Controversy of Conchita Wurst – the Bearded Female Eurovision Winner

Gender and sex come together, as society tries to match up ways of behaving with biologically based sex assignments (Eckert & McConnell-Ginet, p.2). Sex is biologically categorized based on our potential reproduction system, while gender is established within the society through our performance based on our biological sex. In a simpler way, sex is given and gender is socially labeled. Sex defines us as male or female. Our society has determined the appropriate behavior for us according to which sexes we belong to; if we are male then we should act and do manly things, like walking steadily or swaggering, having challenging and adventurous activities as hiking, rock-climbing, biking, etc, whereas female must be gentler, more elegant, doing soft and simpler activities such as cooking, having body treatment, book reading, etc. Those differentiations between male and female create what we call as gender stereotypes. Therefore, gender and sexual identity has become blurred nowadays. We cannot determine one’s sexual identity only based on their sexes or ways of behaving anymore, especially after gay (LGBT) movements has come into public. The existence of homosexuals among the heterosexuals gives us another perspective in looking the connection between sexual identity and gender role. From many cases of interconnection of gender and sexual identity, particularly in gay cases, here is the story of Conchita Wurst, the winner of Eurovision 2014 whose image brings up controversy and debate.

Conchita Wurst is an alter-ego of 25-year-old Thomas Neuwirth who wins European singing contest, Eurovision, of 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Thomas Neuwirth grows up in Austria used to join a boysband called ‘Jetzt Anders’. Little Thomas used to dress up in women’s clothes in private at family home (Glennie & Newton, 2014). His transformation as Conchita Wurst image is quite sensational, not because he changes his image from male singer into a diva, but mostly because he lets his beard covering his face although he dresses up in gown and grows his hair straight down to his hips. The image of bearded diva also explains much about his sexual orientation as gay. Though his stunning performance in Eurovision and his ‘unique’ appearance has carried him to be the winner, even the second victory for his country in the contest after ABBA, but it doesn’t mean everyone will agree to Conchita’s fans. There are also many critiques towards Thomas Neuwirth’s choice to create the bearded diva image, his alter-ego, Conchita Wurst.

As stated in the article in Mail Online Thomas Neuwirth has found himself likes to be a woman since he is a kid. He often dresses up when he is at home, mostly done in the attic of his house where he says that is the only way he can be his ‘real’ self. It shows that he is not comfortable with his own body as a boy. Besides, I think also about his high dedication to his mother, as he makes a tattoo of her mother’s face on his back, is interesting because a boy usually take a look on his father, but he spends most of his time with his mother and his mother also inspires him for the victory in Eurovision which makes his feminine side is more sticking out. Before his 18th birthday he also admits that he is a gay. It is more obvious that his character has been shaped since he is a boy which leads him to be a gay. Though he says that whenever he becomes Conchita he will act as a lady and use female toilet even, but when he is Tom he will use the male toilet and be lazy as most guys do. From the article, I get that many people think that Tom creates his alter-ego, Conchita, is only for the sake of fame, but I think it is more complicated than that. Seen from the bearded diva image of Conchita that he creates, I’d rather say it is the feminization of gay masculinity. He stays with the beard because he wants to emphasize that he is a man and there is still masculine part within him. While the way he dresses up and makes up as Conchita shows his gay character, as we know that gay stereotypes are usually sissy and effeminate.

Winning Eurovision 2014 doesn’t mean Conchita gets supports from all of the audience. There are many critiques come up towards Tom’s image as bearded diva, mostly from Russian men. Russia politician, Vladimir Zhirinovsky says that Conchita’s winning is the end of Europe, and that they (the singing competition) does not have men and women, but they have ‘it’. It is a hard protest, because the politician still considers gay and other subordinate groups as the ‘other’. Well, it is fair since Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, introduces a law banning ‘gay propaganda’. Other protests are shown from social media which many guys have selfie picture while they shave their beards. One of the protestors writes in his social media, “the day before yesterday was the last day the beard makes you more manly,” with the posting of photo sequence showing him shaving himself after Conchita wins Eurovision. For men, beard is kind of symbol of their masculinity, but since the appearance of Conchita Wurst as the bearded diva many think that it degrades the value of beard as the pride of men.

The case of Conchita Wurst gives us the image of the blurred connection between gender and sexual identity, especially after the existence of gay movements. Gender and sexual identity depends on how we look to and think of our self. Though there are many people oppose what Conchita Wurst or Thomas Neuwirth performs in public, that does not stop him to win the Eurovision 2014. After all, it can be concluded that for some people gender and sexual identity are now flexible, not absolute anymore, we can be whatever we are comfortable with, doesn’t matter if it is different from the valid norms in the society, because nothing valid today. While there are some still stick to the norm and do not agree to the flexibility of gender and sexual identity.


Gender and Sexual Identity:
Controversy of Conchita Wurst – the Bearded Female Eurovision Winner
 by
Monica C. Ameliana – C1312013

 

References:

Eckert, P and McConnell-Ginet, S. Languange and Gender, Second Edition. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press

Glennie, A and Newton, J, art. (2014). “Before she had a beard: See the amazing transformation of Conchita Wurst from male singer to Eurovision diva”, Mail Online, published 00.20 GMT, 12 May 2014, updated 00.23 GMT, 13 May 2014


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Woman in Freud’s Psychoanalysis Theory




A.    Background

Early 20th century is considered important in American development because of many alterations within American society influenced by modern thought. Twenties era (1920-1930) becomes significant in the history because in those years a number of intellectual movements emerged and affected the popular thinking of the times (Horton & Edwards, 1967: 331). Among the movements, there is Freudianism which impressed American society with its new perspective on sexuality and psychology. Freud’s theory comes up on the right times when American society was amazed and overwhelmed by the new way of life which was far away from the old tradition, including the flappers and hedonism as the result of post World War I (Horton & Edwards, 331).

