Though it may not sound like much in the U.S., Eurovision is a huge deal to participating nations. You take the nationalism from the Olympics and blend it with the passion of American Idol, then add a dash of Vegas showmanship, and you’ve got Eurovision.
The whole thing is pretty overtly gay, too, which presents something of a dilemma for nations with less-than-stellar track records when it comes to LGBTQ inclusion — especially since the winning nation always hosts the following year’s finals, with all the attention, money and gay fans that come with it.
This year, Russia really wanted the top honor, so much so that they were willing to downplay the awful attitude its government has taken against its queer citizens.
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What they didn’t expect, though, was their prized slab-of-beef entrant, Sergey Lazarev, to make the impression he did.
Lazarev, who was a favorite to win (he did not ultimately win), told the BBC leading up to the competition, “Gay life exists in Russia,” adding, “There is more talk and rumors about problems than exist. I just want you to come and see everything yourself.”
Oh, like that “rumor” that made it illegal to tell kids being gay is OK?
Well the propaganda machine wound up blowing up in the Kremlin’s face after a revealing photo Lazarev made the rounds:
The photo has been described as part of a kinky adult film shoot from Lazarev’s past — one that the Russian government paid to try and have wiped from the internet. And we all know how well wiping things off the internet always goes.
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Once the cat was out of the bag, the Kremlin tried another approach to downplay the damage, saying the image was intended to provoke thoughtful dialogue about domestic abuse.
That’s almost as creative as Lazarev’s performance in the competition, which you can watch below:
orrine
Omg, is this his ‘dirty secret’? This and not the fact that Lazarev is closeted bi or gay and it’s a known fact in Moscow gay community?
broadshoulder
To be honest I hope the Americans don’t get into Eurovision – they have tendency to wreck everything they come into contact with. Stockholm did an excellent show – taking the piss out the thing and even Germany and Russia entering into the spirit of the thing
Can you imagine the easy distracted Americans tuning in to see the latest Lithuanian warbler
nmharleyrider
Hardly much of a secret. On top of that, I guess your idea of a hunk disagrees with mine. The guy is skinny, skinny legs and not a hairy on his body that I could see except on his head. He looks look like your average disco twinkie.
Minerva pomerantz
I hate to say it, but Russia was robbed. The Russian video was a brilliant artistic combination of music and visual gymnastics. It was superb. The Ukrainian entrant was simply pathetic and a paean to the war in Ukraine and Crimea on political grounds. Ukraine could have thrown dead babies across the stage to Les Miz and won.
orrine
@nmharleyrider: “Twink”? Really? If anyone without steroid muscles is twnk for you then sure.
http://www.theplace.ru/archive/sergey_lazarev/img/6-2.jpg
jjose712
@Minerva pomerantz: Russia was not robbed. The performance and the visuals were great but the song is bad like crap.
Australia was robbed.
Ukraine song was pretty meh. It was a very weak year, but it’s all politics, Spain’s song was one of the few decent songs and end in one of the last positions
IanHunter
The only time we in the United States hear anything about Eurovision is on The Graham Norton Show.
avesraggiana
@broadshoulder: Um…most of us don’t know what or where Lithuania is. We’d probably be found raucously rooting for her in Rue Paul’s Drag Race.
Curtispsf
@Minerva pomerantz: BUT they would have had to been CUTE dead babies. Ukraine has SOME class.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
@nmharleyrider: Yasssss daddy u tell them ladyboy looking kaweeens! But I can tell you’re ALLLL man …cause you haz cigar. Yum.
barkomatic
I watched this year and most of the songs sounded very generic. However, there were a few standouts and this guy did have an out standing performance–but I can’t help but think how awful that country is to gay people. Sweden, Australia and France were great too. I was surprised by the Ukraine win.
captainburrito
I gotta respect the ability of the Russian Govt to keep a straight face while putting their marketing spin on that adult video. I wish he had won now just to see the sh1tstorm!
nowliveit
Is there anyway to watch this video in the US? I get this message here and at YouTube
The uploader has not made this video available in your country.
Brian
Sweden is not very gay-friendly either. Name me one openly gay Swedish male performer. You can’t, can you?
Don’t let Eurovision lull you into a sense of gay-friendliness. Europe is not really gay-friendly at all. Homosexual men are shunned or minimized by the system.
Yes, it’s true that Russia has some homophobic laws in place. But other countries like Sweden, Germany, Holland, Norway etc are not particularly gay-friendly. You never see two men holding hands and walking down the street in these countries.
Wooly
Personally I was hoping for Belgium or the UK to win. Yes politics did win the day again. Russian men are sexy and I love the accent. Despite the laws I’m sure there is a thriving gay scene in Moscow.
