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According to my one American friend who is invested in Eurovision, the final is tomorrow and as usual, things have been kitsch and campy in the popular international song competition that confuses us stateside.

My singular Eurovision experience came while studying abroad in Scotland, when everyone—everyone—in the dorm crammed themselves into the common room for hours of yelling at the television while a baffling array of musical acts in sparkly costumes entertained a worldwide audience. It was a wild thing to witness and rather like journeying, briefly, to another planet entirely. Planet Eurovision, where confetti is the currency.

Because I still struggle to wrap my poor American brain around this event, I’ll let the Guardian explain more fully what’s going on in Portugal:

Eurovision, which this year takes place in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, is a song contest between European countries. However, it’s far more than that: it’s often known as the “Gay World Cup”. Or, to put it in more American terms, the Super Bowl of Camp. It’s flamboyant, kitsch, and filled with low-level political feuding. It’s like American Idol crossed with RuPaul’s Drag Race crossed with Survivor. Sprinkled with LSD.

“Sprinkled with LSD” is rather how one feels while watching Eurovision. In addition to European countries, nations like Australia, Russia, and Israel also get in on the fun (you can see all the participants here). But for all the silliness and high camp that is synonymous with Eurovision, the competition often produces important cultural moments and is that rare event watched by millions around the world that does not involve a soccer ball. (A football ball? We struggle with understanding that over here, too.)

Our Eurovision correspondent Lauren Henry reports that there have been some significant developments to emerge from this year’s contest already, including a gay kiss from Ireland. Here are some of the highlights Lauren thinks that you should know about.

Russia was knocked out!!

Israel is a strong contender this year:

It’s like a women’s anthem. She compares herself to Wonder Woman! And she does chicken noises?? There’s a lot going on.

Norway’s entry, Alexanderr Rybak, is a funky pop violinist who won in 2009—only one person has ever won twice, but he got the most points ever when he won.

Oh! The official video for Ireland’s entry (different from their live performance) featured a gay couple kissing, and Russia threatened not to broadcast it:

But then Eurovision threatened to disqualify Russia (and Russia got knocked out in the semifinals anyway).

The Czech entry is a LOT:

OH OH OH France’s song is about the refugee crisis! It’s based on the true story of a baby born on a refugee raft crossing the Mediterranean:

It’s in Lisbon this year because Portugal won last year, and their winning entry was a tiny little man with a manbun singing a very sweet soft ballad, and you should write about him. He’s like a mouse who wished to become human so he could sing a song, and a fairy granted his wish for one night:

Also, I don’t understand the Serbian entry. ABBA got their big break on Eurovision—they won with “Waterloo” in 1974, and I feel like this year’s Serbian entry is like Medieval Goth ABBA from a parallel universe where they replaced Bjorn Ulvaeus with an old man playing a recorder:

The Netherlands went with … a country song???? I really can’t explain that one for you.

I should just say that while Eurovision is mostly known in the US for outrageous, silly and just plain weird acts like Lordi, the 2006 Finnish winners, a metal band who dressed up like demons, and Verka Serduchka, a Ukrainian drag queen from 2007 who is just—a lot, and even made a cameo in a Melissa McCarthy movie, Spy, and Moldova’s 2010 epic sax guy who became a meme, sometimes the kitsch does rise to the divine. Like ABBA’s “Waterloo” in 1974 or Genghis Kahn from 1979.

And personally, even with all the silliness and the accusations of certain countries playing politics by either voting for their neighbors or pointedly NOT voting for their neighbors (oh man, everyone hates the U.K. and it is GOLD), I think Eurovision is such an idealistic endeavor that really represents what’s best about the postwar project of European unity.

Bless you, Lauren, for this illuminating commentary. I’m still confused, yet now have at least three of these songs in my head simultaneously and I feel a strange urge to dance coming on. Is this how Eurovision fever starts? Will I be okay?

(With thanks to Lauren Henry, image: ABBA/screengrab)

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What did you see today? Any big plans to journey to Planet Eurovision on Saturday?

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Check out the incredible artwork from Afro Futurism artist Jessi Jumanji.

