Spain’s Eurovision entry angers feminists

MADRID: Spain's leftist government defended Tuesday the country's entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest after it came under fire from feminist groups who said it ‘insults women'.

Spanish electro pop group Nebulossa's song 'Zorra' — a word that can be translated as 'vixen' but is almost always used to mean 'slut' or 'bitch' — will represent Spain at the world's biggest live music event.

It was picked by a mix of votes from a jury and televotes during a contest broadcast on Saturday night on public television TVE.

A video of the group performing the song — which includes the lyrics: “If I go out alone, I'm the slut. If I'm having fun, I'm the sluttiest” — has since been viewed 2.5 million times on the station's YouTube channel .

“I have often been called a ‘zorra'. This song is a way to transform that word into something beautiful,” lead singer Maria Blas, 55, told TVE.

Many feminist groups disagreed, with some calling for Spain to pick another song to represent the country at Eurovision, which will be held in Sweden in May.

The song “insults women in a sexist way”, the Feminist Movement of Madrid collective said in a statement, adding it was 'absurd' to argue that 'insistently repeating' the word could 'empower' women.

But Equality Minister Ana Redondo Garcia called it a 'fun song, which breaks stereotypes'.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a self-declared feminist, also weighed in, telling private television La Sexta he liked the song.

“Feminism is not only fair, it can be fun, and this type of provocation must come from culture,” he added.

The European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision, said it had concluded that “Zorra” would not have to undergo any lyric changes and was eligible to participate in the contest since “there are many interpretations of the title of the song”.