app02 Fri, 17 Jul 2026 23:03:08 +0000 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Eurovision Song Context - Episodes Tagged with “Journalism” https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/tags/journalism Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400 We start with expertise and end up in Eurovision. It’s kind of our thing. Eurovision Song Context is a monthly podcast that looks at the Eurovision Song Contest through an unexpected lens: expert insight. Each episode, a guest from a different field — psychology, fashion, politics, design, linguistics, and more — talk about their work and how it helps us understand 2–3 Eurovision entries in a whole new light. Are these songs genuinely good? So bad they’re good? Or just weirdly unforgettable? Longform episodes come out on the 12th of every month (the "douzeth"). We're where brilliant minds meet bad key changes. en-us episodic A podcast where we bring in smart people. We talk about smart things, then veer into glitter, wind machines, and geopolitics. Experts. Insight. Eurovision chaos. Bradley Dalton-Oates We start with expertise and end up in Eurovision. It’s kind of our thing. Eurovision Song Context is a monthly podcast that looks at the Eurovision Song Contest through an unexpected lens: expert insight. Each episode, a guest from a different field — psychology, fashion, politics, design, linguistics, and more — talk about their work and how it helps us understand 2–3 Eurovision entries in a whole new light. Are these songs genuinely good? So bad they’re good? Or just weirdly unforgettable? Longform episodes come out on the 12th of every month (the "douzeth"). We're where brilliant minds meet bad key changes. no Eurovision, music, expert analysis, Europe, music, arts, culture, ESC Bradley Dalton-Oates eurovisionsongcontext@gmail.com Episode 89: Define, Then See: Journalist Tony Connolly on Europe's Stereotypes https://eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm/89 a99dab9c-6a1c-4077-84ee-d9cf83f40bbd Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400 Bradley Dalton-Oates full Bradley Dalton-Oates "We define, then we see". In this episode, Bradley sits down with journalist Tony Connolly, RTÉ's Europe Editor based in Brussels, to talk about his book Don't Mention the Wars: A Journey Through European Stereotypes. Tony traces where our national stereotypes actually come from, why the brain reaches for them under stress, and how much truth (if any) is buried inside them. The conversation turns to Eurovision, where stereotyping isn't just cultural shorthand, it's staged. We talk through Dana's "All Kinds of Everything," Ireland's 1970 winner and a reminder of Ireland's early Eurovision dominance; Tommy Cash's "Espresso Macchiato," Estonia's cheeky (and controversial) sendup of Italian stereotypes; and Let 3's "Mama ŠČ!," Croatia's 2023 entry, which used Cold War-era imagery to smuggle a pointed anti-war message onto the Eurovision stage. Plus: the Fawlty Towers line that gave the book its title, and the Father Ted episode that Eurovision itself couldn't have written better. 57:29 no <p>Tony's book, Don't Mention the Wars: A Journey Through European Stereotypes:<br> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Mention-Wars-European-Stereotypes-ebook/dp/B01J1V6MA0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2OZSBBZPEO9DP&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ylJpxyYqI-6yeIhARMV5VQ.PQTfpkOPpFZdalf2bk-bd6Tg9khWRZ1fYIkeZXN15_g&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=don%27t+mention+the+wars+connelly&amp;qid=1783960502&amp;sprefix=don%27t+mention+the+wars+connel%2Caps%2C820&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Mention-Wars-European-Stereotypes-ebook/dp/B01J1V6MA0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2OZSBBZPEO9DP&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ylJpxyYqI-6yeIhARMV5VQ.PQTfpkOPpFZdalf2bk-bd6Tg9khWRZ1fYIkeZXN15_g&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=don%27t+mention+the+wars+connelly&amp;qid=1783960502&amp;sprefix=don%27t+mention+the+wars+connel%2Caps%2C820&amp;sr=8-1</a></p> <p>Songs discussed:</p> <ol> <li> Dana – "All Kinds of Everything" (Ireland, 1970): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ8W9oOgjM4" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ8W9oOgjM4</a></li> <li> Tommy Cash – "Espresso Macchiato" (Estonia, 2025): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3wsy8bywXQ" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3wsy8bywXQ</a></li> <li> Let 3 – "Mama ŠČ!" (Croatia, 2023): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGuGfdEJ5Pw" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGuGfdEJ5Pw</a></li> </ol> <p>Bonus:</p> <p>Riverdance interval act (Ireland, 1994):<br> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ920cN2HmA" rel="nofollow noopener">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ920cN2HmA</a></p> <p>Also mentioned:</p> <p>Father Ted, "A Song for Europe" — the "My Lovely Horse" Eurosong performance:<br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-eXcazOhHk&amp;t=50s" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-eXcazOhHk&amp;t=50s</a></p> <p>Fawlty Towers, "The Germans" — the "Don't mention the war" scene:<br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyPj21jBl_0" rel="nofollow noopener">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyPj21jBl_0</a> </p> Eurovision, Eurovision Song Contest, ESC, Tony Connolly, RTÉ, European stereotypes, Don't Mention the Wars, Brussels, European Union, journalism, Dana, All Kinds of Everything, Tommy Cash, Espresso Macchiato, Estonia, Let 3, Mama ŠČ, Croatia, Ireland, Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, Ukraine, geopolitics, cultural identity, national identity, podcast Tony's book, Don't Mention the Wars: A Journey Through European Stereotypes:
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Mention-Wars-European-Stereotypes-ebook/dp/B01J1V6MA0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2OZSBBZPEO9DP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ylJpxyYqI-6yeIhARMV5VQ.PQTfpkOPpFZdalf2bk-bd6Tg9khWRZ1fYIkeZXN15_g&dib_tag=se&keywords=don%27t+mention+the+wars+connelly&qid=1783960502&sprefix=don%27t+mention+the+wars+connel%2Caps%2C820&sr=8-1

