Silvía Night
Encyclopedia
Silvía Night is a fictional, satirical character on (The Silvia Night Show), an Iceland
ic comedy show of the television channel Skjár einn
. The character was invented by Gaukur Úlfarsson and Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir
; the latter plays Silvía Night. Silvía Night interviews people in real-life situations.
Before the show made its début on TV, and when Silvía was still unknown, she used to upset the people she interviewed dramatically with her outrageous behaviour.
Silvía Night was Iceland's participant in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
. Her antics, both onstage and offstage, created controversy and garnered international media attention. Her album Goldmine
was released in April. It topped the Official Icelandic Albums chart on 23 April 2007.
and a young and unknown actress, and Gaukur Úlfarsson, decided to invent a character to adopt as an alter ego (cf. Ali G
) that brought out all the worst elements of human behaviour in modern society. Silvía's personality is highly affected by narcissism
and she sees herself as the most famous and talented person walking on the planet Earth. Her full Iceland
ic name is Silvía Nótt Sæmundsdóttir (see Icelandic naming conventions
) and she is 25 years old. Silvía originally means "wood nymph" and Nótt simply means "night
". The name was probably not meant have any learned connotations, but is rather typical for Icelandic pop culture Christening fashions of the new century. Silvía's boyfriend is the Argentinian alpha male Romario Hugo Estevez, performed by Icelandic actor Björn Thors. Silvía's favorite foods are sushi
and feta cheese and she aims for a career as a model, singer and a movie star. Her use of language includes heavy slang and she frequently uses English
words and phrases while speaking in Icelandic
, not always correctly. (In her public appearances at the Eurovision Song Contest, she spoke entirely in English, exaggerating her Icelandic accent even more than usual.) Silvía is also equally hated and loved throughout Iceland. Silvía also speaks some Japanese, as shown when taking part in some Japanese
TV shows.
.
In February 2006, Silvía was voted Iceland's sexiest woman by the audience of the national radio station Rás 2
. Ágústa Eva came in fourth place.
Silvía Night received the Edda (Icelandic Film and TV Awards) in 2005 for the Best Comical Show of the Year and as the best fictional character of the Year.
with the song Congratulations, after winning the Icelandic national finals.
The song was originally in Icelandic, called "Til hamingju Ísland" ("Congratulations Iceland"). The Icelandic lyrics, heavily filled with slang, talk about how lucky Icelanders are that she was born in Iceland and that she is going to win the contest, because she's better than all the other contestants (see 'The Character' above). The song was controversial because it was being distributed on the Internet
before the competition, which was contrary to the rules of the competition. Silvía Night was nonetheless not banned from the competition. This decision by RÚV
(The National Broadcasting Company) has been criticised, with one participating song writer filing a complaint, but the case was dismissed.
Silvía's song came 13th in the semifinal held on May 18 in Athens
, leaving her out of the finals on May 20.
Silvia also claimed the only reason Carola
qualified for the Grand Final was that she had sex with the head of the EBU in a car before the competition. Asked if she was serious, she replied "Yes. I saw them in a car right outside my hotel room. What she's done is terrible ... it's her fault I didn't qualify. She's been copying me ever since I got here."
Another controversy surrounds the English lyrics to her Eurovision song, “Congratulations”. In the first verse the lyrics say “The vote is in, they say I win”, however in the video and at rehearsals she sang “The vote is in, I'll fucking win”. According to Eurovision rules, songs shouldn't contain foul language. Silvía Nótt has personally responded on her website, that she will “fucking say what [she] fucking [wants]”. In the semi-finals, on 18 May, she did not use the expletive, instead she sang "I'll freaking win". In her appearance for the semi-finals, a great part of the audience and artists from the other countries reacted by booing
her, not tolerating her supposedly provocative and unprofessional behaviour.
The song didn't make it to the finals. Silvía staged some photo-ops to indicate her 'regret'. She pretended to slap her boyfriend, and then threatened to jump from a bridge. Then she started yelling foul language and spitting at the journalists. At one point she yelled, "Ungrateful bastards! You vote for ugly people from Finland who don't even have real make-up artist, and you don't vote for me because I'm not a slut from Holland and I'm not an ugly, fucking, old bitch from Sweden!" (referring to Lordi
, Treble
, and Carola Häggkvist
). A journalist said to her, "This is not too good, why are you saying this?", but she replied with a "Fuck you!". Then she said "Someone has been spreading lies about me, and I think it was you!", pointing to a random journalist, and added, "Your TV station has been saying I hated Greece and Greeks and I never said it and you are a slut and I hate you! I will sue you, and I will sue the competition, and you will all go to jail!"
Silvia Night's tantrum
also made number 1 on YouTube
getting 1,300,000 views within 4 days.
