Eurovision announces US show for 2021

[The Larch]

 

Remember, Yanks, you have to make it campy!

The Eurovision Song Contest travels to America!

Europe's favourite TV show will travel across the ocean to the United States of America! The American Song Contest will take place during the holiday season of 2021.

The American version of the Eurovision Song Contest will, as it is currently conceived, position the artists head to head against other states' representatives in a series of 5-10 televised Qualifier Competitions, leading to Semi-Finals and the ultimate primetime Grand Final.

Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest: "The Eurovision Song Contest's unique legacy dates back 65 years and its worldwide popularity is still rising. It's time for America to experience this spectacle, through its sister competition, the American Song Contest. Love of music is universal and celebration of music in different genres and styles can transcend boundaries and unite people. We are excited to have found the right partners to offer another series that our fans across the globe can fall in love with and to share this unique competition with the American people."

[celedhring]

Tremendous news 

[Sheilbh]

This is great

I hope they've worked out the timetables so the European season and the American season don't clash

[celedhring]

So all 50 states will take part? Will DC get the shaft again, no senators and no EuroYankvision? 

My only fear is that they turn it into just another run-of-the-mill American talent show.

[Sheilbh]

Puerto Rico better get statehood too!

Yeah I am concerned about it just being a boring normal X Factor or whatever

[Oexmelin]

So all 50 states will take part? Will DC get the shaft again, no senators and no EuroYankvision? 

My only fear is that they turn it into just another run-of-the-mill American talent show.

It's pretty much what is bound to happen. Eurovision is geopolitics in kitsch, and I don't see producers touching the Red State/Blue State divide with a ten foot pole. It should have included all of the Americas.

[Sheilbh]

It's pretty much what is bound to happen. Eurovision is geopolitics in kitsch, and I don't see producers touching the Red State/Blue State divide with a ten foot pole. It should have included all of the Americas.

God, yes. A pan-American Eurovision would be superb. You'd also have a higher chance of songs like the Armenian entry (and low key banger)  "Apricot Stone" in celebration of their national fruit/symbol - with a giant Apricot Stone to dance around


And in fairness the geopolitics is always slightly organic. It's less state orchestrated than, say, sporting events. For example everyone hates the UK

But even the most politically contentious recent year was 2014 when Putin passed the anti-gay laws and it became a real culture war moment between Austria's Conchita Wurst (with absolute banger Rise Like a Phoenix), bearded and in drag, and Russia (and Poland's) entry which were described as "beautfiul Slavic girls". Then there was a really awful moment of the poor Russian band getting booed every time they were on screen (the live audience to Eurovision tilts gay - I know a few people who go every year ) and, in the UK, Graham Norton pointing out how much of a shame it was for them because it really wasn't their fault. But a lot seemed to stem from the gay community/Western Europeans looking for an act as an f u to Putin.

Edit: Got my Ukrainian entries mixed up, the winning entry was about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars two years after Conchita Wurst and when Kyiv hosted they actually used gay rights as a bit of a wedge with Russia, painting the Friendship Arch into a rainbow:


This still lingers, I've been to Ukraine a few times and from what I can tell while it's not pro-gay it does see that as a distinguisher from Russia.

[Duque de Bragança]

Cultural appropriation of the worst kind. 

[Sheilbh]

Cultural appropriation of the worst kind. 

There's nothing more American exceptionalist than transforming Eurovision into a one country competition. Truly, the World Series of song contests

[merithyn]

Yeah, but as you've all seen, the US is NOT homogeneous across states.

[FunkMonk]

The Texas entry will win every time.

Don't mess with Texas.

[celedhring]

Tbf in Eurovision entries from Old Europe have all become pretty vanilla pop. It's usually the slavs/scandinavians the ones that bring the fun.

[Oexmelin]

Yeah, but as you've all seen, the US is NOT homogeneous across states.

It's not homogeneous, but it's a lot more homogeneous than Europe. Part of the appeal of the Eurovision is the quirkiness that comes from  the clash of foreign sensitivities, of unknown cultural references, and - quite frankly - Eurovision's now tradition of kitschy pop and outlandish acts at this point.

[Sheilbh]

Tbf in Eurovision entries from Old Europe have all become pretty vanilla pop. It's usually the slavs/scandinavians the ones that bring the fun.

Yeah. You can normally rely on one of the Big Countries (UK, France, Spain and Germany) to have an interesting entry. But it's never as fun and rarely as awful as the highs and lows from Eastern Europe/Scandis/Balkans etc.

It's not homogeneous, but it's a lot more homogeneous than Europe. Part of the appeal of the Eurovision is the quirkiness that comes from  the clash of foreign sensitivities, of unknown cultural references, and - quite frankly - Eurovision's now tradition of kitschy pop and outlandish acts at this point.

My fear with the US is that we get, as on their talent shows 50 mini-videos about the performer's "journey", the inevitable tragedy they've overcome and how hard they've worked to deserve this.

I think that's what would make it like just another talent show and not like Eurovision. I know nothing about almost any of the Eurovision entries and that's great, their videos are normally just like tourist promos for the host country - so here's the UK entry snow-tubing outside Helsinki and that's it, no context, no explanation, no narrative.

The only recent exception I can think to that was the winning Portuguese entry which was touching.

[merithyn]

Tbf in Eurovision entries from Old Europe have all become pretty vanilla pop. It's usually the slavs/scandinavians the ones that bring the fun.

Yeah. You can normally rely on one of the Big Countries (UK, France, Spain and Germany) to have an interesting entry. But it's never as fun and rarely as awful as the highs and lows from Eastern Europe/Scandis/Balkans etc.

It's not homogeneous, but it's a lot more homogeneous than Europe. Part of the appeal of the Eurovision is the quirkiness that comes from  the clash of foreign sensitivities, of unknown cultural references, and - quite frankly - Eurovision's now tradition of kitschy pop and outlandish acts at this point.

My fear with the US is that we get, as on their talent shows 50 mini-videos about the performer's "journey", the inevitable tragedy they've overcome and how hard they've worked to deserve this.

I think that's what would make it like just another talent show and not like Eurovision. I know nothing about almost any of the Eurovision entries and that's great, their videos are normally just like tourist promos for the host country - so here's the UK entry snow-tubing outside Helsinki and that's it, no context, no explanation, no narrative.

The only recent exception I can think to that was the winning Portuguese entry which was touching.

Yeah, that's what's going to happen. The US is stupid.