Eurovision: A vehicle used to promote political/cultural hegemony, or a music contest

Watching Eurovision tonight was cringeworthy to say the least. The fact that Austria won, whose representative was a transvestite (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/eurovision-2014-semifinal-two-conchita-wurst-to-perform-at-saturdays-final-9341648.html) says more about Europe's ambitions to impose cultural and social norms, than it does about her ability as a musician.

Voting is subjective, but was she REALLY the best singer? Is Eurovision really about the music/act, or is it a means of expressing political grievances/cultural hegemony through the veil of music? A glance on Conchita's Facebook pages leads me to think that it's the latter; one particular status of hers expresses her view that going through to the final is a victory for EQUALITY, PEACE and RESPECT. Is she a pawn used by Eurocrats to promote the values which they deem acceptable in Europe?

What is Eurovision? I think tonight's result reduces its credibility as a musical contest and I certainly won't be tuning in in the future.

Thoughts?

Can't it be about both?

Conchita is a very good singer, definitely one of the best in the contest this year. The song was well-written, not manufactured pop. And despite being a solo act, they still managed to make it visually interesting on stage.

Sweden's act was very samey by comparison. It was good, but lacked any real novelty. And Netherlands did a really good job, but were perhaps not quite Eurovision-ey enough to win.

At the same time, I'm sure some people voted for Austria simply because the performer was TG. And why not? People can vote for whoever they want, for whatever reason they want. Freedom of choice is what it's all about. They have just as much right to vote for Conchita for being a drag act as Conchita herself has a right to try and win the contest.

I voted for the song, not the act. But I'm glad she won as well because it shows acceptance and tolerance at an international level. We've come a long way in the past few decades and there's nothing wrong in celebrating that.

You sound like the life of the party.

Yes, but should that be the role of Eurovision? Or is Eurovision a musical contest? That's my question. If we blur the lines between the two, are we not opening ourselves up for indoctrination dare I say, where contests such as these are used to promote particular political/social values?

I understand where you're coming from, but this idea would skew the contest horribly in my opinion. The UK has been complaining for years because of the bloc-voting antics of some nations, leading calls for greater objectivity. If countries continue to vote based on their political/social preferences, rather than on any credible, music/act-based reason(s), it just makes the contest boring, doesn't it? It would be a musical way of expressing political grievances...

I understand where you're coming from, but this idea would skew the contest horribly in my opinion. The UK has been complaining for years because of the bloc-voting antics of some nations, leading calls for greater objectivity. If countries continue to vote based on their political/social preferences, rather than on any credible, music/act-based reason(s), it just makes the contest boring, doesn't it? It would be a musical way of expressing political grievances...

I'm presuming you are? That's when you're NOT on TSR on a Saturday night?

...

That's true. The judge panels are supposed to make up for that, but at the end of the day all the people rating these acts are human, and we all have our biases. There's no way you can objectively score a contest like Eurovision no matter how it's organised, so better to leave the freedom in place IMO, along with the flaws that brings.

Oh I am. After my final exams you'll know all about it. Or rather, you won't

im sure people used to ask the same thing when non-white people won things

That's true. The judge panels are supposed to make up for that, but at the end of the day all the people rating these acts are human, and we all have our biases. There's no way you can objectively score a contest like Eurovision no matter how it's organised, so better to leave the freedom in place IMO, along with the flaws that brings.

Fair point, but you can't deny that there's been a horrific level of prejudice against UK acts in recent years (based largely because of our perceived stance on Europe), can you?

I guess it just goes back to my point that eurovision is less about the music, more about the politics.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27339143

I can't say I care very much about the whole political-voting-bloc thing, personally. I'm not sure it's a problem that warrants fixing, given how much upheaval it would likely cause to the contest. Eurovision's entertaining, that's all it needs to be. Fairness is less of a priority.

With good reason. For instance:
Academy members voted for Oscar-winning 12 Years A Slave 'without watching it'

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/academy-members-voted-for-oscarwinning-12-years-a-slave-without-watching-it-9177352.html

"'Two Oscar voters privately admitted that they didn’t see 12 Years A Slave, thinking it would be upsetting. But they said they voted for it anyway because, given the film’s social relevance, they felt obligated to do so.'"

The "progressive" "liberal" agenda is laden with tokenism and subversion of everything they can possibly politicise.

I wasn't aware that Eurovision was deemed anything but a joke at any point in history however, unless we're now expected to think it is relevant in some way. It's a freak show.

Watching Eurovision tonight was cringeworthy to say the least. The fact that Austria won, whose representative was a transvestite (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/eurovision-2014-semifinal-two-conchita-wurst-to-perform-at-saturdays-final-9341648.html) says more about Europe's ambitions to impose cultural and social norms, than it does about her ability as a musician.

Voting is subjective, but was she REALLY the best singer? Is Eurovision really about the music/act, or is it a means of expressing political grievances/cultural hegemony through the veil of music? A glance on Conchita's Facebook pages leads me to think that it's the latter; one particular status of hers expresses her view that going through to the final is a victory for EQUALITY, PEACE and RESPECT. Is she a pawn used by Eurocrats to promote the values which they deem acceptable in Europe?

What is Eurovision? I think tonight's result reduces its credibility as a musical contest and I certainly won't be tuning in in the future.

Thoughts?

how is this any different to when people vote for people they find attractive or even when people vote for their families/friends?
people can vote for whatever reason they want. the bottom line is that they voted. they weren't forced to