#2024 Eurovision

[justinsentertainmentcorner]

Rob Picheta at CNN, via The Advocate:

(CNN) — Switzerland’s Nemo won a chaotic and politically fraught Eurovision Song Contest, triumphing in a competition overshadowed by controversy and booing over the presence of Israel. The typically jovial event – one of the most watched in the world’s cultural calendar – descended into turmoil in recent days, as organizers in host country Sweden tried and failed to contain anger aimed towards Israel’s delegation. But Nemo, a favorite throughout the process, won over crowds with a stunning rendition of “The Code,” a genre-bending anthem about their journey towards accepting their non-binary identity. “I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person,” Nemo said after accepting the trophy.

“I have to say this whole experience was really intense and not just pleasant all the way. There were a lot of things that didn’t seem like it was all about love and unity, and that made me really sad,” Nemo said. Their win – the first for a non-binary person – was Switzerland’s first triumph since Céline Dion won in 1988. Malmö hosted the competition on the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s Eurovision breakout, but the event quickly found itself facing political controversy, and tension grew in the hours leading to the final. Protesters said the event was “artwashing” Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians since being launched in the wake of the militant group’s October 7 attacks on Israel. But organizer the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) defended Israel’s presence, and insisted the contest is non-political – a line that became increasingly untenable as artists, broadcasters and fans clashed over the presence of Israel’s singer Eden Golan. Golan was booed by some members of the crowd during her performance, while a few turned their backs or left the arena, but more attendees cheered the Israeli performance.

And outside the arena, police surrounded a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters, keeping them separate from crowds arriving for the event as they chanted “Free, free Palestine!” and “Boycott the Eurovision.” Ireland’s Bambie Thug meanwhile told CNN in the build-up to the event that it was “the wrong decision” not to exclude Israel, as Russia had been two years ago. [...] Just hours before the event, it was thrown into added turmoil when the EBU disqualified the Dutch entrant for a backstage incident involving a female crew member. The EBU said police were investigating the incident involving the singer Joost Klein and that it would not be appropriate for him to participate. Some fans made their anger at the decision clear during the final by booing EBU representatives when they appeared onscreen.

The 2024 Eurovision contest featured controversy, mainly over Israel’s participation and Joost Klein’s disqualification that wasn’t merited.

Still, some good history was made, as Switzerland’s Nemo won it. Nemo is the first nonbinary winner of the competition’s history.

See Also:

LGBTQ Nation: Switzerland’s Nemo is first nonbinary singer to win Eurovision Song Contest

PinkNews: Nemo becomes the first non-binary artist to win Eurovision – as the UK’s Olly Alexander comes 18th

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Philip Oltermann at The Guardian:

The Netherlands’ entry has been disqualified from the grand final of the Eurovision song contest due to an incident involving a female member of the production crew, the competition’s organisers have announced.

The Dutch singer and rapper Joost Klein, 26, had qualified for the contest’s main event but was absent from Friday’s dress rehearsals. It is the first time in Eurovision’s 68-year history that a contestant has been disqualified after the start of the five-day event. “Swedish police have investigated a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following his [Klein’s] performance in Thursday night’s semi-final,” Eurovision’s organisers said in a statement. “While the legal process takes its course, it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the contest. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at our event and are committed to providing a safe and secure environment.” The organisers said the incident did not involve any other performers or delegation members.

The Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said the decision was “disproportionate”. “We have taken note of the disqualification by the EBU [European Broadcasting Union],” the radio and TV broadcaster said in a post on X. “Avrotros finds the disqualification disproportionate and is shocked by the decision. We deeply regret this and will come back to it later.” Friction between Klein and Israel’s delegation at a press conference on Thursday night had fuelled speculation that the incident that led to his absence was of a political nature.

Horrible move by the EBU, who run the Eurovision Song Contest. Joost Klein got disqualified over an alleged altercation, yet Israel is allowed to bully other participants. SMH.

It's time to ban Israel Apartheid State from Eurovision.

