Let's talk Eurovision 2017

So it's that time of the year again where European country's plus Israel and Australia ( minus Russia ) battle it out on a stage to know who's "singing" skills are the best. this years addition will take place in Kiev Ukraine and one "Drew Scanlon" of Cloth map fame is there ! the first semi finals are all ready over next semi finals will be this Thursday and the grand final will be this Saturday. As songs go Italy seems to be the bookmakers favourite this year ( songs involves a dude in a gorilla suit). Some other weird returns are Moldavia with the return of internet favourite "epic sax guy" And a dude from montenegro with a 90's mesh tank top and a way to long ponytail. (all ready out off the race !). As for myself, since i am born and raised in Belgium i will be routing for blanche our version of Lorde. She made it to the final yesterday with a catchy modern popsong. If you got any questions about this weird phenomenon feel free to ask them. Being watching the eurvision song contest since 1995.

ps third time in a row they picked Belgium as the last one to go to the finals thanks ! EuroVision.

This just reminded me that I'm gonna miss Eurovision this year thanks to a 4.5-hour final exam.... super.

Girl from belgium had an alright song, but that performance was tough to watch. The nerves! Well i guess it's cool that she gets one more shot.

This is the first year in a while that i have no idea what our song is going to be. I learned last week that we're sending 3 sisters (Netherlands) that won the junior eurovision songfestival in the past.

@dudeglove: O yeah Loic was pretty good ! The dude brought out his first Album a month ago.

@onemanarmyy: Yeah here voice seems to be better in a "controlled" environment then a huge Arena.

That Albanian performance looked like a Chrono Cross cutscene.

I really hope Belgium takes it this year. I actually like the song and think her voice is great. Go Blanche!

From Semi-Final 1, I think I enjoyed Belgium and Australia the most. I really like the Belgium song and hope she can overcome her nerves in the final.

Oh fuck no, already..

Ok where can I watch Eurovision? (Canada/us)

@wikitoups: The Eurovision YouTube channel live streams the show without commentary. I watch the BBC feed (as I'm in the UK) which has slightly-teasing commentary which I like, but I don't know if this is availble outside the UK (maybe BBC America or something?).

Regardless, here's the stream of the first Semi-Final from yesterday:

@wikitoups: 2015 I watched it on YouTube (was the sign language stream, it was great) 2016 I watched it on a channel called LOGO, I think it is focused on LGBT stuff. The commentary featured two drag queens I think, they never showed them but I think they made a few drag queen jokes about themselves. They were fun but they had no clue how the voting worked. LOGO is doing some type of coverage this year as well.

I only watch the last day, am I missing out by not watching the other days?

@mvp1101: Hard to say, you might miss some of the 'wacky stuff' that doesn't get enough votes on it's musical merit. Like there was this guy in the semi finals that had a huge ponytail and whipped it back and forth while dancing in a mesh shirt and wearing silver shorts. You won't see that in the finals.

America is robbed every year.

Looking forward to it, although they seem to have become more and more aware of how it's mocked, which is disheartening, since that cheesiness is the best thing about it, along with hot women.

So true! My favorite from 2015, I still listen to that song often!

I'm very excited, it's my first eurovision since I moved to europe, so I'll finally be able to watch it "live" and have a home country to root for! (Cyprus). I've seen the BBC stream once and I recommend it, it's very funny!

My goal for the next year is to attend in person =)

i don't watch Eurovision

I wasn't too happy with the song Sweden selected, I'd have preferred one of these two.

Didn't listen to the first one, but the second was really good I think.

I can't really join any Eurovision conversations as i don't watch or look up anything before the finals, i need to see the complete presentational package of the big event, the awful presenters, the singer introductions and their video packages, the british commentary poking fun at the whole thing, the voting at the end with all the connection issues and politics, i'm usually on Teamspeak with friends also poking fun at it.
That being said i do have favorites each year, though i've forgotten most of them, here at the ones i do remember.
Turkey 2008
Armenia 2009
Ukraine 2010
France 2012
Bulgaria 2016

We seem to be ignoring the fact that Australia was actually robbed last year. Any other year and we win it. The change to how the fan voting work screwed us. Won the jury voting solidly but obviously, the Ukraine was the fans played political choice (what a way to get an Aussie riled up about European politics). Dami's song last year was pretty great. I think we'll be mid table this year.

