#It’s a song contest chill the fuck out

[meteor752]

Hope putin invades your country next. ❤️

What was it I said about people needing to grow up?

[uninformedartist]

So just finished watching the ep so review. Spoils ahead:

So the episode was ok to me, solid 6/10 one of the better episodes which since this was supposed to be an "extravagant" ep why does it got better quality than the main eps, idk Viv has her moments like this ep and other eps its a train wreck in writing ect.

Mammon worked on my nerves, from design to his movements, personality ALL of him was annoying, which props for an annoying Villian but its Villian I never want to see back again and he's hinted for some sort of return.

Side tangent: Mammon is like the how many-ith Villian to get a return ep/hint at one. It was 1st cherubs, then dorks, then stella/ice twink, striker/crimson now Mammon & according to the leaked storyboards a ghost guy that tries to talk IMP into off-ing themselves... its a flipping lot and cherubs & dorks seem to be forgotten dispite dorks knowing & having hard evidence they exist, flip Viv chill it with your Villian of the week cos its way too many now.

Anyway, Blitz didn't need to be in this ep besides the flashback. Ozzie got him to talk Fizz out of being Mammon's puppet but ultimately Ozzie spoke him out of it & gave him courage to quit/confront Mammon. Even Blitz being a bodyguard/killing people for Fizz could've been any imp. Blitz is starting to feel like Steven from SU, in every ep even tho the ep doesn't need him/ the episode surrounds topics a wee child shouldn't be in (i.e Lapis trauma dumping on Steven & he a child isn't really equipped to handle that situation).

My fave part of this ep was Ozzie and Fizz. Ya'll I legit prayed Viv wouldn't mess these two up and my prayers were answered. Absolutely a joy these two were. Fizz especially what a darling. Loved that small scenes with him and the deaf imp child, l dont know sign language but it looked genuine animated and was just sweet moments.

From their interactions, Fizz's panic attacks/self doubt felt & were genuine... I felt that as someone that has panic attacks from high stress on my studies/life. It was just handled well. Fizz feeling less than and needing to prove himself from 1. his past 2. his appearance, that accident affected his self image/worth so much (why I felt him forgiving Blitz was too hastily done but I digress) & 3. him doing this Mammon contest still to gain/earn Ozzie's love for him cos Fizz believes Ozzie only sticks around because of this fame Mammon gave Fizz. Ozzie finally saying what he loves about Fizz was lovely, wanted that in the 1st ep but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Their song was... I didn't like it BUT the message in it was beautiful. Lastly Fizz saying fuck you to Mammon from the courage/strength Ozzie gave him was a nice send off... also Ozzie saying he loves Fizz ah ngl that made me smile agh I just love them. I want to see them more than the Stolitz show but thats only a wish. Props Viv, you get 1 brownie point not messing this up.

Last findings, the ep was bloated as hell my soul Viv please stop cramming so much in an ep, this one is 30 mins long & yet still felt bloated. Pacing was a motherfuka damn it was bad & the swearing was jarring (its a Viv written ep I don't expect any less but still gonna point it out) and the comedy wasn't so prominent in this ep, Blitz/Mammon gave some comic relief but in the best and worst ways:

The way the VA delivered this line "to be fucked" made me laugh, the line is cringy but the delivery lol gold

Aand Blitz, my soul shut the fuck up & get out this ep. Last ep & this one he said something so agonizingly cringe I pulled my face

The world of HB is legit American hell or earth just painted red since Fizz named all these places in America just "hellified" where his fans come from.

And very last, congratulations Salem glad you got the cathartic send off you deserve from working under Viv, truly fuck you "Mammon" indeed :) also glad they credited you this time.

[ivanttakethis]

End of Round 26 - Tov’s Log

Tov (?) vs. Akane (?) -> ??? Win

————————————————————

Late into the night, Tov settled on Towards The Sun as her song.

It was fitting, considering Wren’s words of encouragement to her in the hospital.

“The Sun is a star too.”

Tov didn’t know if she was capable of becoming the Sun just yet.

The shadows of Round 24 and Himei’s death still loomed long over the path ahead of her.

But that message — Tallis’s song — maybe that could be the Sun for now.

Something to keep her going.

While Tov couldn’t write sheet music or lyrics, she knew how to mix music. It was likely the only reason she did well in Music Composition.

She wove the melody Tallis wrote into the last reprise of the chorus, after the music swelled and the stripped-back instrumentals guided the song to its end.

A natural enough transition that only someone listening for the difference could hear it.

Tov hoped it would work.

———

They were dressed the same, her and Akane. White dresses and stars.

Tov sang of the Sun.

Akane sang of the Moon.

By the end of the round, one would eclipse the other.

As the last notes of the song faded, the score calculation began.

Akane didn’t look at the screen.

Tov couldn’t look away.

She tried her best to appear only mildly anxious, maybe even moderately so.

But the white knuckle grip on her microphone was a dead giveaway to how she truly felt in the moment.

She only had to wait for score calculations once before, with Minori.

With Lark, there’d been no need.

Akane was a strong opponent. An honor student back in Anakt Garden.

Tov knew it would be close.

The ticking sound stopped and the screen displayed their final scores.

Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach.

