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Scholar, Writer, Mother, Dreamer. Editor of Luminarium, an online library for English Literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Finland Wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2006

Ahh, the Eurovision Song Contest.  Schmaltzy fun for the whole family. Won't say much to the folks outside of Europe, but trust me, it's a big deal in Europe.  I would watch it every year with my folks.  Most years the winner would be some terrible pop song in an unfathomable language, though occasionally a gem would find its way to the midst of all the chaff.  My all-time favorite winner of the contest was Johnny Logan's 1987 "Hold Me Now" — what better than a cute Irishman with a lovely voice singing a love ballad?  I still love this song.

Finland has been competing in the ESC for 45 years — we have never won, or even placed in the Top 3.  So today when I got a text message from Katja saying we'd won, my reply was "That's not possible!"  Katja's response was "I guess if you live long enough, you'll see it all."  I was in the car on my way to the theatre at this point, so I called my dad (it was 1 am in Finland) who was already asleep, and when I said Katja had sent me a txt saying Finland won the ESC, my dad said, "Is it April Fool's Day?"

Weirdly enough, the winner of the contest is indeed Finland, and with nothing less than a song called "Hard Rock Hallelujah" by a Monster Rock band called "Lordi" (tr. "Lord").  These dudes are in full Middle Earth orc gear, and the song is so unlike the upbeat pop ballads that usually win the ESC that I am wondering if
A) the contest was rigged and
B) all the judges are taking serious doses of crack (which, considering how bad the songs in the ESC usually are would be a wise course of action, the pain otherwise being intolerably excruciating).

Well, 'nuff said.  You have to see it to believe it.

The Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Finland. Lordi, "Hard Rock Hallelujah."

I thought Conan O'Brien going to Finland would be hard to live down... especially since the dogsled driver chick's name was Anniina... once this gets out, I'm going to be living in Humiliation Central.


Tags: Finland

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8 Comments:

Blogger Mophia said...

I actually kinda like the song, though I wouldn't listen to it 24/7 or anything like that. They remind me of Gwar, which I like to listen to once in a while. The video is rather strange I will admit, but... what music videos aren't? I can't even think of any music videos that i've ever seen off the top of my head that make sense. Basically... nothing to be teased about here! Maybe the judges got sick of listening to the same thing over and over again.

May 21, 2006 12:00 PM  
Blogger Katja said...

Niu do not be humiliated by Lordi, we finally did something our own way and look what happened !!!! :) Instead of sending a cheesy euro-trash-pop-song or a hideous love-ballad (you know, how I feel about them), we sent something peculiar and original and won. Finns are good at hard-rock and heavy metal and that is a fact. According to Daily Mirror (=UK newspaper) Finland is the world's most bizarre little nation. Go with the flow and be proud of it. :)

p.s. I could not remember my password while in Bavaria, otherwise I would have responded immediately.

May 23, 2006 8:22 AM  
Blogger Mophia said...

I forget my password while in Bavaria all the time, don't feel alone :P Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, more great reasons to love the Finns ^^

May 24, 2006 1:46 AM  
Blogger Katja said...

Oh Ist :) You know the mountain-craziness then; hard to even remember your own name, when you are surrounded by the pictoresque Alps... Or maybe it is the bier und obstler...

May 24, 2006 3:38 PM  
Blogger Mophia said...

well, i know craziness. i actually haven't ever been to bavaria, but i'm sure i'd forget my password if i went there!

May 25, 2006 12:16 AM  
Blogger Katja said...

I kind of guessed that you haven't been to Bavaria :) I suppose I'm the only one, who suffers from mountain-craziness...

May 25, 2006 2:48 AM  
Blogger Anniina said...

No, you're not the only one - the whole 1.5 yrs I lived in Albuquerque, I'd wake up and feel wildly in love with my mountains. I'd say good morning to them, out loud every day \(^.^)/

May 25, 2006 3:27 AM  
Blogger Katja said...

OK Ist: try these:Finntroll, Amorphis and Sentenced.

May 26, 2006 3:23 PM  

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