Things you didn´t like about ESC 2021??

[ESC94]

Hey everyone,

I think we were all happy that Eurovision came back after the corona break last year. I enjoyed the show very much and can´t wait to see what will do next year as a host.

But as always you can´t please everyone with everything, so I´d like to know: What didn´t you like about the contest in Rotterdam?? What could do better next year??

My issues were the following:

1. Opening - After the very spectacular opening in Tel Aviv the beginning in Rotterdam felt pretty flat and uneventful for me. Of course you can´t always top the former ones but here it was basically just the contestants walking in and the hosts singing a bit of "Venus". Not bad per se, but nothing that will stick in my mind for long.

2. Length of voting/interval act - The intervall acts were great, only the inevitable Mans Zelmerlöw was really unnecessary imo. The problem for me was that it was simply much too long!! Who the hell needs one hour to vote 20 times?? I know that the responsible broadcaster probably can´t do much about it because it´s most likely a condition by the EBU, but it´s still not pleasant.

3. Hosts - I still don´t know why we need four hosts, two are more than enough for me. My personal favourite was Edsilia, followed by Chantal, Jan was pretty boring for me, and Nikkis clips were also not that funny in my opinion, maybe I´m just too old for this influcencer stuff.

What do you tink??

 

[Franzilein]

Didn't like the very American talk show inspired car interviews.
What I learned from Rotterdam as well: It has a bridge. How often did they show it? I'm sure there must be more to see (and yes, I know Rotterdam's history in the World War).
Postcards were also a bit meh. I always like it when they show more of the country itself rather than presenting the next artist.

And yes, the length of the interval acts. Was very hard not to fall asleep during that.

 

[Ana Raquel]

d***** l*******

 

[alyrin]

i'm gonna say it: efentix

 

[rasmuslights]

I think overall there was nothing wrong with the show itself but it did lack amazing moments...

hosts: hosts were fine better than for example Portugal 2018 but worse than Sweden 2016... kinda in the middle...
interval acts: I enjoyed them, I thought Davina especially made an impact on me... all other were again just fine...
opening: I do agree that this was one of the worst openings... just bland and without a concept...
postcards: were nice given the circumstances that's all I'm going to say

so again a proper, nice show but nothing spectaular (bar Davina!)

 

[Shadowfuxcs]

- the postcards did not do the Netherlands any justice as a lot the locations they picked were not really that great, I've been to a lot of the places shown in them and they made them look ugly. Like seriously you have a postcard showcasing town X and you just show a random spot under some concrete bridge?

- also not a very good job in showcasing the host city. They just showed the Erasmus bridge 15 times but nothing much else. Since the skyline of Rotterdam is very photogenic I expected that there would be some great views in the "rock the roof" act but mostly you just saw random buildings. Next to that there was nothing included about the character of Rotterdam, the innovation, the architecture, the port, the multiculturalism etc.

- The hosting was one of the best but Jan Smit is cringe material and his statement "next year we are going to the land of pizza and sambuca" will haunt my nightmares forever.

- The intervals and the opening were a tad underwhelming and went on too long. I expected to see the previous winners interact in some form like in Tel Aviv instead of just doing their own songs.

- No more Mans please. Has he even recorded another song after 2015?

- I am not interested in some artificial love story between a man with glitter and angel wings and a genocide apologist. The delegations are free to pull off any stunt they want but please EBU don't bother us with reality storielines in the official esc channel.

 

[Sammy]

I pretty much liked the show. Given the circumstances, they did a really good job.
The only thing I kinda missed was a funny interval act. You know, something in the style of "Love love peace peace" or Lynda Woodruff

 

[tomos2019]

I'm sorry to say I found the televoting sequence quite hard to watch and not just because the UK got 0. I am a bit concerned when it comes to security that if you just have a bigger and bigger audience as time goes on that maybe one day I genuinely think an audience member or two may genuinely start causing trouble and the hosts going way too far with the suspense this time just added to that feeling for me, I mean that was just unnecessary.

Also a lesser concern was that I found that even the high televote scores didn't seem that high to me, perhaps there really were less telephone votes than previous years or there were issues with the phone lines but perhaps the UK just should've got someone more famous lol

 

[Lance Esgard]

Also a lesser concern was that I found that even the high televote scores didn't seem that high to me, perhaps there really were less telephone votes than previous years or there were issues with the phone lines but perhaps the UK just should've got someone more famous lol

There were fewer nations this year, which means fewer televotes. Each nation has a total of 58 televote points (1-8, 10 and 12). Without looking into the scores in greater detail, there could also have been more variation in where the upper televote scores went, as the really high televotes require higher levels of consenus across nations.