50 - 50

A perfect tie.

The first of the season.

Tov couldn’t even remember what the protocol was for a tie. Her mind was too scattered to think.

No—

Not too scattered, too scared.

This is it.

She thought, chilled to the bone.

I’m going to die here.

Nyx and Dian are going to watch me die here.

Solei and Aurien are going to watch me die here.

Cassio is going to watch me die here.

Wren is going to watch me die here.

Tallis is going to—

Movement in Tov’s periphery caught her attention and she turned to look, only to find Akane walking off the stage and down the stairs into the crowd.

“Akane?” Tov called out. Her voice was swallowed by the ruckus of the crowd.

The bright lights made it harder to see beyond the first few rows of seats, but she kept an eye on the long train of Akane’s white dress.

She stopped in the middle of the aisle and pulled something metallic out of her pocket.

A gun. Tov thought as Akane aimed the weapon at a crowd member.

How many times has someone gotten their hands on a gun this season?

She didn’t have time to even finish her thought before Akane pulled the trigger.

A loud crack echoed through the crowd.

Her target fell out of their chair to the shock and horror of those around them.

Fuck! No—

Tov knew what was coming next.

She could only take one step toward Akane before another gunshot rang out.

Akane’s head snapped sharply to the side and she collapsed to the ground in a bloody heap.

Her veil fluttered in the air for a moment longer, then came to rest on her body like a funeral shroud.

Tov fell to her knees, covering her mouth to muffle a scream.

The crowd erupted in applause.

Her own portrait stared down at her from the scoreboard:

TOV WIN

————————————————————

Rest in peace Akane, you truly were a shooting star 🙏

Honestly, Tov and Akane having the first 50/50 tie of the season is so fitting given how similar they are (older contestants, star motifs, wearing wedding dresses, etc.)

Also it’s pretty ironic how the first time Tov sings about something other than grief she nearly loses lmao

Hopefully her message was received…

Akane belongs to @aakaneeee.

Tallis and Himei belong to @lookatmysillies.

[somerandomjewelleryonthefloor]

Pre-Relationship 3, General 2, Love 1, Domestic Life 2

For both SolChael and CalRin

Both? You want a double 4 course meal? Of course bestie *gives you this on a silver platter*

╔══ ஓ ๑ ♡ ๑ ஓ ══╗

{Solchael - 1st four course}

❝who felt romantic feelings first?❞

Hard to say. They both were frenemies at the start, chill but not chill. They slowly started falling and both felt romantic feelings at the same time when they started having intense staring 'contests'

★

❝did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?❞

Their official first date was honestly just having a fun time around time. They went to thrift stores, got a hotdog & milkshake each, walked around town, and sat down by a bench near the beachside of Cedar Cove and watched the sun go down.

★

❝who said "I love you" first and what was the situation?❞

Well if we're going by canon book choices, Michael said it first at Prom.

If we're going by ME- then it was Michael and he said it when he was sleeping and cuddling with Solrin at his house, while a thunderstorm was raging on. He had his headphones blasting music as Solrin slept soundly with the sound of the rain outside. He was looking at her and tucked some hair behind her ear, and then he said "I love you". She didn't hear it, but it was the first ever ILY in the entire relationship up until they point.

★

❝if they get married, who proposes, and how do they do that? Would they change surnames?❞

Michael proposed, by asking her in her car. They both mutually agreed that they'd have a basic elope via paper and no wedding, so he didn't exactly get her much besides a strawberry ring-pop (since she said once she didn't want a really big surprise ring, and that she'd accept anything).

They don't change Surnames, they just combine em. "Jaella-Harrison".

*.·:·.✧ ✦*ੈ✩‧₊˚*+:｡.｡✧˚ · ..ೃ࿐*ੈ✩‧₊˚ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

{Calrin - 2nd four course}

❝who felt romantic feelings first?❞

Even though PB choices frames it as Caleb gets feelings later on while we can get them first, I think that Caleb got them first. It was during the time where he was tasked with finding out who fucked up Ollie the Tiger and who the gang was gonna gang-JUMP and he was at the diner waiting for Maria to come back when Wes was taking a long time to get his ass there. Caleb & Sol were talking and at one specific moment when they were looking each other in the eyes, that little spark finally hit him and he felt something (love. It's love guys. I think it was love guys-)

★

❝did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?❞

Their first date was at his house, and Solrin was playing around with her makeup and was sitting on his lap and closely glamming his face up with the new eyeshadow kit & eyeliner kits she got. It was a silly fun day.

★

❝who said "I love you" first and what was the situation??❞

If we're going by the 'CaNOn", he said ILY at prom

If it's by ME- They were driving in Solrin's car around town, going all around town and having fun. And as she was stopped at a red light and turned off the songs that were blasting from the radio, Caleb just said it. He said ILY, Solrin almost choked on her drink, and then she leaned over and gave the golden boy a kiss on the cheek and smearing it as she smiled. "I can't say it back yet, but... Thanks..." ← Solrin's response

★

❝if they get married, who proposes, and how do they do that? Would they change surnames?❞

Caleb proposed at his house on the little area at the back that had the beach and everything, with a thrifted antique ring he got. He tried to make it a bit casual since he knew Solrin didn't like grand proposals as they intimidated her, but he was already on 1 knee with a $86,500 ring that looked like this-

So... I mean his awkwardness then worked because she said yes. But they agreed to have a small wedding since Caleb wanted a cute wedding for them. Only invited Caleb's immediate family, some of their Highschool friends + Sol's dad, and they had gelato instead of cake!

