Norwegian Takes Eurovision Prize as Gay Boycott is Ignored
Here's Alexander Rybak, the 23-year-old Norwegian winner of the Eurovision Song Contest:
"Gay rights activists had called on singers and fans to boycott the contest on Saturday night, which was held in Moscow for the first time as the result of Russia’s Eurovision win, by Dima Bilan, last year. Earlier Saturday, the police detained 40 demonstrators who had gathered near Moscow State University, including a Briton and an American. None of the Eurovision performers withdrew or mentioned the gay rights rally from the stage, nor did the packed stadium give any indication that fans had stayed away."
According to The Local, however, Rybak did remark about the anti-gay Moscow crackdown: "Rybak criticised the authorities response to the protest, saying “we’ve had the biggest gay pride demonstration right here in this hall tonight.”
Watch Rybak perform the winning entry, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted May. 18,2009 at 10:15 AM EST by Andy Towle in Gay Rights, Moscow, News, Norway, Russia | Permalink
awful!
Posted by: Steven | May 18, 2009 10:31:04 AM
ouch. that was painful.
Posted by: Aaron | May 18, 2009 11:04:09 AM
Tough nut gay rights activists in Russia....Entertainers will only support gay rights once their careers slow down or are in trouble for all those "pesky" rumours....
Posted by: alan brickman | May 18, 2009 11:18:22 AM
That was pretty god awful. All the money, time, and publicity that goes into this event and THAT'S who they crown the winner?? Damn, just HOW bad were the other acts?!
Posted by: soulbrotha | May 18, 2009 11:29:37 AM
While Peter Tatchell is bravely outside getting arrested for marching in solidarity with Russia's gay brethren, another Brit, GRAHAM NORTON, remains inside hosting Eurovision. What a weasel.
Fuck you very much, Mr. Norton.
Posted by: JohnInManhattan | May 18, 2009 11:30:06 AM
Jeebus if that's the winner i hate to see what else was offered there!!! This one would never have made it on "america's got Talent" let alone 'American Idol"!!! God awful voice!
Posted by: alex in boston | May 18, 2009 11:34:44 AM
Andy,
You missed this comment from Rybak on the gay rights controversy (from Reuters)
"
Rybak appeared to throw his support behind the gay rights protesters when he said at the news conference: "Why did they (the Moscow police) spend all their energy stopping gays in Moscow when the biggest gay parade was here tonight?"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090516/music_nm/us_eurovision
Posted by: J | May 18, 2009 11:39:38 AM
@Johninmanhattan
Norton was not hosting in Russia...he was a BBC commentator. The hosts of the Eurovision contest in Russia were Russian, speaking in English and French.
Posted by: J | May 18, 2009 11:41:16 AM
I don't totally get this. Is this boy gay?
Posted by: will | May 18, 2009 12:10:47 PM
There were some good entries, so I must say the landslide victory of Alexander Rybak was pretty mystifying; the only factor I could see in his favor is that he was the one and only dimply-cute tween-pleasing guy this year - but it would seem incredible that he could somehow capture that demogrophic across the entire of Europe.
As for boycotting Eurovision... I just don't get that angle at all.
Boycotting Eurovision would be EXACTLY like boygotting a gay pride parade - Rybak isn't being glib in the above quote when he describes Eurovision as Moscow's biggest & proudest event.
Making positive changes in Russia needs MORE Eurovision-style hosting / organizing / broadcasting / participation far more than it needs the tiny media blip of a few no-name music acts withdrawing.
While I cannot say that I'm a big Graham Norton fan (rightly or wrongly I'd put him in the Stephen Fry & Rupert Everett class of 'spokesmen'), I'd much rather have a gay entertainer fronting a high-profile prime-time annual event for the next X years/decades than passing the job to someone else in exchange for a few Twitter posts/inches of press.
If there's a role for Norton & Fry & Everett in LGBT visibility and cultural progress, realistically it ain't pictures of them with placards accompanied by a few lines of self-deprecating (likely culturally insensitive) witicisms.
Posted by: PM | May 18, 2009 12:14:25 PM
I guess you folks don't know what Eurovision is all about, and Rybak's right: it's a big gay pride parade. Last year IN SERBIA, for God's sake, they had a cross-dressing lesbian wedding on stage in the opening.
The only group that threatened to pull out was the Netherlands' entry The Toppers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0V3m0qrWfM
How gay is that?
Unfortunately (wink), they didn't make it to the final.
Rybak was pretty good in his interviews: for a Belorussian/Russian and the favorite to say that he wouldn't be where he is without his gay fans is pretty good for Russia. He also said he had no problems with gay people and was flattered by the attention. Against the background of what Russian entertainers usually say (even gay ones), he was very positive.
France entered Patricia Kaas, which would be like entering Liza Minnelli in American Idol.
And for a multi-genre Madonna cum Grace Jones video (with some gay eye candy) check out the Ukrainian entry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFqw8_T_mpE
Drag queens have won in the past. It's quite a show.
Posted by: Kevinvt | May 18, 2009 12:18:37 PM
I'm glad everyone ignored the anti-gay Russians. Eurovision is one of the biggest gay events on the planet, and I'm glad to see it proceeded as planned. Boycotts would just give the anti-gay cops credence -- we steamrolled over them on this one.
