‘Are you sure you’re not gay?’: Straight and bisexual male experiences of Eurovision Song Contest fandom

‘Are you ready for a little chat?’ 1 : Creating and developing WhatsApp group chats as a digital research method

“…In his message, he emphasised to me that he yearned for a 'boyfriend who loved Eurovision' and corrected himself that he was not asking me to be his 'Eurovision boyfriend'. In this encounter, my gay identity is positioned for me by this participant (Cupples, 2002) as I did not explicitly identify myself as gay and it raised awareness of my gay identity (see Halliwell, 2023). This was assumed twofold: through our group discussions of male ESC musicians we found attractive, and because of wider assumptions within ESC fan and gay culture that men who like Eurovision are gay (Singleton et al, 2007).…”

‘Are you ready for a little chat?’ 1 : Creating and developing WhatsApp group chats as a digital research method

“…In his message, he emphasised to me that he yearned for a 'boyfriend who loved Eurovision' and corrected himself that he was not asking me to be his 'Eurovision boyfriend'. In this encounter, my gay identity is positioned for me by this participant (Cupples, 2002) as I did not explicitly identify myself as gay and it raised awareness of my gay identity (see Halliwell, 2023). This was assumed twofold: through our group discussions of male ESC musicians we found attractive, and because of wider assumptions within ESC fan and gay culture that men who like Eurovision are gay (Singleton et al, 2007).…”

Topologies of visibility: A space-sensitive approach to online visibility analysis

“…The ESC was established in 1956 by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as an annual song competition and has since grown into the most popular musical mega-event worldwide, with participation of over 40 states and millions of viewers (Yair, 2019). Over the years, a dedicated fan culture has developed around the event, including various participatory practices and events in online and offline spaces (Halliwell, 2023). Twitter is a central fandom technology during the event, providing a backchannel of communication for commentary and engagement; a type of ‘communal space[…]where audience members can come together to discuss and debate, in real-time’ the unfolding event using hashtags such as #eurovision (Highfield et al, 2013: 317).…”

Eurovision Song Contest: From Apolitical to Mega‐Political?

“…Although ESC research is predominantly centered among gender and media scholars, the ESC has demonstrated multifaceted dimensions of interest, with a steady rise in publications over the years (e.g., Halliwell 2023;Palma-Martos et al 2023;Carniel 2024). Yair (2019) highlighted three themes that have garnered significant attention: Eurovision as the "Olympics of homosexuals," bloc voting, and Eurovision's role in shaping a European image and branding.…”

“…Regarding gender and specifically LGBTQ+ issues, Baker (2017), Motschenbacher (2013), andHalliwell (2023) discussed the nonheterosexual norms of the contest, particularly its domination by a gay male audience. The image and branding aspects emphasize how the contest fosters, or intends to foster, European identity, while countries use the platform to showcase their national or regional cultures (Baker 2008;Mitrovic 2010;Fernandez and Lopes 2021;Kyriakidou et al 2018;Kalman et al 2019).…”

“…Although ESC research is predominantly centered among gender and media scholars, the ESC has demonstrated multifaceted dimensions of interest, with a steady rise in publications over the years (e.g., Halliwell 2023; Palma‐Martos et al. 2023; Carniel 2024).…”

‘Are you ready for a little chat?’ 1 : Creating and developing WhatsApp group chats as a digital research method

“…In his message, he emphasised to me that he yearned for a 'boyfriend who loved Eurovision' and corrected himself that he was not asking me to be his 'Eurovision boyfriend'. In this encounter, my gay identity is positioned for me by this participant (Cupples, 2002) as I did not explicitly identify myself as gay and it raised awareness of my gay identity (see Halliwell, 2023). This was assumed twofold: through our group discussions of male ESC musicians we found attractive, and because of wider assumptions within ESC fan and gay culture that men who like Eurovision are gay (Singleton et al, 2007).…”

Topologies of visibility: A space-sensitive approach to online visibility analysis

“…The ESC was established in 1956 by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as an annual song competition and has since grown into the most popular musical mega-event worldwide, with participation of over 40 states and millions of viewers (Yair, 2019). Over the years, a dedicated fan culture has developed around the event, including various participatory practices and events in online and offline spaces (Halliwell, 2023). Twitter is a central fandom technology during the event, providing a backchannel of communication for commentary and engagement; a type of ‘communal space[…]where audience members can come together to discuss and debate, in real-time’ the unfolding event using hashtags such as #eurovision (Highfield et al, 2013: 317).…”

Eurovision Song Contest: From Apolitical to Mega‐Political?