[lord-armitage]

[liesmyth]

btw! I was made aware that many people don't know that we're boycotting Eurovision this year, so.

we are boycotting Eurovision, as per BDS guidelines.

don't watch the stream, don't engage with the videos, don't post it about it on social media using hashtags that are going to trend. whatever you're getting from the show isn't worth it

[baelatargaryen]

if you are struggling with choosing which fundraisers to support, please consider donating to the following places providing medical aid, food, and other supplies to palestine at this time:

donate to doctors without borders here

donate to careforgaza here, providing food, medicine and clothing

donate an e-sim to gaza today

donate feminine hygiene kits for women in gaza

donate to the palestinian civilian relief fund

donate to the palestine children's relief fund

donate to the world food programme

donate medical aid for palestinians

donate to the united nations relief for palestine refugees

donate to healpalestine

if you are looking for individual fundraisers to donate to but are struggling to choose, gazafunds gives a spotlight to fundraisers that are not close to their goal.

instead of watching and supporting eurovision tonight, please instead boost this post & donate if you can. keep your eyes on rafah.

[butchscientist]

Israel doing well in Eurovision is a completely predictable result of the boycott. The people who are watching & voting in Eurovision are now at best willfully ignorant and apathetic and at worst actively pro-Israel, meaning there will be a disproportionate amount of people willing to vote for Israel and even people voting for them because of the boycott.

But saying that means that boycotting Eurovision was the wrong call completely misses the point of the boycott. The point is not "Israel should not win Eurovision", it is "Israel should not be allowed to compete in the first place". The point of the boycott is not to give the EBU views or money, so if you've been boycotting... don't give them money or legitimacy by voting for someone tomorrow to prevent Israel from winning. If Israel does win, that does not mean boycotting failed; it only further delegitimizes the competition and confirms we should burn the whole thing down.

[heritageposts]

israel has now officially been announced as one of the countries participating in eurovision 2024

meanwhile russia is still banned, for the third year in a row. the double standard is just sickening

[queerstudiesnatural]

funny how celebrities will raise $26M for a fashion institute but can't be bothered to mobilise even a fraction of that energy and money to help the people being tortured and killed in an unapologetic genocide as we speak. love that for society. what a moment for The Culture.

[palestinegenocide]

BDS has called for an official boycott of Eurovision2024

Everyone...you know what to do

[ID 1: text on a black background reading: "Boycott Eurovision: Artwashing Israel's #GazaGenocide". The Eurovision logo is edited such that red barbed wire appears over the heart in the center.

ID 2: a tweet from "PACBI - BDS movement" @/PACBI reading:

We call for the boycott of #Eurovision2024". We urge all participating broadcasters, national competitors, finalists, production crews, and viewers to boycott the contest following the refusal of the organizers @/EBU_HQ to ban genocidal Israel. #BoycottEurovision2024

End ID.]

[condensed-ink]

[bisexual-detectives]

Australian backing singer revealed that Eurovision is patting down participants to make sure they don't bring any Palestinian symbols on stage

Not only has Eurovision gone out of their way to defend israel's inclusion, now they're treating all participants like criminals to make sure there isn't any solidarity with Palestine on stage

BOYCOTT EUROVISION, FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸

[hjartasalt]

Listen. I love Eurovision. I grew up with it, I watch it every year, it's something that I look forward to seeing on my dash every year as my fellow Europeans lose their minds over it for about 3 days.

I am being completely serious when I say that I will block anyone who reblogs or posts Eurovision content on my dash this year. Eurovision has banned Palestinian flags and explicitly sided with I*rael in what they call an effort to be "non-political."

All eyes on Rafah. Boycott Eurovision, now and forever. Human lives are more important than some song contest.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alex Abad-Santos at Vox:

For taxonomic purposes, Eurovision is an international song contest. Technically, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) created the event in 1956 to foster post-WWII European unity, but has largely expanded beyond that function and Europe itself, with countries like Australia and Israel participating. The closest reference point for people in the US is American Idol, the extremely popular reality television singing contest that once crowned national treasure Kelly Clarkson. Think: polarizing and sometimes very disparate musical acts from each represented country, a public vote, and a night of live performances, but with the added elements like spooky Austrian comedy and whispers of a rigged vote for Sweden. Is there any better way to symbolically present peace than getting in costume and singing a silly pop song in a lighthearted musical competition? What if I told you that there is no prize money for the winning country’s band — only bragging rights, a trophy, and national hosting duties for the next Eurovision?

