering qualms about supporting a coercive state church, because evidently there is no alternative. There will be Company Priests, and given that fact, it is best the Company Priests be Christian not heathen. What looked like growing secularism was in retrospect a transitional period, not a condition that can be sustained in its own right.

[befehlvonganzunten]

Final thoughts on the Grand Final before I'll shut up about Eurovision for the rest of the year...

The Show

Gotta admit that I didn’t like it because I was hoping they’d be doing more to celebrate Ukraine since they actually won last year. It felt more like the Big UK Show and… yeah, that’s defo not what I tuned in for.

The Jury Votes

I do not understand how a small group of so-called experts can have so much power over the results. It shouldn’t be like that at all. Also: letting the juries place their votes before the actual final makes no sense to me. They should have to place their votes based on the actual final performance. Anything else is just bullshit.

The Official Winner

No surprise here, which is probably what disappointed me the most. I don’t think "Tattoo" is a bad song. It’s just one of those ESC entries that were purely designed to please the juries and I'm sorry, but Sweden does this pretty much every year and I’m tired of it. Like, maybe sticking to more or less the exact same formula for nearly a decade really is the key to success, but it’s also incredibly lazy imo.

I actually feel bad for Loreen, though, because none of this is her fault. Käärijä was clearly the public’s favorite and to know that you only won thanks to the juries who are famously - and rightfully - hated by the public must sting at least a little bit. (Sweden winning right on time for the ABBA anniversary thingy also seems suspiciously convenient, but I don't have the time or energy to go and make assumptions.)

The Real Winner

It’s the boy from Vantaa who cha cha cha’d too close to the sun. (Seriously, though: check out his other songs, he’s really good. And check out Finland, too! It's a beautiful country full of beautiful people who deserve way more credit than they usually get.) This dude has brought me such joy over the past few weeks, I'm genuinely heartbroken over the results. He and his team did their very best, but apparently the juries have zero tolerance for out-of-the-box thinking.

Käärijä won the public vote by a landslide and at the end of the day, that’s the only thing that truly matters, but still. Despite Ukraine’s win last year, rap is still painfully underrepresented in the contests and that’s a shame if you ask me. Like, there’s only so much jury-friendly pop I can take before my brain shuts off automatically.

Who Else Was Robbed

Austria, Moldova, LATVIA, and - and I can’t believe I’m actually writing this because I’m basically conditioned to hate my home country’s entries no matter what - Germany. I didn’t like "Blood & Glitter" as a song choice at all, but the stage-performance was solid. (Welp, at least we didn’t receive zero points this time.)

In Conclusion

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I do believe that Eurovision is completely ridiculous, but it’s also a great opportunity to explore European music and to get together with your friends and collectively yell at the TV in the middle of the night, which is always fun I guess. I had a lot of issues with this year's contest, so here’s hoping that the next one will be better and - most importantly - less predictable.

[gaymer-hag-stan]

Liverpool 2023 Eurovision Grand Final Thoughts

1. Austria 🇦🇹 - Teya & Salena - Who the Hell Is Edgar? - Ok, I knew they were gonna do worse than projected on the odds but I still thought they were better than in the Semi Final and that the televote would carry them a bit harder but it seems not. The fact that the jury hard carried them more than the public is outrageous tbh.

2. Portugal 🇵🇹 - Mimicat - Ai coração - Oof, not bottom five, come on! She was amazing but I guess the running order screwed her over a bit.

3. Switzerland 🇨🇭 - Remo Forrer - Watergun - Yeah about what I expected.

4. Poland 🇵🇱 - Blanka - Solo - Blanka coming EIGHTH on the televote was kind of a power move, I'm sorry. I guess crying about her too much on the internet and memeing her pronunciation of BEJBAH to hell and back worked wonders for her lmao.

5. Serbia 🇷🇸 - Luke Black - Samo mi se spava - Nooo Luke...! Overall yes, it wasn't as impactful as the semi final but I think Luke's act is "too much" for some people on first watch so maybe those who never watched the semis or any performances or listened to the song before the Final were taken aback by it. A pity.

6. France 🇫🇷 - La Zarra - Évidemment - Whooo girl... Listen, her staging was a MESS and I think that maybe her fearing for her life affected her vocals a bit. She was arguably much better than the semi final jury show but it seems it still wasn't enough. I wasn't as mesmerized by her as I hoped it would be. Song-wise, Évidemment is still among my favourites of the year but performance-wise it wasn't as show-stopping.

