INTERNAL SELECTIONS: THE UNCONTROVERSIAL CONTROVERSY?
There is a never-ending, but entirely important and understandable, duel of the jury vs. the televote and the debate over the presence of jurors in the Eurovision Song Contest. Should it continue to be a duality of juries and televotes? Should we axe the juries and utilize 100% televoting? Should we follow Finland and give the power to each country’s chiseled and chiseling asphalt constructors?
But, I feel there is another incredibly significant this-or-that brewing below our feet, and that is the prominence of an internal selection versus a national final. This particular topic is tricky, as there are credible and reasonable arguments both for and against internal selections.
One could argue that when a broadcaster receives a song that is, in terms of success capability at Eurovision, clearly miles above the other submissions, why can’t they just select that particular song? Instead of assigning the song to a national final amongst spots of filler, then can use that time to promote the song, perfect its every element, and create an unforgettable stage performance for Eurovision.
The counter-argument to this would be the simple question of, why can’t the people have a say in the matter? In a supposedly democratic competition, it’s a bit unnerving for many fans to not have a say in their respective country’s choice of song. If a song is really that strong and has that much potential, the public will (in theory...) see that as well.
Internally selected Amir propelled France back into the Top 10 in 2016...
But, the public are not always the best at making judgements or popular decisions, choosing Michal over Margaret in Poland and perhaps even more jaw-dropping and haunting, Denmark’s Lighthouse X over BOTH Anja Nissen and Simone, all three losing divas that carried the promise of nearly inarguable top five finishes at Eurovision.
Another possible negative when it comes to internal selections is that national finals can simply be super exciting! We fans really get into them and treat them like the mini-Eurovisions that they often are. Not only that, but the public will hear more music, and more artists will be gifted exposure and promotion through a national final.
I could sit here all day and go back and forth on this topic, and knowing me I probably would, but I really want to hear from you guys. How do you feel about the presence of internal selections, and how do you think they impact the Eurovision Song Contest? Sound off in the comments below, and thank you for reading!!
