An American's Guide to Eurovision
- Admin
- May 23, 2018
- 6 min read
Another year of Eurovision is over and gone! If you’re thinking “What the heck is Eurovision? A new kind of virtual reality device?” well you wouldn’t be alone. If you’re not from Europe, chances are you haven’t heard of the spectacle that is Eurovision. Or perhaps you have - maybe you’ve even seen a few of the performances and haven’t even realized it.
Any of these photos look familiar? These are some of the most famous, popular, or weirdest Eurovision acts. You probably know of a few of them. ABBA and Celine Dion sound familiar? Yep, they were in Eurovision. But what is Eurovision, you may still be confused. Well, I’m here to explain that to you.
Some Eurovision examples
Wait, you’re from Europe and already know what Eurovision is? Skip my explanation and read my thoughts on the contest and see my ranking from the final!
What is Eurovision?
In 1956, Europe was still recovering from the tensions of the two previous world wars. In an attempt to reunite the continent, the European Broadcasting System, based in Switzerland, proposed the idea for a lighthearted singing competition between countries. That year, seven countries took part in the first ever Eurovision Song Contest.
Since then, Eurovision has grown to be the huge production it is now, with 43 countries participating. Performances have become massive and grand, including backup dancers, LED screens, fire, and even giant light up dresses.
It has gone from nice swing songs to a woman making chicken noises, heavy metal monsters, and a Frenchman singing about mustaches - and many other wild acts.
Some of the weirdest acts
And it’s not just Europe anymore! A handful of Asian countries now participate, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Israel - and most notably, Australia, who joined in 2015. And before you ask, no, America does not participate, but I will get to that later.
The competition takes place every year in May. The country that won the previous year is in charge of hosting this grand event, which includes two nights of semifinals, and the big finale on a Saturday, where the new winner is crowned. Of the 43 countries participating, 37 are divided to perform in one of the two semifinals, only 10 moving on into the finals. The other five, known as “The Big Five”, including the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, and France, automatically compete in the finals. This is due to them being the top sponsors of Eurovision and the EBS, so they get an automatic pass. In the finals, 26 countries compete for the top spot, which is voted for by the audience, in possibly the most confusing way - but arguably in a very fun (and tense) way to watch.
Each country's entry is typically judged on the singer, the style, and the song. All songs are made for Eurovision - so no, no one will be covering your favorite Charlie Puth song. Lots are written to send a message, be catchy, tell a story, or fit the theme of that year’s competition. They are often in English to try to have the most countries understand, but many also perform in their own language - I can’t understand half of them, but it doesn’t make them any less enjoyable! Of course, the quality of the singer is judged. Each person is selected after competing for a spot in their national finals to represent their country - so naturally their the best of the best… or at least the best that country has to offer that year. Finally, the performance quality is one of the most important - and iconic - parts of Eurovision. Countries aren’t afraid of going above and beyond, leading to some particularly impressive or crazy stage sets. All to impress the judges across the continent (and Australia).
There are two groups who get to vote in Eurovision - professional juries and the European audience at home. Each country has a jury of musical professionals (what determines a Eurovision-worthy-music-professional, I have no idea). This group bands together to choose the top countries worthy of their points. And no, they are not allowed to vote for their own country. They get to award 10 countries points, ranging from 1-8, 10 and the maximum amount, 12, which is awarded via each countries spokesperson, via live broadcast, usually in front of a poor quality green screen (which is just as much of a technical nightmare as it seems.) And painstakingly long, as each country’s presenter like to use their brief time in the limelight in “creative” ways. Finally, they announce which country their jury has decided to award the 12 points. The points are supposed to go to what the country believes to be the best performance, but sometimes, are just given their neighboring country because who doesn’t love friendship? While the juries may seem like a good idea, and a failsafe, they often don’t see eye to eye with viewers at home, leading to a stark difference in the televote.
The televote works just like how we are used to voting for American Idol. Views call, text, or vote on an app for their favorite performance. Often times, there is a fan favorite far in advance, as the songs are released months before to build hype. The televote plays a crucial role and can really shake up the scoreboard, which was demonstrated in this year's competition. While the juries can favor certain countries, such as Sweden and Austria this year, the televote can completely change this when their votes are adding in afterward. This leads to shocking reveals, like when Sweden was in 2nd place from the jury vote, then was knocked down to the --- spot after receiving only --- points from the televote.
There’s a lot more to Eurovision than what’s written on paper that only can be fully understood when you start watching the competition and seeing the vast amount of interviews, fan videos, and meme created afterward (yes, Eurovision always has the very best memes!!) Some jokes include San Marino never making it past the semifinals, the UK being happy being at the very bottom, and every other country hating on Sweden’s entry which is always known for being very extra, try-hard, and favored by the juries. And of course, there is always Graham Norton's sassy and sarcastic commentary! I came to understand all of these lesser-known parts of Eurovision which made it so much more fun to watch.
So that’s a brief overview of Eurovision. Naturally, there's a lot more to it, but I felt like that was the most important information you’d need to know if you’ve never heard of it before.
My Thoughts on Eurovision as an American
Disclaimer: this wasn’t my first Eurovision. I actually watched it for the first time last year when it took place in Kiev, Ukraine. But I have to say - I’m a huge fan. It’s crazy but in the best ways. I may not have a country competing to support, but it doesn’t make it any less exciting. For the past two years, I’ve made sure to watch the finals and I go in without hearing any of the songs previously. I love the surprise of not knowing what I’m gonna see. A half-naked man whipping an extremely long braid around like a helicopter? Only at Eurovision!
I had heard of Eurovision before I watched in 2017. I have been known for watching those “Funniest Eurovision Entries” compilation videos on Youtube, so of course, I wanted to watch it in full. With some research, I found the only place that broadcasts the competition to the US is Logo TV. Thankfully they stream in live on youtube, so I sat down to waste away my afternoon.
I love Eurovision and I hope to continue watching it for years to come to see all the crazy sh*t that goes down! As well as enjoy the music of course - I always end of with a new bunch of songs to add to my Spotify playlist.
Should America Participate in Eurovision?
No. Please no. I hope they never let the US into Eurovision.
I love Eurovision and I love my country, but this isn’t our territory. Knowing America, we’d go too far to try to win. We’d want to make it all about us, rather than the (debatable) unification of Europe. I don’t think watching it would be as fun to me if America was involved.
Plus, no one would vote for us, as demonstrated by Australia’s low televote scores.
Let’s leave this one for the Europeans, America.
My Eurovision 2018 Thoughts and ranking
As this post has gone on rather long, I’ve decided to write my thought on this years Eurovision acts on a separate post! Check it out in the link below, where I detail my thoughts on each country, rank all 26, and reveal my Eurovision 2018 winner!
I hope this helped introduce you to the wonderful world that is Eurovision! See you next year in Israel!
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