7. Cyprus 🇨🇾 - Andrew Lambrou - Break a Broken Heart - Okay, king and his gun show did it honestly. I feared he would get a lot more screwed over by Remo but he prevailed and I'm glad! He almost made tenth spot on the televoting, Albina and her Familja beat him by just one point, and on the juries he was behind Brunette by just one point too! Literally if our (Greece's) jury wasn't screwing around he would have made the final top ten! I don't understand the reasoning but this screams "we didn't make it so we're gonna screw over Cyprus too since they're not winning anyway" or that we tried to show Europe that we don't always give 12 points to Cyprus xD

8. Spain 🇪🇸 - Blanca Paloma - Eaea - Guys. Guys. Be very serious, what the hell happened here??? Yes, there was a very big chance the televoting woul not like her performance; this is a very unique and "out there" perfroamce which, like Luke's, possibly even more so, on first look can be unsettling, in a way. Ever since she won Benidorm, people across Europe were literally either ranking her in their top three favourites or their worst five of the entire year, out of all 37 entries! There was no middle ground with Eaea, I just hoped the ones who loved it would overpower those who didn't. But the juries??? What the hell??? She didn't miss a single note, she was ON POINT the entire time. Her performance was artistic and she definitely sang better than Loreen but, ESPECIALLY Noa! I know the juries punish any cultural elements but was the flamenco style so appalling to them??? This was the biggest crime of the year, honestly.

9. Sweden 🇸🇪 - Loreen - Tattoo - I don't wanna hear any complaints. Her song is radio friendly but it's not basic. We knew she was gonna win the juries, we knew it since day one, and we knew she was probably gonna win the whole thing, unless someone placed second on both the juries and the televoting and ended up overtaking both her and Käärijä but that didn't happen (it should have been Spain) so her win was guaranteed. She did sing better in the semi, and her staging I feel was not as interesting as Euphoria, but this is still very much a deserved win. Stop crying. She's the first woman to win the Contest twice and the second person ever, in general. Don't delude yourself into thinking no one will remember her or shit like that I keep seeing posted on this terminally online community, she is a legend. Go outside, breathe some fresh air and use your one (1) remaining brain cell for once.

10. Albania 🇦🇱 - Albina and Familja Kelmendi - Duje - The Albanian Kardashians coming TENTH on the televote was this year's biggest surprise! Yes, it was pretty close so, just as easily as they came 10th they could have just as easily come 15th if a few countries had given them one or two points less. But what matters is that the televoting resonated with a strong Balkan and ethnic sound and identity and I wish the rest of the Balkans like Greece or Serbia would maybe reconsider incorporating their own local flavour again. I don't care what language they sing in, someone should cut the "Don't sing in English" crowd's access to the internet, permanently, but in terms of overall sound and identity I wish to see more of it, from everyone, not just the Balkans.

11. Italy 🇮🇹 - Marco Mengoni - Due vite - I get the jury votes, he had possibly the best vocal performance last night, or at least among the best, but I was surprised by his televote score?? He got a LOT of points, all of the first seven acts on the televote ranking (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Israel, Italy & Croatia) did, it wasn't just that he happened to land on that spot because all the acts above him got all the points, like it is the case with the rest of the scoreboard below Croatia. A lot of people said Tattoo is Euphoria 2.0, but I think this is a lot more applicable in Marco's case. The song is literally the same as L'essenziale, and neither of these songs are particularly interesting so I don't see how he did as good as he did. And don't mistake this for me disliking his act, Marco did perform great and I do like the song but, for a TV show contest this was way too bland, sorry.

12. Estonia 🇪🇪 - Alika - Bridges - See here? This makes sense. Alika gave an amazing performance, she sounded even better than the semi, and she was exclusively carried by the juries, the public only gave her 22pts. Good for her, she deserved it though, again this is not me dismissing the sad slow acts but they are not as exciting for a TV show, and Eurovision is not The Voice, it is a TV show.

13. Finland 🇫🇮 - Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha - Käärijä got fan favourite, as he was expected to, but no this had no chances of winning. Ever. He still did overwhelmingly well, he got a 60% average overall score, which is great, and he will be forever be remebered as a legendary act. That is enough, that's what this particular performance was meant to achieve. You can all chill, or rather, you should all chill. The juries were even way too kind on him. Fourth with shaky vocals like that and an overall very unhinged song and performance, is much better than expected. I thought they were gonna go Moldova 2022 on him. But they didn't, but also, to be fair on him, his vocal performance was considerably better than the semi.

14. Czechia 🇨🇿 - Vesna - My Sister's Crown - YES girls! They made it to the top ten. I'm so happy for them.

15. Australia 🇦🇺 - Voyager - Promise - I don't know why this did as well as it did? I'm not mad, I'm just surprised, they apparently even won their semi final too! What's, again, very surprising, is that they got actually hard carried by the juries... The public only gave them 21 points. See why the juries are necessary my dear idiots? Supposed fan favourites Voyager got 130 points from the evil juries but only 21 from the public.