There is absolutely nothing like Eurovision. With nothing and seemingly everything on the line, Eurovision has become an international spectacle, perhaps the international spectacle aside from the Olympics. It’s a fantasy that both undergirds and undermines everything you think you know about Europe and pop music. But as we gear up for another chapter of ostentatious music acts sing-fighting for zero money, the biggest story heading into this week’s (May 7 to May 11) contest in Malmo, Sweden, threatens that escapist reputation. Protests over Israel’s participation have punctuated the lead-up to the event, with activists asserting that Israel should be barred, given its military assault in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands. It’s far from the first time that politics and war have made their mark on the proceedings, but now Eurovision faces a huge question over its existence, its history, and who is and isn’t allowed to take part in a competition that’s supposed to really be about European novelty.

Eurovision can’t be replicated

Eurovision usually bends toward more conventional, meaningful winners like last year’s Loreen (who has won twice), 2016’s Jamala, and 2021’s Måneskin. ABBA and Celine Dion have also won the competition, and are its most famous alums. This year the UK’s Olly Alexander, from the successful pop band Years & Years, seems like a ringer. But the winners only tell part of Eurovision’s story. Eurovision can feel vaguely psychedelic, which is what makes it a joy to behold. And the contest is at its best when it leans into unmitigated absurdity and the unexpected. Take, for example, Austria’s 2023 entry: “Who the Hell is Edgar?” by Teya & Salena. The female duo met on Starmania, a talent show in their native country, and wrote “Who The Hell is Edgar?” to address “an industry that all too often doesn’t give women enough credit for their hard work and expertise,” according to the official Eurovision website. [...]

How Eurovision winners are crowned

As my colleague Zack Beauchamp has previously detailed, voting is split between a popular call-in vote from the public and a jury that consists of music industry professionals from each participating country. Thirty-seven participants will compete in semifinal rounds — beginning on May 7 — in hopes of qualifying for one of the 26 total spots in the grand final on May 11.

Jury voting is like Olympic judging, with each country giving out a maximum of 12 points (and all the way down to one) to the twelve best of the night in the grand finale. Sometimes, the jury vote — the vote from music professionals — doesn’t exactly coincide with the televote. Last year, the judges picked Loreen from Sweden’s “Tattoo”, while the public selected Käärijä from Finland’s “Cha Cha Cha” as the best of the night. The jury placed Finland fourth, which spawned a conspiracy theory about rigging Sweden’s win so the country could host in 2024, the 50th anniversary of when ABBA won. The low-ish stakes make for a fun bit of drama, but the disconnect between the jury and the popular vote has led to questions about why the jury votes have as much sway as the millions of calls coming through. Perhaps they shouldn’t; the winner would likely be a little more out of the box if the more conventional jury votes didn’t carry equal weight.

Sweden’s alleged rigging is also not unlike some previous bits of Eurovision history, like the time Switzerland picked noted Canadian Céline Dion to represent the famously neutral country in 1988. Rules at the time did not specify that a singer had to be born in the country they represented, and Dion was a burgeoning star internationally. Dion, of course, won the whole thing. That said, while Eurovision is a “competition” and a winner is crowned, megastars like ABBA and Dion are exceptional exceptions of Eurovision victors. Eurovision winners don’t usually become worldwide superstars. The list of winners — 1982’s Nicole? 2002’s Marie N? 2006’s Lordi — are probably blue Wikipedia links for normies. That should underscore the idea that Eurovision is really about the entertainment of the night, the stunts, the scintillating swing for the fences, rather than the actual score. [...]

Can Eurovision still be fun this year if the biggest story about Eurovision is Israel-Palestine?

Ahead of the competition in Malmo, the lead-up to Eurovision this year has been a series of protests and proposed boycotts against Israel’s participation in this year’s competition. The gist: Israel should not be allowed to participate in Eurovision because of its continued attacks in Gaza. A country at war shouldn’t perform at an event about unity and peace.