. According to her official website she signed one of the largest record contracts in Iceland
ic music history. Goldmine
topped the Official Icelandic Albums chart for two weeks, starting on April 23, 2007. The album also produced two charting singles, "Thank You Baby" and "Goldmine".
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic comedy show of the television channel Skjár einn
Skjár einn
Skjár Einn is an Icelandic television channel owned by Skipti. Skjár Einn broadcasts both Icelandic and foreign television shows. Since its foundation in 1999 it has aired crime, drama, reality and comedy television series...
. The character was invented by Gaukur Úlfarsson and Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir
Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir
Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir is an Icelandic singer and actress.She was a member of the band Ske and in 2005 began her solo career. She is best known for her portrayal of the controversial character Silvía Night....
; the latter plays Silvía Night. Silvía Night interviews people in real-life situations.
Before the show made its début on TV, and when Silvía was still unknown, she used to upset the people she interviewed dramatically with her outrageous behaviour.
Silvía Night was Iceland's participant in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
. Her antics, both onstage and offstage, created controversy and garnered international media attention. Her album Goldmine
Goldmine (album)
Goldmine is the first studio album from fictional Icelandic singer Silvía Night, released on April 1, 2007. It topped the Official Icelandic Albums chart on April 23, 2007 . Topping the chart for two weeks...
was released in April. It topped the Official Icelandic Albums chart on 23 April 2007.
The character
Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, temporary singer of the band SkeSke
Ske is an Icelandic band whose origins can be traced back to 1992, when a band called Skárren ekkert was founded by Eiríkur Þorleifsson, Frank Hall and Guðmundur Steingrímsson, and joined by Hrannar Ingimarsson in 1998....
and a young and unknown actress, and Gaukur Úlfarsson, decided to invent a character to adopt as an alter ego (cf. Ali G
Ali G
Ali G is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Originally appearing on Channel 4's Eleven O'Clock show, Ali G is the title character of Channel 4's Da Ali G Show, original episodes of which aired in 2000 and on HBO in 2003–2004, and is the...
) that brought out all the worst elements of human behaviour in modern society. Silvía's personality is highly affected by narcissism
Narcissism
Narcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...
and she sees herself as the most famous and talented person walking on the planet Earth. Her full Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic name is Silvía Nótt Sæmundsdóttir (see Icelandic naming conventions
Icelandic name
Icelandic names differ from most current Western family name systems by being patronymic in that they reflect the immediate father of the child and not the historic family lineage....
) and she is 25 years old. Silvía originally means "wood nymph" and Nótt simply means "night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
". The name was probably not meant have any learned connotations, but is rather typical for Icelandic pop culture Christening fashions of the new century. Silvía's boyfriend is the Argentinian alpha male Romario Hugo Estevez, performed by Icelandic actor Björn Thors. Silvía's favorite foods are sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
and feta cheese and she aims for a career as a model, singer and a movie star. Her use of language includes heavy slang and she frequently uses 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...
words and phrases while speaking in Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
, not always correctly. (In her public appearances at the Eurovision Song Contest, she spoke entirely in English, exaggerating her Icelandic accent even more than usual.) Silvía is also equally hated and loved throughout Iceland. Silvía also speaks some Japanese, as shown when taking part in some Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
TV shows.
Reception
Silvía Night has greatly influenced many people in Iceland. Her unique style and behaviour is often imitated by loyal preteen fans. However, she has been criticised greatly for being vulgar and lewd, creating her image of nouveau richeNouveau riche
The nouveau riche , or new money, comprise those who have acquired considerable wealth within their own generation...
.
In February 2006, Silvía was voted Iceland's sexiest woman by the audience of the national radio station Rás 2
Rás 2
Rás 2 is an Icelandic radio station of RÚV, the National Icelandic Broadcasting Service. Rás 2 broadcasts primarily news, current affairs and pop and rock music programs. The station was launched in 1983. It is the highest rated radio station in Iceland. Rás 2 is broadcasted on frequencies 90.1...
. Ágústa Eva came in fourth place.
Silvía Night received the Edda (Icelandic Film and TV Awards) in 2005 for the Best Comical Show of the Year and as the best fictional character of the Year.
Eurovision Song Contest
Silvía Night was Iceland's participant in Eurovision Song Contest 2006Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
with the song Congratulations, after winning the Icelandic national finals.
The song was originally in Icelandic, called "Til hamingju Ísland" ("Congratulations Iceland"). The Icelandic lyrics, heavily filled with slang, talk about how lucky Icelanders are that she was born in Iceland and that she is going to win the contest, because she's better than all the other contestants (see 'The Character' above). The song was controversial because it was being distributed on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
before the competition, which was contrary to the rules of the competition. Silvía Night was nonetheless not banned from the competition. This decision by RÚV
RÚV
Ríkisútvarpið is Iceland's national public-service broadcasting organization.Operating from studios in the country's capital, Reykjavík, as well as regional centres around the country, the service broadcasts a variety of general programming to a wide audience across the whole country via radio...