16. Belgium 🇧🇪 - Gustaph - Because of You - YES Gustaph, YES! So happy for him making the top ten. I liked his song since day one, but I only fell in love with his performance last night. Bravo king.

17. Armenia 🇦🇲 - Brunette - Future Lover - I think she did very well, They fixed the smoke effect too, her performance was pretty solid and she did okay.

18. Moldova 🇲🇩 - Pasha Parfeni - Soarele și luna - Okay, Pasha was actually screwed over by the juries placing him 20th, but while the public did place him 9th, he still only got 76 points. With Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ukraine, Israel, Italy and Croatia hogging all the televote points, literally no points were left for anyone else, so if the juries didn't love them they were practically doomed. And the juries likewise only cared about 7 acts so Pasha tanked.

19. Ukraine 🇺🇦 - TVORCHI - Heart of Steel - A very commendable performance and an overall good placing. I believe they made Ukrainians proud, Ukraine knows how to work a stage, whatever they try so it was expected. Plus, I think being the only song with R&B vibes last night might have helped.

20. Norway 🇳🇴 - Alessandra - Queen of Kings - Her vocals were still shaky and I still can't get out of my mind how much better she performed at UMK but she still did good and the public ate her up so I think this was also a very good placing.

21. Germany 🇩🇪 - Lord of the Lost - Blood & Glitter - Germany really can't get out of the depths of hell unless it's Lena or Michael Schulte huh? I did expect them to do worse than all the Big 5 but I thought they'd at least be mid to low table? Their performance was really good too, they deserved more

22. Lithuania 🇱🇹 - Monika Linkytė - Stay - YES! My girl got 11th! That's much better than i thought she would get and I'm so happy! 

23. Israel 🇮🇱 - Noa Kirel - Unicorn - How the hell did Noa come third honestly xD Like, okay, I get the public points; even if the song was trash and the lyrics and unicorn hand gesture were a cringe fest, that dance break alone hard carried her but why the fuck did the juries got her 3rd place as well??? She was only singing good when stationary, the moment she started moving about she immediately went off key. How and why did the juries appreciate her vocal performance more than Italy's, Estonia's Spain's, Czechia's, Lithuania's, or Switzerland's who were all not once off-key during their performances??? This is genuinely puzzling and a huge inconsistency in the way the juries voted... Good for her anyway, I'm just still puzzled as to how she got such good scores from the juries, this makes no sense to me whatsoever.

24. Slovenia 🇸🇮 - Joker Out - Carpe Diem - Okay-ish boy band with an okay-ish performance did okay-ish. Nothing unexpected here.

25. Croatia 🇭🇷 - Let 3 - Mama ŠČ! - The public straight up ate them up! I'm so happy for them, because they still did good despite the juries', expected, butchering. This is how you do an anti-war song Switzerland!

26. United Kingdom 🇬🇧 - Mae Muller - I Wrote a Song - Whooo girl! Not second to last again! Her performance was not it, sure, but I still thought she miiiiight have done a teensy bit better.

[because-its-eurovision]

how do you feel about the running order for the final?

Alright, let's see!

Austria isn't winning, but could pretty easily make it to top-10 still imo. I personally would have swapped Austria's and Poland's places.

Three red and black stagings back-to-back in the beginning

Switzerland is surprisingly early, but I still believe he'll enjoy large jury support

Poland is summery and cheery between two serious boys, good place for them although still very early in the running order

France is practically performing too early to win the televote but I believe juries will love La Zarra more, especially if she nails the big note

Spain and Sweden back to back is an interesting choice. Two female singers with powerful vocals and songs and impressive stagings, both most likely fitting the jury taste. Is this gonna hurt their chances?

There's gonna be a longer pause before Sweden at least. The producers gave Loreen way earlier spot than I would have expected.

The producers are clearly Finland fans. Finland not only got the best possible place on their half a.k.a. the latest possible, but there are also three ballads in a row before them. I believe Käärijä is winning the televote. The only way to rig this more for Finland would've been to put Loreen even earlier in the running order, but that would have been too obvious. This is our shot to win.

I'm afraid Czechia will drown between Finland and Australia, and those two might also have similar-ish audience.

Moldova will be nice, fresh and simple between two big modern songs.

Lovely late spots for Norway and Germany, they're both probably gonna do really well in the televote.

Israel sandwiched between Lithuania and Slovenia, good for them all.

Also small Balkan countries Slovenia and Croatia so late in the running order, we love to see it <3

Croatia is gonna have huge televote support. UK might benefit from the last place and being refreshingly normal after Croatia, also Mae's vocals might sound better than they are compared to Let 3's.

