Eurovision

In Britain, Eurovision is generally seen as a joke. I think if we actually won, I would be a bit embarrassed rather than pleased. Luckily, this is unlikely to happen, so it's not something I need to worry about. I really enjoy watching it, but it's so that I can laugh at the spangly costumes and terrible, terrible music (and of course the snarky commentary from Wogan/Norton). I am actually a bit upset that I won't be able to watch the BBC version for 2011.

In Iceland, they freaking love Eurovision, and genuinely take it quite seriously. They've actually been having a competition to decide who will represent them, and everyone's been watching it. The children were allowed to stay up late to watch the final vote. Incredible. Don't we usually just get the BBC or Andrew Lloyd Webber to decide these sort of things so we don't have to bother? I suppose such competitions have happened in Britain, but I don't remember any of them.

Even more incredibly, the Icelandic public failed to choose this song. Watch out for the opera singer bit.

Instead they went with a song which in my opinion does not really capture the Eurovision spirit. The band do not even have a smoke machine. They chose it because the guy who wrote it died shortly before the competition began. So some of his mates (including the singer of the above song - apparently you're allowed to enter twice?) decided that the show had to go on, and entered in his stead. It's too dull for me to want to post it here, but just type 'Aftur heim Sjonni Brink' into youtube if you're at all interested. I suppose they all just fell for the sob story.

Such a come down for Iceland from the heady heights of 2006.