They didn't change surnames, combined em. "Jaella-Mitchell"

╚══ ஓ ๑ ♡ ๑ ஓ ══╝

Tags: @cadybear420

[esc-is-holding-me-hostage]

Final thoughts/rant/whatever

- Yeah, Greece giving Cyprus meager 4 points meant that it's all doomed

- The real crimes of the juries were putting Israel 2nd and Estonia 5th

- My tweet asking Ukrainians not to vote for Poland got a surprising 1000+ likes and retweets. And guess what? IT DIDN'T FUCKING MATTER, 'CAUSE WE GAVE 12 POINTS TO POLAND ANYWAY сукакурванаху��блядь I hate it here

- Slovenia in the 21st place is makes me wanna put on Joker (hehe) makeup

- Germany putting in effort and still being dead last is just sad

And now for the big thing

Do I think that the show was "rigged" in Loreen's favor? No.

But I'm still upset and the difference of 163 points between her and jury's second place is absolutely fucking baffling.

The jury vote system is designed in such a way that huge point gaps are less likely to occur AND YET. May I remind you that in 2019 correcting the votes of one (1) country changed the jury winner.

I'm sure they will try to change the system somehow next year. After all, we've got the current system after Sweden won as a jury 1st, televote 3rd place.

That said. Oh my god, can you guys fucking chill? Stop with these ridiculous conspiracy theories. "It's because of ABBA's win anniversary", "Melfest was purposely made bad so she could win" - jeeeesus.

Loreen was second in the televote, she got points from literally every country except for Finland (obviously), it's not like she was pushed to the winning spot from out of the top 10. People, a lot of people, voted for her. She did have the whole package with a good song, great vocals and great staging. It's not like the juries handed Bridges a win.

Do you all have the memory of a goldfish and don't remember KEiiNO? Who also won the televote but not the whole thing? This is not the first time this is happenned, come on, shit like this is bound to occur sometimes.

"The juries were put in place because of the anti Eastern-European sentiment, we don't need them anymore". Yes, and also because the contest was filled with shit-tier joke entries fighting for the televotes.

"The televoters know what's best!" After 5 points (last place) to Blanca and 81 points (8th) to Blanka? After 16 points to Austria? Really?

Look. I am also upset at the result. I turned off my TV before the winner's repriese, for fuck's sake. I expected Loreen to fight for that 1st jury spot. I expected Käärijä to get between 60 and 100 jury points so I could give up my hopes before they even started announcing the televote results. But he was in the 4th spot, and I thought that maybe, just maybe he can still win. And that's why you should never get your expectations up, kids.

tl;dr: Käärijä deserved to win, but making up fucking conspiracy theories to justify your fave not winning is stupid and you all should chill and stream Cha Cha Cha or something. Give the green man those 0.003 dollars.

[tymniemniej]

Sunday stream (Tank with stuffy nose and random chats about anything)

Part 1 - in case there's anything later on, I watched only half so far

chat: actually electric callboy in orange county they had to tell a dude to chill out. someone flipped off niko

Tank: Actually - I had to calm down Nico about it. He walked backstage between songs and he was FURIOUS. Each time he was out singing and met his eyes with that one dude in the crowd he got (two raised hands flipping him openly). And I said maybe - MAYBE - the guy loved old Electric Callboy with Sushi. But the gesture is a part of old-school metal scene in the US. We used to do this as kids instead of the horns gesture. So that might be a cultural difference.

(but Tank figured it won't hurt to send security and talk with the guy to check if he's being antagonistic - and later told Nico: "I get that it's annoying but in the end who gives a fuck, he paid for the ticket!")

But Nico was full on furious - in between songs he went to the edge of the stage and on mic he asked the guy "You want to fuck me? Is that it?"

Tank: …I will say though, seeing EC guys handle getting bigger - I've seen a big change in them over the last 1.5 year, like working with them. They are true professionals.

Like if that^ situation happened again during the last tour Nico wouldn't have even acknowledged it and wouldn't react in any way.

They know they attract bigger crowds now, they learned how to navigate those situations.

---

chat: Have you seen any disputes between the EC boys? Or are they just perfect human beings?

Tank: (thinking) yeahhh, I've seen them argue about stuff, not like band ending - I wanna take you out back and beat the shit out of you - but like, of course you put six people on the bus, there's gonna be different opinions about what's going on - I've definitely seen those guys have strong conversations and arguments about what's going on

But that's normal and afterwards it's fine.

repeating after chat: Yeah, they kiss and make up, literally.

commenting on chat: yeah that's actually what I love about EC band and crew is how open emotionally they are with each other, no one holds anything in.

---

chat asks about Tank's thoughts on Ratatata Grammy consideration

Tank: I know how this shit works, so I don't care. It's like Eurovision popularity contest behind the scenes. I'll be shocked if they get a nomination.