Bonus: great gag to start the contest with "oh my god, you're such a good writer" and end it with "instead I wrote a song"

Some statistics about the running order below 👇

SInce 2009 when the 50/50 jury/tele system come to use, no one has won performing earlier than 10th. In fact, nobody has won the contest performing earlier than 10th in 20 years, when Turkey performed 4th in 2003.

2009: Norway performed 20th 2010: Germany performed 23rd 2011: Azerbaijan performed 19th (jury winner Italy performed 12th) 2012: Sweden performed 17th 2013: Denmark performed 18th 2014: Austria performed 11th 2015: Sweden performed 10th (tele winner Italy performed 27th, last) 2016: Ukraine performed 21st (tele winner Russia performed 18th, jury winner Australia performed 13th) 2017: Portugal performed 11th 2018: Israel performed 22nd (jury winner Austria performed 5th) 2019: Netherlands performed 12th (jury winner North Macedonia performed 8th, tele winner Norway performed 15th) 2021: Italy performed 24th (jury winner Switzerland performed 11th) 2022: Ukraine performed 12th (jury winner United Kingdom performed 22nd)

Juries are clearly less affected by the running order than televoters, so Sweden is still headed to win the whole thing. I believe Loreen will get enough jury support to win the contest (maybe 300 points from the jury and 200 from the televote), but giving her an earlier spot in the running order definitely evens out the competition and makes it more exciting.

[kalashni-cola]

Lets go..

@Shithead... no that's not right, @usefulidiot? Eeeeeeh @jamielovesjam since I have to.

Where to start..

Age of majority

The age of majority refers to the age at which an individual will be legally considered an adult. It is the age at which one will be subject to the full legal rights and responsibilities of an adult, including the right to vote, the right to join the military or the right to sign a contract. After reaching the age of majority, one will become fully responsible for their own actions, contractual obligations and other undertakings. Parental duties of support will also cease.  It is important to note that the age of majority does not necessarily conflate with the drinking age, smoking age, driving age, voting age, age of sexual consent, marriageable age etc. These will also vary from state by state and country by country. United States: 18/19/21* Netherlands: 18 United Kingdom: 21 Austria: 19 Sweden: 18 Canada: 18/19* Australia: 18 Switzerland: 20 Germany: 18 Japan: 18 France: 21 Belgium: 18 (Countries based on stupid purple circle graph by the US. SG office) (**Alabama and Mississippi being weird and some Canadian territories) The age of majority is 18 years in almost all OECD countries (Table PF1.8 A). (That's a official pdf) https://www.oecd.org/ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Oh and yes I did spell that right. They can't get their copyright right yeesh)

General consensus among most people is that at 18 you are an adult, Uncle Sam says you're old enough to be drafted at 18. The World Health Organization is a United Nations political tool that does not have a great track record at all. The UN/WHO have no say in US politics or policies at the end of the day.

Relative frequencies are often used to inform the general population instead of experts and they have some advantages for this use case:

relative frequencies always allow for integers instead of fractions, which is useful if the variable of interest only makes sense in integer format (e.g. 0.5 out of 100 humans or 0.3 out of 100 births is not helpful). If the occurrence is very low (say 1 in a million), percentages are also not pretty (0.0001%)

relative frequencies might be easier to visualize: 1 in 10 may make us think of 10 people we know; 10% is rather abstract. As Greg Snow pointed out, relative frequencies have a relation to the real world. If 100 000 people live in my city, 85/100 000 is easier to grasp.

there is actually also scientific theory about this, the "frequency format hypothesis": "The frequency format hypothesis is the idea that the brain understands and processes information better when presented in frequency formats rather than a numerical or probability format." (from Wikipedia)

and, finally, percentages are sometimes given without a reference class (% of what?)

So when you proclaim 36.4 per 1m with your purple graph, that's 0.00364% chance of death between your chosen demographic.

0.00364%* 1 in 15,300 people has a better chance of getting hit by lighting. (according to News Nation) That's 0.00653%**

See, pretty interesting how its not much of a difference in percentages but the numbers are widely different.

(I'll add the source of that 36.4 per 1m here (at least the Office of the USSG spelled the organization correctly, I'll give them that.)

I mean there is also the whole PDF by them.. You know so people can read the whole thing on which this data pieced from. before we dig into that PDF, lets go to the Unified Crime Report (UCR) from the FBI, our favorite Table 8.

I want to you look at these numbers carefully. Total homicides for 2019, 13,927 - The FBI include suicides in these statistics for the UCR, as suicide is typically recorded as a homicide/murder. Lets go over to the mess I like to call the "Crime Data Explorer", this is the new administration trying to be edgy for no reason with their data. Data set to the same year 2019.

That's 6,618 uses of weapons in a homicide. A little different than the 13,927 from the UCR. Lets go over to Table 9 You might like this because of the age brackets. Important to note we're still at 13,927 victims.

