On December 24, most people are thinking, “Only one more day until Christmas!” I’m thinking, “Only 145 days until Eurovision!” (Full disclosure: I’m Jewish.)
For those of you who don’t know, Eurovision is a singing contest that pits the nations of Europe against each other. My feelings about it are highly earonic, a word I am trying to popularize for when you simultaneously enjoy something earnestly and ironically. The songs are infamously cheesy, but it cannot be denied that my iPhone has many of them in heavy rotation.
In 2011, the rest of the Overthinkers and I wrote mini-reviews of every song (click here to read our coverage). Last year I was too busy getting married to organize anything, but I resolved, kneedeep in napkin swatches, that 2013 was going to be different. This year, we’d cover Eurovision the way it was meant to be covered: with video. You have to see this stuff to believe it.
So welcome to the beginning of a two-month series in which we take a deep dive into the 39 songs competing this year. First off, what the hell is Eurovision, anyway?
For more videos from Overthinking It, including our coverage of Eurovision 2013, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Can’t. Wait.
small preview of Belgium’s entry, Roberto Bellarosa, first winner of The Voice Belgique, the “The Voice” iteration of the French speaking part of the country (it’s complicated)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqgFla6N0E0
(it was 10h00 in the morning and he had a cold. It was national news)
This one ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dllo85ZSUk ) didn’t make it as the Estonian entry, much to dismay of a lot of people and also to the relief of a lot of people. Opinions were generally polarized but I have the feeling that it might make it as a YouTube sensation. Talks about a local man doing various activities and breaking his various bones while doing them. Said that they wear these costumes to protest about cutting wrestling from the Olympics. Punk, I think. Just thought you should know about this one, as I can’t really remember which one won the Eesti laul but I do remember this one.
(Commenting my own posts, yay!)I think that this song is an example of a trend that pops up in Eurovision occasionally where the purpose of a song isn’t to win the Eurovision but to mock it. It is usually justified that Eurovision has gone down the drain since is based on show and not just pure music, since there are voting blocks and the politics, since it is so cheesy and in spite of all that it seems to be so popular. So occasionally, there are protest songs to show that the whole affair is rotten, in a manner quite similar to joke parties. For example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXkvrl_D5Hc or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8AeHyJ8bko or the We are the Winners of Eurovision or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r2LrMaAquE.
Huh. I’ve never seen banjo-shredding before. Well done, strange Estonian band.
You wanted a YouTube sensation? It’s happened: http://www.avclub.com/articles/get-down-with-winny-puuh-estonias-hottest-wrestlin,95710/
I didn’t realize you guys had the capacity for such impressive production values. Or maybe my own production skills are so poor I’m more impressed than I should be. Either way, kudos on this video, and I am once again looking forward to following the goings on of Eurovision through Overthinking It, and solely through Overthinking It.
Since when is there a faker-Gwar band? Who knew?
I have an unabashed love for Lordi, or at least for “Hard Rock Hallelujah.” Watch this music video if you haven’t already. NOW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU8pvrVSQao
Whoever came up with the lyrics “arockalypse” and “rockening” should be given a freaking Nobel.
The hottie in that video was in the Finnish version of Big Brother 2012.
You now what that means.
– Beewbs!
Fo’sho. Rock on, bros!
I live in Italy and, until 5 minutes ago, i thought Eurovision was an old jingle used before international broadcasts.
Anyway, absolutely looking forward to this and, if you need someone to translate italian lyrics, here i am!
Eurovision is the reason the world knows about ABBA. At least one strike against the event, for sure!
It just occurs to me, that someone (Belinkie, me) should take the Eurovision finalists and perform this ( http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/50025/this-is-what-happens-when-you-loop-the-billboard-top-10-for-10-straight-hours ) expirement with them. In fact, I think all song contests should be decided this way, until people finally appreciate 4’33” as the greatest masterpiece in music history.