... the big day ... :-)
I am so excited, this is like Christmas to me. :-) Almost better than Christmas. ESC final night is definitely one of the highlights of the year for me. If only I had a life, maybe I would have more important things to think about ... but there you go. In Norwegian, we have a saying: you don't get any more fun than you make yourself ...
I'll be watching the show at a couple of friends' house with, let's see, we'll be six or seven people. Oh, it'll be so much fun, I can't wait. :-) Who will walk away with the honor & glory?? My guess is it'll come down to a fight between East and West - either Russia or Ukraine on the one hand, or Norway or Sweden, on the other. I'm rooting for Russia, but I'll be happy with any of these four except Sweden. That song ... 'nuff said. Anything but that. Vote for Russia ... !!!!
(The dark horse this year is Bosnia. The best of luck to them. I'd be thrilled to see them win, too.)
I was talking to my friend Anea earlier today, about the contest (she's a big fan too) and about the debate on the BookCrossing forum that she checked out a couple days ago. She has a theory about why the debate got so heated at first, when I slammed the Irish entry - why certain members reacted as they did and why I don't understand their reaction. I think she's right. The point she made was that those people who got so upset with me don't care about the contest. They only care about the song, because it's a matter of national pride for them. Whereas I, on the other hand, care rather passionately about the contest ;-) but I don't care much about the songs, as such. My 'opponents' or whatever want the Irish song to win, for the sole reason that it is the Irish song and they are Irish. (Substitute whatever nationality comes to mind here.) I however don't want the Norwegian song to win just because it's the Norwegian song. I want a country to win that really deserves it, by having an excellent entry. Let's suspend disbelief to the extreme for a moment and say Norway had won last year - OMG, I would have been so ashamed!! :-o But for some people, the quality of the entry is irrelevant, as long as 'their' song does well that's all that matters.
I guess that's just an attitude that I don't understand. Maybe I'm just not nationalistic enough. ;-) For my money, all of Europe are my friends on Eurovision night, and may the best song win!!!
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2 days ago
6 comments:
I think you and Anéa have a good point here. Additionally, I'd say it's probably not unexpected that it was the Irish that reacted; at least in my experience, many Irish people are a little touchy when it comes to the matter of national pride (for obvious and understandable reasons).
Have a great time tonight!! :)
They may well be touchy, but I fail to see how that's my problem ... and regardless of how good their reasons for feeling that way are, it's no excuse for personal attacks where none were made against them.
I would also point out that Norwegians are more than a little touchy too when it comes to the matter of national pride, for obvious and understandable reasons. ;-) But let them say whatever they want about the Norwegian song. I would have been happy to hear whatever they had to say about it. Too bad for them and for the discussion that they had nothing to say about the song, but just fell over themselves to slam me, personally.
Everyone involved in that 'debate' on the 'other side' acted in an immature and ridiculous way, IMO. They had no arguments because they didn't know what they were talking about. But instead of digging up some arguments, or just shutting up, they resorted to personal attacks. In a word: pathetic.
I had my arguments ready to argue against the Irish song (and wouldn't you know, I was completely right) and I had my arguments ready to argue for the Norwegian song, too, if they had had anything to say for themselves. But they had nothing.
I stand by my claim that it is in fact just a song. ;-)
We will definitely have a fantastic time tonight (unless Sweden wins!? :-=), no question. Go Russia!! (or Croatia who I'm beginning to suspect may be my real favorite ... !)
You have fun too! :-)
Heavens, don't get me wrong :) My point was only that it is possible to understand why you got the reaction you did; I did certainly not mean that their history in any way condones any reaction they choose to make to a (perceived) insult to their country. Neither did I mean to say that this is your problem in the sense that you should have reacted any differently; a personal attack is a personal attack, and has no place in a rational debate (no matter how fun or non-serious the topic is).
I'm spending Saturday evening alone at home with a book, and quite happy I am to be away from the whole ESC hassle ;) (Though I must admit I have gotten a bit curious about the whole thing this year, since it seems to be discussed everywhere I go on the internet! :-D)
Sorry, Findabair, if it sounded like I was attacking you - that certainly is far from the truth as I know how rational you are. ;-) This whole thing just really confuses me, I guess, so I can't quite let it go yet.
Personally I don't find it understandable on any level that anyone whatsoever would become so upset over criticism of a song unless they wrote it themselves. ;-)
You seriously aren't watching the show?? OMG!! How can you bear it?! Let me know whenever, you're more than welcome to come up to K&P's to hang out with us ... !! :-)
Alternatively you can keep an eye on this blog, it will be continuously updated from 9pm onwards ... ;-)
Ah, don't worry - it sounded like you misunderstood me, not that you were attacking me (I know you well enough not to think that, after all!).
And I can quite understand that you can't let it go. For my own part, I think it's really quite interesting to see how people react, and of course I have a special interest in the debate since Ireland is involved ;)
And well, I have never really been able to take a whole lot of interest in the ESC ;) It's a shame, in a sense, since I do seem to be missing out on a lot of fun.
Maybe I'll try to take an interest earlier on next year. I think it's a really good idea to do like you're doing and watch the songs before the finals, since one of the most boring things for me is how the songs run together throughout the evening to the extent that you couldn't care less for how most of the songs place when the voting starts.
I might just be keeping an eye on this page during the evening, though I have a feeling I'll be going to bed before the winner is decided! :)
The show has started and here I am ... ! ;-)
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