 

[A-lister]

- The obvious one that most people have been pointing out already which is allowing pre-recorded backing vocals. Now, as I probably pointed out already, I'm not against the system per se, but I can see how it can be (and was) misused by some delegations and in a contest like this everyone needs to be on the same playing field. To decrease any risk of cheating, it simply can't stay for that reason alone (but as a compromise EBU should really increase the maximum allowed people on stage from 6 to 8-10 which is long overdue already).

- Also a format issue, but it's not unique for 2021 however, but it's that EBU still sticks to the "producers pick the running order"-formula. I will not rest until it has been changed, and I think we saw in 2021 another year how it was used to manipulate and favor certain countries and entries. I still firmly believe you can have a diverse smooth-running show and still manage it with a modified random order, just use genre/tempo pots or swap entries to smoothen out if the random one stuck too many "similar" ones in a row. If there is a will there's a way, but why isn't there a will one can ask?

- I wasn't a fan of the opening or interval acts nor the postcards. Unfortunately due to PC culture in western Europe they now have this idea to not show off the country any longer and instead have like random acts that don't really have much to do with the country (like for instance bringing previous ESC entrants back... Måns...). I think when you host you have the opportunity to showcase your country, so use that! Also, this can be done in different ways and doesn't have to be the "traditional folk dance routine", Sweden showed that it's possible to use a bit of humor and wit and still manage to show off the country.

- Yes, the stage was kinda the same as we've seen lately. I still enjoyed it though but I agree with the criticism that we need something fresh (preferably still using LEDs but with a different stage design than what we've got lately, I think it's possible but the EBU is sticking with the "safe card").

+ I have generally nothing negative to say about the production or hosting though, the Dutch ran a very smooth and professional show and managed to make an arena that had limited audience to still look full (and in the past we had arenas without restrictions that looked half empty). Also, these were by far the most professional hosts since 2016 in Sweden. Usually I think 3+ hosts are overkilling it and too many cooks and often turns out chaotic and screamy when all of them try to have their time in the spotlight and outshine each other and all these cringe jokes (the latter has also been a problem for fewer hosts as well, but not to that extent). This year however we didn't have the unnecessary forced jokes and screamy behavior, there was instead a calm and professionalism and respect for the contest which I haven't seen in this for years.

 

[tuorem]

Nice topic @ESC94 I always like when someone gives me an opportunity to rant.

I agree with what most of you guys said:

-The presenters were okay, but four people was unnecessary indeed. It was Austria 2015 all over again. Nikkie could have dealt with the whole thing as the main presenter, with the help of someone else (she was the most natural and likeable to me). I did not like her "break" videos about the contest though: I see it's becoming a tradition to include those "Eurovision history trivia" moments, but I always find them quite annoying and cliché af.

-I felt like the Dutch failed to present what their country was about. Not gonna lie, it could have been hosted in Sweden and it would have made perfect sense to me: I still wonder why all the heavy promotion for "Heroes" and "Euphoria", Mans's interview in the semi, Mans's performance in the final, Mans telling us he is here to stay for the next 84 editions, etc. I mean I expected to see some Dutchness at some point and it never came. In this regard, I think Italians will do their job because they're proud of their music and I don't see them randomly asking for thingummy to take some screentime to the detriment of an Italian legend. Same question regarding the covers of "Venus" and that Sia song: what was the point?

-The postcards? I don't remember them at all, so it probably wasn't that amazing to me. Overall, I think the visuals concepts - logo included - were quite uninventive and unsighty.

-As Ana said: d***** l*******. We could not avoid him obviously, but it was a necessary evil: now he can pass into oblivion since we have a new winner.

-Last but not least, the pre-recorded backing vocal thing needs to go. Live voices will always sound better than recorded ones, I'm sorry. The music is not live already, can we at least have some vocal? I'd rather have 100% playback than this mockery meant to make people sing but not really at the same time. Pick a damn side.

With all that being said, I did enjoy the shows overall. I was fine with the parade even if it didn't reinvent the wheel.

I look forward to next year because I have high expectations regarding Italians. I hope we'll be in for a treat as far as music is concerned, and I cannot imagine them not properly paying tribute to their culture. Give us some legendary interval acts (big Italian names), maybe some past Italian acts as well (Il Volo, Mahmood, Gabbani...), and let's make it a glamourous edition a la San Remo.

 

[ESC94]

Nice topic @ESC94 I always like when someone gives me an opportunity to rant.

I agree with what most of you guys said:

-The presenters were okay, but four people was unnecessary indeed. It was Austria 2015 all over again. Nikkie could have dealt with the whole thing as the main presenter, with the help of someone else (she was the most natural and likeable to me). I did not like her "break" videos about the contest though: I see it's becoming a tradition to include those "Eurovision history trivia" moments, but I always find them quite annoying and cliché af.