Sigmund Freud has been interested to romantic literature in the earlier nineteenth since he was in high school and it seems that his interest contributes a lot in his theory which merely discuss about the importance of love and sexual origin acceptance in human relationships (Horton & Edwards, 332). Freud also divides human psyche into the conscious as the part related to the external world and the unconscious which is more of instinctual drives and repressed wishes (Storey, 2008: 91). This elaboration of his theory explains that sexual is the most important instinctual drives.

When we talk about sexuality and Freud’s idea of sexuality affections towards human’s psychology, we cannot put aside the existence of woman whom has been the object of sexuality for man. Even in getting the control over their body and sexual desires, women need to struggle to get their basic rights. That is why this paper is made to explain more about Freud’s opinion in seeing women and how his theory affects women movements.

B.    Discussion

The social condition at the time Freudianism arrived among the society of America enables to be accepted, especially within the youth society, although they only take the surface of Freud’s idea about sexual looseness. As the previous generation considers sexual desire is taboo and should not be expressed publicly, Freud’s theory gives an excuse to them to do it in the other way. A group of American young intellectuals, Greenwich Village in New York, is interested in Freud’s psychology system and theory of sex to encounter their experience of World War I (Horton & Edwards, 351). Freudianism also influences the popular works of the era, like tabloid picture in the newspapers with cheap sensation, erotic movies, and technology of automobile flourishing as the spot of some youth to release their sexual fulfillment. The most influence of Freudianism can be seen from the literary theme at the time about sexual hedonism which relates to Freud’s new technique of seduction (Horton & Edwards, 352). It also increases the right of women to the same passionate experience of love as men.

Freud describes women as inferior to men, that women are instrumental in the development and advancement of psychoanalysis (taken from: psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/p/freud_women.htm). He thinks women as inferior because he belongs to the generation of opposing women movements which are begun in the era of Twenties. Therefore, Freud finds a method of psychoanalysis which later reveals the hysteria symptom in woman, though at first he studies it in man but it does not work really. His first object of analysis is known as Anna O who experiences several symptoms of hysteria, such as hallucination, amnesia and partial paralysis (Horton & Edwards, 333). After doing some sort of interviews, Freud suggests that women hysteria comes from women experience of sexual abuse in childhood memory and it influences to the development of women’s sexual fantasies (taken from: psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/p/freud_women.htm). So, it emphasizes that women also feel sexual desires like men do and this sexual desires can bring hysteria to women.

image taken from www.popsugar.com




The case of women hysteria also can be seen in a movie entitled Black Swan (2010). This movie talks about a talented ballerina, Nina Sayers, who gets hysteria symptom because of self-oppression in pursuing her dream to get the main role in Swan Lake production. In the movie we can see the vulnerable side of woman when she gets oppression from the social condition (the firm rivalry among ballerinas and her mother’s unfinished obsession in ballet career) and also her hard impulsion to get her dream in playing the role as White Swan and Black Swan. In seeing through the character of Black Swan here Nina gets into the hysteria symptom, she has hallucination of someone trying to steal the role of Black Swan from her until she becomes obsessed to Black Swan, even she racks her own body unconsciously. The obsession is also the result of the era where women now are free to express themselves and tended to be more ambitious than the previous generation. The Black Swan characters itself are seducing and deceitful (taken from: www.imdb.com), while Nina character is fragile, innocent, and gentle, so it is quite hard for her to nail the role. In time she practices the role, she is seduced by her director in order to reveal her sexual appeal and this experience makes her curious about sexual fulfillment and even having sexual fantasy of her rival which I may refer it also as hysteria symptom.

In psychoanalysis, Freud also explains about the two parts of psyche that are the conscious and unconscious. Related to Black Swan movie, we can see the unconscious part of Nina when she gets hallucination of her having twin sister, for the unconscious is, “the dark, inaccessible part of our personality … a chaos, a cauldron full of excitations.” (Storey, 2008:92). So actually the dark ‘twin’ is naturally possessed by everyone and human nature is something in part introduced from outside, always open to change (Storey, 93). Nina also gets what Freud called as ‘repression’ which “lies simply in turning something away, and keeping it at a distance, from the conscious” (Storey, 93). This repression causes amnesia or removing all the things we cannot do or will not do, just like Nina who drowns to deep in inspiring the Black Swan characterization.

 C.    Conclusion
From the background and the discussion we can conclude that Freud’s psychoanalysis theory is more or less useful to identify the psychology of certain people. Psychoanalysis also shows that sexual desires are experienced by women too. Women actually cannot be separated from the discussion about psychology and sexuality because these two terms are remained important because women usually get oppression psychologically and sexually from men and other factors around them. Through psychoanalysis also hysteria symptom which is usually experienced by women is found. So after all, although at its first emergence, Freud’s theory gets a lot of criticism, but later it is very useful in the development of psychological.
American Thought
Woman in Freud’s Psychoanalysis Theory
by
Monica C. Ameliana – C1312013 
(https://www.facebook.com/monica.ameliana)
References:
·    Black Swan movie (2011)
·    Cherry, K. Freud & Women: Freud’s Perspective on Women (psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/p/freud_women.htm)
·    Horton, R.W. & Edwards, H.W. (1967). Backgrounds of American Literary Thought. Appleton-Century-Crofts: New York
·    Storey, J. (2008). Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, An Introduction: 5th Edition. Pearson-Longman: Sunderland
·    www.imdb.com

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