Mika is a true showman and very much loved in Italy. He made a huge effort to learn Italian and he does it quite well. He even had a special TV show called “A casa di Mika”. I loved the trio of presenters, they did an excellent job and Mika was by far the best. I would say therefore that NO, it didn’t matter at all.
I love Mika too and know how appreciated he is in Italy. But Eurovision is specifically not about the italian audience, but about appealing to a much bigger international/European audience and no one within it would associate Mika with Italy.
For me, the main issue about the Eurovision is the distortion it often produces, turning a song contest into a political one. This year it will probably be the turn of Ukraine to win – the bookmaker’s favourite – a song that in other occasions wouldn’t probably even make the final. No surprising, in a world where the Russian’s disables where excluded from the Olympics. For me, for what I have seen so far, the best this year is British Sam Ryder, with Space Man.
I think it is wonderful that Italy is allowing a fellow European present such an important event - of tolerance, love, and acceptance. Singers represent their countries and their values. But presenters have a wider role, I think. They also moderate, support acts (all of them) and spread messages of good will. Mika may not be the face of modern Italy (well, maybe to se extent he does!?), but he is the face of modern Europe - Europe that needs to stand together now more than ever. I also don't think it's all about just LGBT anyway. Countries change and so do values, over time at least. The nature of songs in recent years has changed drastically, from wacky to very artsy and avangarde. Each song carries some kind of subliminal message, which is not always related to their country's old traditions and values. The fact that people vote for these songs to represent them is in my mind a sign of change - and wanting to show this. And that includes Italy and Italians. I view having a presenter from another country part of that evolution. I don't know much about Mika at all, but he is a great addition to the Italian talent you wrote about, a great advert for Eurovision in the UK (anything to re-connect folk in the UK with Europe, frankly! 🤣), but most of all he is a UK/European with origins in the Middle East - I can't think of anything more pan-European in this moment. In Italy too!! So my answer to those who ask you would be - no, it doesn't matter and well done Italy. Italy will not be less Italian tonight because of Mika. It will more it. Be proud. 👊✌️❤
Agree that Mika is a weird choice. Maybe it was cause of the language thing you mention and they wanted an international name who would be known by a large portion of the audience. Maybe Monica Bellucci wasn’t available 😁. As an aside, I miss the Eurovision parties living in the States. The best one I attended was at my student digs while at University. I was the only Brit living in a exchange student house, so we had myself, a Frenchman and a Turk cheering for our own entrants. Have you seen anything of The Great American Song Contest, the US attempt to copy the same format?
Incidentally, I still own a 45” vinyl copy of Co-co’s “Bad Old Days”, the British entry in 1978. It did poorly but one of the band members, Cheryl Baker, was later in Bucks Fizz. How’s that for embarrassing Eurovision knowledge!
Well I don't usually watch but decided to tonight because it's coming from Turin, which I love. But I was surprised the presenters were doing so in English, though I mistakenly thought all three were Italian (my mistake). I can't understand though why they can't present in Italian, given it's an Italian production. The UK tend to treat the contest as a joke and there's certainly far less respect for it than in other countries, hence we don't deserve to have English spoken by the hosts. Not only that but watching the BBC feed, we also have to put up with Graham Norton's glib comments as well.
It's actually Eurovision rules (I can't believe I know this....) that the programme can only be in English or French. It changed recently, when Italy last hosted in the 90s they did do it in Italian and it didn't go very well. And regarding the UK, they may well change their tune now that they've won! (basically...after Ukraine)
Tell your friends that Rafaella Carrà is sadly no longer with us but she would have loved Mika as a substitute. Everyone loves him regardless of nationality and you thought he was Finnish anyway! Seriously though there are many fine Italian people who could do it such Frederica Masolin from the Sky Italia Formula 1 team. She can talk and knows her stuff too.
I work for a white-collar company with a progressive bent under multiple standards whose HQ is in NY and the main office in EMEA was and remains in London. Compared to our Mediterranean colleagues, the use of a politically correct vocabulary is a hallmark, as is the much celebrated diversity. All this, however, does not exempt us from the mass of companies around the world that hire a person just because he or she is different and keep the usual clichés under the facade. You talk about TV presenters, but we have all seen how many players from traditional English families the national football team has been made up of and what happened to black players who missed the penalty kick in the final against Italy, as if they had to pay for an additional guilt. Don't worry, stereotypes exist everywhere and I don't see anything wrong with Italy finally admitting to itself that there are areas where it can learn something from others, be they Lebanese, Brit or Ukrainian.
Hi Paul, totally with you about Mika, he's a great performer but no one associates him with Italy, so I find it strange that he was chosen for a role which is ALL about showcasing the best a country has to offer. Thanks for your comment about the newscasts. I'm still trying to figure out if (and how much) I miss daily news. A hard habit to break after 22 years....
Honestly why would that matter?