669 victims of homicide under the age of 18, and if you want to be semantic, 1,462 deaths of 19 and under. Some would think "Wow that's a big leap!" 17-19 account for a massive jump from 270 to 1,042. Most can and would attribute that to gang violence. Now lets jump to the new CDE.

1,048 victims 19 and below. Pretty close but no cigar to the UCR this time. Wondering where I'm going with this ey? Well there hasn't been a new UCR out since 2019. And quiet frankly the CDE is horrible to interact with and considering the variables I've found in it, I'd find them not very accurate. But if I would..

If we believe the CDE trend wise homicide is down, minus since 2020 its spiked a really shitty border might be a reason for that but I digress. (that means gun violence is as well by the way but otherwise down.) And if we want to look at 2022;

That's one hell of a jump if you ask me but also closer to the old UCR data though mildly increased. So in comparison the CDE does not have a good breakdown of their data into tables like the UCR. So all in all, I'd love to know where "48,204 total people died from firearm‑related injuries, including suicides, homicides, and unintentional deaths." As the PDF graphs you've give me to read. (Their number 2 source doesn't give the data they used for that quote btw) Because if they're trying to include suicides say from AFSP the say there were 27,032 suicides by firearms in 2022, but that doesn't stack well when there are suicides reported with homicide numbers in the UCR. So be it as it may. I see your PDF and I would trash it, even if it had some interesting tidbits like this;

I'd say Gang related or socioeconomic conditions may have something to do with this in urban centers and it's not necessarily a firearm issue. But anyways. Your tags are lame and there is no "etiquette of tags" on Tumblr reblogs. I tag things when they have relevance so I can find them later, or an initial post. Suck on my tags as they say.

[realhousewives-fan]

Post-Eurovision Depression Kicked in

Well, my apology for the delay on my blog here. 

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you might be familiar with my obsession with Eurovision Song Contest.

It was difficult to find the time to watch any Bravo content the last couple of weeks, because… if you know, you know. 

Eurovision is an all-consuming party.

It’s not that I don’t care about all the twists and turns of Scandoval, or Real Housewives, but I’ve got bigger obsessions in May.

The semi-finals and the final were last week and I’m still trying to process it all. And, frankly, the Post-Eurovision Depression has started.

If my favourite had won, I might have handled the transitioning better. But he didn’t. So, I’ve been obsessing over other Twitter-content than Bravo stuff.

Like, fanfiction. And getting lost in conspiracy theories. Like, how convenient it is that it’s ABBA’s 50th anniversary next year and Sweden is hosting the competition.

Käärijä was supposed to win Eurovision Song Contest of 2023 and I will never get over the disappointment of the juries!

It felt like the song contest was ruined by favouritism. The crowd was screaming “Cha Cha Cha”! He was the public’s favourite, but his victory was robbed by snobbish juries.

This has happened before, with KEiiNO in 2019. The juries butchered their votes, so they finished 6th, even with an enormous number of votes from the public.

So, I don’t care. I won’t listen to the winning song. It won’t exist in my world. 

I’m waiting for Käärijä to announce a tour in Scandinavia and for him to launch some merchandise. I’m definitely painting my nails green!

But that wasn’t the only shock of 2023. Like, what the fuck happened to Austria?! And don’t get me started on United Kingdom and Germany!

There’s so much to process after this year. I’ve been spoiled with my favourites winning the last couple of years.

Måneskin and Kalush Orchestra have been worthy winners. But this year hurt me. I’ve forgotten how heartbroken I can get over this competition.

But I will start watching Bravo again now.

[potatotalksculture]

Potato Tweet: Sooooo I’ve watched ESC yesterday and, as per usual, it was an evening full of surprises.

The very first surprise was that only a few performances (Poland, Cyprus and UK) we’re, in my opinion, just bad. Every other performance varied from “meh, not so bad” (Austria) through “I don’t like it but I can see other people liking it” (Croatia, Ukrain) to “that’s really good” (Portugal, Estonia) and “amazing, I wanna hear more” (Italy, Germany). (Just to name some examples.)

Another surprise came crushing in, as Israel started getting tons of jury points. The juries are always unpredictable to me. I do not understand how do they decide about their points. But Israel wasn’t the best vocal or musical performance, the directing and visuals were meh and the song in general was meh. So what did people like? The pretty girl? Probably… (I am consciously putting the political aspect of the whole Israel aside.)

The public votes were a bit less surprising except for… Germany. They were objectively not the worst performers. They did not deserve to rank last. UK and/or Poland should have taken the last place. Germany should have been, in my humble opinion, at least somewhere in the upper half of the ranking. Is it the politics barging into the heads of juries and the public? Is it “WW2. Germany bad” and “Germany in the UE too strong? Can’t let them win ESC, too”? Like, why? Lord of the Lost was far better than the worst.

