San Marino’s ‘Facebook’ Lyrics Get Song Banned from Eurovision

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kQBEzzFRBs]

For the writers behind San Marino’s Eurovision 2012 entry, “Facebook, Uh, Oh, Oh,” the emphasis has definitely shifted to “Uh, Oh.” That’s because officials behind the Eurovision Song Contest—the pan-European singing competition that takes place from May 22 until May 26—say the song violates a rule expressly forbidding songs from promoting commercial interests.

Sammarise singer Valentina Monetta presented the song on San Marino state television on Saturday evening. It tells the story of a woman addicted to social media, and in doing so repeats the word “Facebook” 11 times. The lyrics explain how the character compulsively logs on to Facebook, and how it has driven her into some awkward situations with members of the opposite sex. “Do you wanna be more than just a friend? Do you wanna play cyber-sex again?” Monetta asks in the glossy video. “If you wanna come to my house, then click me with your mouse.” On another level it emphasizes that the site’s founder wants to keep users entrapped in the Facebook web: “Mark Zuckerberg’s hammerin’, clamorin’ around the bend.”

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In the video, which has been viewed more than 100,000 times since March 17, Monetta wears blue and white—Facebook’s unofficial colors—and can be seen dancing inside an oversized Facebook profile.

The European Broadcasting Union, which runs and regulates Eurovision, has given San Marino a deadline of Friday, March 23 to remove references to Facebook from the song or to submit a new song entirely. Given the corny lyrics of San Marino’s first attempt, the potential disqualification may be a blessing in disguise.

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