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            Glitz, Glam, Glory of Eurovision Song Contest Come to US

   by Marissa Melton

   U.S. television viewers are finally getting a look at the biggest pop
   culture event in Europe: the Eurovision song contest, which is being
   broadcast on the U.S. Logo channel as well as on networks across Europe
   Saturday.

   The talent contest known for wild costumes and over-the-top
   performances drew 200 million viewers for its final round last year.
   The contest, which started in 1956 with just seven nations
   participating, has grown into a contest involving 42 contestants not
   just from Europe, but also from Israel and Australia.

   ''Famous Eurovision winners of the past include Swedish pop group ABBA
   in 1974, Canadian singer Celine Dion in 1988 (who, oddly, represented
   Switzerland) and Russian female duo Tatu in 2003.

   Performers once were compelled to sing in their native languages, but
   since that rule was changed in the late 1990s, most performers now sing
   in English, even if they only learn the English lyrics phonetically.
   Judging a winner is a complicated process involving the votes of
   official judges and viewers combined.

   Contest entries are supposed to avoid political statements, but at
   least one entry seems to have skirted that guideline this year:
   Ukrainian contestant Jamala, an artist from the Crimean Peninsula who
   sings about the mass deportation of Tatars from that area in 1944. The
   song can also be read as a protest against Russia's annexation two
   years ago of the Crimean Peninsula, which sparked a still-ongoing armed
   conflict between Ukrainian loyalists and pro-Russian separatists.

   ''Elaborate costumes, sets

   But more than political statements, Eurovision is known for its showy
   performances, including elaborate costumes, sets and gimmicks. One of
   this year's notable entries in the semifinals was the Belarusian
   performer IVAN, who spells his single name in all capital letters and
   wanted to give his live performance naked with live wolves on stage.

   IVAN, who did not advance to the finals, ended up performing clothed,
   surrounded by wolf holograms instead of live animals.

   Eurovision is also associated with gender fluidity, which includes
   openly gay and transgender performers. Over the last 15 years or so,
   the contest has gone from being a place to float discreet signals about
   alternative lifestyles to one in which such ideas can be fully
   expressed and even celebrated. In fact, the 2014 winner was a drag
   queen from Austria who performed as "Conchita Wurst" and sported a full
   beard with a glittery dress and makeup.

   ''The contest has become so well-known for its gay-friendliness that
   some performers have cheekily begun to refer to it as "the gay World
   Cup" or "the gay Olympics." That identity may account for the decision
   of U.S. network Logo to air the competition this year; Logo is known
   for gay-friendly programming.

   Saturday's three-hour-plus, final-round broadcast from Stockholm, a pop
   culture sensation in much of the rest of the world, is poised now to
   hook pop music lovers in the United States, the newest attendees to the
   international dance party.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/glitz-glam-glory-eurovision-song-cont
   est-come-united-states/3330578.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/glitz-glam-glory-eurovision-song-contest-come-united-states/3330578.html