Eurovision Song Contest: Kitschy or Cultural?

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KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2023

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Eurovision, the song contest that brought the world ABBA’s “Waterloo,” concludes with its big finale this Saturday. It’s been dismissed as kitschy and camp. But it’s also considered the Olympics of pop music, and last year, 161 million viewers turned in to watch the finale. This year’s competition includes an Austrian homage to Edgar Allen Poe, Finland’s metal rap entry, “Cha Cha Cha,” and bookie favorite, Sweden’s “Tattoo.” And for the first time, voting is not limited to the Eurozone; viewers from the U.S. can join the musical fray by voting online. We’ll talk about the contest, its history, and predict what song will enter into the Eurovision canon. What’s your favorite? Guests: William Lee Adams, founder of Wiwibloggs, a Eurovision blog; author, "Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision;" senior journalist, BBC World Service Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:43.1	From KQED.
0:48.1	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Nina Kim.
0:53.3	Coming up on forum, it's the world's biggest non-sports spectacle, the Eurovision Song Contest,
0:59.0	and its grand finale is tomorrow.
1:09.3	For the first time, Americans get to vote in the competition for a member country's epic
1:14.2	performance of an original song, like an Austrian pop homage to Edgar Allan Poe,
1:19.4	Finland's metal rap, cha-ch-cha-cha, or maybe France's Avidamon is more your vibe.
1:24.7	We'll go over the favorites with Eurovision expert William Lee Adams,
1:28.1	who also had a cameo
1:29.5	in the Will Ferrell movie
1:30.7	that for many Americans
1:32.1	put Eurovision on our map.
1:34.5	Join us.
	...

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