EUROVISION 2023 - General Discussion thread

[ESC United Mod Team]

This thread is for any general Eurovision 2023 discussion not limited to or specifically about any country's national selections or song choices.

 

[Andromache]

Yeah, this year was much more toxic than previous years imo. I even had to stop reading comments on social media because I couldn't stand it anymore. This Sweden/Finland battle was too much for me. I also think that the betting odds are kinda ruining the fun in a way. I felt bad for some of the other artists who were overshadowed by the two favorites.

 

[empo21]

Yeah, this year was much more toxic than previous years imo. I even had to stop reading comments on social media because I couldn't stand it anymore. This Sweden/Finland battle was too much for me. I also think that the betting odds are kinda ruining the fun in a way. I felt bad for some of the other artists who were overshadowed by the two favorites.

Unfortunately, this will likely continue and maybe even get worse.

The eurovision fandom is moving and growing alongside stan twitter and stans generally with the idea of picking a side and going full tribalism. This year was crazy with Sweden and Finland fans going at each other.

 

[Ianp16]

Yeah, this year was much more toxic than previous years imo. I even had to stop reading comments on social media because I couldn't stand it anymore. This Sweden/Finland battle was too much for me. I also think that the betting odds are kinda ruining the fun in a way. I felt bad for some of the other artists who were overshadowed by the two favorites.

I agree. I think the whole show would be much more exciting if there were no betting odds (or at least less mention of them) and no commentary about who might not do well, who might do well, etc. I feel like it’s really ruining the fun and shaming the acts that are low on the betting odds.

 

[GermanBango]

Unfortunately, this will likely continue and maybe even get worse.

The eurovision fandom is moving and growing alongside stan twitter and stans generally with the idea of picking a side and going full tribalism. This year was crazy with Sweden and Finland fans going at each other.

In many ways this is a perfect reflection of mankind as a whole. Everything gets more extreme and divisive. So tiring.

 

[allenakaalan]

I lost braincells when I saw people concluding that it's rigged because the total televote score is 58 points more than jury ( forgetting that ROTW exists) and Loreen won by 57 points, so EBU must've added those votes to make sure Loreen wins.

 

[I bims]

What a night that was.
The ratings here were fantastic, so now it's really fucking bad, that the show ended the way it did. Hope that didn't turn off too many people and they keep watching next year. Us being last again with those ratings could really lead to a lot of annoying shit. Not looking foward to that.

I'm not totally anti-jury as a lot of people are now. Cause a lack of juries always leads to delegations trying to go the "joke entry" route for easy televote bait, which turns the contest into a shitfest. Käärijä landsliding will also cement that idea that you have to be exactly like that for the televote to like you (which is false).
But the system needs to be reworked. Give them less of a say like 1/3 and they should be larger. And at best have musicians that aren't just pop singers. You could tell that Iceland gave Germany points because Hatari were part of their jury.

Hopefully next year will be a bit more open. I don't want another two horse race.

Oh and the results of the Semis are really interesting. Serbia being really close to nq, Malta last, Estonia despite 10th place being a very safe qualifier. Interesting...

 

[Andromache]

Some Eurovision fans need to chill. I wasn't a fan of Kalush last year and thought that Sam should've won. But when they won I was happy for Ukraine and excited for Eurovision 2023 and look how great the show has been. Now I can't imagine a world where Kalush haven't won. For the Eurovision history books they were the perfect winners in the end and I think the same about Loreen. To me it doesn't matter as long as one of the Top 3 countries wins. I love Eurovision, the show, the experience and that is the most important thing imo. The trophy is secondary. I'm happy for every country that wins Eurovision.

 

[empo21]

Are the detailed jury votes released? How do I navigate in this eurovision's messed up website!?

 

[Leydan]

I agree. I think the whole show would be much more exciting if there were no betting odds (or at least less mention of them) and no commentary about who might not do well, who might do well, etc. I feel like it’s really ruining the fun and shaming the acts that are low on the betting odds.

Commentators *cough* Graham *cough* who explicitly say who they like and don't like, who the big faves are etc just end up leading the viewers. It was one thing from last night that wound me up. Like, on Spains entry not a single thing was even said about her in the postcard, it was all about Terry Wogan.

 

[Leydan]

Are the detailed jury votes released? How do I navigate in this eurovision's messed up website!?

https://eurovision.tv/event/liverpool-2023/grand-final/results/cyprus

Heres the link (it's on Cyprus in that). Although it's not in order or anything. Tbh I wait until someone puts it all on wikipedia. It's easier to navigate.

