Eurovision Song Contest/Talk

Thank you, whoever did the table -- I was dreading it! But let's be fair -- The Eurovision song contest is still taken seriously by lots of people...although I think it definitely gets campier by the year. I do have it on personal knowledge (oral history at work) that in the 50s and 60s in England, it really was a big deal -- and the songs submitted were chosen by popular vote -- the BBC played them and took polls! I still rate it better entertainment than the Oscars! JHK

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The table is my work.

As to the serious/camp debate, the fact is that most of the acts tend towards MOR pop and have very little in common with music that music enthusiasts buy. Very few of the winning acts are heard from much again. Sometimes a country's act is not even from that country (Gina G and Celine Dion?) The political bias of the votes from the various countries is obvious. Finally, it's obvious that the Beeb doesn't take it seriously when they have a semi-inebriated Terry Wogan doing his commentary. Finally, from my personal perspective of an Australian looking in, it's an instant cure for the cultural cringe (how can we take seriously a continent with pop music this bad?) and a handy guide to how various European nations perceive each other :) --Robert Merkel