(chat mentions it was Sony Japan that pushed for the consideration on Babymetal's side)

[edwinspaynes]

Todays Q: 🤭

Its Friday night! Last Sunday of September!

What are all your favourite couples in literature doing? 🤭(and Edwin and Charles of course) . IN A MODERN context ☺️💙💙

Why do you make me modernize things I do not like modernizing things at all 😭😭😭😭 But FINE since it is you I will indulge you

I think that James, Cordelia, Matthew, his partner, Thomas, and Alastair are taking a road trip together. Since we are apparently modernizing things they're in a Kia with heated seats and Matthew insists on shotgun because he gets sick as fuck in the backseat (yeah, I'm projecting.) But he popped a Dramamine and fell asleep on James's shoulder while he tried to drive, so Alastair is sitting behind him and punching his seat over and over again to try to get him to stop leaning on the driver. This unfortunately is more distracting to James, and it pisses Thomas off because HE is asleep on Alastair's lap and is VERY cozy. Cordelia is sitting in the window seat behind James, happily playing Zitch Dog and pretending that Matthew and Alastair are not at war. Matthew's partner is very amused by her extreme attempts to keep spirits up and is playing Zitch Dog with her. He also has been forced to take on the role of navigator since no one else is doing it, which sucks for him because he just wants to play his fancy pants Nintendo since we're being all modern.

That was actually kind of fun, and I think I could put it into their historical context, too. It would be better. They'd have little driving goggles and Cordelia could sing merry little songs. And they'd need to use a paper map, which would cause all sorts of shenanigans. Maybe later.

Sophie and Gideon are having a lazy modern day, modernly. They're watching TV in their Snuggie. Maybe they're watching Love Island. Yeah, I think Gideon would have a ball making fun of the contestants on Love Island. Or the Bachelor.

Will and Tessa are on a Grand Bookstore Tour because they have the day off. They're dipping into and out of every store. Tessa buys something every time and makes Will hold her bags.

THANK YOU FOR INQUIRING ABOUT EDWIN AND CHARLES THEY ARE MY POOKIES <33333 And they also exist in the modern day so I'm happy!!! If they're not solving a case, I think they're chilling in their office. Charles is playing Pokemon on his little boxy Game Boy and Edwin is rereading a Hardy Boys novel and periodically reading little passages out loud to Charles to make him laugh. As he does in canon, he does ALL the voices and Charles adores him. Of course he has his head on Charles's lap and Charles is playing with his hair. 10/10 all around.

[teal-skull]

Earlier today I reblogged a poll asking which artsit Germany should send to Eurovison 2024 and I said Powerwolf. Well, I was half-joking, because I know they will not do that, and it might turn out to be a huge mess. But guess what, I feel like elaborating it even more, so let's play with the thought for the sake of amusing ourselves:

Reasons why Powerwolf might be good for Eurovision

Powerwolf is a live band to the bone. Eurovision is a live song contest where you have to put up a good performance, I have no doubt PW couldn't pull that off. They also have stage charisma.

Attila is classically trained vocalist. This man has enough vocal capicity to propably earn at least couple of points from juries, especially if he gets to show his opera singing skills in a calmer bridge for examble.

Potential to create a viral hit. They have figured out the formula for writing their songs to the point that their songs sound quite similiar and use same elements seen consistently in most recent albums. (Like "wooo-oooo-oooh" can mean three different songs). They have the means to produce another hit because they have a workign formula for creating a banger after banger. Powerwolf knows how to write a catchy chorus that appeals to the public

PW is a strongly visual band. This is good because it makes them stand out and be remerable. Costumes and face-paint is already part of their brand, so they can just make that bigger and flashier. Also in Monumental Mass they were using CGI backgrounds so I have no doubt they would find a good way to utilise the LED screens of Eurovision stage.

Humor. Might not be understood by everyone, but it could help their song to appeal to televoters. Imagine if they made another song featsuring chatolic innuendoes.

They music style would propably stand out. Even if that year will become bandvision tm (which is highly encouraged), propably no other power/heavy metal act will enter and likely they will be the only band featsuring church organ.

Church organs fuck severly.

The one thing I'm not sure about is how ESC growd would recieve the way Powerwolf handles Christianity. On one hand most people might be chill with it the same way PW fans are, but there is a small possibility for some controversy from multible sides, since people's first reaction often appears to be confused if they are satanists or promoting chatolism. So many people might misinterpret what PW is really about and take them too seriosly.

[dreamcast-official]

Who r the most emo megaman characters

THIS IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION AND I HAVE WHAT I HOPE IS A GOOD ANSWER.

number one is bass. no contest. hes the shadow the hedgehog of mega man. if we're looking beyond the classic series then its definitely 100% bass.exe.

number two is proto man. look at this dude. if you need evidence just know he composed a song about his inner turmoil (proto man's whistle concerto) like if thats not emo i dont know what is!

number three is zero. he has cloud strife syndrome (originally wasnt super emo and brooding but became so over time) and oh god hes so tired can he please just like chill the fuck out. can we leave him alone

[mbistuff]

Eurovision 2023 morning-after recap

What a fucking year

Starting things out extremely strong this year with a flag parade marked by appearances from Ukrainian Eurovisions legends mixed spliced with legendary UK party songs. Go-A, Jamala and Tina Karol appeared, but unfortunately no Svetlana Loboda. Great party atmosphere all in all, finished with Verka Serduchka and her mother storming the stage.

