Eurovision has torn up Mango TV's contract after reports that it censored acts. Albania's heavily tattooed entry and Ireland's close dance by two men to a love song were cut from the Chinese company's semifinal program.
Image: ESC
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The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) terminated Mango TV's contract for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), leaving the Chinese online video service unable to air the ESC's second semifinal on Thursday and grand finale on Saturday. In Wednesday's broadcast of the semifinals, Mango TV, which had the exclusive rights to carry Eurovision in China, did not shown the heavily tattooed Albanian singer Eugent Bushpepa or an entry from Ireland that featured a romantic dance sequence by two men. It also blurred out rainbow flags waved by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTQ+) and their allies to signify pride.
In its statement, the alliance of public service broadcasters said censorship was "not in line with the EBU's values of universality and inclusivity and our proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music."
This year in Lisbon — the 2017 winner, honey-throated jazz-waltzer Salvador Sobral, hails from Portugal — musicians from 43 countries converged to compete before a global audience. It appears, however, that this year many Chinese fans will miss even more than usual of the song-and-dance show, with the EBU taking a stance against the government's censors.
Lisbon gears up for Eurovision
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'Values and morals'
Mango TV didn't explain the omissions. However, a spokesman for parent company Hunan TV told the news agency AFP that officials "weren't aware" of edits to the Eurovision broadcast.
China's government bans same-sex relationships on television and forbids gay-themed content from online streaming platforms. In January, the national media authority banned tattoos and other "decadent" subculture elements from broadcasts — scrubbing the screen of symbols that might run contrary to the ruling Communist Party's "values and morals." Chinese football players with tattoos wore bandages on their arms or long sleeves to cover up their ink during games in March, according to media reports.
Kitsch at its kitchiest, Eurovision has become known as "gay Christmas." Fans wave the rainbow flags to commemorate the long struggle for LGBTQ+ recognition throughout the finales — right alongside those of the participating nations. The bearded Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst becamse famous after winning Eurovision in 2014 with "Rise Like A Phoenix" and used the visibility to advocate for LGBTQ+ people.
Our 2018 Eurovision favorites
Which songs will have people dancing in the aisles and which will have them crying in their beers? Music taste is subjective, as our ESC reporters, Silke Wünsch and Rick Fulker, found out while choosing their top fives.
Image: Andres Putting
Silke: Mikolas Josef (Czech Republic)
The Czech Republic's entry in 2018 sounds like nothing you've heard from them before. "Lie To Me" is electro-hip-hop of the finest sort! The young singer is really good, the number itself funny and it reminds me a bit of the poppy Snoop Dogg hit "Drop It Like It's Hot." Czech contestants have been dropped like they're hot in past years, but I see this act possibly landing among the top 10.
Image: Andres Putting
Rick: Ryan O'Shaughnessy (Ireland)
In the video, two young men in love are dancing through the streets of Dublin. The quiet and light, airy and slow ballad was selected from over 300 songs in Ireland. With it, the country could return to its glory days of the 90s, when it saw many ESC triumphs. It sounds unlike anything else at Eurovision this year.
Image: Reuters/P. Nunes
Silke: Sennek (Belgium)
Belgium is always good for a surprise and this year that comes in the form of a warm and powerful soul voice belonging to singer Sennek and her "Matter Of Time" ballad. I didn't think much of it from the get-go but then in the refrain, it was like the sun had risen right in front of me. Great song, great voice.
Image: Andres Putting
Rick: Michael Schulte (Germany)
The tears flow, real and honest. The song has everything: a solid structure, moving refrain, relatable text and a message that everyone could have personally experienced — the death of a loved one. Michael Schulte is not only friendly and quite personable, he is clearly a professional. It's hard to find something to say against him.
Image: Andres Putting
Silke: AWS (Hungary)
Every year I go to Wacken for DW to report on what's new at the heavy metal festival. The Hungarian band AWS would fit right in there. These five guys will blast the audience out of their seats with a very loud rock anthem that will make you lose your hearing and sight. I love it when the ESC sounds like that, too. I'm all for headbanging!
Image: Imago
Rick: AWS (Hungary)
Praise for the extreme punk-rock sounds and the courage to deliver a song in the national language. The video shows boisterous music, children playing, smiling faces. Only later does one notice that this song is about dying. The no-frills message: everything is finite, so we should lead a happy life.
Image: Imago
Silke: Netta (Israel)
What in the world is this? A woman who cackles and sings and roars?!? She reminds me of Beth Ditto. With her song "Toy," about a self-determined woman, she needs no backup singers nor wind machine nor gimmicks to make her clothes look like they're aflame. This woman is a hand grenade, which makes up for slightly flat lyrics like "I'm not your toy you stupid boy." No wonder Netta is a fave.
Image: Andres Putting
Rick: Netta (Israel)
What else could we expect? A bit pudgy, sassy, thumbing her nose at conventions — this artist and her song let loose as they celebrate differences. While the opener is a bit deceptive because of its tone and shifts in rhythm, this song really cracks as it shifts into a contagious dance number with a message — "I'm not your toy!" seems fitting during a time of debates about women's rights.
Image: Getty Images/F. Leong
Silke: Alexander Rybak (Norway)
"That's How You Write A Song": the title says is all. Rybak has written a song that has it all: a good-mood pop track that could be the hit of the summer. It's hard to sit still when such a funky dance number comes on. And this singer who can play the violin — we all remember him as the winner of the contest in 2009, right? He's likely to rocket to the top right alongside Israel's Netta.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A. Braastad
Rick: Alexander Rybak (Norway)
It's impossible to listen and not to bob along with your head or tap your hand and smile. Rybak once wrote Eurovision history by taking home the highest score ever and he could make it to victory again. His play on imaginary hovering stringed instruments is sweet, though nothing new. But then, when he digs out the real violin: it's all over with.