The last surprise was the winner. The massive amount of public votes awarded to Finnland and their whimsical performance have brought me joy. The final win of Sweden crushed my good mood. And it’s not because I think she was bad. She wasn’t. She was good. To me, she was ok. Not my taste. What was really good about her performance was the illusion of her lifting up the top part of the scenography during her performance. The part played over and over again during the throw backs. I though her singing was good, but not as good as Portugal or Estonia. Her consciously subsided stage presence was underwhelming, cuz I’ve seen it done oh so many times. Am I being extra critical towards her? Yes. But she has won and that is a reason to look closer at her performance.

Oh! And she only has glitter on her nails, which, in my humble opinion, should be a valid reason to not win. ESC is about glitter, pyrotechnics, disconcerting artsy sets (looking at you, Serbia) - everything that makes a show.

To finish this post/tweet of, here are some honorable mentions:

Portugal for the expression, the voice and the dress.

Italy for the PR smartness in catching the attention of straight women in their postcard and then emanating vulnerable queerness in the performance. Also for the singing.

Estonia for the amazing voice that really stood out among the mediocre set and directing.

Australia for the expression, working the camera and the guitar player who looked like a lesbian from the 80s who’s playing gigs to collect money for taking care of HIV-infected gay friends.

Norway for growing on me after every throw back. Totally not my music taste, but I’d watch it again.

Czechia for representing eastern feminism.

Spain, Moldova and Albania for connecting with their cultural heritage. I’d also love to go to a grill party with this Albanian family.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alex Abad-Santos at Vox:

For taxonomic purposes, Eurovision is an international song contest. Technically, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) created the event in 1956 to foster post-WWII European unity, but has largely expanded beyond that function and Europe itself, with countries like Australia and Israel participating. The closest reference point for people in the US is American Idol, the extremely popular reality television singing contest that once crowned national treasure Kelly Clarkson. Think: polarizing and sometimes very disparate musical acts from each represented country, a public vote, and a night of live performances, but with the added elements like spooky Austrian comedy and whispers of a rigged vote for Sweden. Is there any better way to symbolically present peace than getting in costume and singing a silly pop song in a lighthearted musical competition? What if I told you that there is no prize money for the winning country’s band — only bragging rights, a trophy, and national hosting duties for the next Eurovision?

There is absolutely nothing like Eurovision. With nothing and seemingly everything on the line, Eurovision has become an international spectacle, perhaps the international spectacle aside from the Olympics. It’s a fantasy that both undergirds and undermines everything you think you know about Europe and pop music. But as we gear up for another chapter of ostentatious music acts sing-fighting for zero money, the biggest story heading into this week’s (May 7 to May 11) contest in Malmo, Sweden, threatens that escapist reputation. Protests over Israel’s participation have punctuated the lead-up to the event, with activists asserting that Israel should be barred, given its military assault in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands. It’s far from the first time that politics and war have made their mark on the proceedings, but now Eurovision faces a huge question over its existence, its history, and who is and isn’t allowed to take part in a competition that’s supposed to really be about European novelty.

Eurovision can’t be replicated

Eurovision usually bends toward more conventional, meaningful winners like last year’s Loreen (who has won twice), 2016’s Jamala, and 2021’s Måneskin. ABBA and Celine Dion have also won the competition, and are its most famous alums. This year the UK’s Olly Alexander, from the successful pop band Years & Years, seems like a ringer. But the winners only tell part of Eurovision’s story. Eurovision can feel vaguely psychedelic, which is what makes it a joy to behold. And the contest is at its best when it leans into unmitigated absurdity and the unexpected. Take, for example, Austria’s 2023 entry: “Who the Hell is Edgar?” by Teya & Salena. The female duo met on Starmania, a talent show in their native country, and wrote “Who The Hell is Edgar?” to address “an industry that all too often doesn’t give women enough credit for their hard work and expertise,” according to the official Eurovision website. [...]

How Eurovision winners are crowned

As my colleague Zack Beauchamp has previously detailed, voting is split between a popular call-in vote from the public and a jury that consists of music industry professionals from each participating country. Thirty-seven participants will compete in semifinal rounds — beginning on May 7 — in hopes of qualifying for one of the 26 total spots in the grand final on May 11.

Jury voting is like Olympic judging, with each country giving out a maximum of 12 points (and all the way down to one) to the twelve best of the night in the grand finale. Sometimes, the jury vote — the vote from music professionals — doesn’t exactly coincide with the televote. Last year, the judges picked Loreen from Sweden’s “Tattoo”, while the public selected Käärijä from Finland’s “Cha Cha Cha” as the best of the night. The jury placed Finland fourth, which spawned a conspiracy theory about rigging Sweden’s win so the country could host in 2024, the 50th anniversary of when ABBA won. The low-ish stakes make for a fun bit of drama, but the disconnect between the jury and the popular vote has led to questions about why the jury votes have as much sway as the millions of calls coming through. Perhaps they shouldn’t; the winner would likely be a little more out of the box if the more conventional jury votes didn’t carry equal weight.