The opposition to Israel’s inclusion — Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973 — isn’t without precedent. Critics of Israel’s participation point out that just two years ago, Eurovision disallowed Russia in a similar situation. On February 25, 2022, Eurovision banned Russia a day after its invasion of Ukraine. At the time state broadcasters from participating countries like Iceland, Finland, Norway, and The Netherlands called for Russia’s ban, which the EBU ultimately granted, citing Eurovision’s mission to protect “the values of a cultural competition which promotes international exchange and understanding” and saying that the event “unites Europe on one stage.” Speaking on the ban, Eurovision’s executive supervisor Martin Österdahl said that Russia’s exclusion was a decision about upholding the core values of democracy and human rights core to the event’s spirit. “When we say we are not political, what we always should stand up for are the basic and ultimate values of democracy. Everyone is right to be who they are,” he said in December 2022. Since then, Russia has suspended its EBU membership and has not returned to the competition.

[...] While Curran insists that the contest will be apolitical, its actions might not be interpreted as such. Palestinian flags will not be allowed at the competition nor will any pro-Palestinian symbols or signs referring to Israel and Hamas’s war. The Israeli flag will be allowed because it’s a member state and only participants’ flags are permitted, with the exception being rainbow and LGBTQ flags.

Eurovision is a singing competition that technically supposed to be an apolitical event, but inevitably, politics shows up one way or the other, as we see in jury votes. This year, Ireland’s act was forced to change their pro-Palestine message, and the mere presence of Israel in the competition has caused calls for protests and boycotts.

The winner gets to host the next year’s competition.

See Also:

Vox: Eurovision says it’s “apolitical.” History says otherwise.

[baelatargaryen]

as the eurovision final takes place this year, please take this time to instead please reblog, and donate (if you can) instead of watching:

fundraiser for selma cheurfi

help evacuate nisreen shaheen's family from gaza

bring najlaa's family to safety in canada

help evacuate dr ahmad's family from gaza

donate an e-sim to gaza here (several options available) (holafly tutorial)

donate to provide feminine hygiene kits for women in gaza

urgent evacuation for rafah's family from gaza

donate to careforgaza here (twitter) (paypal)

rescue lulu and baby adam from the siege on rafah

help firas and his family escape to egypt

an entire google doc of gofundme's for palestine

help this family evacuate from gaza

donate to the palestinian civil relief

donate to the children of gaza

please read through and support operation olive branch, a cohesive and detailed spreadsheet of fundraisers and links

donate to the palestine children's relief fund

please also reblog other aid posts (especially recent ones), or flood the tag with posts about palestine. this doesn't have to be just donation posts, but also information and updates on rafah/gaza. anything helps and make sure not to give eurovision your view or your vote! do not take your eyes off rafah.

please boost, and add other resources and links to this post.

[sleepbby]

I am so so so here for these artists using their own cultural art, language and symbols to protest for palestine, especially with esc actively trying to make sure they can't. oppression is global and eurovision is aiding and condoning it.

[heritageposts]

The Eurovision song contest is facing intense scrunity and accusations of discrimination after it rebuked Swedish-Palestinian pop star Eric Saade for wearing a Palestinian scarf in the opening act of the semi-finals. Saade, whose father is of Palestinian origin, kicked off the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden on Tuesday evening with a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian and Arab male headdress, wrapped around his wrist. [...] In response, the organisers of the contest, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) released a statement saying it "regretted" that Saade wore the scarf. "The Eurovision Song Contest is a live TV show. All performers are made aware of the rules of the contest, and we regret that Eric Saade chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event," it said. [...] Eurovision later posted clips of the performances of the other two opening acts on its social media pages, but did not share Saade’s, prompting social media users to share the performance on their personal pages to show support for the artist.

Waving Palestinian flags, wearing traditional Palestinian garments, or if we're being honest, just being Palestinian, is now officially "too political" for Eurovision.

Literally, all Saade did was wear a keffiyeh around his wrist—while being Palestinian—and that was enough to get a statement from the EBU, and have his opening performance scrubbed from Youtube.

If you're not already boycotting Eurovision this year, then what the fuck is wrong with you?

Below are two statements from Saade. The first one, giving his reason for participating, was posted a few days ago, and the other was in response to the EBU accusing him of 'compromising the non-political nature' of the Genocide Song Contest:

Reminder again to BOYCOTT EUROVISION 🇵🇸