'Mediocrity, as Austria fails to reach the Grand Finale'

Mediocrity was the word used by the Hod of Austria when talked about the results of the semi-finals last night. After the good result from the last edition, it seemed that Austria has broken the ice and stopped a negative series. However, just one edition later, Austria was back to fail the best 26 of the contest. 'It's frustrating to see that after a lot of work with a national final with a lot of good options in our opinion, the result is this. We're trying hard every edition and it seems that we just can't stay there, reach most of the finals and getting a top result from time to time. The results are just mediocre and even though we are coming back stronger some times, long term I don't see the benefit.'
Talking about other qualifiers, the Hod of Austria wasn't so satisfied indeed: 'Sadly the show is becoming more and more generic, the different genres are not accepted by people, you're trying something unique, you have no chance. There are good entries every edition in ESCT, however, even last edition, we are now here in Greece, but... let's be honest, if Greece was a winner and I wouldn't know the other songs, I would never listen to the others considering who won. And it's a shame, cause there were great entries last edition. And look at the results last night, Serbia, Turkey, Spain... with all the respect for their Hods, but to be a favourite with entries that are just as commercial as possible, entertaining but remarkable by nothing... while the 'minority' genres are rapidly taken out, as happened to Ireland, Lithuania, Slovenia... I'm really happy for Russia on anothre hand, Russia is becoming my favourite country recently, great courage and good diversity bring by them and at least them, this time, were rewarded. Also, so happy for North Macedonia, good job there!'
Taking another subject into approach, the Hod also showed his dissapointment for the rules that are not allowing Hods to exchange countries: 'Right now the contest is something closed. You're stuck with a country and if you give up on it, you're just risking to get out of the contest and probably never come back. I can't get the reason why the players can't negotiate between them. Ok, we're allowed with one edition switch, but if you want something on long term... I can't get why if 2 players are benefiting from a negotiation, they couldn't do it. And the concept that all should be decided by draws... it's just not right in my opinion.'

Hi Dallas.
First of all commiserations, it's no secret that Austria was one of the songs I really enjoyed this edition.

In regards to your comment about swapping countries. I get where you're coming from but it's fairest for all free countries to go through the draw process. This way if a HOD of a 'good' country wants to leave it can't easily be swapped to one of their friends before they exit.

When they leave it then gives everyone an equal chance of winning the draw for it. :)

You always think your taste is so above everyone elses yet maybe if your favorite songs and you yourself don't qualify, ever thought that perhaps your the one in the minority and maybe, i dont know, we arent obligated to like the shit you like and to like different songs on the sake of being different?

Ireland was a song from 2014. Lithuania was the most unremarkable song in the whole edition. Slovenia was absolutely flat.

If you like them so be it but shaming others for not liking it... wrong. If you don't like it, leave it, that simple. That way your country can go to a draw and given to someone who actually will like it here.

Just my 2 cents.
Homosexual kisses.

Now on to my thoughts about the semi results!!!

Semi-Final 1:
-First of all congratulations to every single person who qualified here. There isn't any song I flat out hate that qualified so that's a small victory.
-Very happy with the passing of Czech Republic, the song is very cute and I thought was dead on arrival but what do you know, it surprised! Also happy for Belarus, it's a cute little bop. Glad Bosnia qualified as well altho it was predicted I thought if there was a shock NQ that'd be it.
-As for overrated, I like Switzerland but in this field I don't see how it managed to qualify personally. Also, people seem to adore Israel and like its ok I don't hate it but I don't really understand the hype either.
-For underrated, I wish Portugal would have gotten more respect as I actually really enjoy Dopamine. Estonia was also cute, tho I understand its non qualification as it got slightly stale real quick. But the real robbery here was Malta. Sure it was a little mainstream and basic but it was basic pop done well. I fail to understand how this didn't manage to sail trough, specially when closing the semi final.

Semi-Final 2:
-First of all, thank you for the qualification. We really thought this was the end of the slovak qualification streak but gladly that wasn't the case.
-Happy for Russia and Turkeys qualification cuz they're not very consistent countries. Same goes for North Macedonia, which to me emerged as the very best ballad of the edition. Also, tho I don't like the song very much, I am happy for Iceland since it struggles a lot even when they send quality.
-The robberies here were Poland and Bulgaria for me. Poland was a guilty pleasure of mine so I understand it not qualifying, but Bulgaria had no business staying in the semi. Justice for vaggelis
-As for overrated... Monaco. Legitimatelly one of the worst songs I've ever heard. It is so horrid for me and so fucking dated and I can't FATHOM how it actually made it into the grand final. This song is my My Friend. Just bad. Only Luxembourg was worse then this. Anyhow congrats on qualifying tho, even tho you made me violent with this song.

In summary tho, congrats to all the qualifiers and better luck next time for the ones that stayed in the semis.

As a respond to the Slovakian Hod: I know that you never like any opinion to be shared, so far I expressed my opinion decently and I find it totally atrocious to call any exit of any other player. I didn't ask anybody to like my taste, I've just shared an opinion of how I see the things, something that all of us are doing after the results are posted. Your attitude is childish and unprofessional and if you call me to give up, I call your exit as well. And your last words, be careful, are discriminatory. As the thief calls the thief, I'm not the 'phobic' here.

As a response to Austrian HoD: Theres a difference between giving an opinion and shaming others. And that's my problem with your earlier statement.

"Mediocrity was the word used by the Hod of Austria when talked about the results of the semi-finals last night"

"Sadly the show is becoming more and more generic, the different genres are not accepted by people, you're trying something unique, you have no chance. There are good entries every edition in ESCT, however, even last edition, we are now here in Greece, but... let's be honest, if Greece was a winner and I wouldn't know the other songs, I would never listen to the others considering who won. And it's a shame, cause there were great entries last edition."