Graham Norton was on host duty this year, to the great regret of Graham Norton.

Austria started things out strong with a song about being possessed by Edgar Allen Poe. ????????? I loved it.

Act five from Serbia took things into real bizarre territory (even for Eurovision) with the most anime performance the contest has ever done, the singer fighting against a giant mecha. 3rd last place.

France is keeping the Eurovision tradition of impossibly large dresses alive.

Spain brought a flamenco inspired chant. Lowest scoring act from the public vote but I respect it.

Oh fuck the queen of Sweden is back

Oh fuck she’s probably going to win isn’t she?

Italy had a ballad about the relationship of the conscious mind vs the unconscious mind. Meanwhile two men in silver pants played on a trampoline in thebackground. Very strong showing, 4th place.

Holy shit Finland what the fuck is this

Holy fuck Finland what the fuck was that

Please watch and/or listen to Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä, instant Eurovision classic, deserved every single point it got and more

Australia (hold on you’re still not European) rocked it and also brought a car on stage. I’m so glad Australia gets Eurovision

Moldova keeping electrofolk and flute solos alive at Eurovision. Thank you, Moldova.

Norway completed a trifecta of Nordic excellence with a fusion of Norse mythology with pop. Got shafted by the juries but the public fucking loved it.

Germany went very metal this year, but tradition dictates you need to fight with the UK for last place.

Croatia, meanwhile, brought the biggest disaster of the night. Yes, that was the point, I know, but I still reckon it deserved last place.

Quick shoutouts to Isreal for showing the power of the unicorn and to Slovania for their Beatles knockoff

Voting time, let World War 3 begin

No Graham Norton snark on commentary this year unfortunately because he has to stand on stage.

Hatari, my beloved, how the fuck is Eurovision even on speaking terms with you after what you did?

Catherine Tate saying Allons-y? Yup, Doctor Who has now officially had a presence at Eurovision

Chill out everyone, Loreen’s song was good. It came second in the televote, so it winning overall isn’t some great crime.

Plus this means we get to see  Måns Zelmerlöw again next year

See you in Sweden for 2024

[lilianrennifer]

*Reading Boys Planet Contestants Minds*

Jiwoong: OMG! Matthew smiled 😁 at me! I love him, 😍 he’s so cute! 🥰

Matthew: Jiwoong hyung needs to chill. 🫤 I ain’t about that life. Now 🤔 where’s Hanbin hyung? 😍

Haruto: Please 🙏🏻 let my team do well at our next show! Also maybe give me some more time to speak 🗣️ in English, because I kill that shit!

Hanbin: 😔 I have no inspiration for these lyrics. Well, 🤔 Hao hyung 🦝 is pretty cool. 🤩 In a heterosexual, platonic way. Wow, is it hot 🥵 in here? Or is it just me? 🤨

Krystian: I fucking hate all of these people. 😒 Why am I here? Well except for Anthonny, 😏 he’s pretty cool! 🤩

Taerae: *Birds 🐦 chirping and beautiful music 🎶 playing* 😊

Ricky: Who is that?! 🤨 Damn, he's handsome! 🤩…. Oh it's a mirror.🪞Hey mirror-me ur lookin good 2day. 😉

Takuto: I don't understand any of what they're saying. I’m just gonna smile ☺️ and nod, that always works.

Junhyeon: 🤔 Is now an appropriate time to burst out into song? 🎤 No? Okay, 1 2 3 go! 🗣️

Kamden: *Crickets* 😐

[owlbearcounter]

Learning from Survivor - a coping mechanism

DISCLAIMER: This is a statement coming from somebody that didn't throw a single vote on Sweden and was pulling so hard for Finland. I get the mood.

DISCLAIMER 2: It's fine to be upset when your fave doesn't win! I get it! I'm a little upset too. But I don't know about y'all, but I don't like feeling upset, it's not a fun way to feel.

I want to talk about Russell Hantz.

When Survivor: Samoa and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains aired, Hantz was a huge fan favorite. They loved his aggressive game play and his total dominance over who went home. Both times he played, he got to the finale with the two people he wanted.

And he got bodied by one of them. One of whom was the first person to win twice. (Seem familiar?)

After losing twice, Russell was pissed. At the reunion, he insisted that the game wasn't fair, and that things should be different. America should have a portion or the vote. Jeff's response is something that stuck in my head:

"That's a different game. That's a game called Russell Decides Who Wins Survivor."

Everyone knew the rules going in; Russell was just trying to win a different game, one that wasn't there.

As an avid Survivor fan, I am no stranger to a jury voting in a way that is confusing or against your faves. It's a super upsetting moment and takes the wind right out of your sails. I never pulled for Russell, but I'm still baffled by the results of last season.

I get being frustrated that Kaarja lost, despite televote dominance. I'm frustrated, and I fucking loved Tattoo. But I help chill myself out by remembering a few key things:

1) **They all knew the rules going in.** They knew there'd be a jury and they knew how the scores worked. They brought themselves to the contest with that full knowledge.

