Enough Already!

For months Sweden has been preparing for the Eurovision Song Contest, and annual ritual of musical torture. All of greater Europe* contributes an act to a concert which is the television event of the year. People may call in to vote for any country other than their own. Since most people are hearing the song for the first time, it has to be catchy like a commercial jingle, and it has to have some memorable gimmick so that it stands out among the 25 entries. Sweden's most famous win was probably when Abba performed Waterloo in 1974.

It started with a seemingly endless series of qualification contests, all televised in prime time. Then there were semifinals, and the wildcards, and finally the final. Sweden chose a song that was not only vacuous and irritating, but it actually triggered my gag reflex.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32c8aaqXIuM
For the record, she really is a professional opera singer, not a drag queen. The worst part was that the aria got stuck in my head and I've found myself whistling it. Not surprisingly, this song didn't win. It placed 21st out of 25. Unfortunately such a crushing defeat was not sufficient to get Swedish radio stations to stop playing it all the time.

The following song from Norway won by a landslide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBFFlL58UTM
I just hope they don't start playing it on the radio here too, but I doubt I'll be that lucky.


* Including Isreal, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and a few more that I never realized were European.