“…Although ESC research is predominantly centered among gender and media scholars, the ESC has demonstrated multifaceted dimensions of interest, with a steady rise in publications over the years (e.g., Halliwell 2023;Palma-Martos et al 2023;Carniel 2024). Yair (2019) highlighted three themes that have garnered significant attention: Eurovision as the "Olympics of homosexuals," bloc voting, and Eurovision's role in shaping a European image and branding.…”

“…Regarding gender and specifically LGBTQ+ issues, Baker (2017), Motschenbacher (2013), andHalliwell (2023) discussed the nonheterosexual norms of the contest, particularly its domination by a gay male audience. The image and branding aspects emphasize how the contest fosters, or intends to foster, European identity, while countries use the platform to showcase their national or regional cultures (Baker 2008;Mitrovic 2010;Fernandez and Lopes 2021;Kyriakidou et al 2018;Kalman et al 2019).…”

“…Although ESC research is predominantly centered among gender and media scholars, the ESC has demonstrated multifaceted dimensions of interest, with a steady rise in publications over the years (e.g., Halliwell 2023; Palma‐Martos et al. 2023; Carniel 2024).…”

‘Are you ready for a little chat?’ 1 : Creating and developing WhatsApp group chats as a digital research method

“…In his message, he emphasised to me that he yearned for a 'boyfriend who loved Eurovision' and corrected himself that he was not asking me to be his 'Eurovision boyfriend'. In this encounter, my gay identity is positioned for me by this participant (Cupples, 2002) as I did not explicitly identify myself as gay and it raised awareness of my gay identity (see Halliwell, 2023). This was assumed twofold: through our group discussions of male ESC musicians we found attractive, and because of wider assumptions within ESC fan and gay culture that men who like Eurovision are gay (Singleton et al, 2007).…”

Topologies of visibility: A space-sensitive approach to online visibility analysis

“…The ESC was established in 1956 by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as an annual song competition and has since grown into the most popular musical mega-event worldwide, with participation of over 40 states and millions of viewers (Yair, 2019). Over the years, a dedicated fan culture has developed around the event, including various participatory practices and events in online and offline spaces (Halliwell, 2023). Twitter is a central fandom technology during the event, providing a backchannel of communication for commentary and engagement; a type of ‘communal space[…]where audience members can come together to discuss and debate, in real-time’ the unfolding event using hashtags such as #eurovision (Highfield et al, 2013: 317).…”

Eurovision Song Contest: From Apolitical to Mega‐Political?

“…Although ESC research is predominantly centered among gender and media scholars, the ESC has demonstrated multifaceted dimensions of interest, with a steady rise in publications over the years (e.g., Halliwell 2023;Palma-Martos et al 2023;Carniel 2024). Yair (2019) highlighted three themes that have garnered significant attention: Eurovision as the "Olympics of homosexuals," bloc voting, and Eurovision's role in shaping a European image and branding.…”

“…Regarding gender and specifically LGBTQ+ issues, Baker (2017), Motschenbacher (2013), andHalliwell (2023) discussed the nonheterosexual norms of the contest, particularly its domination by a gay male audience. The image and branding aspects emphasize how the contest fosters, or intends to foster, European identity, while countries use the platform to showcase their national or regional cultures (Baker 2008;Mitrovic 2010;Fernandez and Lopes 2021;Kyriakidou et al 2018;Kalman et al 2019).…”

“…Although ESC research is predominantly centered among gender and media scholars, the ESC has demonstrated multifaceted dimensions of interest, with a steady rise in publications over the years (e.g., Halliwell 2023; Palma‐Martos et al. 2023; Carniel 2024).…”