William Lee Adams: How a ‘propaganda war’ overtook Eurovision

Here at the International Exhibition Center in Kyiv, Ukraine, on the night of the first Eurovision semifinal, nothing seems out of the ordinary – or at least, any stranger than usual. A Greek pop chanteuse stands center stage, singing a dramatic melody as a pair of bare-chested men dance and stomp in a large puddle. A Polish diva, all blond hair and overflowing cleavage, belts about animal rights before a screen showing a digital flock of birds. A buff Montenegrin whips his 3-foot hair extension to the beat of a disco number before tearing off a voluminous skirt to reveal spangled silver leggings. More than 10,000 Euro-pop devotees, speaking a dozen languages, cheer their favorites and wave their nations’ flags.

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