Eurovision - should we continue participating?
Eurovision - should we continue participating?

Poll: Eurovision - should we continue participating?

Total Members Polled: 193

Carry on as we are: 22%
Reduce our funding & enter like others : 38%
Take a break & come away for a bit: 40%
Author
Discussion

AndyAudi

Original Poster:

3,837 posts

247 months

There’s a thread already i know, but think it’s mainly for supporters.

I am not, & today’s news isn’t a surprise, we have in my opinion poor acts & are viewed poorly by other.countries. Why then are we throwing public money at it to buy our way into the finals every year?
I can’t imagine judges from other countries who’ve had to qualify look kindly at the U.K. just strolling into the final.

What should we do going forward?
(Fyi I can’t find out how much we throw at the competition as it doesn’t appear to be published, but it’s enough to differentiate us not to have to qualify)

Slow.Patrol

4,708 posts

39 months

We could have Freddy Mercury singing Bohemian Rhapsody and we wouldn't win.

Sam Ryder mad a good attempt and it was our efforts in the Ukraine war that boosted our vote, but ultimately, it's about politics.

LRDefender

557 posts

33 months

Isn't it just a bit of harmless fun?

An excuse to get together and have a few drinks and play along. It's not my kind of thing but it does no harm and keeps people entertained so let it continue IMO.

E.T.A - who pays, the TV companies or the British tax payer.

mmm-five

12,212 posts

309 months

I don't remember the last time I watched, so I can't really complain about any of the acts/politics/voting/wokeness/LBGTQ+ involved.

Last time I saw any of it, I think Graham Norton was presenting it...but that was only as I happened to notice the results were underway as I was switching channels.

AndyAudi

Original Poster:

3,837 posts

247 months

LRDefender said:
E.T.A - who pays, the TV companies or the British tax payer.
If this is to be believed licence fee payers & taxpayers when hosting.
https://oneurope.net/editorial/eurovision-price-of...

Does the bbc with no advertisers benefit from trying to have higher ratings?

eldar

24,988 posts

221 months

LRDefender said:
Isn't it just a bit of harmless fun?

An excuse to get together and have a few drinks and play along. It's not my kind of thing but it does no harm and keeps people entertained so let it continue IMO.

E.T.A - who pays, the TV companies or the British tax payer.
It was, once upon a time. Now just another vehicle for the perpetually angry to hijack. Rename it something meaningful like unidin.

bloomen

9,668 posts

184 months

Slow.Patrol said:
We could have Freddy Mercury singing Bohemian Rhapsody and we wouldn't win.
They're out to GET us.

I find the whole thing piffling to the max, but it's very strange how many of our entries have been oddities that would be glassed off stage in the average Lincolnshire pub considering our depth of talent.

Maybe there's some set of unwritten rules. And if you've experienced the charts in many other places in mainland Europe, it's clear that tastes, and tolerances, are very different.

I do find it kind of dinky that it still means something to many nations.

As for the funding, I think it's a few hundred grand for the more established nations when they're not hosting. It's just as uninteresting to me as stuff that tens of millions is spent on and it's more internationally unifying, so whatevers.

Edited by bloomen on Sunday 17th May 14:25

OIC

368 posts

18 months

We shouldn't be getting into the final by default.

I didn't know that's what happens.

If we have a good song and have to qualify we will probably do OK.

I'm not convinced that there's a massive bias against the UK due to Brexit.

I just think we pump out crap songs every year.

Public voting seems to be more relevant now so get writing your entry for next year.

TL:DR - not something I'm that bothered about but a win would be nice.

AndyAudi

Original Poster:

3,837 posts

247 months

bloomen said:
As for the funding, I think it's a few hundred grand for the more established nations when they're not hosting. It's just as uninteresting to me as stuff that tens of millions is spent on and it's more internationally unifying, so whatevers.
[
The funding is fairly trivial in grand scheme of things but it smacks to me that it’s wrong we fund something we don’t seem to be too welcome in.

Countdown

48,045 posts

221 months

Why not set up our own equivalent and call it BritVision?

We could have the 4 home nations, a selection of British Overseas Territories, and all former members of the Empire/Commonwealth

We'll still get nul pointe though biggrin

bloomen

9,668 posts

184 months

AndyAudi said:
The funding is fairly trivial in grand scheme of things but it smacks to me that it s wrong we fund something we don t seem to be too welcome in.
I assume everyone else knows that Brits have treated it as a kitsch joke for decades so we've kind of hobbled ourselves.

In no known universe will it ever be meaningful to most of us, but it seems to be in other countries.

And coming up with better tunes would be handy.

SodiumThiopental

251 posts

1 month

Europe are never getting on board with any of the U.K. entries ( because politics) we may as well stop bankrolling the ste show.

Warhavernet

1,088 posts

12 months

The fact that Israel got 343 times as many votes as the UK while being the most hated country ever, is an indication of the UK's popularity in Europe. We really should nuke Bulgaria.

RotorRambler

1,029 posts

15 months

People remember the winner
They remember the loser
Those in the middle are forgotten

Better to come last than second!

redstar1

361 posts

16 months

Warhavernet said:
The fact that Israel got 343 times as many votes as the UK while being the most hated country ever, is an indication of the UK's popularity in Europe. We really should nuke Bulgaria.
I don't think that has any bearing on it. We repeatedly choose people who can't sing or write songs deliberately, and the odd time the selectors make a mistake, we nearly win.

Countdown

48,045 posts

221 months

Warhavernet said:
The fact that Israel got 343 times as many votes as the UK while being the most hated country ever, is an indication of the UK's popularity in Europe how effective their hasbara programme is.. We really should nuke Bulgaria.
How Israel Turned Eurovision’s Stage Into a Soft Power Tool

Warhavernet

1,088 posts

12 months

redstar1 said:
I don't think that has any bearing on it. We repeatedly choose people who can't sing or write songs deliberately, and the odd time the selectors make a mistake, we nearly win.
It's more simple than that, we are the unpopular kid in the playground, we've only made the top ten once in 15 years, unlike bloody Bulgaria Britain has a history of being pretty good at producing artists and songwriters, we just don't suddenly forget how to write a catchy chorus, a disco groove or a heartfelt ballad.

Bill

57,726 posts

280 months

redstar1 said:
I don't think that has any bearing on it. We repeatedly choose people who can't sing or write songs deliberately, and the odd time the selectors make a mistake, we nearly win.
This. Our entry was awful. Like something out of eastern Europe before the iron curtain fell.

Terminator X

19,977 posts

229 months

Dump it imho a complete waste of time.

TX.

Sheepshanks

39,696 posts

144 months

Warhavernet said:
The fact that Israel got 343 times as many votes as the UK while being the most hated country ever, is an indication of the UK's popularity in Europe. We really should nuke Bulgaria.
Public voting for Israel is "organised".

.
There's an article on the BBC where they talk to people involved across Europe and they basically seem to say the UK's problem is we're not seen to take it seriously. Yet there were at least a couple of other songs that were similarly wacky as ours and they did much better than we did.