Venus Williams is not only one of the best tennis players in the history of the game, but she’s also a businesswoman and role model for young women and girls. In spite of her massive achievements, there’s one thing she’s not: a feminist. In a recent interview with Elle UK, Williams explained why she doesn’t identify with the F-word. "I don't like labels," the tennis champ said. While she doesn’t like putting herself in a box, that doesn’t mean Williams isn’t down with empowering women. "Though I do think as women we have much more power and opportunities in our hands than ever before. We truly don't know how powerful we are. There's nothing like a powerful woman walking into a room; her presence is like nothing else," she said. [brightcove id=4370027519001] In the tennis world, women have often had to advocate for pay equity with their male peers. Williams, along with her younger sister Serena, has been outspoken about the need for equitable prize amounts in the game and she feels other women should also stand up for themselves. "There are always challenges that you have to overcome on a daily basis," she said. "Unfortunately, people have the tendency to want to dominate one another, but fortunately, there are people who want to build other women up. It's up to those people who want to build to hopefully eliminate all that negativity.”

Boy were there some revelations revealed on last week’s Into the Badlands episode: Moon Rises, Raven Seeks.  Here are some basis deets:

Written by: Matt Lambert, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar

Directed by: Paco Cabezas

Synopsis:  Sunny (Daniel Wu) and Bajie (Nick Frost) seek help from Lydia (Orla Brady). The Widow (Emily Beecham) struggles to control M.K. (Aramis Knight). Pilgrim (Babou Ceesay) seeks to establish a new order in the Badlands.

Review

I felt this episode was another way of setting up the different plot points of the season.  There were moments that felt predictable, some had me pleasantly surprised, and one shocked me.  Kudos as usual to the wardrobe department.  The panned shots of land were gorgeous as always. I really need to visit Ireland again!

Nathaniel Moon (Sherman Augustus) looks damn handsome in blue! I’ve always liked the color royal blue, and this is exactly why! Granted the Widow aka Minerva’s soldiers and butterflies look just as good but still.

Moon got his first assignment from the Widow in finding the Iron Rabbit.  We know this is Tilda (Ally Ioannides).  I wonder if Minerva suspects who it is? She was ruthless in wanting the criminal’s head. I was thinking, “dang, no love lost then on your daughter.”

Hypocrisy

Minerva’s track record for regents is not great so it makes me wonder when Moon will turn coat on her like Waldo (Stephen Lang) and Tilda?  Even Lydia called the Widow on her hypocrisy in a conversation I didn’t even realize I needed.  I love how Brady and Beecham played off each other in that scene.  Lydia’s lighter colors also contrasted well with The Widow’s signature black.

Speaking of Waldo, are we going to see him at some point?  I like that Moon is representing for prosthetic folk but why can’t Waldo still be around, so we have two disabled people on the show? My only guess would be so Moon has more character development since Waldo got two seasons with us.

When the Widow mentioned needing workers for the poppy fields, I was wondering if she will pay wages or still treat cogs like free labor.  I thought that was something she wanted changed? From what Minerva was offering Lydia, that didn’t seem to be what she would do. She is so caught up in the gift that her version of a new world sounds very similar to the old one.

Umm so Lydia and Moon have history huh?  I was feeling some chemistry there.  I peeped how Lydia hinted at Moon that NOTHING was holding her back from getting with him. Get it Lydia!  She deserves to be happy. Moon, even with his vendetta, is way better than Quinn on a good day.

via GIPHY

So far, I am enjoying interactions with characters that haven’t had too many scenes together, like Lydia with both Moon and the Widow.   I would not blame Lydia for giving up Tilda when it means her camp is spared. Tilda will not stay at camp as Lydia requested anyway so that works.  I chuckled when Lydia told Tilda to stay put.  She should know better.

Sunny and the witch

Bajie reluctant to find the witch Ankar because he thinks she’s crazy is understandable.  For some reason when he said that I thought of Cressida.  What if they are the same person? That would be crazy! Sunny going to seek her out anyway is also understandable.  Besides, them escaping from Moon is a good thing as their rematch is too soon.

