In this week’s Newsletter read more information about the preparations in Kyiv and in Valletta for Eurovision and Junior Eurovision respectively. There are selections starting, songs released, hosts announced and lots of drama as always in land Eurovision.
In Robertson’s Reflection this week Ben Robertson thinks back to EuroBash this past weekend. One of the guests attending was Paddy O’Connell, former Eurovision commentator for the United Kingdom. His vision on the Song Contest was clear throughout the panel show.
“When asked about attending Eurovision, Paddy made it clear how much he was surprised by the festival that surrounds the competition when one arrives in the host city, and how the gay following of Eurovision was much more present in person. Because, he argues, of the ‘Scandinavians’, the gayness of Eurovision is now owned by the presenters to the extent that simply gay is ‘boring’. Certainly one can see in recent years with Western European hosts the gay audience and fanbase has been normalised by the TV production.
‘If you are looking for equality,’ as Paddy points out, that would include an ‘equality of mocking’. The Song Contest has led the way as a pan-European project in demonstrating that and one could certainly attribute the very many countries who are becoming more liberal to gay politics as impacted from the Contest’s openness about this. However, Paddy comments that for people like Joe and Jake, at 21, that gay rights are ‘not the issue they were’ and that gay is just ‘one colour in the rainbow’ not just in society but also as a part of Eurovision. Paddy believes it is great that we are now ‘moving on’ and the issue is becoming ‘wrinkled’. The main Contest, after all, is a Song Contest, and the future needs to let that shine above all.”
Remember to read all the Newsletter for the full thoughts of Paddy and the rest of the news this week.
“Certainly one can see in recent years with Western European hosts the gay audience and fanbase has been normalised by the TV production.”
This makes me so happy and it’s such a good place to be in.
I usually only watch ESC on the telly, and it’s never come across as being overtly gay. Sure, there’ll be little moments, like the kisses from 2013 and 2015 and a couple of jokes from 2016, but as a whole, the production doesn’t seem especially gay (say, compared to a show like Rupaul’s Drag Race). But being on the ground on Stockholm, everything was a lot more fabulous. I’m happy with that.
There aren’t many situations in life where I’m in a minority by not being a gay man – and I will happy take that as an experience and enjoy the moment.