Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Eurovision 2016: Viewers unimpressed by host's 'crazy is the new black' joke

Though Sweden's hosting duties largely went down a storm with viewers - one gag involving a Eurovision straitjacket soon turned sour

Clarisse Loughrey
Sunday 15 May 2016 08:35 BST
Comments

You've got it hand to Sweden for pulling off quite the Eurovision Song Contest spectacular: from Justin Timberlake's A-list glitz, its self-aware humour, to the impenetrable charm of hosts Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw.

However, there was one sour note in the proceedings which left a bad taste in the mouths of more than a few viewers; making for a surprisingly offensive moment in what was elsewhere a very jovial, good-hearted evening.

While poking fun of Europe's general hysteria for all things Eurovision, host Petra Mede began to show off some of the memorabilia available from the night's show.

First was the standard Eurovision hat, then she moved on - to a straitjacket. "And if you’re a really crazy fan I strongly recommend the Eurovision straitjacket," she joked "You know what they say - crazy is the new black."

Though Swedish humour is certainly well-known for its darker, drier strands; it's a wonder whether Eurovision is ever an appropriate place for jokes targeting mental health, and many viewers were left a little shocked by the gag.

7 most bizarre moments in Eurovision history


In the end, Ukraine came out the surprise winners of the evening, beating both Australia and Russia in a tense new voting system. Jamala's poignant song "1944" about the mass deportation of Tatars under Josef Stalin, moved voters across Europe to earn her first place with 534 points, forcing Dami Im's "Sound of Silence" for Australia and Sergey Lazarev's "You Are The Only One" to miss out on victory with 511 and 491 points respectively.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in