Spain's Eurovision entry angers feminists

BARCELONA

Spain's leftist government defended on Feb. 6 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 Feb. 3.

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."