Irelande Douze Pointe
Encyclopedia
is a parody
song
by the puppet act
Dustin the Turkey
. The song was composed by Darren Smith and Simon Fine for the competition to select the Irish
submission for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
. On February 23, 2008, it won against five other entries in Eurosong 2008, held at the University of Limerick
. The song represented Ireland in the semi-finals of the song contest on May 20, 2008 in Belgrade
, Serbia
, but failed to qualify for the final.
song title, the lyrics
of the song are mainly in English
. The title refers to the Eurovision Song Contest's voting procedure, where all voting results are read in both English and French, and where a score of twelve (French: douze) is the highest possible result. The voting procedure has become notorious over the years due to supposed geopolitical voting, especially in Eastern countries. The word pointe is a misspelling because it is points in French, being a plurality of 12 points. Irelande is also misspelt as the French for Ireland is Irlande.
, Serbia
. Here it was performed 11th in the running order, following Poland
's Isis Gee
"For Life
" and preceding Andorra
's Gisela
with "Casanova
". It received a total of 22 points, placing 15th in a field of 19 and failing to qualify for the final.
, Spain
and Australia
. Sky News
even interviewed the puppet Dustin the Turkey about the song.
The song was booed and cheered during the Irish national final. Mainly in English, it was the first Irish entry to include elements in Spanish, Italian, French and German. Dustin was joined by backing singers Kathleen Burke and Anne Harrington when performing Irelande Douze Pointe. A minor nuisance arose because the presence of the puppeteer meant that one too many performers was onstage. The officials eventually decided that because the puppeteer was in a shopping trolley, he did not count as being "on the stage."
After pressure from the Greek broadcaster ERT
, the EBU forced a change to the lyrics of the song so that they would not include Macedonia because of the Macedonia naming dispute
. This applied to the live version only and Macedonia is still mentioned in the studio version.
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by the puppet act
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
Dustin the Turkey
Dustin the Turkey
Dustin the Turkey is a puppet, "television presenter" and star of RTÉ television's The Den since 1989. A turkey with a strong Dublin accent, Dustin is voiced by John Morrison, brother of Ciaran Morrison who was one of the creators of Zig and Zag. Dustin first appeared on The Den with Zig and Zag in...
. The song was composed by Darren Smith and Simon Fine for the competition to select the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
submission for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
. On February 23, 2008, it won against five other entries in Eurosong 2008, held at the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
. The song represented Ireland in the semi-finals of the song contest on May 20, 2008 in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, but failed to qualify for the final.
Song's meaning
Despite the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
song title, the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
of the song are mainly in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The title refers to the Eurovision Song Contest's voting procedure, where all voting results are read in both English and French, and where a score of twelve (French: douze) is the highest possible result. The voting procedure has become notorious over the years due to supposed geopolitical voting, especially in Eastern countries. The word pointe is a misspelling because it is points in French, being a plurality of 12 points. Irelande is also misspelt as the French for Ireland is Irlande.
At Eurovision
The song was performed at the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, held in BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. Here it was performed 11th in the running order, following Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's Isis Gee
Isis Gee
Tamara Diane Wimer , known by her stage name Isis Gee, is an American pop singer-songwriter, arranger, programer and producer of her own music. She is currently residing in Italy.-Biography:...
"For Life
For Life (Isis Gee song)
"For Life" is the name of the song by Isis Gee that was selected to represent Poland in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. On 20 May 2008, it was performed in the first semi-final, and the final on 24 May.-National final:...
" and preceding Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
's Gisela
Gisela (singer)
Gisela is a Spanish pop singer. She was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and became famous after placing eighth in the first edition of Operación Triunfo. Before the start of Operacion Triunfo, she was a student at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, studying journalism.-Career after...
with "Casanova
Casanova (Gisela song)
"Casanova" is a song by Spanish singer Gisela. It was chosen to represent Andorra in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It is sung in English, although it features one line in Catalan....
". It received a total of 22 points, placing 15th in a field of 19 and failing to qualify for the final.
Reception
The song received press coverage around the world, most notably in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
even interviewed the puppet Dustin the Turkey about the song.
The song was booed and cheered during the Irish national final. Mainly in English, it was the first Irish entry to include elements in Spanish, Italian, French and German. Dustin was joined by backing singers Kathleen Burke and Anne Harrington when performing Irelande Douze Pointe. A minor nuisance arose because the presence of the puppeteer meant that one too many performers was onstage. The officials eventually decided that because the puppeteer was in a shopping trolley, he did not count as being "on the stage."
After pressure from the Greek broadcaster ERT
Elliniki Radiofonia Tileorasi
The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation is the Greek state-owned public radio and television broadcasting corporation. It is a member of EBU.Since 70's ERT is part of the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by EBU...
, the EBU forced a change to the lyrics of the song so that they would not include Macedonia because of the Macedonia naming dispute
Macedonia naming dispute
A diplomatic dispute over the use of the name Macedonia has been an ongoing issue in the bilateral relations between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia since the latter became independent from former Yugoslavia in 1991...
. This applied to the live version only and Macedonia is still mentioned in the studio version.
| Chart (2008) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
5 |