Twitter traffic peaked three times during the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. Of course, when the ‘surprise winner’ was confirmed, everyone had something to say about it, but two earlier surges spoke volumes about what Eurovision audiences really want – pretty frocks and pretty boys.
Twitter spiked when Croatian performer Nina Kraljić tottered on stage looking like she’d arrived midway through folding a duvet cover. It was a rare moment of costume madness in a contest otherwise short on frocky horror.
Each year fans get together to decide who gets the Barbra Dex award. It goes to the performer judged most distinctively dressed. Nina can’t fail.
Then came the second big event. What’s a Saturday night without spending a few minutes watching a cute bloke mince around the stage while performing a camp old disco banger? Sergei provided the goods and the Russian performance picked up the second highest Twitter peak of the evening.
He climbed up blocks, rolled on his back, winked and flashed those perfect teeth at the cameras. For this alone he deserved to win.
All things considered, the songs presented this year meant that 2016 was far from vintage. That matters not one jot. The two biggest moments show that (at heart) all we want from our annual musical treat is entertainment.
Sure, it’s lovely that a song about history and stuff won, but she’d have earned extra cheers if she’d have spent a bit less on the lights and splashed out on a few topless, oiled up freedom fighters.
Maybe next year, when she reprises it in Kiev?