Mika is a true showman and very much loved in Italy. He made a huge effort to learn Italian and he does it quite well. He even had a special TV show called “A casa di Mika”. I loved the trio of presenters, they did an excellent job and Mika was by far the best. I would say therefore that NO, it didn’t matter at all.
I love Mika too and know how appreciated he is in Italy. But Eurovision is specifically not about the italian audience, but about appealing to a much bigger international/European audience and no one within it would associate Mika with Italy.
For me, the main issue about the Eurovision is the distortion it often produces, turning a song contest into a political one. This year it will probably be the turn of Ukraine to win – the bookmaker’s favourite – a song that in other occasions wouldn’t probably even make the final. No surprising, in a world where the Russian’s disables where excluded from the Olympics. For me, for what I have seen so far, the best this year is British Sam Ryder, with Space Man.
Well, Gerardo, you called it. Hope you placed a bet on your predictions!
I think it is wonderful that Italy is allowing a fellow European present such an important event - of tolerance, love, and acceptance. Singers represent their countries and their values. But presenters have a wider role, I think. They also moderate, support acts (all of them) and spread messages of good will. Mika may not be the face of modern Italy (well, maybe to se extent he does!?), but he is the face of modern Europe - Europe that needs to stand together now more than ever. I also don't think it's all about just LGBT anyway. Countries change and so do values, over time at least. The nature of songs in recent years has changed drastically, from wacky to very artsy and avangarde. Each song carries some kind of subliminal message, which is not always related to their country's old traditions and values. The fact that people vote for these songs to represent them is in my mind a sign of change - and wanting to show this. And that includes Italy and Italians. I view having a presenter from another country part of that evolution. I don't know much about Mika at all, but he is a great addition to the Italian talent you wrote about, a great advert for Eurovision in the UK (anything to re-connect folk in the UK with Europe, frankly! 🤣), but most of all he is a UK/European with origins in the Middle East - I can't think of anything more pan-European in this moment. In Italy too!! So my answer to those who ask you would be - no, it doesn't matter and well done Italy. Italy will not be less Italian tonight because of Mika. It will more it. Be proud. 👊✌️❤
Agree that Mika is a weird choice. Maybe it was cause of the language thing you mention and they wanted an international name who would be known by a large portion of the audience. Maybe Monica Bellucci wasn’t available 😁. As an aside, I miss the Eurovision parties living in the States. The best one I attended was at my student digs while at University. I was the only Brit living in a exchange student house, so we had myself, a Frenchman and a Turk cheering for our own entrants. Have you seen anything of The Great American Song Contest, the US attempt to copy the same format?
They can try, but you can never replicate the sheer madness of Eurovision....
Incidentally, I still own a 45” vinyl copy of Co-co’s “Bad Old Days”, the British entry in 1978. It did poorly but one of the band members, Cheryl Baker, was later in Bucks Fizz. How’s that for embarrassing Eurovision knowledge!
Well I don't usually watch but decided to tonight because it's coming from Turin, which I love. But I was surprised the presenters were doing so in English, though I mistakenly thought all three were Italian (my mistake). I can't understand though why they can't present in Italian, given it's an Italian production. The UK tend to treat the contest as a joke and there's certainly far less respect for it than in other countries, hence we don't deserve to have English spoken by the hosts. Not only that but watching the BBC feed, we also have to put up with Graham Norton's glib comments as well.
It's actually Eurovision rules (I can't believe I know this....) that the programme can only be in English or French. It changed recently, when Italy last hosted in the 90s they did do it in Italian and it didn't go very well. And regarding the UK, they may well change their tune now that they've won! (basically...after Ukraine)
Tell your friends that Rafaella Carrà is sadly no longer with us but she would have loved Mika as a substitute. Everyone loves him regardless of nationality and you thought he was Finnish anyway! Seriously though there are many fine Italian people who could do it such Frederica Masolin from the Sky Italia Formula 1 team. She can talk and knows her stuff too.
Raffaella Carrà would have been amazing, RIP
I work for a white-collar company with a progressive bent under multiple standards whose HQ is in NY and the main office in EMEA was and remains in London. Compared to our Mediterranean colleagues, the use of a politically correct vocabulary is a hallmark, as is the much celebrated diversity. All this, however, does not exempt us from the mass of companies around the world that hire a person just because he or she is different and keep the usual clichés under the facade. You talk about TV presenters, but we have all seen how many players from traditional English families the national football team has been made up of and what happened to black players who missed the penalty kick in the final against Italy, as if they had to pay for an additional guilt. Don't worry, stereotypes exist everywhere and I don't see anything wrong with Italy finally admitting to itself that there are areas where it can learn something from others, be they Lebanese, Brit or Ukrainian.
Hi Paul, totally with you about Mika, he's a great performer but no one associates him with Italy, so I find it strange that he was chosen for a role which is ALL about showcasing the best a country has to offer. Thanks for your comment about the newscasts. I'm still trying to figure out if (and how much) I miss daily news. A hard habit to break after 22 years....