Eurovision rejects Georgia's entry over Putin insults

I wasn't really rooting for Georgia during last year's summer war, but this feels like way too much... It's just a song, I guess...😁

What's next, a total ban on criticizing Vladimir Putin?

There is an endless supply of this nonsense coming out of Russia and its surrounding sphere—what they like to call "Russian democracy," though it’s really just a Stalinist model dressed up in modern clothes!

The way I see it, Russia is simply terrified that Georgia might actually pull off a win at the contest! 😂 To be fair, the song is quite catchy.

Anthony Taylor393 said:I wasn't really rooting for Georgia during last year's summer war, but this feels like way too much... It's just a song, I guess...😁

What's next, a total ban on criticizing Vladimir Putin?

Hold up, is this actually news?
I'm being dead serious here...

I would really like to see the official reasoning behind this decision. If it was phrased the way net.hr reported it, then it is just blatant nonsense... I honestly don't see why this song should be rejected, especially since the highly political song by Tot Cotugn, "Insieme," was once a winner at Eurovision (if I recall correctly, it was held in Washington, D.C.).

If Georgia stays in the competition, they have a real shot at winning. Personally, if I were in their shoes, I might change the lyrics slightly, but I would still go out on that stage in Moscow and shout "we don't wanna put in" right into the microphone. 😁

Let them be outraged all they want! 😁

Anthony Taylor393 As specified by:
I was just reading through this report about the drama surrounding the Eurovision Song Contest, and honestly, it’s such a whirlwind of politics and music, isn't it? It really makes you wonder how much the stage can actually influence global perceptions when everything feels so heavy right now. The whole situation with the Eurovision Song Contest and the tensions involving different nations—especially given the recent conflicts in places like Georgia and the ongoing friction with Russia—is just incredibly complex. You have these massive televised events that are supposed to be about unity, yet they constantly become flashpoints for geopolitical tension. Is it even possible to separate art from the political climate of the era? There’s been so much talk about how certain countries might be barred from participating due to war, similar to how we saw shifts during previous contests. It reminds me of those intense debates back during Eurovision 2009. When you look at the history of the contest, there's always that underlying current of tension between the performers and the broadcasting unions like the EBU. It’s fascinating, in a somewhat tragic way, to see how much weight a three-minute song carries on the world stage. Does a single performance actually change anything, or is it all just beautiful noise against a backdrop of serious international struggle? I find myself thinking about it constantly—how do we balance the joy of cultural exchange with the reality of what's happening in the news every single day?

I wasn't exactly rooting for Georgia during last year's summer war, but this? This feels like it's going way too far. I mean, at the end of the day, isn't it just a song?😁

So, what’s next on the agenda? Are we heading toward a world where criticizing Vladimir Putin becomes some kind of forbidden act?

So, what comes next? I mean, let's be real—you aren't even allowed to criticize Vladimir Putin over in Russia. That’s just an old story at this point, isn't it?

goldenpilot15 said:

Anthony Taylor393 As specified by:
I was just reading through this report about the drama surrounding the Eurovision Song Contest, and honestly, it’s such a whirlwind of politics and music, isn't it? It really makes you wonder how much the stage can actually influence global perceptions when everything feels so heavy right now. The whole situation with the Eurovision Song Contest and the tensions involving different nations—especially given the recent conflicts in places like Georgia and the ongoing friction with Russia—is just incredibly complex. You have these massive televised events that are supposed to be about unity, yet they constantly become flashpoints for geopolitical tension. Is it even possible to separate art from the political climate of the era? There’s been so much talk about how certain countries might be barred from participating due to war, similar to how we saw shifts during previous contests. It reminds me of those intense debates back during Eurovision 2009. When you look at the history of the contest, there's always that underlying current of tension between the performers and the broadcasting unions like the EBU. It’s fascinating, in a somewhat tragic way, to see how much weight a three-minute song carries on the world stage. Does a single performance actually change anything, or is it all just beautiful noise against a backdrop of serious international struggle? I find myself thinking about it constantly—how do we balance the joy of cultural exchange with the reality of what's happening in the news every single day?