 

[Leydan]

Yeah, this year was much more toxic than previous years imo. I even had to stop reading comments on social media because I couldn't stand it anymore. This Sweden/Finland battle was too much for me. I also think that the betting odds are kinda ruining the fun in a way. I felt bad for some of the other artists who were overshadowed by the two favorites.

Twitter is the worst for it imo. The hate, drama and fanaticism that is spewed all across there can be so toxic. People can't support their faves without having to be super hateful to the opposition. The hate Loreen has gotten is crazy, 2 months ago everyone was soaking wet over her song now apparently no one likes it. Crazy. It's not just that though, so many fans are really quite invasive into the private lives and also other fans. This year a fan had his nudes leaked by another, entrants have had their dating app profiles plastered all over. It's all a bit unnecessary.

 

[GermanBango]

Twitter is the worst for it imo. The hate, drama and fanaticism that is spewed all across there can be so toxic. People can't support their faves without having to be super hateful to the opposition. The hate Loreen has gotten is crazy, 2 months ago everyone was soaking wet over her song now apparently no one likes it. Crazy. It's not just that though, so many fans are really quite invasive into the private lives and also other fans. This year a fan had his nudes leaked by another, entrants have had their dating app profiles plastered all over. It's all a bit unnecessary.

That's disturbing ....
*swipes through Tinder to find Andrew's profile*

 

[Betwixt Tales]

I'm not totally anti-jury as a lot of people are now. Cause a lack of juries always leads to delegations trying to go the "joke entry" route for easy televote bait, which turns the contest into a shitfest. Käärijä landsliding will also cement that idea that you have to be exactly like that for the televote to like you (which is false).
But the system needs to be reworked. Give them less of a say like 1/3 and they should be larger. And at best have musicians that aren't just pop singers. You could tell that Iceland gave Germany points because Hatari were part of their jury.

This is what I've been saying since the jury came into the picture. I'm not against it, but I don't find it reasonable that a group of five people have as much to say as literally millions of people in their country.
Change it up so juries have, maybe 35% of the vote, and the viewers have 65%.

 

[HarryUK]

How about having 'diehard' Eurovision fans on the jury? Surely they know the competition better than most and can prevent fan favourite songs that aren't necessarily 'jury friendly' from being eliminated before Eurovision week even starts...

 

[midnightsun]

Cause a lack of juries always leads to delegations trying to go the "joke entry" route for easy televote bait

When in the past years did we have more than one joke entry, if at all? The 2000s are long over. I don’t think this will change only because there are no juries.

Plus, the only "joke" entry this year wasn’t even a joke entry! It was a political statement and the song was as ridiculous on purpose as the one they are singing about. It’s not that they won the televote with a landslide…

Last year, some of Ukranian televotes were of political nature. Let it be pity, let it be protest, whatever (not saying all votes were)
So this year people voted for Croatia for the same reasons (to support Ukraine) and suddenly Croatia is a joke entry that does not have to be taken seriously? Come on!

 

[crashworld]

From what I can see on Spotify Global Viral Top 50 Charts from my Spotify app:

1. Finland
9. Austria
18. Switzerland
20. Australia
24. Moldova
25. Croatia
27. Czechia
29. Sweden
30. Serbia
31. Slovenia
34. Belgium
36. Cyprus
37. Portugal
41. Armenia
42. Poland
45. Germany
47. France

Surprise Israel and Italy didn't make it. Wonder how the chart is being collated. Interesting to see Switzerland so high up.

 

[Ezio]

So, we are divided by music, and as an actually spiritual person, but without the Ayahuasca unlike Loreen, I noted that @Eurovision got 666k and 666,666 followers respectively on Eurovision night. What a blessed night it was indeed. I read into such things.

 

[DanielLuis]

How about having 'diehard' Eurovision fans on the jury? Surely they know the competition better than most and can prevent fan favourite songs that aren't necessarily 'jury friendly' from being eliminated before Eurovision week even starts...

Absolutely not, thank you

 

[SpiritofKeiino]

Surely EBU wouldn't tamper with the voting format to give less weight to juries pre 2024 contest...it would take the sheen off Loreen's win wouldn't it, Swedes would see it as an insult?

 

[Ajeje Brazorf]

Yeah, this year was much more toxic than previous years imo. I even had to stop reading comments on social media because I couldn't stand it anymore. This Sweden/Finland battle was too much for me. I also think that the betting odds are kinda ruining the fun in a way. I felt bad for some of the other artists who were overshadowed by the two favorites.

Honestly, last year was even worse... From the broken sun drama, to the allegations of biased voting towards Ukraine it was toxic from the start to the end... It seems people didn't enjoy Eurovision anymore as a show.