Cha Cha Cha is a weird song. Delightfully weird, but it's still a risk to bring. The fact that it was so successful is AMAZING, and says something about its quality. But Kaarja knew he was up against a jury, and so did Loreen.

2) **There's always things that we don't get to know.** I haven't seen the jury performance, but from what I heard Kaarja's was a little rough. It happens, but that's a factor.

3) **We have power in the aftermath.** Specifically, the power to drown our faves in love.

Support their music. Send them love on their social media. Make sure they get a huge amazing audience from this platform.

Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest, and she deserved that win. But we can play our own game here, and make sure our favorite artists win. Channel that energy into something good, replace that anger with passionate love.

That's just my opinion, but one I felt worth sharing.

[cascaria]

had a dream last night/this morning that me, my dad and one of my brothers were going to this karaoke contest? (a very strange trio to be like "ah yes us three and only us three are gonna go do a a karaoke thing") in this big building that had a lot of different stuff I forget going on. most of the dream was me walking through the building and descending floors to meet up with the others but I can't remember anything specific that happened on the way. also the main song we were going to do was mambo number 5 for some fucking reason and I had the song stuck in my head most of the dream. right before we were gonna head to the contest we sat down in this like restaurant area and while we were chilling waiting for our time to go sing mambo number 5 ig the fire alarm for the building went off. luckily the exit doors were right there so we bolted. as we ran we had to exit through these like big massive doors that separated this underground parking lot? area from the outside parking lot. as we neared it however we spotted a tiger that escaped from the zoo (ig this building we were in was part of a zoo?? but it luckily didn't notice us. just as I made it to the door (which was stood open and I was lagging a bit behind my dad and brother) an escaped lion showed up and immediately started chasing me. this is where I kinda woke up and my groggy half asleep brain finished things off in a sorta lucid way? I ran for my life from the lion but obviously had no hope of outrunning the thing. just when all hope seemed lost though ig a zoo security guard or something took a sniper rifle and fucking brained the lion. hearing a gunshot while running for my life about made me dive to the ground and cower but I barely managed to keep running and dive into the open car door (my dad and brother had reached the car first and had opened the door for me so I could get in as quick as possible since I was being chased by a fucking apex predator) at which point we drove away and the dream ended. I say it was kinda lucid at the end because both the part where the lion got shot and the car door being open had moments where like. the dream paused and my brain had like a super meta "how's she gonna get out of this one?" moment where it ran through several possible outcomes before picking the preferred one and letting the dream resume.

[deep-hearts-core]

1998

This should be an interesting one. Since 1999 was the first year without the orchestra and the language rule, 1998 is going to look and sound VERY different from the contests I'm used to.

Croatia Classic costume change and classic Balkan ballad. Danijela has very good control over her voice, but the staging (specifically her hand movements, but also that one long shot) was sort of awkward. She looked and felt out of place on that stage, especially in the black outfit. Melody also seemed... not simple, but overly familiar? To me it felt like it was composed out of bits of other songs that I know and can't remember and that put me off a little bit. But not in a formulaic way. I dunno.

Greece Forgettable but not unenjoyable rock song. I don't like her voice nearly as much though.

France Loving the chill vibes here and Marie is fun to watch. I really liked the verses in this. Good stage presentation - although, I don't know if she was sick or just has a naturally raspy voice but something seemed slightly off about her singing.

Spain This man is like... if a classic rom-com protagonist with a boombox was sopping wet pathetic and also John Green. Not a bad song. I like the sentiment I suppose. There's this extremely 1990s thing going on with the synths that I'm not crazy about.

Switzerland Twee ending is twee but otherwise I really like this song. I fuck with the violin and Gunvor sounds good and she looks good in that dress (in the long shots. In the closer shots I keep getting distracted because it looks like she just wore a bra onstage). However. Those backup dancers needed to chill. Specifically there's this shoulder shrug thing they do right at the beginning that just does not fit the vibes and it BOTHERED me.

Slovakia Good to know that the terrible VFX overlays have been around for 25+ years. Thanks Slovakia, hated that. It's a beautiful language and the song was pretty enough, if not all that engaging, so it's a shame that parts of it were too low for Kristina. She had to whisper the first two notes of this one repeating phrase which sounded just a little creepy.

Poland This had a really strong opening and honestly I do like this song a lot but the lead singer just isn't bringing it vocally. She's not bad. I just don't think that head voice as a register really works here. It makes the song seem low-energy and her tone quality seem just the littlest bit shrill.

Israel I think this win was deserved. I don't really like the nasally tq that Dana has, but she's a good performer. Like a lot of other high ranking songs from this era, I don't think I've ever heard this song in full before, but the verses hold up to the chorus and everything feels consistent with the greater idea of the song. Good use of the background lights. And, also, shoutouts to the backing singers. They sounded good and the sound mixing for them was done really well... which, in Eurovision, is not always easy...

Germany "German Austin Powers runs into the audience, caresses several men, climbs onto the side stage" is something that I should hate, but I kind of love it. Like fuck this guy but also fuck, this guy! The whole thing with the cowbells was also very funny. Love a good Stefan Raab song.

