A Euro(pean)Vision Of Ideology

This was written for the university subject, BCM289.

Eurovision means a lot of things to a lot of different people. For some, with a purely clinical descriptive mindset, it’s simply a song contest that’s been running for the better part of a century, is televised to several countries and is watched by millions of viewers every time it’s on. For others, particularly those observing from outside of the contest, Eurovision is that odd event that happens every so often with weird songs and alienating dance numbers. But for many, Eurovision is an amalgam, a clash of ideological proportions where culture, ethnicity and politics collide in an intricate and dazzling array of pulsating lights, music and pyrotechnics. However, I am not one of those people, purely because I’ve never watched Eurovision, plain and simple. It’s an interesting phenomenon, sure, but most things interest me if they’re presented in the right manner. No, instead, one of the things that piques my curiosity with Eurovision is is the politicking behind-the-scenes (and in front of them), and how ideology has spread through the broadcasting of the contest.

Of course, there are some pretty famous examples of this. Arguably, the most notable case is the “bearded Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst [being] swept to victory…” (Robinson, 2017) with their performance of the song, Rise Like A Phoenix, at Eurovision 2014. But it’s far from the only instance of the celebration of humanity and sexual diversity at the contest, nor is it the earliest. Looking back with a modern point of view and some hindsight, “Luxembourg’s Jean-Claude Pascal's 1961 winner, Nous les amoureux, is recognized by Eurovision aficionados as a song for gay liberation…” (Robinson, 2017). And these acts don’t merely exist within the realm and boundaries of the performance stage. During Eurovision 2015, Vienna had, at forty seven crossings, “gay-themed pedestrian traffic lights [which showed] couples - a man and a woman, two women or two men…” (The Independent, 2015). These are just a few examples of highlighting particular social issues and ideological disparateness by using Eurovision as a lens to focus attention onto them and to help spread awareness and acceptance.

And certainly, Eurovision’s history is mired in ideology and politics as well, with the contest’s “very origins…belying its political significance [as it] was conceived with the intent of uniting the nations of post-war Europe…” (Carniel, 2015) It was made for a world weary of war, and one that needed assurance, guidance, something to latch onto. And for millions around the world, that something was Eurovision. It gave them a space to express ideology, concepts and ideas to others that may not have heard them before. Do I agree with all of it? Maybe not. Will I watch Eurovision because of that reason? Again, highly unlikely as it’s not for me. But what Eurovision can teach us both explicitly and implicitly, as expressed through the many performance routines and political stances over the years, that ideology can be spread through two very universal languages: music and dance.

References:

Carniel, J 2015, ‘Skirting the issue: finding queer and geopolitical belonging at the Eurovision Song Contest’, Contemporary Southeastern Europe, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 136-154.

The Independent 2015, Eurovision 2015: Vienna's gay-themed traffic lights to stay for grand final and beyond, The Independent, viewed 25th August 2019, <https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/eurovision/eurovision-song-contest-2015-viennas-gay-themed-traffic-lights-to-stay-for-grand-final-and-beyond-10262121.html>.

Robinson, F 2017, 13 times Eurovision got super political, Politico, viewed 25th August 2019, <https://www.politico.eu/article/13-times-eurovision-song-contest-got-political/>.