-I felt like the Dutch failed to present what their country was about. Not gonna lie, it could have been hosted in Sweden and it would have made perfect sense to me: I still wonder why all the heavy promotion for "Heroes" and "Euphoria", Mans's interview in the semi, Mans's performance in the final, Mans telling us he is here to stay for the next 84 editions, etc. I mean I expected to see some Dutchness at some point and it never came. In this regard, I think Italians will do their job because they're proud of their music and I don't see them randomly asking for thingummy to take some screentime to the detriment of an Italian legend. Same question regarding the covers of "Venus" and that Sia song: what was the point?

-The postcards? I don't remember them at all, so it probably wasn't that amazing to me. Overall, I think the visuals concepts - logo included - were quite uninventive and unsighty.

-As Ana said: d***** l*******. We could not avoid him obviously, but it was a necessary evil: now he can pass into oblivion since we have a new winner.

-Last but not least, the pre-recorded backing vocal thing needs to go. Live voices will always sound better than recorded ones, I'm sorry. The music is not live already, can we at least have some vocal? I'd rather have 100% playback than this mockery meant to make people sing but not really at the same time. Pick a damn side.

With all that being said, I did enjoy the shows overall. I was fine with the parade even if it didn't reinvent the wheel.

I look forward to next year because I have high expectations regarding Italians. I hope we'll be in for a treat as far as music is concerned, and I cannot imagine them not properly paying tribute to their culture. Give us some legendary interval acts (big Italian names), maybe some past Italian acts as well (Il Volo, Mahmood, Gabbani...), and let's make it a glamourous edition a la San Remo.

Thanks for this long comment, I always feel that my work on this thread wasn´t for nothing when I read comments.

I don´t get your comment about Duncan though. Of course you´re free to not like his song, but this is a bit harsh.

 

[tuorem]

I don´t get your comment about Duncan though. Of course you´re free to not like his song, but this is a bit harsh.

I know, it's the pest in me showing through (Tom Leeb-style). I personally could not stand him and his song, ever. But that was harsh, I agree. Sorry about that.

But don't let my basic-hater negative energy bring you down: he won the contest, so I'm in the minority.

 

[ESC94]

I know, it's the pest in me showing through (Tom Leeb-style). I personally could not stand him and his song, ever. But that was harsh, I agree. Sorry about that.

But don't let my basic-hater negative energy bring you down: he won the contest, so I'm in the minority.

Well, I like Duncan, he seems to be a very nice and down to earth person. But well, each to their own I guess.

 

[Funix]

- the pre-recorded backing vocals
- the lack of focus the last 3-4 years about the country that host the contest. I really miss the interval acts like the ones in Sweden 2013 (such as "About Sweden") or Denmark 2014 (such as "Wonderful Copenhagen") that really tells about the country's identity and culture. This year there was a little bit, but the whole "Eurovision history and past winners" acts was just to much this year.

One more: - Why 4 hosts?

 

[randajad]

The only thing I didn’t like were the postcards, the idea was fantastic, but the execution was really bad and looked amateurish. Everything else was superb.

And yeah it would be cool if it was a bit more “Dutch”, but also it’s obvious they wanted to break the stereotypes of windmills, tulips and cheese so I don’t mind that.

 

[Ezio]

I found the two main hosts very uncharismatic. I couldn’t take Jan Smit’s cheesy smile.

i also don’t like Martin Österdahl taking himself more important than Jan Ola in his early yaers.

i didn’t like the flat TV screen backdrop, which was mostly monochromatic or pink and blue.

and Mans of course.


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[Preuss]

The postcards were... terrible. Bland, dull, uninspiring... like I usually rewatch the postcards because I find them beautiful with great instrumental, but this year was terrible

And the flag parade was... better than Lisbon 2018 at least but not Tel Aviv or Stockholm level

 

[Franzilein]

Same question regarding the covers of "Venus" and that Sia song: what was the point?

I don't see the connection to Sia as well, but Venus was a global hit by the Dutch band Shocking Blue. Made sense.

 

[PollyWantsACracker]

The Land of Pizza and Sambuca statement. The unintentional slip moment when a host showed the real prejudice he has.

For visuals in this type of competition, staging is the most important element.

Therefore, the stage that was pretty standard in design, not innovative at all, and the video wall / back drop with thacky LED, were the biggest flop.

I don't remember at all the postcards of Netherlands. If somebody asked me what I learned about Netherlands after the ESC, I'd say nothing really.