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LAST UPDATE | 9 May 2022
THE EUROVISION SONG contest is a unique institution. In many ways, it seems amazing that such a show has survived in the modern age when so many TV formats come and go over the decades.
However, it has been its ability to adapt and change with the times that has been its strength. Of course, despite being one of the most widely watched TV events in the world it is also the one that some people go to extraordinary lengths to tell you they don’t watch or don’t like or don’t see the point in. These are the passions it still creates.
Hidden among all this is the wonderful contradiction that it is ‘just’ a song contest. A bit of fun. Harmless. Yet at the same time, it is so much more. A sense of identity. A place on the world stage and a chance to wave a national flag. In fact, there are few scenarios (even in sport) where flag waving can be done as proudly and with as little harm or offence as with the Eurovision. Maybe because deep down we all care, and yet and the same time we say we don’t.
Pushing boundaries
It is this element that has always given the contest its very serious, enduring political theme. It is no secret that countries value their opportunity to be seen on the stage. Along with Italia ’90, Eurovision played a key part in Ireland finding a confidence and belief that emerged during the ‘90s as the country gradually transformed socially and economically into a truly modern European one.
The trend toward Brexit and its effect can be mapped in the commentary on Britain and the reaction to Britain at times. The contest was essential for those countries emerging from the shadow of communism in the ‘90s and placing themselves on the world stage.
It has been the scene of heartbreak and hurt, filled with hope over devastating conflicts like the war in the Balkans when contestants lost loved ones and risked lives to compete in the final in Ireland.
From Franco to Putin leaders have tinkered with the contest and complained or interfered to try and get their way. With public voting now a core part of the contest it is also an indicator of the more whimsical moods of the European people.
Sure, they like a bit of fun, who doesn’t? They don’t want every entry to be a serious song, they like a laugh. Of course, countries share similar tastes in particular regions, which is hardly surprising. But we do know that every year a stand out song takes votes from every corner of the continent to find itself a winner. We know that something transcends all boundaries.
Skirting controversy
None of this is without controversy. Israel wins and there will be more calls for a boycott. Other Arab countries won’t enter because Israel is there. The Balkans conflict created many challenges too. We have had countries trying to censor content of particular songs or trying to block particular acts. The European Broadcasting Union always has a struggle to overcome these issues.
This year it is different. There is a sense that Europe and its people were in no mood for compromise. Similar to sport and other organisations, once Russia invaded Ukraine there was little doubt but that it would be expelled from the contest. This was a barometer of public mood as much as anything else.
The conflict was a very definite threat to many countries in Europe. Ukraine has long been a popular member and winner of the contest. The invasion cast a shadow that went beyond the immediate conflict itself and made Europeans extremely uneasy about a world they had felt very safe and secure in.
Eurovision sees itself as a celebration, a coming together of all these countries a place where nations emerge on the stage from oppression. Where nations escaping the Soviet Bloc were welcomed. Any participation from Russia in the current circumstances, where it was reverting to an old soviet stereotype, was an offence to all of these.
And unlike other conflicts where governments have made some case for their actions, Russia did not see a need to even do this. There was no debate. Europeans would never have accepted Russia taking part while its news feeds threatened nuclear war and it casually disregarded the rights of a neighbour that had not done anything to harm Russia itself.
This contest now sees Ukraine as one of the favourites to win. It is hardly surprising. There will be an outpouring of feeling. This contest may be ‘just’ a song contest. It may be ‘just a bit of fun’. There will be opportunities to laugh and complain as always. But there will be flag waving. Not just for national pride this time. No, this time while Europe can still play it will be a sign of resilience, a sign of support and a sign that there is a better world than war and missiles, one where we can vote and accept decisions, where dreams can happen or people are allowed to disagree and complain.
None of these things should separate us so viciously in the end. For all the cheesy songs, and the lyrics that won’t make sense, Eurovision still represents us at our very best. Fun loving, nonjudgmental and not having to always conform, but at the same time, proud and resolute in learning lessons of history and still determined that people and nations can come together, but based only on mutual respect. And in doing so can sing a good auld song together.
Johnny Fallon is a political commentator, author and voice of ‘The Johnny Fallon Podcast’.
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That’s very sad many people lost their jobs because pub are closed.
I am foreign but I know going to pub is very Irish tradition probably many places will be closed permanently. If you are young is fine but there is a lot of people over 50 working in pubs probably for most of their lives I wonder if doing any training going to change anything.
I hope this is last lockdown and maybe some of the places are going to be saved.
@artur filip: Well said. Completely agree
After being trained in these hospitality lessons will they be “fully trained” or will they need to “work as a trainee waiter for free for a year in order to become a real waiter that gets paid” kind of scenario?
A very FG thing to do. A loophole that often gets abused.
@Dean: incredibly cynical view. They are upskilling people in the industry so they can do other things or be better able to go up the ranks. In other words an existing waiter learns finances so they can become a manger or change industry. Why people want to blame one party is a mystery. Do you think any other party would really come up and be able to implement something better? Civil servants have more to do with this than the government
@Craic_a_tower: Everyone can’t ‘move up the ranks’.