Malta Chiara is such a good singer. Like she just sounds good and satisfying everywhere in the song no matter the volume, emotion, or register. WHICH IS WHY IT'S A DAMN SHAME THAT THIS SONG BORES ME TO TEARS. If you have a good singer (and good staging), give her a good song and maybe an actually attractive dress, cmon Malta I know you can do it she looked so good in 2005.

Hungary It just doesn't do it for me. IDK.

Slovenia This one too. It really didn't capture my attention. Although better than Hungary, I think.

Ireland Not bad. Clearly following on from Katrina and the Waves. I wasn't expecting her to have such a deep voice, but she sounds pretty good! Lol at the completely abandoned keyboard just sitting on the stage though.

Portugal I love the instrumentation here. The song is cute but the vocals and the way it draws back during the sung portions is less fun than the bits where it's just the bagpipes and the guitar.

Romania Malina doesn't come into herself here until that high note. It's an OK song but she's too quiet for it and the staging is too simple.

UK This is fun, I'm into it. Not my favorite by any means and not particularly a standout but it's good.

Cyprus I really enjoy how anthemic that chorus is. The backup singers were also used really well, in a way that made them sound like a full choir rather than five people.

Netherlands Queen Edsilia! Sounds good looks good feels good. No notes.

Sweden I'm not sold on it. She sounds ok I guess, but isn't she a country singer? I feel like maybe I would have been more into it if they'd sent her in a genre she did more? Iunno.

Belgium She's so cute and the whole package just comes together. Not usually my sort of song, but after the run of mostly boring songs I'm so refreshed by how much I enjoy this.

Finland I will be honest, I don't fully know what's going on here and I don't know how I feel about it.

Norway Cute. I like the vibes on this guy, how the camerawork incorporates the live orchestra, and the color scheme.

Estonia For some reason was not expecting this to be a piano ballad, but it's good.

Turkey Looks nice sounds nice. At this point my attention has started to wane quite a bit so unless it's super good or super bad I don't have much to say.

FYROM Wasn't expecting to like it, I don't hate it! Not the worst debut they could have had.

My top 25 1)France 2)Netherlands 3)Belgium 4)Germany 5)Switzerland 6)Ireland 7)Spain 8)Norway 9)Israel 10)Cyprus 11)Portugal 12)Estonia 13)Poland 14)Malta 15)Croatia 16)FYROM 17)Turkey 18)UK 19)Sweden 20)Slovakia 21)Slovenia 22)Romania 23)Greece 24)Hungary 25)Finland

Miscellaneous Thoughts that first interval act is such a colonial project. i think all the people angsting about how uk-heavy this year's hosting was should go back and watch eurovision 1998. "ok, we're going to explain the tiebreak rules" *proceeds to have the most competitive voting sequence of any eurovision i've ever watched*. i don't think they have explained the tiebreak rules on air since then, maybe not even when voting systems changed and the tiebreak rules also changed. it's giving the abba video they showed right before sweden swept the juries in 2023. a bit confused by the 2 separate voting graphics used, where one is a map and the other is the scoreboard with the winning country's flag waving. similar designs were also used in '99 and i was curious about it then too. my suspicion is that the map graphic is displayed while they reorganize the scoreboard to show standing order instead of running order but i'm not 1000% certain about that. good to know that greece and cyprus really have been exchanging douze since the dawn of time, especially considering that the crowd anticipated both of those douzes lmao nah, but like. this was such a strong year and it was so quintessentially chaotic and eurovision. the predictable douzes, the close voting, no one being able to find dana for like five minutes after the announcement. terry wogan was actually integrated into the hosting well, which graham norton was... not. i love it. this is one i'd love to watch again or recommend to people who haven't seen older contests before.

[forgotn1]

You can't watch many episodes of the second season of Survivor because if a contestant sang a copyrighted song anywhere in the episode, they pulled it from streaming rather than mute or edit the audio.

All of these companies are afraid of getting hit with a copyright complaint and the really annoying this is that it's al their own goddamn fault! They're all so hard up for every single cent they can squeeze out of everything that they send out copyright complaints constantly and now they fear others doing the same to them. If they could all chill out and stop being so fucking litigious, things might get better.

you know how you can go and watch a movie you watched a bunch as a kid and the version of a song in it is different? like they actually changed it since you were a kid? that isn't normal. we didn't do that until like, the last ten years. it's fucked up.

[ghostwithsomeheadphonesandmaps]

