Eurovisions charged political history
Eurovision might best be described as \u201cthe Olympics meets American Idol\u201d: a singing contest where countries face off for the number one spot in musical glory. It\u2019s incredibly campy, silly, and mostly very fun.
But this year\u2019s Eurovision \u2014 which wrapped on the weekend \u2014 was dogged by controversy, as organizers faced protests for allowing Israel to compete amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, insists the contest is \u201cnon-political\u201d. But our guest today argues that geo-political ideals and tensions have coursed through this competition since its inception in 1956.
Tess Megginson \u2014 a PhD candidate studying central and eastern European history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill \u2014 explains.
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