Sweden’s alleged rigging is also not unlike some previous bits of Eurovision history, like the time Switzerland picked noted Canadian Céline Dion to represent the famously neutral country in 1988. Rules at the time did not specify that a singer had to be born in the country they represented, and Dion was a burgeoning star internationally. Dion, of course, won the whole thing. That said, while Eurovision is a “competition” and a winner is crowned, megastars like ABBA and Dion are exceptional exceptions of Eurovision victors. Eurovision winners don’t usually become worldwide superstars. The list of winners — 1982’s Nicole? 2002’s Marie N? 2006’s Lordi — are probably blue Wikipedia links for normies. That should underscore the idea that Eurovision is really about the entertainment of the night, the stunts, the scintillating swing for the fences, rather than the actual score. [...]

Can Eurovision still be fun this year if the biggest story about Eurovision is Israel-Palestine?

Ahead of the competition in Malmo, the lead-up to Eurovision this year has been a series of protests and proposed boycotts against Israel’s participation in this year’s competition. The gist: Israel should not be allowed to participate in Eurovision because of its continued attacks in Gaza. A country at war shouldn’t perform at an event about unity and peace.

The opposition to Israel’s inclusion — Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973 — isn’t without precedent. Critics of Israel’s participation point out that just two years ago, Eurovision disallowed Russia in a similar situation. On February 25, 2022, Eurovision banned Russia a day after its invasion of Ukraine. At the time state broadcasters from participating countries like Iceland, Finland, Norway, and The Netherlands called for Russia’s ban, which the EBU ultimately granted, citing Eurovision’s mission to protect “the values of a cultural competition which promotes international exchange and understanding” and saying that the event “unites Europe on one stage.” Speaking on the ban, Eurovision’s executive supervisor Martin Österdahl said that Russia’s exclusion was a decision about upholding the core values of democracy and human rights core to the event’s spirit. “When we say we are not political, what we always should stand up for are the basic and ultimate values of democracy. Everyone is right to be who they are,” he said in December 2022. Since then, Russia has suspended its EBU membership and has not returned to the competition.

[...] While Curran insists that the contest will be apolitical, its actions might not be interpreted as such. Palestinian flags will not be allowed at the competition nor will any pro-Palestinian symbols or signs referring to Israel and Hamas’s war. The Israeli flag will be allowed because it’s a member state and only participants’ flags are permitted, with the exception being rainbow and LGBTQ flags.

Eurovision is a singing competition that technically supposed to be an apolitical event, but inevitably, politics shows up one way or the other, as we see in jury votes. This year, Ireland’s act was forced to change their pro-Palestine message, and the mere presence of Israel in the competition has caused calls for protests and boycotts.

The winner gets to host the next year’s competition.

See Also:

Vox: Eurovision says it’s “apolitical.” History says otherwise.

[danielfeketewrites]

How Eurovision 2023 Should Have Ended

Well, not quite. I just really want to talk about my favourites.

Because I've been a bit obsessed. This was the first Eurovision I actually watched. I didn't think this would be something for me, but as it turns out - I was wrong! There were so many amazing songs, iconic performance, etc.

The thing is, after re-watching and re-listening a lot of 2023 ESC, I realised that none of MY top 5 actually reached top 5. So that's what I want to share with you today.

But first - honorable mentions (actually turning this top 5 into a top 10)!

10. Lord of the Lost (Germany) - Blood & Glitter

Budget Rammstein is still some amount of Rammstein. These dudes just seem really nice.

9. Mae Muller (UK) - I Wrote a Song

Was she out of breath? Definitely. But still... The song is really catchy and the visual presentation was incredible. Didn't deserve the last place for sure.

8. Loreen (Sweden) - Tattoo

Basically everyone and their mum pointed out already how convenient it is for Eurovision to come back to Sweden for the ABBA anniversary... Still, Loreen has a beautiful voice and this was a solid song.

7. Käärijä (Finland) - Cha Cha Cha

Cha, Cha Cha, Cha Cha Cha Cha!

6. Alessandra (Norway) - Queen of Kings

She was a favourite of a friend of mine and I can really see why. Strong, beautiful voice. Powerful song. Nice performance.

And now, finally, my top 5!

5. Voyager (Australia) - Promise

I... really like this. At a glance this seems like a mix of generic synthpop and genric rock, but that crescendo! It feels so optimistic, so nice and fun. I have no idea why but this song just always puts a big, stupid smile on my face.

