A bit of a drag: what Eurovision tells us about the federal budget

A Song's Coda: When Diversity Fails or the Australian Love of Norms

An unfortunate element of The Eurovision 2014 broadcast for Australians-perhaps important to reflect on in terms of Australia's culture of categorisation and disparity-was the unexpected failure of SBS commentators to embrace all forms of diversity with respect.

Commentary by SBS' Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang, despite their barracking for Conchita's win, grated with audiences across the three nights. The pair have been Eurovision co-commentators for SBS each year since 2009. Aside from baffling encouragements from Ms Zemiro to the audience to "Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!" much of the commentary involved mocking performers, participants and commentators from other countries.

The clothing of commentators from across Europe was particularly targeted by them during the vote-counting, with a litany of either raves or disapproval, as if there is to be only one style, one fashion and two categories-the fashionable and the hideous. This, ostensibly, ignores the diverse and complex ways in which fashion and taste develop in different countries, at different times and in different ways.

The other targets were the categories of the elderly and the young. During the second semi-final aired on Saturday 9 May, an interval act starred ordinary members of the public invited to stage to dance. This included Kit, an eighty-six year-old woman from Denmark who gave a lively dance performance but was mocked by Sam Pang: "Tell you what, Kit'd be having a good time if she knew where she was," implying senility and non-belonging at Eurovision.

This is not so different from Prime Minister Tony Abbott dismissing the legitimacy of a budget response from Australian pensions.

Younger performers were also targets in Eurovision commentary, particularly Finland's entry performed by alternative rock band Softengine, comprised of boys aged seventeen to nineteen years. Pang repeatedly referred to them mockingly as children and as kids, in a way which ignores the talent and hard work they brought to the competition.

Not unlike the dismissing the struggle of young persons of about the same age seeking jobs in a particularly difficult labour market, now forced to do so under Youth Allowance rather than the more adult NewStart.

Perhaps it is notable that, at a time when Australia's budget negatively affects many young adults and the elderly, Australia's Eurovision commentators likewise categorise and exclude those groups.

Australia was represented in Eurovision commentary by brutish, mean-spirited, disdainful and disrespectful observations, which might easily be mistaken for the inane murmurings of two drunks at a pub. Indeed it is remarkable that while they gave great support for Conchita's win, they were unable to embrace the diversity in the spirit of Eurovision and instead represented Australia as a country and a culture that categorises injuriously (the senile elderly, the childish youth, the unfashionable) and embraces, looks after and respects only the mythical, narrow middle-ground category norm.

Much like the budget.