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20 May, 5 tweets, 3 min read
Today's #Eurovision fun fact: NBC has just bought the rights to air an American version of the contest with the 50 states (following the success of #FireSaga) that is scheduled to start next year.

I agree with @EUNY that this is a terrible idea.
politico.eu/article/americ…
As Hong writes, "There are many reasons to protect Eurovision from the Americans. For decades, the song contest has been one of very few symbols of continental unity to arise from popular culture"

Europe imports so much pop culture from US. #Eurovision has been the big exception
Reasons 'Americavision' won't work:

🇺🇸There isn't enough state identity
🎸There isn't enough regional musical diversity
👨‍🎤There's nothing special about a national contest
💰It will be too slick and too commercial (and thus boring)
What would be much more interesting is an 'Americasvision' with Western hemisphere.

Could break US into regions to make it more fair. Though experience says the country with the most powerful music biz (UK in Eurovision) doesn't necessarily take it seriously enough to do well.
Hong is right that all the US attention on #Eurovision now is unwelcome for many (including me).

"There's the Heisenberg Principle of US Observation: when America observes something in your culture, the observed object is not going to escape unchanged" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_…

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More from @DaveKeating

Dave Keating Profile picture
19 May
Today's Eurovision fun fact: each year the majority of songs are in English, and that has been the case since 1999 when language freedom was introduced.

Before that all countries had to sing in their national language (a rule introduced in '66 but suspended from '72 to '77).
Use of non-English is actually increasing from a low in 2015.

Before '66 it was just assumed everyone would sing in their own language. And everyone did until Sweden did a song in English and the French flipped out.

The 'English ban' was introduced then
johnthego.com/2018/04/16/ris…
So there was language freedom from '56 to '66, and after '99. In the first period people chose their own language. Now they choose English.

Songs Europeans hear on national radio are usually either in their own language or English. English is the way to reach the most Europeans.
Read 4 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
17 May
This is what’s happening at UK borders to some EU citizens, who until 137 days ago could come and go freely in and out of the UK to visit, live or work.

Some really horrific stories in here.
theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/m…
I think it's worth pointing out the context that the article doesn't spell out very clearly: it appears all these people were detained because it was suspected they would try to work in the UK or otherwise overstay a tourist visa.

That new reality is here to stay no matter what.
I suspect the super-harsh treatment of Europeans right now is UK gov trying to make an example of them to get the word out: Europeans, don't come to UK to live or work without a visa.

Europeans would encounter same thing if they tried to enter the US to live/work without a visa.
Read 7 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
16 May
It's #Eurovision week!

After last year was cancelled, they're going ahead this year with a limited audience.

Here's this year's entries. My prediction: 🇲🇹#Malta will win.

More on that below in the thread you didn't ask for but are getting anyway (1/21).
You might ask: this is 1st & foremost a TV show with theoretically no need for performers to be in same place, why was 2020 cancelled (for 1st time in 65 years)?

Answer: Eurovision rules are strict. There wasn't enough time to change them to allow contestants to compete remotely
#Netherlands is hosting this year in Rotterdam, because they won in 2019 with Arcade.

I'll be heading up there to cover it, luckily it's just 90 minutes away.

The rules are quite strict: constant testing & separation of audience, contestants and press.
Read 21 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
11 May
Belgian Prime Minister @AlexanderDeCroo is announcing right now the reopening plan for the 🇧🇪 summer. Next step will be 9 June.

This past weekend was the first step: bars and restaurants reopened for serving outdoors, and the curfews ended.
The next reopening step will depend on meeting vaccination and hospitalisation milestones, De Croo confirms - just like Saturday's reopening did.

"9 out of 10 people over 65 are now vaccinated" in Belgium, De Croo says.

The threshold necessary for Saturday's reopening was 7.
If on 9 June 80% of vulnerable people are vaccinated (corresponds to 1/2 of all adults) and less than 500 people in intensive care, then:

🏋️‍♂️ Gyms & theatres reopen
🍻 Bars/restaurants serve inside
🕙 Closing time moves from 22h to 23:30
🏠 Small gatherings (4) allowed at home
Read 5 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
9 May
"The #FutureOfEurope conference is for all Europeans to debate a shared vision of what we want of our union," says Commission President @vonderleyen.

"The conference must be whatever Europeans want it to be." Image
"I’m conscious there's always scepticism & cynicism whenever Europe launches a project of this nature. So we must make sure this is not a closed political exercise

We must listen to all voices, whether critical or complimentary, and make sure we follow up on whatever was agreed
There are certain issues we should attempt to resolve," says VDL.

"For example some feel Europe is too close and too involved in their lives. For others it is too far away and remote. This is an opportunity for Europeans to help find the right balance."
Read 7 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
9 May
President @EmmanuelMacron opens speech launching #FutureOfEurope by making the case for Strasbourg as a heart of the European project.

The European Parliament where he’s speaking has been empty for 6 months as MEPs refused to make the monthly trip from Brussels because of COVID. Image
#Macron says Europeans should be proud of what the EU has accomplished. He says now is the time for citizens to have their say about how the EU can improve.

The nagging question: if #TreatyChange has been ruled out, will this conference actually result in any changes? Image
Macron says that the populists and nationalists who oppose the values of the European Union have proven unable to effectively respond to the #Covid19 pandemic.

He says Europe was right to respond to the crisis with a unified strategy. Image
Read 8 tweets

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