The Eurovision Song Contest is this mildly disturbing/culturally regressive annual song contest that I have largely ignored since leaving Israel, and which I pretty much ignored even while in Israel (except for that one year when we wuz robbed! And, as we say in Hebrew: He who understands will understand!), but having watched a few videos from this year’s entirely over-the-top event, I may have to get on board next year. It.was.bananas!
If you’ve never heard of Eurovision before, or don’t know much about it, I highly recommend that you click through to this BuzzFeed post: Everything Non-Europeans Need To Know About Eurovision — it is extremely entertaining, and also informative! (Servicey!) In fact, it’s the source of my newly-acquired knowledge that the contest was literally established (in 1956) as something of an alternative to/balm for all the wars the Europeans had put themselves through up until a little more than a decade prior. Singing instead of shooting! There’s a thought!
Anyhoo, the previous year’s winner gets/has to host the current year’s event (a fact which apparently leads poorer countries to maybe-sorta trying to lose sometimes), which gives them the opportunity to promote their country through whatever means are at their disposal. Sweden chose the following means, and all I’m going to say in advance is that the Swedish meatballs have lingonberry hats.
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I am merely saying.
(I’m also going to say that you might want to watch the following, Belgium’s entry. BuzzFeed rightfully noted [in its aptly titled post “Check out the 11 most absurd moments from Eurovision 2013“] the amusing manner in which the backup dancers essentially stole the show from the song, but as you watch the clip, it becomes clear that the singer is just so very thrilled to be on that stage, and it’s adorable [just look at that smile at the 1:57 mark!], and at the end, he jumps up and down, and I’m pretty sure he broke down in tears).
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(Also, does he not sound quite a bit like Belgium Bruno Mars?! Yes, he does).
Emily L. Hauser - In My Head 
Nora Munro
/ May 21, 2013… of course they’re wearing lingonberries. of COURSE they are.
emilylhauser
/ May 21, 2013OF COURSE.
ExpatJK
/ May 22, 2013Ah, Eurovision! It has a huge, and I do mean *huge*, following down here in Australia. Sadly I missed a big Eurovision party this year because my son was finally asleep after a restless night, and sleep > Eurovision parties when you are sleep deprived.
emilylhauser
/ May 22, 2013Sleep > than just about anything at certain stages of life. And yet I can appreciate your sense of loss….
JHarper2
/ May 22, 2013Obviously, the people that made that Swedish song should be producing the opening number at the oscars, if not the whole show.
emilylhauser
/ May 22, 2013Wowie zowie if that ain’t some straight-up Canuckian wisdom.