If you think you have no idea about the contest, this article might help you.
I have been watching and listening to Eurovision since 2002. I like to read and research about it. I can say that I am a bit of a maniac.
I don’t have a very good ear for music or I’m not very familiar with music, what attracts me is something else.
I’ve always loved studying foreign languages and analysing the unknown aspects of different cultures. I’m sure those who understand what I’m saying will confirm this. I think the effect it has on the body is very exciting. It reminds us in every way that the world is much bigger than we think.
Because Eurovision is an international event, like the World Cup or the Olympics, it makes everyone look forward to it, creates a sense of unity and solidarity and involuntarily makes people wish the community they feel they belong to well. Its main attraction is undoubtedly the fact that it takes place every year, showing the different sides of nations and bringing people together.
When such events are held over a long period of time, they become a tradition, and when combined with an important element of humanity such as music, they make a great contribution to our common cultural development. So much so that if we, as humanity, are able to organise these events on a global rather than a local scale, we will be able to ensure their continuity by turning their foundations into a structure that can be seriously built upon.
The foundation is still strong because it was built well in its time, but are the things we keep adding to it durable enough? Or, on the contrary, do they need to be enduring?
Photo by Stefan Lehner on Unsplash
Now, as you can see, the subject has taken on another dimension. Let me give you some general information before I start the analysis. This contest has been running since 1956. 68 years, that’s a long time! At the beginning there were only 7 pioneer and permanent participating countries. I don’t have to tell you how strange I felt listening to the songs and watching the videos from that time. Everyone dressed in their best clothes, singing in a clean and clear tone, preferably in their own language. Everyone looks calm, as if they have just come from a ball and are about to go to a film set at the end of the competition.
In fact, according to the presenter of this year’s contest, the first contestants to dance and sing at the same time performed for Belgium in 1973. Yes, unfortunately they came last, but that’s not the interesting part. As we know, they left out the singing while standing and brought movement into the event. In this context, our transition from crawling to walking officially took 17 years. Until then nobody wanted to be different and decided to continue with the same style. Moreover, the first “different” style was placed last, as if by punishment.
The same can be said of the dancing, movement and clothing of the participants and, of course, the genres of the songs. If you were to open any song from the early years and listen to it, you would either fall asleep halfway through or skip it. The spirit of the time must have been seeking tranquillity. But when someone started to put a stop to it, they added energy, colour and a search for a different style. Especially the recognition of the songs after this period has accelerated. As an example, the victory of the band ABBA in 1974 could be one of the turning points for Eurovision in the direction I have mentioned. The contest is now on the move.
In line with these reasons, the contest actually contributes to new voices, music, bands, stories, local and national cultures, dance choreographies, aesthetics in terms of stage, decoration and costumes, and becomes a kind of promotional tool. New genres emerge, it creates its own unique structure, and its quality and interest increase thanks to its recognition. The number of participating countries increases, as does the desire to present the most unusual and innovative visions.
As we approach the present day, we realise that this multicultural competition, which appeals to the global, need not have national boundaries. We can encounter unexpected performances by adopting fashionable features or trying to create fashion. As the audience expands, efforts are made to differentiate. But a problem can arise. Are the representatives representing their country or themselves? On the other hand, do they prefer to act for promotional purposes and to gain the favour of the public?
Now we may return to the first question we asked. The base was clear; it was boring, stifling and old, but the characteristic structure was clear. Now, like an adolescent with an identity crisis, it is constantly trying to put together pieces that do not belong to itself, changing its appearance and its thoughts for the sake of others. As you can see, each period brings its own conflicts.
If I were to analyse it from the first days I watched it, I can easily say that there is a large majority of those who cannot prevent themselves from reaching the consistency called “summer song”. There is a form that I call “the Eurovision Song” as a form that is immediately apparent when you listen to it. These are the songs that I think have been created with a certain formula just for the contest. They are uniform, just like the promo videos for Hollywood films.
In general, I don’t like these songs because, for the reasons I have mentioned, I can’t see them as well-intentioned and they don’t fit in with the spirit of the contest. Yes, I accept them as normal because the period brings different genres and understandings, but my choice is not in favour of them. Nevertheless, while commenting on them, I sometimes find myself saying “I don’t like them, but they’ll probably make it to the final”.
Another point is that the contest also it may help to convey ideas, both individual and national. It is up to you to decide whether Eurovision has been used properly in this context; I think it has been for the last 10 years and I don’t find it logical. I think it is forced to constantly bring together two structures (music and imposed different opinions) that obviously cannot harmonise with each other. The fact that current political issues and gender roles are in vogue, which paves the way for these situations, is the most obvious and suffocating element of the contest being used as an ideological tool, which I do not approve of in myself.
Now let us think backwards to understand. Let us diversify our general question: Do countries have to reflect their own culture in this competition, which takes place every year in May, or how long do they prefer to do so? It is not an obligation, so much so that (presumably in the interests of fairness and audience understanding) songs can be sung in any language. Unless you are a country like France, which is drowning in its nationalism.
In that case, countries are not obliged to reflect their own dress, food, instruments, sounds, temperament or folk tales every time. Moreover, in order to convey what needs to be conveyed in a global organisation, everyone prefers to put it in the most popular (that is, most suitable for the public) form and to convey it in that form. When you think about it, this is actually quite acceptable.
On the other hand, since the way the competition is perceived is also important, this aspect will have a direct impact on each of the elements to be included in the participation. In the end, there are as many advantages (material or immaterial) as disadvantages in this competition. Some countries have temporarily or permanently withdrawn from the contest, citing their poor economic situation, others political conflicts, and some others the fact that the conditions and organisation of the contest lead to unfair competition.
About 20 years have passed since I started watching and this is a good time to understand the shape of the structure that each participating country is part of. Of course there will be changes and there will be situations that may be contrary to our view. Because that’s the beauty of it, to get everybody’s opinion. But sometimes there are dominant opinions. Especially when political correctness is taken to extremes and literally shoved in our faces and made tiresome, we become disillusioned with the event itself.
It seems to me that many countries have developed their own characteristics based on the competition and representing their own views. Some countries don’t care about the contest, but continue to participate and have fun. Some are trying hard and want to speed up their country’s promotion. There are also countries that cannot let go of their nationalistic feelings and do not like to sing in a language other than their own, and those that do not hesitate to make extreme and strange experiments. Eurovision is one big Erasmus class and everyone plays a different instrument. That is the best thing about it. It can appeal to everyone.
Photo by Aditya Chinchure on Unsplash
Despite all the values I’ve mentioned, I still love this contest because I can’t stop the feeling of excitement it gives me. But at the same time, it bothers me to have to push away the elements that are forced upon me, and I try to ignore them. But it is sad to see that the more I ignore it, the more it grows.
Eurovision, which I think should have a culturally embracing effect, is turning into an advertising network that I can mostly call individual, and we are left with only a few beautiful songs. I recommend that you watch/listen to it and do so with the ones I have mentioned in mind. Unfortunately, with each passing year, I can’t help but ask: “Where are the old Eurovision times?"
The second Semi Final is tomorrow and the Grand Final is on the 11th of May.
I know this is going to sound very selfish after all I’ve said, but I think the “real Eurovision” or “Eurovision Part 3” after the 1970s flavour, starts with the year Turkey won. It’s easy to see how the contest has taken on a completely different character. You can see the winners of each year by clicking on the link here. So you can go through them again according to what I told you.
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