@Craic_a_tower:
I finished college at 22 with a degree. Every employer wanted at least 2 years of experience. So if a salary was 40 thousand, that meant that it’s loss of 80 thousand. If you learn as you work in a company, you’re still working and thus should get paid. That shouldn’t be a big ask; work is work.
Essentially a college grad’s first full-time pay check is at age 24. Some people have kids by then, need to sleep somewhere during this time, and eat food during, surprisingly.
To add to that, from 2011, FG ushered in all these unpaid positions: internships, placements, trainee worker, student worker, jobbridge, work to become a worker.
I later upskilled and again employers wanted 2 years of work experience for that position, which meant more internships. These are barriers.
This is key FG policy. They attract business by offering the Irish workforce as free labour. It’s peak dystopian capitalism. Working for free in the hope of getting the job we already work doing (internship).
Businesses will happily exploit, and FG and FF offer those conditions. Workers want to be paid for working—which shouldn’t be a radical idea—and workers have basically all the other parties who fight for less worker barriers.
@Jim Lingk: Exactly, A) there are fewer positions “up the ladder” which should be obvious. B) obviously people who put in the time, effort and money to get a qualification should be rewarded for that but it really shouldn’t be a controversial stance that every working person should be able to afford things like home ownership and childcare costs? We’re literally precluding people from having a home and family because of the perceived “value” of their work. Just because someone works retail or hospitality does not make them some sort of untermensch. Especially considering how many of their jobs have been classed as “essential”.
@Jim Lingk: there’s research on that – probably 80% of people can, and it’s important to give 100% of people the opportunity. This is no time for cynicism and bickering – everyone wants everyone to have the chance to work.
@Dean: starting wage as a graduate is not €40k most or even vaguely possible. I agree you should be paid for work and nobody in my industry does what you are suggesting. College graduate outside a few select industries also don’t do what you are suggesting. There are entry level jobs more than nonpaying internships in this country.
It still isn’t relevant to what is going on here
@Jim Lingk: But they could move from one closed Pup to another closed Pup
Luckily I haven’t been out of work this year, but I do think it’s funny that as a hospitality worker, along with many others I have worked with, I have achieved a higher level of further education than our minister for higher education. Do FF/FG really not see the optics of a college dropout getting paid 6 figures to tell people that they need to go to college? Do they really not care how out of touch they look with working people?
@Liam Edward Harris: should he advise everybody to drop out of college for a six-figure salary?
@Alan McArdle: he should probably be qualified for the job he’s doing. Being pals with Frances Fitzgerald and Leo doesn’t count.
Dara calleary’s pissing and moaning about not getting a ministerial role sums up the issue with the positions. He didn’t care what department he was in charge of he just knew he should be in charge of A department. Experience, expertise, interest, knowledge be damned because ministerial roles are just promotions handed out for loyal service
I knew that the hospitality sector wouldn’t recover fully. But this headline makes me sad.
There’s nothing like an adventure and a bowl of ribs and a glass of Guinness of a Sunday after working all week.
I would holiday in Ireland above anywhere for the craic and the people.
I also think we’re raising a bunch of offended drones who will never get to explore life and individuality through the experiences of letting it all go at a nightclub or seeing a band that might be famous in 10 years or flirting with the doorman. (Happy V day babe)
I hope a stimulus package is introduced and it means business.
@Dearbhla O Reilly: you’re flirting with the doorman and you’re hoping that a stimulus package is introduced that means business. Hhmmm. That’s definitely living alright. :)
@GrumpyAulFella: nothing like a good stimulus package… ;-)
@Dearbhla O Reilly: :-)
@Dearbhla O Reilly: letting it all go died when everything started being filmed and photographed.
@Dearbhla O Reilly: I always thought a stimulus package arrived from an online shop in a plain brown box.
Another nice fat contract for seetec/jobs path,
Here we go again, kerching
The same old story as the last crisis.
Upskilling in “strategic planning ” ? A course provided by the government who have absolutely NO strategic planning in running this country.
And then again the events and experience industry is just forgotten… hospitality isn’t the only sector closed, events professionals have been impacted as much as the pubs.
@Kate Sheppard: indeed, and it will probably be the last to reopen – if ever.
Seems like the government is prettymuch prepared to kill this sector and expects people to need to find employment elsewhere.
@Ainm: I would entirely agree with you. Alcohol action Ireland seem to have some very powerful friends in Government. A traditional Irish pub is a thing of beauty. I don’t understand why it has been destroyed by people in power on 6 figure salaries
Phupp off you phupping pedro files
I see this as being a cynical move by our Gestapo government. They don’t want to pay the pup even though it is because of them that the industry has been destroyed. More disgusting actions from an unelected Government
The government as much as saying the hospitality sector is finished. The vultures are circling.
Online courses
Been there before with these courses ecdl course of landscape gardening or welding. Then when you complete a course and look for a compatible career you’re not qualified enough or there is so excuse why you can’t do the job.
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