Have Faith

Pilgrim and Cressida (Lorraine Toussaint) find a home base for their followers.  I liked that it was a museum building with dinosaur bones.  Seeing the American flags in the souvenir shop confirms that they are somewhere in the United States.  Castor (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Nix (Ella-Rae Smith) looking at Azra through the view master brought me back to my childhood.  I thought for sure the toy would be extinct, but they are available to purchase on Amazon.

When they first entered the building my immediate thought was who is going to clean up that area? I would not want that job! Also, as soon as old dude was complaining about the building, “loosing faith” I had to roll my eyes because Pilgrim had to make them believe in him again.  Cressida probably just wanted the guy dead, but Pilgrim handled it.

Pilgrim had to show us that he wasn’t just all talk.  It was a nice display of skill with his eyes covered. I noticed how the main complainer did not even try to fight Pilgrim but had his cronies take the hit. Oh, so now you want to believe again bruh? Child please.  Just to be extra I probably would’ve killed him anyway.

via GIPHY

We saw in the premiere how Castor changed back not long into using his gift.  Last week we saw his ears bleeding.  The Pilgrim is aware that he is deteriorating faster than expected.  Nix appears to not have this issue so far.  I am wondering if males wane faster than females with the gift? While we have seen grown men in the abbots, my guess is because of the training they received from the Master (Chipo Chung).  It looks like this group does not have abbots to guide them.

Rituals

The title of this episode had the most meaning in the scene where Cressida performed the sacrament with Pilgrim, Nix, and Castor. By suspending her body using hooks in her back, the gods provide her with visions of what happens next.  All I could do was cringe the entire time this was happening.  It was creepy that Cressida kissed Pilgrim to gain strength from the blood on his lips.  Hanging like that, blood dripping, looked like it hurt.  Also why were the followers not witnessing Cressida’s pain and sacrifice?

I fell down the rabbit hole that is google wondering if there was a similar ritual that the show pulled from and I found out that the Mandan tribe of the Plains Indians used body suspension as part of the Sun Dance ceremony or Okipa*. That portion of the ceremony helped with the vision quest the young men went on according to the book found on SemanticsScholar.org.

via GIPHY

In present day there are groups around the world that participate in using hooks to suspend their bodies. There are several articles about it, like the one from Huffington Post from a few years ago that caught my eye.  Ziplining and even bungee jumping sounds more appealing but to each his own.

Fight of the Week

This is petty, but I got a kick out of Nathaniel Moon schooling M.K. while testing out his new mechanical hand.  This seems to be tradition now that there is at least one adult that kicks M.K.’s butt when he is being cocky as hell.  M.K. still has not learned that he still has some growing up to do.

I also thought this was some twisted foreshadowing with what M.K. finds out later in the episode after gushing about being trained by Sunny.

Moment of the Week

A memory is unlocked in M.K. solving the mystery of what happened to his mother. FINALLY! The “gift” version of himself in his opium state told MK that the master had him thinking he killed his mother (Elif Knight) through manipulating his memories.  That could be true.

Or the alternative is that M.K. already feared that he killed his mother so that’s what his mind projected using the memories he never fully unlocked until now.  I love how the evil version of M.K. was calling him on his BS.  However, it sure did take its little sweet time appearing to M.K. so he can get over his block!

I did not forget that he used that girl to get some more opium.  Like a love sick puppy she gave it to him.  Girl, is he really putting it on you like that? Was having to be under opium necessary for the memories to happen? Ugh! I guess since M.K. was on the verge of overdosing is when his dark self was like “Oh, hell naw!”

This was a shocker for me.  I had a feeling that what M.K. remembered would be brought up again on the show but to have Sunny be the one that murdered mama? Is M.K. going to forgive Sunny, considering it was on Quinn’s orders that his village got attacked in the first place?  Mind you Sunny was a different person back then.

A rematch between Sunny and M.K. must happen now.  What will it mean for their relationship though? We will have to see. It would help if M.K. snaps out of his coma though!

What did you think of the episode? Sound off below in the comments!

*“North American Indians: Indians of the Plains.” (2008)

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