The Eurovision Song Contest as a Cultural Phenomenon: From Concert Halls to the Halls of Academia

Description

Drawing from the wealth of academic literature about the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) written over the last two decades, this book consolidates and recognizes the ESC's relevance in academia by analysing its contribution to different fields of study. The book brings together leading ESC scholars from across disciplines and from across the globe to reflect on the intersection between their academic fields of study and the ESC by answering the question: what has the ESC contributed to academia? The book also draws from fields rarely associated with the ESC, such as Law, Business and Research Methodologies, to demonstrate the contest's broad utility in research, pedagogy and in practice. Given its interdisciplinary approach, this volume will be of interest to scholars and students working in cultural, media, and music studies, as well as those interested in the intersections between these areas and politics, law, education, pedagogy, and history. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Editors Contributors Foreword Part I: From Lugano to the Classroom: the Eurovision Song Contest and Academia 1. The Grand Tour: the Origins of the Eurovision Song Contest as a Cultural Phenomenon From Sanremo, Rome and Venice to Lugano...: Italy as the Inspiration for the ESC ...To Florence, Vienna and Prague: Teaching the World's First University Course on the ESC Our Tour: Where We Take You in This Book Notes References 2. The Eurovision Song Contest: An Academic Phenomenon The ESC as a contest The ESC as Euro(vision) The ESC as a Song Contest The ESC as a TV programme The ESC as a festival Conclusion References Media and cultural studies Politics and Euro(vision) EurovisionAnalytics 3. A Human Rights-Based Analysis of the Eurovision Song Contest and the European Broadcasting Union A Human Rights Response to State Violations Linked to the ESC: Urban Transformation and Forced Evictions in Azerbaijan The EBU as a Soft Power Regional Mechanism: Leveraging Public Service Media (PSM) for Human Rights Protection I PSM As a Human Right II The EBús Soft Power to Leverage Human Rights Protection Pop Culture as a Medium for Studying Human Rights Note Bibliography Part II: From Past to Present: History, Politics and Society 4. The Mythology of Song Contests Bibliography 5. Teaching European History and Memory through the Eurovision Song Contest during the COVID-19 Pandemic Introduction Teaching History and Memory Pre-Pandemic Teaching History and Memory Online Case Study: The Soviet Union and Russia Conclusion Note References 6. A March for Power: The Variety of Political Programmes on the Eurovision Song Contest Stage Backstage The Apolitical Stance of the EBU The ESC as a Cultural Seismograph The Politics of Hegemonic Control Israel and Europe: The Politics of Suspicion Wars of Song: Politics of Conflict Discussion Notes References 7. The Molitva Factor: The Eurovision Song Contest and 'Performing' National Identity in World Politics Performing National Identity at the ESC The ESC and the Litmus Test of 'Europeanness' 'Molitva' and the Politics of LGBTQ Visibility in Europe Europeanisation, LGBTQ Visibility and Embodied Performances of National Identity: the Molitva Factor Notes References 8. A Critical Pedagogical Eurovision Euphoria: The Potential of the Eurovision Song Contest to Promote Values Propagated by the European Union within Formal Learning Contexts Introduction From the Initial to the Critical Use of ESC-Related Texts Fit for Purpose and Tailor-Made ESC Roots Data Collected From the Learning through the Eurovision Research Project Reinforcement Activity 1 Reinforcement Activity 2 Reinforcement Activity 3 Homework Assignment Lesson Conclusion Insights Obtained From the Research Venture Conclusion Note References 9. Sharing Values in the Eurovision Song Contest and the OTI Festival: The Moral Fourth Person in the Lyrics of the Winning Songs Introduction The ESC Explicit versus Implicit Message The Role of Discourse Functions The Concept of a Musical Person Exploring the Nature of the Musical Person Step One: semantic and Pragmatic Types Step Two: positive and Negative Features Step Three: from the Musical Person to the Moral Person The Moral Fourth Person in the ESC A Comparative Perspective between the ESC and the OTI Song Festival Conclusion References 10. Eurovision in the Boardroom: What Does Voting Order Tell Us about Decision-Making? Introduction Subject Matter and Methodology Data Procedure The Period from 1998 to 2008 The Period from 2009 to 2012 The Period from 2014 to 2019 Results Discussion Notes References Part III: From Stage to Screen: Film, Media, and Music 11. High, Low and Participatory: The Eurovision Song Contest and Cultural Studies Introduction A Tale of Two Contests: a Contrast in Aesthetics and Audience Eurovision, Television, and the Rise of Cultural Studies in the Post-War Era Beyond (the) Birmingham (School): the Rise of Eurovision as Participatory Mega-Event Notes References 12. Queer Camp against Franco: Iván Zulueta's Eurovision Song Contest Parody Un Dos Tres Biography Un dos tres and Camp Gender, Homosexuality and Politics Walter Benjamin and Mass Culture Conclusion Note References 13. The Eurovision Song Contest and European Television History: Continuity, Adaptation, Experimentation The ESC as a Media Event The ESC and European Television History: Adaptation and Experimentation The ESC and Mediated Temporality: Continuity and Change The Value of Media Studies for ESC Research Notes References 14. From Trouble to Bubble? The Ambiguous Relationship between Professional Journalists and Fan Media in the Eurovision Song Contest A Music Show outside the Focus of Music Journalism The First Fan Media Present at the ESC From Fan to Journalist "Meriting" Accreditation Accreditation as a Bottleneck Assessment and Abuse Fan Careers The Position of an EBU Representative Changing Media Landscapes Conflict Potentials Conclusions Notes References 15. Domesticity, Mass Media and Moving-Image Aesthetics: The Visual Identity of the Eurovision Song Contest as a Hospitable Platform Introduction State of the Question and Methodology The Visual Identity of the Eurovision Song Contest Flowers for a Europe in its Prime The Importance of Skylines as Frames of Reference The Aquatic Metaphor for an Emerging Europe Animals on Stage The Architectural Turn: bringing Local History to a Global Stage Objects and Symbols from the Cultural Heritage of the Host Country Conclusion References 16. Armchair Researchers: Modes of Ethnographic Research for Understanding and Experiencing the Eurovision Song Contest Aca-Fan Researchers: Positionality and Responsibility The Places and Spaces of Eurovision Research Conclusion References 17. Between Concepts and Behaviours: The Eurovision Song Contest and Ethnomusicology Ethnomusicology and the ESC: the state of the art Sound, concepts and behaviour in "Amar pelos dois" a paragraph Lisbon, 13/05/2017 Lisbon, 13/05/2017 Lisbon, 14/05/2017 A final reflection Notes References Index