The EuroWhat? Podcast
@eurowhat
We are a pair of Americans trying to make sense of the #Eurovision Song Contest. | eurowhat.com | @benmsmith.com & @rubegoldberg.me
ICYMI: Olivia Newton-John’s film debut was the 1970 space musical Toomorrow, produced by the guy that brought us The Monkees AND the guy that helped bring James Bond to the big screen. A new Blu-Ray of the film has become available—let's discuss! www.patreon.com/euro...
ICYMI: The instantly-doomed American Song Contest really did seem like a good idea at the time. The execution was not great, but we were pot-committed back in 2022 when we covered this pale imitation of Eurovision. This is the 2nd half of our look at the series. www.eurowhat.com/305
ICYMI: The instantly-doomed Great American State Fair was supposed to bring together all 56 US states and territories. What if there was a song contest that did that? NBC tried it in 2022 and we watched it all. Let’s revisit, shall we? www.eurowhat.com/304
ICYMI: Eurovision 2026 had an interval act featuring Cesár Sampson performing “Vienna” by Billy Joel. Long Island native Maura Johnston joins us to discuss the documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes which debuted on HBO in July 2025. http://patreon.com/e...
ICYMI: Scopitone was a video jukebox from the 1960s that featured short clips that could be considered proto-music videos. Ben discusses the history, production, and cultural impact of the medium while Mike delights in the off-model nature of the content. www.eurowhat.com/303
ICYMI: What is "Camp"? In 1964, literary critic Susan Sontag investigated this question in her culture-defining essay "Notes on Camp". We discuss how the concept of Camp applies to Eurovision, other forms of pop culture, and our day-to-day lives. www.eurowhat.com/302
ICYMI: This season we kept finding ourselves watching clips of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest from Dublin, Ireland. We invited friend of the show Ted Van Houten to join us in a rewatch of the full contest in all its Lite FM glory: www.patreon.com/euro...
ICYMI: Better late than never: let’s talk about Eurovision 2026. We’ll discuss what happened in Vienna, what this means for the Contest going forward, and share our post-confetti plans. Also: BULGARIA?! www.eurowhat.com/301
"a second Professor Eurovision segment has hit the Grand Final" -B #Eurovision
Every single time, JFC Google YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT -B #Eurovision
Although Greece's staging is a little too maximalist, I was worried it was going to come across as "Nick Arcade Bonus Round" so it works for me. -M #Eurovision
ICYMI: Spain has been ride-or-die for Eurovision since debuting in 1961. In this episode, we’ll be taking a look at how Spain’s original approach to the Contest may have informed their decision to not attend the festivities in Vienna for the first time in 65 years. www.eurowhat.com/300
I feel like we could swap out the hosts with June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer and it would be the best course for everyone involved -M #Eurovision
#Eurovision attempting to get me personally back in the fold by making all the postcards look like the ending of THE APPLE (1980) -B
ICYMI: Eurovision is an expensive enterprise, and the Netherlands has been one of the Contest’s largest financial supporters. In this episode, we’ll be taking a look at the financial impact of Netherland’s absence from Eurovision 2026. www.eurowhat.com/299
👩🎤 NEW PATREON EPISODE 👨🏻🎤 We discuss the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot with frequent guests Ned Raggett and maura johnston sharing their insights as HoF voters. Who could we be seeing on future ballots soon and who has not yet received their due? www.patreon.com/euro...
Not a cell phone in sight. Just people living in the moment. #EurovisionAgain
ICYMI: Slovenia has struggled to find momentum and consistency on the Eurovision scoreboard. In this episode, we take a look at how rule changes—especially around who qualifies—has impacted Slovenia’s ability to succeed at the Contest www.eurowhat.com/298