Petition to stop BBC broadcasting Eurovision song that glamorises sexual strangulation (before the watershed!)

[DreamyHedgehog]

Someone has created a change.org petition calling on The BBC and The EBU to not broadcast “Choke Me”, a song competing at Eurovision this year which glamorises sexual strangulation - unless the lyrics are changed.

The song is due to be broadcast on May 14th shortly after 8pm on BBC One - before the watershed.

I’ve just signed, sharing here in case anyone else wants to sign and share too.

https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-bbc-airing-eurovision-content-that-normalises-violence-against-women

These are the full lyrics to the song:

Phantom
You feel like a phantom
Why do you wanna tame me?
It's hard to breathe in
Do you feel me?
Do what I say
And don't you ever betray me
You are here to obey me
Are you not?
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode like oh oh oh…
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Choke me
Choke me
Choke me
Save me
Inside I'm blazin'
I want you to call me, call me, call me
Call, my body is begging
Do what I say
And don't you ever betray me
You are here to obey me
Are you not?
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode like oh oh oh…
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
All I need is your love
I want it to choke me, choke me, choke me
Born for you to control
I want you to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Love me, make my lungs explode like oh oh oh…
All I need iѕ your love
I wаnt it to choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me
Ch-ch-ch-choke me

Eurovision, and the artists competing in it, have been trying too hard to be edgy and provocative in recent years. It's extremely tiresome - I just want to hear good songs and see excellent wind machine usage.

I don't think the song should be played before the watershed if this is the content.

I don’t think it should be played after the watershed either.

I agree. I just find it extra galling the BBC thinks this is suitable to be broadcast to all audiences (the petition isn’t about changing time slot, it’s about changing the lyrics).

Signed. Wholly inappropriate message to broadcast at any time.

History tells us that the one thing certain to make a song more popular is for it to be banned or censored.

Wtf! 😡

Promoting sexual abuse that can lead to death/murder, how is that 'song' even chosen?

I feel like I have walked into some sick parallel universe.

Signed and shared

You had me at Petition to stop BBC broadcasting Eurovision.

Eurovision needs a rehaul, it used to be family entertainment before and after watershed. It's really not any more.

Eurovision has always had acts that go for the "shock" performance.

There have been numerous acts with almost naked dancers writhing around on stage. There was the band which dressed up as demons, the transvestite band which spanked each other on stage and the two milkmaids who pretended to have sex on stage. Those are just the ones I can remember.

I agree. No one should be normalising this. Putting pressure on the neck is not only dangerous because of the risk of suffocation, but because putting pressure on the vagus nerve or the major blood vessels in the neck can lead to sudden death.

Signed. How utterly disgusting.

Eurovision is a far cry from the original intention.

It has become a fetish ball which should not be on primetime BBC.

Shame on Romania too.

I love Eurovision but think this is appalling and hope they reconsider. They made Israel change their lyrics at the last minute a few years ago as it was deemed too political so it’s not too late.

I was going to blame the people of Romania but there was no public vote. It was chosen by a jury of 7 Romanian judges apparently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romania_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest_2026#Final

Jesus! How was this ever considered a song worthy of being written…never mind being performed! Disgusting content…😖

All the above explain why I never watch this utterly dreadful programme.

You’re sadly correct. The song is high in the odds to win right now and has militant defenders who attack anyone that suggests it’s inappropriate online.

Quite sure the strategy behind the lyrics was to make sure that happened. The controversy is on purpose.

It’s a damned if you speak up damned if you don’t situation for people who understand how offensive and reckless the lyrics are.

However, responding to it does also allow the message that strangling someone is never safe to get through to more people too. Which is important, especially as Eurovision is increasingly popular with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

So even if the BBC and EBU continue to pass the buck and just deny there is an issue, that’s something good that came out of it at least.

That's gross. Signed.

I still snigger childishly to myself when playing Ebeneezer Goode.

The Will Ferrell film Eurovision has some very funny parodies of the modern acts; backing singers gyrating earnestly in bondage rags, portentous solos, ludicrous overblown setpieces etc.

Grabbing attention by dressing sexy, singing about sex, practically having sex on stage; this is what Madonna was doing 30 years ago. It's boring now.

Vile. Signed and shared.

Signed and shared - and small amount of gardening

Horrible

Non fatal strangulation is a criminal offence in this country and several European countries.

We should be putting pressure on the Eurovision organisers to have this entry removed.

There should be no question over it being shown either before or after the watershed - we shouldn’t air a song glorifying murder, this is also not on.

Signed.

I'll sign that, I cant see how its legal to air it as the act is illegal in the UK. Would it be legal to sing a song in favour of bestiality, or paedophilia?

A description of the content or a short indicative sample would be enough.

Yes. It's inevitable that this will bring more attention to the song. That's okay, so long as it also sheds light on the problems with strangulation, which tbh need to be talked about.