A March for Power: The Variety of Political Programmes on the Eurovision Song Contest Stage

Gad Yair, Chen Ozeri

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present paper reviews recent studies of politics and political events on the Eurovision stage. We provide testimony to the ubiquity of nationalistic sentiments and ideological, political, historical, and even military tensions that pulsate underneath the agenda of European integration and European peace-abiding values. We advance beyond the now accepted truism, namely that the Eurovision is political, by detailing several different forms of politics that creep into the supposedly apolitical stage of the ESC: the politics of hegemony, the politics of suspicion, and the politics of conflict. The variety of political strategies and events that recur in the Eurovision expose one of its most fascinating elements: Notwithstanding the formal position of the EBU, namely that the ESC should net serve as a political platform - it is definitely a political platform. Academic studies of the ESC have given millions of spectators the tools and theories to observe those political infiltrations.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Eurovision Song Contest as a Cultural Phenomenon
Subtitle of host publicationFrom Concert Halls to the Halls of Academia
PublisherTaylor and Francis
Pages83-95
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)9781000614961
ISBN (Print)9781032037745
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Adam Dubin, Dean Vuletic and Antonio Obregón; individual chapters, the contributors.

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