Matthew Perry dead at 54: Shattered 'Friends' fans share 'favorite' sofa pivot blooper in tribute to star
Many of Perry's and 'Friends' fans shared and reacted to the blooper on hearing the news of his shocking death
2023-10-29 12:59
Eurovision 2023: A homage to naffness or musical genius? Two writers battle it out
Millions will be watching as 26 countries go head to head to be crowned champions of the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend – but not everyone calls themselves a fan. The notoriously weird and wonderful event still divides opinion right down the middle – when it comes to Eurovision, you’re either all in or not. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter We pitched two writers against each other, one who loves Eurovision and one who can’t stand it. So, whose side are you on? Kate Plummer: Why I hate Eurovision What would happen if you brought together all the kinds of musicians who X Factor judges consider passing at the audition stage of the competition - but ultimately decide not to? What would happen if you asked cruise ship singers to come together and belt out hours of 'tunes' that resemble copyright-free hold music at best, or something your 10-year-old niece cooked up on GarageBand at worst? The answer, of course, is the gaudy Eurovision Song Contest, that homage to naffness, that yearly nightmare that we are forced to endure. "But it's fun!" the doltish masses cry. "Look at their outfits," the square-eyed cretins say. Save it. Like most organised fun and forced merriment (see hen dos, school reunions and anything to do with sport), Eurovision is absolutely awful. But unlike hen dos, school reunions and anything to do with sport, there is no escaping the tyrannical grip of its regime. It man spreads over the course of Saturday night telly, it bleeds into every pub, bar and group chat of excitable friends organising their cursed viewing parties. This year, it will even be screened in cinemas. Where is my respite? I didn't even vote for Brexit but surely the yearly congregation of the worst representatives of Europe is a dividend we could have gained from leaving the bloc? The 2023 contest is being held in the UK city of Liverpool this week, building up to the grand final on Saturday. Acts from 37 countries are taking part. So will I be tuning in to see which act has become this year's meme and what 'funny moments' have gone viral on social media? Absolutely not. After all, 66 contests and over 1,600 songs, there's a reason the only Eurovision act anyone can name is Abba... Eurovision is completely naff. Count me out. Harry Fletcher: Why I love Eurovision There aren’t many things that every single member of the family can sit down to watch together and genuinely look forward to. Eurovision is one of them. It’s a big event in our household, with family members spread around the country heading back up north to watch together. Why do we love it? The sheer strangeness is certainly a factor. The likes of Käärijä, representing Finland in 2023 with the bizarre 'Cha Cha Cha', are doing a good job keeping it weird and wonderful. But the sheer quality of the entries is more impressive year on year. The overall standard has increased inexorably and the quality of the songwriting in the strongest entries is always staggering. Crafting a good Eurovision song is an art form, and there are still entries from more than 10 years ago that pop into my head occasionally. Eurovision also has to be the most welcoming, accessible major event in the UK calendar. It’s for absolutely everyone; it’s a comfortable space, completely free of cynicism. With Eurovision, you take away all the nastiness that comes hand in hand with X Factor and other formats that invite people to sing before live audiences. Here, there’s none of the sneering at contestants or gawking at eccentric members of the public. Instead, with Eurovision it’s a celebration, and an invitation to be as weird as you like when representing your country. Eurovision can always be relied on to bring out the best in Twitter, too. When so much of social media is increasingly devoted to negativity and hate, it feels like a throwback to nicer times when it functioned more as a public forum for fans during events like Eurovision. The contest has changed a lot since I started watching around 15 years ago. There was an endearingly cheap feel about the contest back then, but the production values are outstanding these days. It’s far less of a niche interest than it used to be too; with the event coming to the UK this year, it’s attracted more and more attention. More eyes on this wonderfully odd event, which celebrates diversity, gives us genuinely brilliant songs every year and gives us something wholesome to get stuck into on social media can only be a good thing. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-05-13 14:23
Hollywood actors guild votes to authorize strike, as writers strike continues
Actors represented by the Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA voted to authorize a strike if the major studios, streamers and production companies don’t meet their demands for a new contract by June 30
2023-06-06 10:22
Miley Cyrus explains why she won't be touring any time soon
While she has one of the biggest hits in the music industry in awhile, don't expect Miley Cyrus to go on tour.
2023-05-22 21:51
'Like watching home movies from your ex-wife': Guillermo del Toro refused to watch Pacific Rim: Uprising
Guillermo del Toro refused to watch 'Pacific Rim: Uprising' because he felt it would be "like watching home movies from your ex-wife".
2023-10-08 15:17
Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' remake seemingly takes a dig at Kate Middleton
The critic shared that the movie gives out subtle hints about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's relationship
2023-05-17 14:53
'GMA' host Michael Strahan flaunts toned abs in slime-covered shirtless photo
Michael Strahan celebrated the creation of Nickelodeon's 'Kids Choice Sports' ceremony ahead of its upcoming anniversary
2023-07-11 11:28
'And Just Like That...' serves up a half-baked finale with 'The Last Supper'
"And Just Like That..." managed to go from irritating to merely boring in its second season, which feels like modest progress. Yet the central relationship that finally took over -- as Carrie renewed her romance with Aidan, the one that she let get away -- came as too little, too late to completely salvage a series whose secondary plots have remained underwhelming, and at times half-baked.
2023-08-24 21:48
Elliot Page says he had sex with Juno co-star 'all the time' while filming
Elliot Page claims he had sex with Juno co-star Olivia Thirlby "all the time" while filming the 2007 indie dramedy. In his hotly anticipated memoir Pageboy, the Canadian actor opened up about his past relationships. One of which included Thirlby, who he felt "taken aback" by the moment he saw her. Page said that while the pair were both the same age, she seemed "so much older, capable, and centred," with chemistry that pulled him in. The Umbrella Academy star went on to describe Thirlby, who played Page's best friend in the film, as "sexually open," which was "far removed" from where he was at the time. They spent most of their time together shooting for the film, with Page recalling the time Thirlby "looked directly at me and said point-blank, ‘I’m really attracted to you.'” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "At that we started sucking face, it was on" he claimed in the memoir. "I had an all-encompassing desire for her, she made me want in a way that was new, hopeful." Page went on to candidly detail that Thirlby was the first person to make her have an orgasm. He continued: "Her hotel room, in our trailers at work, once in a tiny, private room in a restaurant … We thought we were being subtle. Being intimate with Olivia helped my shame dissipate. I didn’t see a glint of it in her eyes and I wanted that — done feeling wretched about who I am." Page came out as gay in 2014. In another section of his book, the 36-year-old detailed an incident at a birthday party two months later in which an A-list Hollywood actor said: "You aren’t gay. That doesn’t exist. You are just afraid of men." The chapter, titled 'Famous A**hole at Party', goes on to add the male then reportedly told Page: "I’m going to f*** you to make you realise you aren’t gay." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-06-07 16:21
Internet abuzz with rumors about Halle Bailey's 'baby bump' after her Gucci show appearance in Italy
Halle Bailey was spotted in the crowd at an Italian Gucci fashion event, sitting next to Hanni
2023-09-23 21:59
Is Adin Ross going to prison? Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate contemplate including 'knucklehead' Kick streamer in next jail stream
A video shows Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate discussing about involving Ross in their next jail stream
2023-08-14 20:50
'GMA's Deborah Roberts stuns in striped cutout dress as she attends husband Al Roker's docu screening in LA
Deborah Roberts, 62, donned a striking blue and white striped dress while Al Roker, 68, looked dapper in a blue suit jacket and pink polo shirt
2023-08-07 16:48
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