I don't like it either...for example Finland and Sweden...

Yeah it's the same top countries every year, I still love watching it though.

I just watch it to see complete idiots make fools out of themselves. Some countries take it really seriously though.

I'm just not even going to respond to that, eisai_xazo

DrDevience, it is true the way they vote for each other.

Ratdog - it's not only the northern countries.

Actually I think that it's not because countries are neighbours. I think it's because of the common history, including music history. For example Iceland... Many of Icelanders move to the other northern countries and we all come from the same background. We live in the same area so it's likely that we make similar music. Same goes for other neighbour countries that vote for each other.

I honestly don't think people sit at home thinking "Yeah, I better vote for this country 'cause it's right next to mine!"

I never meant it as only the northern countries, I did say it's based on history as well.

You are just talking about human nature... there is no conspiracy going on between the countries that I know of. Hell, I voted for Lithuania last year - or was it 2006. We Are The Winners was their entry whichever year it was. heh.

Now, if I happened to like 2 acts equally well and one was from a Scandinavian country, then sure, yeah, I would probably let that be my tie breaker.

Is that a crime?

I never said it was wrong, I just said it wasn't fair that those countries who don't even pay for the contest end up getting millions of quid by winning. It would be fairer if every country had to pay for the contest.

well, ya i think its not right...but i also dont like how england send rubbish acts and still get into the final automatically!!! but sure....they pay......

I agree that our acts are rubbish but as we pay I think it's only right that we be allowed into the final.

It was unfair that's right geography was the most important to countries to vote although i think russia deserved to win

it is unfair to some point...but if, for example, a country sings in their own language, only the neighbor countries know what it means (unless it's english or german, french...), so they vote for them...bu there is a lot of other unfair stuff at esc, too, like the big four...but all in all, I do think it's unfair.

"a country sings in their own language, only the neighbor countries know what it means" - I'm not sure what you mean by this. Our neighbors, the Bulgarians or the Hungarians don't understand what Romanians sing about, it's totally different languages.