This is what I have a problem with. You can put your opinion out there, I couldn't give less of a shit, as I said you can like whatever the fuck you want, but my problem is your basically saying your taste is better and that the problem is ours cuz we don't stan whatever "different" bullshit your into.

And that is why I am telling you to leave cuz, again, you flat out said "If I listened to Greece as a winner, I wouldn't want to listen to the rest". You listen and participate in this contest by your own free will, noones taking you hostage, noones making you participate in the contest so if you're so upset about the results and rules of the contest, maybe this isn't the contest made for you, specially if your then gonna throw blame on others for having their own taste that doesnt line up with yours.

You call me childish and unprofessional but your the one who's being an absolute fucking baby about the rules as well. Rules are rules. Just cuz you don't like them, doesn't mean they're gonna change. We've explained the rules to you several times now but because they don't line up with your fantasy you keep on bringing it up and throwing a tantrum about it. GIVE. IT. UP. It's not gonna change just cuz mister mysoginistic homophobia wants them to.

And no, my words aren't discriminatory. I am literally gay, so I don't where you're geting it from. If you think thats discriminatory towards you however, maybe try to not discriminate first, otherwise you have no moral grounds to be offended.

Again, homosexual kisses.
And feminist hugs.

I wouldn't like to say that, cause I have some kind of modesty in me, even though maybe you wouldn't believe it, but when you call someone who, esecially nowadays, is literally saving lives in real life, mysoginistic and homophobe... man, shut the fuck up, I help people from all nationalities, sexual orientation, race or anything, so I don't give a damn on how you are calling me, I have facts that I'm a helper and not a hater, so far between 2 of us, you're the one who's hating, accusing and all kind of shits you're doing.
My comment is not humiliating anybody, my suggestions for other rules are suggestions, suggestions that in all domains, without suggestions, you don't progress. Ther rules are rules but doesn't mean they shouldn't change, and so far there were a lot of debates on the rules in this contest, to make it better, the contet even changed multiple time since its creation, so I don't know if it is something humiliating to describe your view on the rules. And what you don't understand is that I respect the rules, the fact that I am expressing my desires have nothing to do with breaking the rules.
Regarding my horrible taste, next time you ask me to vote in your selection for my 'different' taste, please call it 'horrible' or 'shitty', as you think it is, I find it really pathetic to express it by some words when you need me as a voter and other words now, when I'm talking about them. And from respect to others, who are oftenly voting in your national selection, maybe you also should vote in other selections. It's an ADVICE, be careful, not a demand, as you will confuse it again. And if by wanting to see more diversity and lovers of multiple styles means to consider my taste superior or inferior... it means you have a problem with your brain. As I said, I have the facts that I am helping people and not discriminating them, and so far you call my taste 'shitty' or how you call it, thing that I didn't do about others' taste, so I think it's not me who's evaluating the taste of people.
I close this discussion here, your words for me arre absolutely nothing, I don't have to take them as far as I know what kind of man I am. Maybe you should think better of yourself, you're not as saint as you think and your respect for different people than you is way smaller than mine and your sexual orientation and other characteristics you have are not defining you as a man.

I don't know what you do for a living, but my answer to this is really clear: in the work place, you cannot discriminate even cuz your so called opinions are irrelevant and shouldn't be taken into account. it doesn't change the fact time and time again you have put women down, slut shamed, said theres stuff women can and cannot do, etc. Also, lets not forget you compared homosexuality to pedophilia in the past and as far as I know, never have you apologized about it. So helping people and lives doesn't make you not mysoginistic or homophobic, it makes you slightly better human being then I thought you were.

Your suggestions have been made and you keep whining about it when we have explained time and time again that this aprticular rule is in place for a reason and WON'T be changing. So at this point your just trying to annoy us.

#1- I did vote in others selections, I just didn't vote in yours cuz every time someone referred to it they said it wasn't very good. Plus, when you only allow 10 people to vote it doesn't give me that much time to even have the chance to vote. But anyways below is a list of the countries in whos national final I DID vote:
Germany
Hungary
Estonia
Croatia
Finland
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Morocco
Serbia
Georgia
Bosnia & Herzegovina

I believe that was it cuz I actually have a life and just simply didn't have more time to do more. But anyways, your claim that I don't vote in NFs is now somewhat false.

#2- I didn't mean your taste was shit, when I say different bullshit bullshit can mean stuff, songs, whatever, it's just that your so annoying and so detestable you get me angry. Anyways, for that I am sorry but it doesn't deny the fact you yourself are puting down our taste in your original post by calling the qualifiers awful, mediocre, saying the songs sent are generic and straight up bad. SO in a way its karma.

#3- For someone who "helps people from all nationalities, sexual orientation, race or anything", it's really a bad look to say I have brain problems. And I'll leave it at that for this one

And finally if my words mean so little to you I don't know why the fuck your wasting so much time with answering me with long ass paragraphs trying to intimidate and puting me down, saying I'm disrespectful, telling me I am brain damaged, etc. I've never claimed to be a saint, as it is evident by all the times I have opposed you and tell you like it is, and I will keep doing it cuz someone has to. I respect people that respect me back and others back and you are not respectful, therefor you do not earn my respect. I also know the kind of man I am: the kind of man that will stand up for what I believe in and if I see bullshit, I call it. And today I saw your bullshit for the milionesimal time, and I called it too.

And finally, yes, sexual orientation and other characteristics do define the man I am? What defines a man is their characteristics and personality so I did not get your point there but go off Dallas!

Homosexual kisses.
Feminist hugs.
Brain damaged hand shakes.

Anyhow, this is the last message I send cuz I'm not gonna flood the contest topic with drama. If you have any complaints, direct them to my inbox.

Please, stop! :(