What is Eurovision about?

[revallsay]

What is Eurovison about? Is it still a Song contest or contest of personality/appearance? Should we judge a song with appearance criterium? Sorry but I don't think so. I know, sometimes it's hard to judge when the artist is cute but in reallity, the full name of the Eurovision is Eurovison SONG Contest. My point is: if Austria send a woman who would sing Rise Like a Phoenix, would they win? They won because it was Conchita and they wanted it to be No Prejudice... I have nothing against Conchita herself but she didn't deserve to win at all, the song was average and too drama for me. People vote for it because they want to be cool, trendy and show that their country is tolerant.

Now, please don't kill or ban me (it's a forum and anyone can share their opinion). Do you really think that Conchita is cool, sexy and symbolises today's beauty standards while when women, OK I won't be scared to tell it, Polish women in the dresses with a deep cleavage are sexist, totally unhot and should be damned? Where does the world lead? Poland showed something different, it didn't work, OK but I still don't get why people say it's sexism? Aren't they hypocrats loving Conchita because she's different and hating Polish act for the same thing? IS Eurovison still a song contest? I start to doubt it.

Can't Eurovision be like the auditions to the Voice? We see the perfornaces behind the curtain and after the reults are announced we see the face of the contestant? What would happen then?

I just don'tknow where the contest go. What do you think?

 

[greece]

You know your fave entry can't win every time . Many people here said that it was an amazing song and it would have win even a woman sing it. And they are simple people, not media or eurofans. As I said in Polish thread comparing Austria and Poland has no sense at all. Conchita received a lot of hating from the fans all over the world by calling her frick,abnormal etc, but none talked about Poland like this. Comparing something that the people call sexism and something that the people call abnormal hasn't any point. Cause as we all know Eurovision is loved by many homosexual people who is normal that will support Conchita, but why support Poland if you don't like the song .

Also Eurovision shouldn't be like "Voice". In Eurovision the show counts a lot (see Azerbaijan flopping with a forgettable staging, when last year was 2nd with an impressive staging). If Eurovision wasn't about staging it wouldn't have been Eurovision. Of course the best song won, and Rise Like A Phoenix was the best song. Also count that her vocals were like CD live and she has one of the best voices in the Contest.

I know that the people won't stop here and they will keep the hating because someo.e is different... I would like to see if Emmelie or Loreen was drug queen if the people would love them that much

 

[Viiiik]

"this night stands for EQUALITY, LOVE and RESPECT!" - From Conchita's official FB-page before the final.

That is the problem. This song about a performance. If the singer wrote that this is about equality, love and respect - it means that he just want to collect some points refer to his transexuality. I think Conchita is a well-built project for people, who defended an ideology from the BIG EVIL. You dislike Conchita? Didn't give any points? Yeah, you're homophobic and a bad country. That's simple. Each country shows each other their big tolerance.

And what about Russia? Oh, I feel the equality and love and respect too! Both behaviour is wrong. Booing someone because of her country, and shouting Hurray! because of his sexuality. The mainstream. Judging someone with foaming mouth because of politics, and defending someone with foaming mouth because of transexuality.

 

[LoveHate]

It's a combination of good song, performance, show and gimmick. Austria pretty much nailed all aspects. If the song and vocals were the only criteria ESC could just as well be broadcasted as a podcast.

 

[LakZaNokte]

What is Eurovison about?

atm i would say it's about media exposure

which is fine but i'm not sure if this type of exposure is good for esc itself in the long run

 

[FoxOfShadows]

I admit, Conchita's appearance probably gained votes but also may have put people off. If she had sang her Austrian NF entry in 2012 would she have won? No, because the song was poor Europop and dull. 'Rise Like a Phoenix' was huge, dramatic and just a spectacular performance, the best of the night. Live vocals were great and if you watch it again, people are singing along. It was a deserved winner of a SONG contest.

 

[adelaida]

What is Eurovison about? Is it still a Song contest or contest of personality/appearance?

why don't you first answer to this question, considering Poland focused on appearance (erotic show) rather then songwriting ? that song was crap, lucky with those girls who were appealing. Austria's entry was shocking ( a drag queen) but it was not cheap and indecent like Poland's entry, it was decent and quite classiness.

 

[lucian-crusher]

If would've sent a woman who would sing "Rise like a Phoenix" and would have the same perfect live performance and the same poor competion, it would've still won!

 

[revallsay]

why don't you first answer to this question, considering Poland focused on appearance (erotic show) rather then songwriting.

I wrote that I presonally don't like the song. I think people bought her appearance that's why they focused on her song. IMHO there were better songs like The Netherlands' song. Polish song is a kind of a joke song. Both Poland and Austria focused on appearance and don't even try to tell me that Austria didn't. Austria was bought because it would be too homophobic to hate it. As I said may time, I am not homophobic and I don't give a single f*** how Conchita looks but comparing her look to Polish women and saying that Conchita is fine and Polish women are sexist is too much for me.

But if won in 2011 with a very weak song I can understand why Conchita won with a song better than this 's from 2011. And I am so happy that is was Conchita to win over Sanna.