Interestingly enough, Denmarks entry this year is also an Australian who actually lives one suburb over from me.

Love Eurovision, it's been our tradition to get up early and watch it for a long while now.

Can't wait to see Drew's Cloth Map feature on it

I guess my favorite is Italy. I appreciate that they are actually singing in their native tongue and it is just a good catchy song.

My own country's song is just really bland and feels like an attempt at hitting all the right notes for a Eurovision winner.

Eurovision has started blocking the US from their YouTube channel for no reason that makes any sense.

@captain_insano: Yup Ukraine winning about a song who's great grand ma got deported by Stalin like almost everyone did in Ukraine is total bullshit. Australia should have won. Keep the politics out of my song contest ! Also gotta love how Russia tried to send a candidate in a wheelchair and Ukraine giving them a big middle finger saying your not welcome, got out a here !

Technically the Swedish entry this year wasn't selected by the Swedish voters, the Nano song won the people's vote by a fair margin but was overruled by the International jury.

oh you americans and your eurovision...

Anyone watching the semi finals now? I hope the guy singing rap in hungarian goes to the final

yup watching it ! that Hungarian song was pretty dope also the Romanian joddel song was a nice extra

@greys0ng: Glad you stopped by.

I hate this show. Hate it with a passion.

But the reason for my disdain is Sweden's inability to embrace the camp and ridiculousness of this vaudeville circus act. Media treats it like America treats the presidential race: with a build-up that starts as the nominees announce themselves and then goes on for months on end.

There is not a lick of ironic appreciation. Everyone is deadly serious about this entire ordeal.

So it is a big joke then? *shots fired*

@captain_insano: Yes! But everyone involved has no clue!

I'm in on Croatia or Hungary, let's do this. I love the Crotia performance, it is beautiful and that man is beautiful.

We (Germany) apparently aim for dead last again - just listen to the first couple of seconds:

Sounds familiar? Yeah a way worse version of this one:

@rahf: If the singer's didn't take it seriously they probably wouldn't be there. The show is a big deal, much more so for smaller countries as it gets them a lot of attention they wouldn't normally receive.

@scampbell: Camp artistry does not equate bad skills or talent, as is evidenced by many countries entering the competition. But an entire country's inability to acknowledge the camp of this spectacle-- it has me reeling.

@ir0n ...which in turn is a rip-off of:

@dinosaurcanada: the Sad thing about the Croatian guy that he seems to be super Anti gay rights and stuff there where talks that he wouldn't be allowed. so keep that in mind i guess...

MONTENEGRO WAS ROBBED DAMMIT.

Also if that sloth in a suit from Portugal actually wins, I'm with the UK on this, Europe's trash, get out while you can

Alright, I hear the finals of this thing are today. As a Canadian, when and where can I watch people perform songs of varying degrees of quality followed by like 8 hours of tallying votes?

@hadoken101: 21:00 PM CEST. It should be streaming on Youtube, though I heard some people had issues with the YT stream during the semi-finals.

The YouTube stream is blocked in the US, that may also be the case for Canada (would only seem fair).

The Swedish stream is not geoblocked: http://bit.ly/2pJiVRi

Eurovision is so stupid, but you can't help but love it.

Didn't Drew or someone have the live chat on the site running last year or did I dream that up? Also, see if you can spot Drew in the audience. :D

Been looking forward to this all day. Should be fun :D

Celebrating diversity tonight on Eurovision...

Hosted by three white men, bravo Ukraine.

The cuts on this who are... questionable.

Has anyone seen Drew in the audience????

BELARUS IS BEST RUS. This is what I come to Eurovision for!

Yep, the Eurovision is still weird.

Moldova is fucking lightin it UP