Madonna, Icelandic goth band Hatari make controversial statements at Eurovision in Israel
The Netherlands’ Duncan Laurence, bookmakers’ favorite to win the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest with his moody alt-pop ballad “Arcade,” did just that at Saturday’s Eurovision final, which took place in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. But it was Iceland’s anarchist performance-art collective, Hatari, that stole the show, raising (and possibly singeing) eyebrows with their pyro-filled, BDSM-themed, gothic-industrial “Hatrie mun sigra” (translation: “Hate Will Prevail”).
ICELAND! FORGET ALL YOUR PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S #EUROVISION pic.twitter.com/D1bzVkfh8z
— BBC Eurovision🇬🇧 (@bbceurovision) May 18, 2019
If Iceland doesn’t win then it’s kink shaming. #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/lgeaeBJtOx
— Lawrence Murphy (@LadyQuendalin) May 18, 2019
It might have been the raciest, wildest performance in Eurovision history. And Hatari generated even more controversy when they displayed pro-Palestinian flags while sitting in the green room at the Expo Tel Aviv complex.
While Hatari did not prevail, the leather-sheathed, gimp-masked shock-rockers — who going into the finals were predicted to have only a 4 percent chance of winning — pulled off a minor upset, making it to 10th place over safer, warmer, and fuzzier acts. They did this entirely via the people, since they received no professional jury votes but their 186 public votes were enough to propel them towards the top of leaderboard, edging out Czech Republic favorites Lake Malawi’s cheery “Friend of a Friend.” While Hatari sang in Icelandic, apparently the masses connected to the group’s dystopian message, with lyrics that translated into English as “Debauchery unconstrained/Hangover uncontained/Life’s purposeless confusion/The void will swallow all… Universal obfuscation/Unilateral execration/From gullible delusion… And Europe’s heart impale/Burn off its web of lies.”
When Hatari received their surprising 186 public votes, they celebrated by holding up Palestinian flags while the audience jeered and booed; the camera quickly cut back to the live telecast’s hosts. Commentator Graham Norton remarked during the BBC broadcast of the program that the gesture "didn't go down well in the hall,” and Twitter was divided. An Instagram video shot by band member Einar Stefánsson appears to show security personnel confiscating Hatari’s flags.
Wow. Einar (from Hatari) filmed the fall-out after their Palestine protest. Production coming up to them and demanding they hand over their Palestine flags. #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/8b0saPMEc1
— scandipop (@scandipop) May 18, 2019
So Iceland held up Palestine banners after their score was announced, imagine what their winning speech would've been!!!! Can't believe we're never going to get to hear that
— Lily Evans (@LilyEvans2002) May 18, 2019
THE ICELAND ACT IS ACTUALLY ICONIC FOR DOING THAT! #eurovision #iceland #palestine pic.twitter.com/FWUfohbntZ
— 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 | #purplebeck (@sieouls) May 18, 2019
This is what #Hatari from #Iceland did after their public votes were announced at the non-political #Eurovision. They can go to hell. pic.twitter.com/vgEKNaww0M
— Ozraeli Dave (((????? ???))) (@Israellycool) May 18, 2019
"Hatari represent a considered reflection on hope and hopelessness, power, and repression, of image, individualism, despotism, exposing the contradictions that arise when everyone is embedded within the same system and struggling to fight against it,” reads Hatari’s statement in their official Eurovision bio. "We cannot change things, but we can unveil the anomie of neoliberal society, the pointlessness of every minute spent in the futile race, and the low price for which man now sells himself ever more blatantly. We can scream at our own impotence, scream at our collective sleepwalk through routine, and implore our audience to unite, shoulder to shoulder, and dance. Dance, basically, or die.”
One might assume that famous rabble-rouser Madonna, who performed at the Eurovision ceremony amid protest, approved of Hatari’s boldness — even if she didn’t totally agree with their extreme political statement. Her more unifying medley performance of “Like a Prayer” and the new Madame X track “Future” (with Migos rapper Quavo) not only featured black leather and creepy masks, but two of her dancers wore Palestinian and Israeli flags on their backs as they embraced. During an interview before her Eurovision performance, Madonna had the audience sing her famous message, “Music makes the people come together.”
ICYMI the Israel and Palestinian flag was shown briefly on the back of two of the performers at the end of Madonna's performance.
The EBU and broadcaster KAN have said they were unaware that this was going to happen and that it didn't occur during rehearsals. pic.twitter.com/iBi6HKZK8c— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) May 18, 2019
@Madonna puts the Israeli and Palestinian flags hand in hand on the Eurovision song context in Israel in front of the world. pic.twitter.com/xzW7qOikuw
— Jason Domino (@TheJasonDomino) May 18, 2019
Last month, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters penned an op-ed for The Guardian titled “If you believe in human rights, Madonna, don’t play Tel Aviv.” She responded via a statement to Reuters, saying, “I’ll never stop playing music to suit someone’s political agenda nor will I stop speaking out against violations of human rights, wherever in the world they may be.”
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