I'm not hating Conchita, the song is in my second half of my top. There were worse songs and there were better song than RLAP.

 

[FilipFromSweden]

It's your opinion that he/she should not have won.

I think it's a good song, a good performer and a really good message.

 

[adelaida]

I am not homophobic and I don't give a single f*** how Conchita looks but comparing her look to Polish women and saying that Conchita is fine and Polish women are sexist is too much for me.

well I'm homophobic, I don’t like drag queens, but what I appreciated was that Conchita wasn’t vulgar on stage, she was decent and humble and sang from her heart.Polish girls act was cheap. I even voted for Austria the overall impression of Austrian act was much better than Poland. (at least for me)

 

[Sabrewulf238]

I doubt Conchita would have won if the song and performance hadn't also been up to scratch. (For example I couldn't see "That's What I Am" winning at all) Sure it probably didn't hurt that Conchita was a drag artist with a beard, but I think that's beside the point.

Look at Dana International flopping in the semi a few years back. Europe doesn't go crazy for drag queens or homosexuals "just because".

Ultimately it is about the music, but I think there is a certain degree of hype that gets the votes in too.

 

[ParadiseES]

Completely agree with what you said. Nobody would talk about "Rise like a phoenix" if it were sung by any other artist. It could've qualified and done decently because the live performance was very good and juries love these cliché ballads, but that's all about it. Pretty obvious.

 

[revallsay]

Polish girls act was cheap.

Isn't man dressing up woman clothes and having a beard cheap?

Look at Dana International flopping in the semi a few years back. Europe doesn't go crazy for drag queens or homosexuals "just because".

Dana was just a drag queen, Conchita is a drag queen with a beard and that made her... ammm 'stand out' and focus attention. I just hate when people say it's cool.



Now it looks like I hate Conchita. It's not her I don't like, I am not a fan of the song.

 

[Sabrewulf238]

Isn't man dressing up woman clothes and having a beard cheap?



Dana was just a drag queen, Conchita is a drag queen with a beard and that made her... ammm 'stand out' and focus attention. I just hate when people say it's cool.



Now it looks like I hate Conchita. It's not her I don't like, I am not a fan of the song.

I'm not a fan of the song either.

However I can recognise that the performance was very strong and confident. I can see why it would win from a musical standpoint.

 

[adelaida]

Isn't man dressing up woman clothes and having a beard cheap?

it depends, some men dressing up women look cheap, others look vulgar, but yesterday night Conchita didn't looked cheap. She gave you a shock first (" what the hell is this?!") but after 20 seconds you've found yourself captivated by the entire act. Maybe in Austria and Western Europe they are used with drag queens, but here, we aren't so is was more a surprise than anything else

 

[revallsay]

She gave you a shock first (" what the hell is this?!") but after 20 seconds you've found yourself captivated by the entire act.

no. There was nothing new and fresh in the song. She stood in one place next to the microphone ans sung. When I watch talents show,many participants do the same.

 

[Anjeza]

Completely agree with what you said. Nobody would talk about "Rise like a phoenix" if it were sung by any other artist. It could've qualified and done decently because the live performance was very good and juries love these cliché ballads, but that's all about it. Pretty obvious.

I agree with what Paradise wrote. I've read a lot of reactions this morning and I talked with my friends about it last night and what they wrote/said was "Conchita won because her appearence is so controversial" or "she was easily reminded because of her appearence", but nobody really talked about the song or only used phrases like "Bond-theme" or "typical ballad"... And for example 2012 nobody talked about how Loreen looked on stage but she was praised for the song.

 

[Andreea]

The winner is an impeccable product of marketing. Maybe it's time we grow also a beard (Liana Stanciu, head of the Romanian delegation)

 

[gustav]

I see it like this. A good song alone may not be enough to win the contest. What you almost certainly need is a good song plus a good hook. Tastes may differ greatly on a big regional scale and on a small individual scale. Every year all entries have their supporters and their contesters (needless to say, not in the same proportion). But not all entries are equally likely to receive points, even after adjusting for the differences in perceived sympathy towards the songs. Here comes ''the hook'' into play. While the spread in taste covers large segments of the field (i.e. the participants in the contest), usually each year only a few benefit from a strong hook. The list of potential winners and eventually the actual winners almost always come from this category. The hook itself may be an overwhelming performance, brilliant staging, a poignant gimmick. Anything that makes an entry stand out from the rest and therefore mobilises the masses to vote.

• Would have Lordi 2006 won without the costumes? Doubtful at best.
• What about Loreen 2012 without the masterful staging? One can only wonder...
• Or Ruslana 2004 without the epic choreography? At least it's open to debate.

And then there's this year.

• Would have Conchita won without the beard? Possibly or even probably not.
• But does this make it any different from past winners? I don't think so. (see above examples)
• Is it an unfair advantage? Advatage? Yes. Unfair? Not really, since it doesn't break any rules.
• Is it morally wrong? Well, personally I wouldn't go into such an ample discussion about such an extensive topic, but since morality is derived from principles defined by society, it certainly is something that can be discussed.