This boy won because he was cute. Pure and simple. He can't sing. Just like humpy Sakis Rouvas from Greece won a few years back. In Eurovision, you win these days because you're fuckable, you're Eastern European (he's in Norway now, but he was born in Belarus), or your act was some kind of fierce hot-chicks-and-kettle-drums act. Everything about Eurovision is hysterical, over-the-top gibberish, usually accompanied by flash pot explosions and multiple key changes. Fantastic! The worse the better.
I don't know why every drag bar in America doesn't show Eurovision once a year. It's such an over-the-top cheese fest. An Israeli drag queen even won about a decade ago. I never miss it!
Posted by: Bakely | May 18, 2009 12:19:45 PM
Hot as he was, Sakis Rouvas didn't win for Greece in 2004 (Ruslana won that one). Elena Paparizou did the next year though with her song "My Number One." Personally, I didn't care for it. I thought Romania's entry was much better.
Posted by: hold on a moment | May 18, 2009 12:32:53 PM
I remember watching my first Eurovision in 1991, where a Swedish winger named Carola won with a catchy tune called Fångad av en stormvind (Captured By a Lovestorm). Her backup act consisted of two guys leapfrogging over each other and a wind machine.
What I love is that essentially the competition hasn't changed since then. Bigger wind machines perhaps, but still ingratiatingly awful songs sung by a collection of assorted misfits, and nearly always inexplicable winners that reflect more the underlying tensions and rivalries between certain European nations than any actual musical talent.
It's a big gay riot! And that song was TRULY awful!! But I'm thrilled for Norway (a country I used to live in), because they just LOVE Eurovision!!
Posted by: Lewis Payton | May 18, 2009 12:54:08 PM
@JohnInManhattan
1. Graham Norton is Irish
2. He criticised the Russian authorities' actions several times during his BBC commentary of the event.
Posted by: Tim | May 18, 2009 2:05:32 PM
The fact that Eurovision, which is clearly one of THE largest gay events in Europe, was held in Moscow, the home of Europe's biggest anti-gay mayor and largest anti-gay population, is enough of a slap in the face of anti-gay Russia that it'll take them some time to recover.
If you watch the performance on Eurovision.tv, you'll see that Russia (and Moscow) built one of the most expensive stages in Eurovision history to host a bunch of gays and their fans.
Posted by: Tread | May 18, 2009 2:25:39 PM
@Tim
Norton is Irish. However, he didn't mention gays once. He made a couple of vague statements about heavy-handed policing without explaining what he was talking about.
Posted by: Dazzer | May 18, 2009 2:53:17 PM
Let just be happy Graham is employed and not out causing any more havoc than he is!! :)
Posted by: David B. 2 | May 18, 2009 3:14:47 PM
Eurovision rocks... and it is about so much more than just the music!
Those of you in the States should beware... cos one of the big stations ABC/NBC (?) has purchased the rights to a US version, where states will go head to head to win the US title. It'll be going up against American Idol. Stay tuned!
Posted by: Jaan | May 18, 2009 4:05:08 PM
Norton should have passed up this paycheck.
Posted by: Derek Washington | May 18, 2009 4:54:13 PM
Why pass up on the paycheck, Norton was just doing his job?
Anyone with half an ounce of intelligence would have interpreted Norton's role as the commentator on the Eurovision as being so politically subversive. While Norton didn't get political about the Russian government's approach to gay rights, but the show isn't that sort of a forum and he is savvy enough as a presenter to know where to draw the line.
Posted by: Sean R | May 18, 2009 6:55:56 PM
You guys are haters! I predicted he was gonna win the first time I heard the song....this was a tough year for Eurovision...and I completely agree who won....I mean 387 points!!!
plus he's a cutie
Posted by: Kenn | May 18, 2009 7:02:04 PM
Oh brother! Norton was not being subversive anymore than I would be subversive by eatin' watermelon and doing a jig at a Klan rally.
Norton traveled to a city/country where Gays are treated in the worst fashion for a paycheck. He's no better than the "performers" who traveled to Sun City during apartheid. How many of us don't go to Utah or drink Rokstar on principle?
Same thing. Norton showed no character and since the ONLY reason he even has a career is because he's GAY, he should have passed up this paycheck.
Posted by: Derek Washington | May 18, 2009 10:54:02 PM
In Austria there was Life Ball on the same night with guests such are Pamela Anderson, Eva Longoria and Bill Clinton, why didn't they go all together to Moscow to support those poor people?! I bet police wouldn't dare to touch them if those celebrity names were among them!? That Ball was waste of money and energy!
Posted by: Mate | May 19, 2009 6:12:04 AM
As usual everyone is bitching about everything except the performance(s) and the performer(s) in the competition. Personally I found his performance interesting almost exciting. Yes he is a cutie but then everyone in American music is either a hottie or related to another big name "talent". This young man shows true talent in that he can play an instiment and can sing as well. Much better than most of the garbage I've lisened to on American radio stations. I'm very tired of hearing foul language, spoken words (not sung) and either schreechy or pounding noises recorded and played on radio stations promoted as music. It would please me very much to turn on a radio and hear this young man singing and playing music. Unfortunately it will not occur as only heavily paid and promoted junk reaches the American air-ways.
Posted by: Bear | May 19, 2009 7:27:41 PM