I wasn't exactly rooting for Georgia during last year's summer war, but this? This feels like it's going way too far. I mean, at the end of the day, isn't it just a song?😁

So, what’s next on the agenda? Are we heading toward a world where criticizing Vladimir Putin becomes some kind of forbidden act?

So, what comes next? I mean, let's be real—you aren't even allowed to criticize Vladimir Putin over in Russia. That’s just an old story at this point, isn't it?

Since when is Georgia part of Russia? 🤷

I mean, by the time Eurovision rolls around, Vladimir Putin will probably be out of power anyway😳, so what’s the big deal!

Oil is sitting at $45, which means they can't just keep patching up that rotten, forced Russian society solely by pumping oil—they actually need to start building something real. But hey, Big Boss Putin obviously doesn't get that, since he's too busy staring at everything through those old CIA lenses

"The European Broadcasting Union has officially notified Georgian National Television that their song lyrics for the 54th Eurovision Song Contest fail to meet competition regulations," according to an official statement from the organizers.

The title, "We don't want put in," is a play on the English verb "to put in" and Vladimir Putin's name.

I don't see the issue here. If the rules prohibit political songs—and this wordplay is pretty blatant—the committee didn't really have a choice but to follow the rulebook and reject what is essentially a political provocation.

dustyeagle6 said:Since when is Georgia part of Russia? 🤷

Well, no, but Eurovision is being held in Moscow.

Ryan Sanders4 said:"The European Broadcasting Union has officially notified Georgian National Television that their song lyrics for the 54th Eurovision Song Contest fail to meet competition regulations," according to an official statement from the organizers.

The title, "We don't want put in," is a play on the English verb "to put in" and Vladimir Putin's name.

I don't see the issue here. If the rules prohibit political songs—and this wordplay is pretty blatant—the committee didn't really have a choice but to follow the rulebook and reject what is essentially a political provocation.

Come on, please! This song would be considered totally normal anywhere else. Maybe the only mistake they made was being so blunt about it being a pun. If the Georgians had just stood their ground and insisted it was pure artistic freedom rather than an obvious jab, maybe the song wouldn't have been banned in the first place.

Robert Ross8 said:I mean, by the time Eurovision rolls around, Vladimir Putin will probably be out of power anyway😳, so what’s the big deal!

Oil is sitting at $45, which means they can't just keep patching up that rotten, forced Russian society solely by pumping oil—they actually need to start building something real. But hey, Big Boss Putin obviously doesn't get that, since he's too busy staring at everything through those old CIA lenses

I hope you're right, because I truly want that to be true.🙂🙂

I won't be heading to Rash for Eurovision; instead, I'm making my way over to Labin. 😂

goldenpilot15 said:Come on, please! This song would be considered totally normal anywhere else. Maybe the only mistake they made was being so blunt about it being a pun. If the Georgians had just stood their ground and insisted it was pure artistic freedom rather than an obvious jab, maybe the song wouldn't have been banned in the first place.

And what's the issue here? You basically answered your own question. You just aren't grasping the point.
The Georgians openly admitted it was a play on words, making it clear they wanted to send a political message straight to Vladimir Putin and the Russians right in the middle of Moscow.
If they want to send political messages to Vladimir Putin, they can do it at some livestock fair in Batumi instead.

brightfox29 said:And what's the issue here? You basically answered your own question. You just aren't grasping the point.
The Georgians openly admitted it was a play on words, making it clear they wanted to send a political message straight to Vladimir Putin and the Russians right in the middle of Moscow.
If they want to send political messages to Vladimir Putin, they can do it at some livestock fair in Batumi instead.

So, the commission didn't really have a choice.

