Y’okay, so Niceland made it through to the finals in the Eurovision Song Contest this evening – the sappy, campy contest that everybody here pretends to be totally indifferent about but EVERYBODY watches.
It’s the epitome of Iceland’s small-nation complex. Each year we wait with bated breath to see if our song makes it through to the finals, and if we do, everyone gets all teary-eyed and patriotic. If we don’t, it’s because of the East European mafia.
It was pretty tense there, tonight. The delivery of the song was flawless [although it's hard to judge objectively - it's like watching your kids in a talent contest ... they're always going to be the most talented of all], and when those excruciatingly annoying Russian announcers [EPI actually had his fingers in his ears; YT just wanted to strangle them] pressed that button to open them electronic envelopes, the vast majority of this nation was on the edge of their seats. Eighteen songs, ten finalists. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine … and none of them was for Niceland. OHNO!
And just as I was about to mumble my grumpy remark about the stupid old East European mafia, the final envelope turned, and it was for us! wOOt!!
The finals are on Saturday, but you better pray that we don’t win. [European friends: please do not send us your pity votes.] If we were bankrupt now, we’ll be a few billion more in the hole if we have to hold that damn contest next year. Unless, of course, we come up with creative ways to do Eurovision on a budget. Kreppa Eurovision – wonder what that would look like?
YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE THE WIND
… we’ve had today. I went out to the golf course for some fresh air and had serious problems keeping my feet planted on the ground. Something’s happening around here – we’ve had gale-force winds day after day after day. It’s warm, though. Right now 9°C [48F], 4:22 am sunrise, 10:28 pm sunset.
* Kidding. Please do.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah… Eurovision. I was somehow compelled to watch it live (last year) and was overcome with a mixture of horror and fascination. A link to the Icelandic song/video for this year? (I love torturing myself)
being in canada, i don’t actually get to watch eurovision. but i just watched all the folks who made the finals on youtube, and i have to be honest, the nicelandic entry is sort of a snoozer. i wanted to love it! she is oh so lovely and her voice is beautiful, but that song is boring and lame.
i watched the videos of the upcoming second semi-finals and the ukraine, the netherlands, hungary? THEY ARE INSANE. like, literally. tacky contests like eurovision are all about being ridiculously over the top.
if iceland does win, maybe the country can throw a náttúra style eurovision!
Sure, I’ll vote for Iceland (no pity vote) – if I don’t miss the contribution, as I usually skip the delivery of the songs and jump in right at the voting ceremony.
A Eurovision contest in Reykjavik could be a very striking event, if handled creatively. A makeshift stage in the infinished concert hall would be a very strong symbol for the current state of the world – really cutting edge.
Pretty girl but, my God what was she wearing?
My mother has one of those two cover up toilet rolls.
I initially wrote “lose the dress” then, but I think that would have been misconstrued. Although that certainly would have ensure she got the popular vote
Bonne chance!!!!
Kreppovision, yay!
But yes, it would just be one more unlucky thing for us, should we happen to win. Let’s not.
(yeah, and no, I wasn’t watching last night…)
Seriously, what was the deal with that annoying, Austin Powers-wannabe announcer? I just wanted to punch that guy all evening. (Tone it down, buddy, tone it down…)
I like the idea of “Kreppavision”. Since the mega music hall in downtown Reykjavik wouldn’t be completed on time by next May, I suggest building a makeshift stage & seating area in the soon-to-be vacated ILVA store in “Krepputorg” (i.e. Korputorg mall). Or else we make the spandex-clad contestants freeze their butts off and perform on the free outdoor stage in Laugardalur….do you think IMF will give another loan to host the event?
Heheh. Thanks everyone.
Jessica – ILVA is vacating? We haz bargoonz?? – Oh, and I’m sure the IMF would slip us another fiver to host the event. Isn’t that what they’re all about – benign goodness?
Kreppavision would be great – think of all those Euro dollars that would be spent here and if it were done outdoors in May – imagine a lovely north with and a few snowflakes… magic tv. Better I am sure than dragons and little girls in party dresses flying in air. Don´t the shoe ins have to pay anyway (France Germany Spain and the UK – we just do a kreppa agreement based on us hosting that Germany and the UK drop all claims on us re Icesave etc…., the spanish and french can help by sending us lots and lots of red wine), also being the host means we don´t have to compete in the qualifiers…
True, true …
But I don’t think we’re gonna win.
I rarely watch Eurovision because I just find it very tedious. It seems to go on for ever – it’s about 400 hours of gaudy tellyvision. But good luck Iceland!
Have they changed the voting system? Do the great European public get to vote this time? Wonder if they’ll be as partisan as the national voting panels were…
In Canada you can find it with a free to air satellite. I tried to watch it a while back and can see why it is a guilty pleasure for many. And by the volume of responses whenever it comes up I’d agree that the whole country is watching (with the curtains closed). But I don’t get it, it is indeed painful to watch but then again I can’t watch any of the Idol type shows either.
KreppaVision. I love the name…
I told you it would be a good topic for a blog.
Israel also suffered from the small country syndrome, but after three wins they got over it. I think only if Iceland will win at least once, they will be able to get over it.
I say:
Europeans, please vote for Iceland!
According to the bookies, Iceland will do well on Saturday and Norway will host the contest next year:
http://www.oddschecker.com/specials/eurovision/win-market
I guess the Sugarcubes have really spoiled me. I didn’t think Iceland was capable of producing such Eurovision-friendly music.
She may also qualify for the Falcon after all…
Eurovision is one of those things that you really don’t understand why you enjoy but seem to do so anyway. It was once a guilty pleasure but now people seem to have gotten over the shame. On another note: Did you notice that the annoying Russian host looked just like Karl Ágúst playing Jón Ásgeir in Spaugstofan?
We are starting the LOPI 2009 at 7 in honor of the classic “Júróvisíon partý” if you can make it.
Ásdís
Great blog, Alda. Have been reading it for some time.
Crapovision – don’t get me started. It’s like watching many hours of Italian gameshows. You want to cry, laugh, tear your hair out and puke all at the same time. I’m glad I have moved back to Canada because in Europe (not just in Iceland) Eurovision mania (something like swine flu but much more contageous) is ubiquitous. North American song shows/competitions are not quite as horrible. We have Price Is Right and Family Feud instead.
I had to chuckle when I saw you described 9C as “warm”. How quickly I have forgotten…I recall living on the rock and thinking anything above 5C was mild. “Hlynandi vedur….”
Best regards from Toronto
(20C right now, – 20 in a few months
Thanks, everyone!
Ásdís – re. Karl Ágúst / Jón Ásgeir … I spoke those VERY WORDS to EPI and AAH last night!! Gawd, the resemblance was uncanny.
Was wondering about your LOPI party. Transforming to a Júróvisjón partí sounds good.
@George – you gave me the best laugh today. Being in Toronto we know all about those crazy Italian game shows. But when you say “not quite as horrible” that doesn’t tell me enough. It is like saying “cellphone service in Canada is now 1/2 price”, I’m still not impressed. Those talent shows over here are to me, unwatchable. Pretty much the same for nearly everything on t.v. even though Canadian t.v. is ‘not quite as horrible’.
I guess the only reason to watch is to cheer for your countrymen. That being said, the clip I watched wasn’t so bad and much less glitzy than the norm.
Greetings from down the Q.E.W.
I’m hoping Iceland does win. Think not now, but ever so pleased in the moment. Some small cheerfullness.
Congratulations – the perfect result!