Reaction from Russian politicians and stars following "bearded lady" Conchita Wurst's win in the Eurovision Song Contest was swift and nasty. The victory by Wurst, who is the alter ego of Austrian performer Tom Neuwirth, was blasted on Russian state television as the "end of Europe" by nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
On Twitter, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin shared in the outrage, adding that the Eurovision results "showed supporters of European integration their European future: a bearded girl." And it wasn't just politicians. Russian rapper Timati commented on his Instagram account that Wurst's win was a result of a "mental illness of contemporary society."
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