4. La Zarra (France) - Évidemment

I feel like instead of bringing generic popsongs, it's always better when Eurovision contestants bring something that feels specifically "of their nation". This is definitely a great example of that. Gotta love La Zarra's voice and presence. She's incredible.

3. Teya & Salena (Austria) - Who The Hell Is Edgar?

This is actually my favourite song of the whole competition. I've listened to it so goddamn much in the past few weeks. Also, I'm in love with Teya. And possibly Salena. They are amazing, incredible, and just overall iconic.

Just the creativity of taking a name of one of the most famous writers on the planet and turning it into... a beat? It's a song about getting possesed by the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, but also about up-and-coming female song writers getting nothing for their work. I love Teya and Salena and I love this goddamn song.

Oh mio padre, there's a ghost in my body!

But, when we're talking performances, there are two that I would rate even higher than that...

2. Pasha Parfeni (Moldova) - Soarele şi Luna

This was where my vote went. I'm not even that into the song, but the performance is... well, spellbinding, really. I don't even know how to explain it. It's really the combination of both that works for me so well, I think.

And finally, my number 1...

Vesna (Czech Republic) - My Sister's Crown

Yeah, they're from my country.

But I genuinely thought they were incredible! An awesome, cool song mixing modern pop with folk music. An amazing, complex choreography. Singing in four languages!

And that's not even taking in account the messaging of the piece. Not just the call for female empowerement. But also the radical, pan-slavic yet anti-russian sentiment. And also - the hands! Specifically, the SOS sign that they are doing. Everything here has layers to peel off.

This was overall an incredible song and performance. Vesna is brilliant. It's a crime they didn't make it ito the actual top 5.

That's it! Those are my favourite performances and songs of Eurovision 2023. What do you think of my takes? Hot? Cold? Shit? Let me know!

Thanks for reading this!

[chrisis-averted]

Eurovision 2023 Personal Opinions

Albania: not my thing but cute, it’s a whole family!

Armenia: first female rap in ESC history, love it!

Australia: fucking BANGER! I l love this!

Austria: ah, yes, this is going to be stuck in my head for several years

Azerbaijan: alright, I get it’s in Liverpool but these guys look and sound like a Beatles cover band

Belgium: could be a Gay Pride anthem but as a song it’s kind of lacking

Croatia: I hated it at first but it grew on me, I find the concept kind of hilarious

Cyprus: genuinely a good melody and voice, not a fan of the lyrics

Czechia: the opposite, I love the lyrics but I can’t bring myself to like the song, the music video creeps me a little

Denmark: why does Walmart Justin Bieber look like a very good looking lesbian?

Estonia: like the song but I feel like it was written for a different voice

Finland: weird enough to be enjoyable

France: it’s sure french, but it has a nice modern beat, feels like the soundtrack of a femme fatale

Georgia: still can’t decide whether I like this or not

Germany: about FUCKING TIME Germany sent a metal song! Can’t wait to see this live!

Greece: he is BABY but his voice doesn’t fit his face, great song tho

Iceland: kind of falls flat after the last couple of years

Ireland: nice pleasant song, but kind of lacks feeling, I’d listen to this in my car

Israel: most dramatic start of this contest, the music is great up the second chorus then it gets worse

Italy: very disappointed, there were much better and unique songs in the contest and the most generic ballad won; by no means a bad song, it’s just something I’ve heard before

Latvia: nice song, depressing lyrics, it reminds me of Death Stranding for some reason

Lithuania: not bad, I’d sing this

Malta: genuinely funny and enjoyable song, also MOOD

Moldova: glad to see the tradition of having an ethnic flute at eurovision isn’t going to break, a genuine ethnic bop

Netherlands: I can hear the Duncan Lawrence influence, nice song and meaning, the harmony is exceptional

Norway: YOU GO QUEEN

Poland: ...she can’t fucking sing and the whole music video is just shots of her ass and boobs, what is going on?

Portugal: ethnic and fun, I don’t think it will be popular but it should

Romania: I’m...not sure what this song wants to be

San Marino: after the last couple years, they kind of fall flat, especially in song meaning, down there with Poland, and they sound like they sing at birthday parties rather than at international competitions

Serbia: keep it weird, guys, I’m absolutely in love with his weird moans

Slovenia: another car trip song, but this one with a flavor of depressing meaning, wow my generation isn’t ok

Spain: I’m glad they tried something different, but it’s really not my thing

Sweden: I love Loreen, but I don’t understand how this is the favorite, it’s not that great a song

Switzerland: currently my favourite, both in melody and meaning, I don’t understand the bad feedback, are people really that petty?

Ukraine: not really my thing, I get they’re the winners but meh

United Kingdom: is the curse broken?? this is genuinely a good bop!