BadBoyTKF
@nowliveit: Here you go! https://youtu.be/gHgxi57Um0w
BadBoyTKF
@Brian: Perhaps you haven’t been Sweden or Germany lately, but you’re absolutely wrong. I’ve lived in both Stockholm Sweden and Koln Germany and those countries are very gay friendly.
Poncho Sanchez
Russians are filthy animals, spending my youth in communist cuba I was often exposed to the vileness of the Russian guest worker. Russian spreading their communist crap. I could never, ever lay with one…and not just cuz they’re ugly….
SFHandyman
It was totally political. Ukraine won because they were invaded. The song was awful.
Russia was great but the country is a country invading, homophobic bully so they’ll never win.
I liked France.
dari
@nowliveit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gp5yFl5Vr0
watch here, it’s really cool
Karlis
It gets even better (not from the queerty perspective, but from the political perspective). Sergey has also been quoted publicly as saying that he does not support Russia’s annexation of Crimea and aggression in Ukraine, that if he is asked to perform in Crimea, he does not, etc. I’m sure that doesn’t win him any points at the Kremlin either. And the icing on the cake is that Eurovision was won by the Ukrainian woman who sang about Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Thus causing heads in the Kremlin to explode. All in all, a good year for Eurovision.
dari
@nowliveit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7hRZS-nLhY&index=2&list=RD_gp5yFl5Vr0 This is a official video of the song, brilliant
dari
@nowliveit: Ok, the best version of the finale is already gone from youtube for copywrite reasons, but this will give you a better idea, the other video was cut https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7oNz2nPSew
JJinAus
@IanHunter: If only somebody had invented the internet.
martinbakman
His dirty, dirty little secret!!
nowliveit
Thanks to @BadBoyTKF @dari for the working YouTube links. Great performances to watch.
Billy Budd
He is incredibly cute, is talented, is gay friendly, and hates nasty politicians. What’s not to love about him? I would never say NIET to him.
jzx100l
Sergey has long been one of my favorite artists. I discovered him about 10 years ago when youtube was in its infancy. This song is good, but he has better ones out there. He’s attractive and his live performances display just how good his voice is. I wish he had won, regardless of where he is from. And the “scandalous” photo has been circulating the web for years. He was pretty young in it.
jasoncoxz
@Brian: That was the mmost stupid comment i heard…i can mention dozens of openly gay or bi or lesbia artist in Sweden…perhaps they are only known in Sweden…but they are still here!
And holding hands in Sweden is not so commen among heterosexuals either…we dont easily show feelings!
Gay men goes often to straight bars/clubs…no problem…The televison shows the gay-gala every year…in which country is that happening…1/3 of Stockholm population is wathching the gay pride parade every year…we can get married (even in churches), adopt…we have strong antidiscrimantion laws…And LGBT people in Sweden are in third place in a list of countries where they feel safe…
Nothing is perfect yeat…but being LGBT in Sweden is much more nice than i most countries
jasoncoxz
@jasoncoxz: sorry for the spelling! Were upset!
Mykey
@nmharleyrider: Nothing wrong with that!!!
dari
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh8PKhA1s3I Another music video of him “TAKE IT OFF!” song
dari
But Eurovision did not crown him as a winner even though he won all the popular votes, but gave it to some Muslim wailing woman who resembled a witch, Br…..
Mykey
@Minerva pomerantz: Well it’s the viewers who voted Ukraine! I was surprised too, but well she won and good for her and Ukraine…
reeddaniel
Surgei is a talented handsome guy whom seems very handsome and outgoing it’s clear he’s ether a closeted bi or gay. Why the kremlin tried to hide it I never know I dont get why anyone can delete any history after its been downloaded unless u thank everyone person that has downloaded this video. I watch a bbc doc called inside russia with reggie yates brill docu. where there grps for lesbian and gay bi pro rights and gay grps that go around to assault gay pple or even kill gays and same sex couples also there is a minster that attacks grp meeting for pro gays and freely insults gays and gets people too attack them after they leave these meetings yet putin turns a blind eye too these attacks and killings that happan on a daily basis. Unless putin gives more rights to gay and biscuits in Russia I will never visit Russia until my fellow gay and bi/ tran friends rights are greatly improved. As there are many gay Russians that escape from being assaulted or hit or verbally abused there are many former gay Russians than leave for Canada were leaving for us until trump was coming in the UK and Europe too. Yet putin is not taken any notice of the living hell fellow gay bi also transgende? endure every day in Russia. Dispite it being lighted in a brilliant bbc documentary if I was a Russian leader seeing that documentary I would be ashamed how fellow people were treating innocent people that love the same sex or they feel they belong in the wrong gender I would be so ashamed how his police curtain minsters getting grps to go around and attack and kill gays bi’s or trans people if he was honest he wld be ashamed and step down as leader for allowing such inhumane hate. Yet he hasn’t putin in my opinion he is no human being for allowing the killing innocent gay and bi people on a daily basis it must be stamped down on Hard!!!