Even if the Georgians hadn't admitted it, the whole thing is too obvious. Even the grammar is off—proper English would be "we don't want to put in something," not just "we don't want put in." It wouldn't have passed regardless.

After the EBU rejected Georgia's entry over political undertones, the country has decided to pull out of Eurovision 2009 entirely.

“We don’t wanna put in” is the title of the song by Stefan and 3G intended for this year's Eurovision. However, because the EBU blocked the lyrics on the grounds that they violate rules prohibiting political content, Georgia officially withdrew today.

“We have decided not to change the lyrics or pick a different song. We aren't going to Moscow for Eurovision 2009,” stated Natia Uznadze, the head of Georgian National Television (GPB). “We still don't understand why the EBU made this call. No concrete explanation was provided.”

A panel of experts ruled yesterday that the song violates EBU regulations stating that “lyrics, speech, or gestures of a political or similar nature will not be permitted during Eurovision.” A Georgian producer working with the EBU suggested the rejection might be due to pressure from Russia. “If that’s the case, it’s unacceptable. Where exactly are the political connotations or insults in these lyrics?” asked Kakhaber Tsiskaridze.

Georgia initially considered withdrawing from this year's Eurovision due to the war with Russia, but decided to return following their win at Junior Eurovision. It will be interesting to see how this develops and whether Georgia sticks to its decision to boycott Eurovision in Moscow.

Look, Israel had a political entry in 2007, Ukraine in 2005, and Greece back in '76 and '95, yet nobody made a fuss about it.

And that’s not even mentioning all the political chatter during the voting itself!

Politics has no business being at Eurovision. If the Georgians want to push an agenda, they can take it straight to Tskhinvali—assuming they’re even allowed to go there.🙂

Sophia Lopez9 said:Look, Israel had a political entry in 2007, Ukraine in 2005, and Greece back in '76 and '95, yet nobody made a fuss about it.

And that’s not even mentioning all the political chatter during the voting itself!

The Eurovision Song Contest shouldn't be used as a platform for political beef between two countries.

Sophia Lopez9 said:After the EBU rejected Georgia's entry over political undertones, the country has decided to pull out of Eurovision 2009 entirely.

“We don’t wanna put in” is the title of the song by Stefan and 3G intended for this year's Eurovision. However, because the EBU blocked the lyrics on the grounds that they violate rules prohibiting political content, Georgia officially withdrew today.

“We have decided not to change the lyrics or pick a different song. We aren't going to Moscow for Eurovision 2009,” stated Natia Uznadze, the head of Georgian National Television (GPB). “We still don't understand why the EBU made this call. No concrete explanation was provided.”

A panel of experts ruled yesterday that the song violates EBU regulations stating that “lyrics, speech, or gestures of a political or similar nature will not be permitted during Eurovision.” A Georgian producer working with the EBU suggested the rejection might be due to pressure from Russia. “If that’s the case, it’s unacceptable. Where exactly are the political connotations or insults in these lyrics?” asked Kakhaber Tsiskaridze.

Georgia initially considered withdrawing from this year's Eurovision due to the war with Russia, but decided to return following their win at Junior Eurovision. It will be interesting to see how this develops and whether Georgia sticks to its decision to boycott Eurovision in Moscow.

What do you mean they didn't get a concrete explanation? If they don't understand the simple fact that you aren't allowed to use songs to push political messages—and personally, I think they know exactly what they're doing when they try to provoke—then they really have no idea what a "concrete explanation" actually looks like. 🤷

The song from Georgia was way too political, which is why it got rejected. Look, if the Eurovision Song Contest wants to be taken seriously as a music competition, it can't tolerate songs that are political, racist, or just plain offensive. That’s why this controversial track was turned down. Now, that doesn't mean Georgia is banned from the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest entirely; they could still show up, but only if they play by the rules and tweak the lyrics to fit the contest guidelines. Some of those lines just don't fly under the official regulations. But since the Georgian representatives refused to change the parts that caused the issue, we won't be seeing them at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow.