Eurovision: A chorus of campy controversy

Perhaps no one better represents the kitschy controversies of the Eurovision pop music competition than 2014’s Austrian entrant, Conchita Wurst, a drag performer with long, flowing black hair and a full beard. Wurst’s song “Rise Like a Phoenix” is a power ballad with lyrics that might be about either recovering from a rocky relationship or the reunification and rebirth of an entire continent (“Rise like a phoenix/Out of the ashes/Seeking rather than vengeance/Retribution”).

It may not be part of its official mission statement, but wrapping thinly veiled political statements in several layers of easily digestible schmaltz is what Eurovision has always been about. The event, which pits against each other singers nominated by delegates to represent countries across Europe, was created by European public broadcasting networks in 1956 in an effort to culturally unite a continent torn apart by war.

It’s up for argument whether the contest has succeeded at that lofty mission. Not even the European Union — which has considerably more staff, money and power than Eurovision — has been able to successfully unify Europe without major bumps in the road.

Conchita Wurst is one of the most visible examples of this year’s continental controversies. Austria’s selection of Wurst comes as much of Europe struggles with implementing legal rights for LGBT citizens. Even seemingly lenient countries like France have faced an unprecedented backlash this year. After legalizing same-sex marriage in 2013, the country has seen a steady stream of protests from cultural conservatives — including one in February that drew more than 100,000 people to the streets of Paris and Leon to protest same-sex rights. Russia also passed its internationally panned law against LGBT “propaganda” nearly a year ago, sparking protests across the world.

So it is not surprising that Wurst’s participation has caused its own backlash. Petitions have surfaced in Russia and Belarus to censor Wurst’s performances from broadcast, and a Russian politician called the singer “sick” and said Eurovision was promoting sodomy.

Wurst’s “Phoenix” isn’t the only song that is at once an affirmation and a subversion of European identity. In the video for Polish entrant Donatan & Cleo’s “We Are Slavic,” the front woman sings lyrics that proclaim the country’s Slavic heritage as backup dancers wearing miniskirts embroidered with traditional Polish patterns dance to a techno/hip-hop track (sample lyrics: “We’re Slavic girls/We know how to use our charming beauty/Now, shake what your mama gave ya!”).

Other entrants are performing darker songs that don’t speak directly to identity but still have political undercurrents. For example, in her song “Wild Soul,” Moldova’s Cristina Scarlet sings, “My patience fighting with our indifference/Fighting to win over everything/That we are and can be.” It may not be overtly political, but it’s worth noting that Moldova is currently experiencing cultural strain as its people internally argue over its Russian and European identities.

Of course, the most obvious political dynamic at Eurovision this year has been between Ukraine and Russia. But while much has been made of the tension by several dozen media outlets, there has been little or no actual tension between the contestants from the two countries. As Russian troops mass on the border of eastern Ukraine and pro-Russian Ukrainians come closer to voting against the interests of their own country, Ukraine’s Mariya Yaremchuk belted out one of the most apolitical songs of this year’s competition. (Sample lyrics: “I believe that I've loved you/Since the first time that I saw you.”)

Russia’s Tolmachevy Sisters had lyrics that could be construed as political, but perhaps only comically and unintentionally so (“Living on the edge, closer to the crime, cross the line a step at a time/Now maybe there's a place, maybe there's a time, maybe there's a day you'll be mine”). Neither of the 17-year-old Tolmachevy Sisters has let on as to whether the song is about taking over parts of Ukraine like Crimea.

Russia and Ukraine’s refusal to talk politics as the world audience imposes its own values onto the singers shouldn’t be surprising.

At Eurovision, politics are ever-present, but not always overtly presented. The songs are supposed to do the talking, and that’s what makes it so interesting.

“There are more important things than politics,” Ukraine’s Yaremchuk said in a recent interview. “Eurovision is a better way to unite people."