Songs discussed:

  1. Dana – "All Kinds of Everything" (Ireland, 1970): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ8W9oOgjM4
  2. Tommy Cash – "Espresso Macchiato" (Estonia, 2025): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3wsy8bywXQ
  3. Let 3 – "Mama ŠČ!" (Croatia, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGuGfdEJ5Pw

Bonus:

Riverdance interval act (Ireland, 1994):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ920cN2HmA

Also mentioned:

Father Ted, "A Song for Europe" — the "My Lovely Horse" Eurosong performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-eXcazOhHk&t=50s

Fawlty Towers, "The Germans" — the "Don't mention the war" scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyPj21jBl_0

]]> Tony's book, Don't Mention the Wars: A Journey Through European Stereotypes:
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Mention-Wars-European-Stereotypes-ebook/dp/B01J1V6MA0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2OZSBBZPEO9DP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ylJpxyYqI-6yeIhARMV5VQ.PQTfpkOPpFZdalf2bk-bd6Tg9khWRZ1fYIkeZXN15_g&dib_tag=se&keywords=don%27t+mention+the+wars+connelly&qid=1783960502&sprefix=don%27t+mention+the+wars+connel%2Caps%2C820&sr=8-1

Songs discussed:

  1. Dana – "All Kinds of Everything" (Ireland, 1970): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ8W9oOgjM4
  2. Tommy Cash – "Espresso Macchiato" (Estonia, 2025): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3wsy8bywXQ
  3. Let 3 – "Mama ŠČ!" (Croatia, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGuGfdEJ5Pw

Bonus:

Riverdance interval act (Ireland, 1994):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ920cN2HmA

Also mentioned:

Father Ted, "A Song for Europe" — the "My Lovely Horse" Eurosong performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-eXcazOhHk&t=50s

Fawlty Towers, "The Germans" — the "Don't mention the war" scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyPj21jBl_0

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