Monster Eurovision POLL

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It's the big one! See here for an early take on the UK's effort, and answer the (many!) questions below!

EEK! That eighth question should read "pick the FOUR most important elements in your IDEAL 2007 EUROVISION WINNER"

[Poll #949508]

I should probably put this under a cut, eh?

Comments

The Wogan Hypothesis

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Bloc / neighbourly voting hasn't determined the winner, certainly in recent years - the winning song (in fact most of the top 3 or 4) tends to get consensus across most of the continent. Bloc voting only affects the middle of the table - e.g. rubbish songs only getting votes from their neighbours thus keeping them from getting 0 points.

Re: The Wogan Hypothesis

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

I would argue that Tatu DIDN'T win only for bloc voting reasons (although I dimly remember how it played out). The sense here in Moscow is that people are always voting AGAINST us.

Re: The Wogan Hypothesis

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Often mentioned but soon forgotten is the fact that UK, Spain, France, & Germany have all been lurking in the bottom ten for the last couple of years - the other countries have to go through semi-finals and prove their songs have SOME merit. Since 2000 the 'big four' financial backers of Eurovision have got a bye through to the final and hence can submit whatever sh1t they have lying around at the time.

Re: The Wogan Hypothesis

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I kind of admire France's bloodymindedness in submitting an enormously slow Proper French Ballad every year and coming a proud 22nd.

Re: The Wogan Hypothesis

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

this is clearly a good thing though.

clearly now we have pan-european voting we should count actual vote totals, but do it smallest country to biggest, so that andorra still gets its moment in the sun...

Re: sh1t

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Important point, badly made.

I think all the big four have tried to submit winners rather than "whatever's lying around" but (a) they are generally a bit clueless about what stands a chance of winning; and (b) nearly everyone else resents their bye and punishes them accordingly.

Re: The Wogan Hypothesis

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Tatu didn't win because of the whole "Tatu are encouraging paedophilia" "scandal" in the british / irish press around the same time - Russia got points from every country except the UK & Ireland (and they only lost by 3 points)

Re: The Wogan Hypothesis

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

i think with the balkanisation of, um, the balkans, there was definitely a period where it felt like they were totally just voting for each other, but, as you point out this has not led to a winner for them.

the scando/baltic-bloc, on the other hand, did have it sewn up for a few years there. looking at this list (http://www.keithm.utvinternet.ie/Winners.htm) though, i'm surprised how few i can remember, even from the last ten years (Katrina, Ruslana and Dana I only, pretty much)...

I did not KNOW

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Katrina and the Waves won in 1997! (I wondered why I ever heard their name anymore.) You Brits really don't have much to complain about overall, that's not so long ago to have won.

Ireland won FIVE out of FIVE years in a row in the early 90s. wowza...

Re: The Wogan Hypothesis

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the scando-blatic bloc did all vote for each other (like they always do), but the years those songs won all the other countries gave them votes too