DO THEM ALL YOU COWARD

1. Would you have sex with the last person you text messaged? 2. You talked to an ex today, correct? 3. Have you taken someones virginity? 4. Is trust a big issue for you? 5. Did you hang out with the person you like recently? 6. What are you excited for? 7. What happened tonight? 8. Do you think it’s disgusting when girls get really wasted? 9. Is confidence cute? 10. What is the last beverage you had? 11. How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust? 12. Do you own a pair of skinny jeans? 13. What are you gonna do Saturday night? 14. What are you going to spend money on next? 15. Are you going out with the last person you kissed? 16. Do you think you’ll change in the next 3 months? 17. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything? 18. The last time you felt broken? 19. Have you had sex today? 20. Are you starting to realize anything? 21. Are you in a good mood? 22. Would you ever want to swim with sharks? 23. Are your eyes the same color as your dad’s? 24. What do you want right this second? 25. What would you say if the person you love/like kissed another girl/boy? 26. Is your current hair color your natural hair color? 27. Would you be able to date someone who doesn’t make you laugh? 28. What was the last thing that made you laugh? 29. Do you really, truly miss someone right now? 30. Does everyone deserve a second chance? 31. Honestly, do you hate the last boy you were talking to? 32. Does the person you have feelings for right now, know you do? 33. Are you one of those people who never drinks soda? 34. Listening to? 35. Do you ever write in pencil anymore? 36. Do you know where the last person you kissed is? 37. Do you believe in love at first sight? 38. Who did you last call? 39. Who was the last person you danced with? 40. Why did you kiss the last person you kissed? 41. When was the last time you ate a cupcake? 42. Did you hug/kiss one of your parents today? 43. Ever embarrass yourself in front of a crush? 44. Do you tan in the nude? 45. If you could, would you take back your last kiss? 46. Did you talk to someone until you fell asleep last night? 47. Who was the last person to call you? 48. Do you sing in the shower? 49. Do you dance in the car? 50. Ever used a bow and arrow? 51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? 52. Do you think musicals are cheesy? 53. Is Christmas stressful? 54. Ever eat a pierogi? 55. Favorite type of fruit pie? 56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? 57. Do you believe in ghosts? 58. Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? 59. Take a vitamin daily? 60. Wear slippers? 61. Wear a bath robe? 62. What do you wear to bed? 63. First concert? 64. Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? 65. Nike or Adidas? 66. Cheetos Or Fritos? 67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? 68. Favorite Taylor Swift song? 69. Ever take dance lessons? 70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? 71. Can you curl your tongue? 72. Ever won a spelling bee? 73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy? 74. What is your favorite book? 75. Do you study better with or without music? 76. Regularly burn incense? 77. Ever been in love? 78. Who would you like to see in concert? 79. What was the last concert you saw? 80. Hot tea or cold tea? 81. Tea or coffee? 82. Favorite type of cookie? 83. Can you swim well? 84. Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? 85. Are you patient? 86. DJ or band, at a wedding? 87. Ever won a contest? 88. Ever have plastic surgery? 89. Which are better black or green olives? 90. Opinions on sex before marriage? 91. Best room for a fireplace? 92. Do you want to get married

oh jesus fuck that a lot of text here goes:

(under the cut bc this is a long one)

nope that's my mother

incorrect i haven't spoken to him in like 2 years

nope

kinda? like it'll take a bit but after a few weeks-ish it's chill

N/A, i don't "like-like" anyone atm

my binder is arriving in the mail tomorrow!

i tried to teach myself guitar (it did not end well)

no? i mean i'm not the most comfortable around drunk people in general, but it's not disgusting

oh fuck yeah

idk i think it was chai

like 3 or 4

unfortunately, yes

idfk man, i don't even have plans for tomorrow

probably coffee

not anymore

maybe, jury's still out

my therapist <3

a few months ago

fuck no

i'm aroace questioning, so there's that ig

yeah, might not last long tho, i'm about to start homework

that is literally at the top of my bucket list

almost, mine are grayer

moneyyy

N/A

nope, currently bleached and dyed

i don't think so, but most of the ppl i know can make me laugh, so it's not rly an issue

@tinedrise's trump impression

my dog (he's dead)

i believe so

nope. nothing will make me hate my brother

N/A

hell nah

would that i by hozier

yeah, but only mechanical

nope, and i don't want to

my ex

yeah

my friend's sister

my friends

i felt pressured to

a couple weeks ago

no actually

yep, i bit the dirt while we were riding our bikes

no??? do people do that???

100% yes

no...

my mom

all the time :)

oh yeah, almost daily

many times, loved each of them

when i was 11? or 12 i can't remember, but it was for family photos

no way, musicals are so fun

yessssss

not that i'm aware of...

either apple or blueberry (basic, i know)

singer, actor, librarian, veterinarian, and i had a phase where i wanted to be a Navy SEAL

to a degree; it's like the opposite of the fae, the less you believe in them, the more they haunt you

ALL THE TIME DUDE

two :)

sometimes, depends on if the mind goblins approve

not really

pj's or a t shirt and sweatpants

AJR, last month

target all the way. boycott walmart, and i don't think there's a k-mart in my area

personally, i like adidas

cheetos, easily

tough call but sunflower seeds. (can you tell i play softball lol)

cruel summer

when i was 5-ish

idk, something nerdy

yep

yeah, and i was so proud of myself (i was 9)

not that i know of

don't make me choose 😭

with music, no comparison

no, but every once in a while i will

a couple times

AJR

depends on the time of year

tea all the way

pumkin spice snickerdoodles w/ apple cider glaze (oddly specific but my friend just made some and HOLY SHIT they were incredible)

pretty well, yeah

yup

sometimes, depends on who i'm with, how i'm feeling, etc.

dj, more song options

a couple yeah

nope

neither, i'm not really an olive person

it's fine as long as all parties consent

living room or library

maybe, not really a priority, but it seems nice

god damn that was a lot. anyway enjoy :D