(Part 1) Zero Stars, Nul Points: June Thomas on Failure, Cynicism, and Eurovision

Links to June’s Newsletter!
https://buttondown.com/WhereAre

—

June Thomas — Book

A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture

Amazon US
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=A+Place+of+Our+Own+June+Thomas

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=A+Place+of+Our+Own+June+Thomas

—

Podcasts by June Thomas

Working (Slate)
https://slate.com/podcasts/working

The Waves (Slate)
https://slate.com/podcasts/the-waves

Outward (Slate LGBTQ podcast)
https://slate.com/podcasts/outward

Culture Gabfest (June as contributor / alum)
https://slate.com/podcasts/culture-gabfest

—

Eurovision Songs Discussed in This Episode

Jemini – “Cry Baby” (United Kingdom, 2003)
Placement: 26th of 26 — 0 points
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTV8GUwzRjw

Go-Jo – “Milkshake Man” (Australia, 2025)
Placement: 11th of 16 in Semi-Final 2 — televote only — did not qualify
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lSsijRZmrs

Jendrik – “I Don’t Feel Hate” (Germany, 2021)
Placement: 25th of 26 — 3 points
YouTube (music video — song begins ~1:00):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydgxZnHFLi4

Jeangu Macrooy – “Birth of a New Age” (Netherlands, 2021)
Placement: 23rd of 26 — 11 points
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Fag4yajxk

Olly Alexander – “Dizzy” (United Kingdom, 2024)
Grand Final placement: 24th of 26
Points: 46 (Jury 46 / Televote 0)
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4lu8pVGHlA

Remember Monday – “What the Hell Just Happened?” (United Kingdom, 2025)
Placement: 19th of 26
Jury: 88 — Televote: 0
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfeSxNubBQE

—

Guardian Review Referenced

Lucy Mangan — All’s Fair review — “Kim Kardashian’s divorce drama is fascinatingly, existentially terrible”
The Guardian — 4 Nov 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/04/alls-fair-review-kim-kardashian-divorce-drama-is-fascinatingly-existentially-terrible

—

Other Guardian context discussed

Zero-star review roundup reference (Guardian feature)
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/05/the-guardian-has-only-ever-published-15-zero-star-reviews-here-they-all-are

Commentary on star-rating / zero-star precedent (related debate)
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/06/one-to-zero-star-reviews

—

Article June Mentioned — Olivia Nuzzi memoir discourse

Slate — review of “American Canto”
https://slate.com/culture/2025/12/olivia-nuzzi-rfk-donald-trump-ryan-lizza-book.html

—

Optional background links for listeners

Jeangu Macrooy — Birth of a New Age (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_of_a_New_Age

Olly Alexander — Eurovision 2024 entry overview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest_2024

—

Show page & archive

https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm

—