(The National Broadcasting Company) has been criticised, with one participating song writer filing a complaint, but the case was dismissed.
Silvía's song came 13th in the semifinal held on May 18 in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, leaving her out of the finals on May 20.
Controversies
During her presence in Athens, Silvía behaved provocatively and rudely to technicians and journalists, calling them “Fucking amateurs.” She shouted on stage "Fuck you, fucking Greeks". The media criticised and attacked the singer, thinking that she was actually problematic and rude (the same reaction she received at home before becoming famous) and that she had offended Greece and its people. During the press conference she ordered the journalists not to look her in the eyes. One of them did and she ordered her "bodyguard" to take her out. The bodyguard obeyed and carried the "journalist" (who was an actress planted among the press) on his shoulders.Silvia also claimed the only reason Carola
Carola Häggkvist
Carola Maria Häggkvist , better known as simply Carola, is a Swedish singer and occasional songwriter. She has been among Sweden's most popular performers since the early 1980s, and has released albums ranging from pop and disco to hymns and folk music...
qualified for the Grand Final was that she had sex with the head of the EBU in a car before the competition. Asked if she was serious, she replied "Yes. I saw them in a car right outside my hotel room. What she's done is terrible ... it's her fault I didn't qualify. She's been copying me ever since I got here."
Another controversy surrounds the English lyrics to her Eurovision song, “Congratulations”. In the first verse the lyrics say “The vote is in, they say I win”, however in the video and at rehearsals she sang “The vote is in, I'll fucking win”. According to Eurovision rules, songs shouldn't contain foul language. Silvía Nótt has personally responded on her website, that she will “fucking say what [she] fucking [wants]”. In the semi-finals, on 18 May, she did not use the expletive, instead she sang "I'll freaking win". In her appearance for the semi-finals, a great part of the audience and artists from the other countries reacted by booing
Booing
Booing is an act of showing displeasure for someone or something, generally an entertainer, by loudly yelling boo! or making other noises of disparagement, such as hissing. People may make hand signs at the entertainer, such as the thumbs down sign...
her, not tolerating her supposedly provocative and unprofessional behaviour.
The song didn't make it to the finals. Silvía staged some photo-ops to indicate her 'regret'. She pretended to slap her boyfriend, and then threatened to jump from a bridge. Then she started yelling foul language and spitting at the journalists. At one point she yelled, "Ungrateful bastards! You vote for ugly people from Finland who don't even have real make-up artist, and you don't vote for me because I'm not a slut from Holland and I'm not an ugly, fucking, old bitch from Sweden!" (referring to Lordi
Lordi
Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
, Treble
Treble (girl group)
-Biography:The group started in 1995 when Caroline Hoffman and sisters Niña and Djem van Dijk met during a party, where Caroline was performing with a friend. The parents of the van Dijk sisters asked Caroline to become the music teacher of the two girls...
, and Carola Häggkvist
Carola Häggkvist
Carola Maria Häggkvist , better known as simply Carola, is a Swedish singer and occasional songwriter. She has been among Sweden's most popular performers since the early 1980s, and has released albums ranging from pop and disco to hymns and folk music...
). A journalist said to her, "This is not too good, why are you saying this?", but she replied with a "Fuck you!". Then she said "Someone has been spreading lies about me, and I think it was you!", pointing to a random journalist, and added, "Your TV station has been saying I hated Greece and Greeks and I never said it and you are a slut and I hate you! I will sue you, and I will sue the competition, and you will all go to jail!"
Silvia Night's tantrum
Tantrum
A tantrum is an emotional outburst, usually associated with children or those in emotional distress, that is typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming, yelling, shrieking, defiance, angry ranting, a resistance to attempts at pacification and, in some cases, violence...
also made number 1 on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
getting 1,300,000 views within 4 days.
Goldmine
Silvía's debut studio album was titled GoldmineGoldmine (album)
Goldmine is the first studio album from fictional Icelandic singer Silvía Night, released on April 1, 2007. It topped the Official Icelandic Albums chart on April 23, 2007 . Topping the chart for two weeks...
. According to her official website she signed one of the largest record contracts in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic music history. Goldmine
Goldmine (album)
Goldmine is the first studio album from fictional Icelandic singer Silvía Night, released on April 1, 2007. It topped the Official Icelandic Albums chart on April 23, 2007 . Topping the chart for two weeks...
topped the Official Icelandic Albums chart for two weeks, starting on April 23, 2007. The album also produced two charting singles, "Thank You Baby" and "Goldmine".