Women’s groups across Madrid, aligned with the Madrid Feminist Movement (MFM), joined forces in a collective push that gathered more than 1,500 signatures urging withdrawal. The Alicante duo Nebulossa represented Spain after their third Eurovision Song Contest victory, performing at Benidorm Festival.
The Movement announced this development on Monday, reiterating a message of concern. They argued that the song in question embodies a sexist insult and trivializes violence against women, labeling it as an inappropriate representation in a public, international event.
According to the organizers, more than 1,500 signatures were collected via an online form supporting the written complaint. The document, dated 5 February, was submitted to several bodies: the Women’s Institute’s Women’s Image Observatory, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the RTVE Audience Ombudsman, and the RTVE Equality Observatory.
By Monday, 12 February, the Women’s Institute had received 491 complaints through the Observatory, social networks, and telephone lines, as stated by sources within the organization led by Isabel García to Europa Press.
As the Madrid Feminist Movement noted, responses to their communications remained open and the signature drive would stay active to reflect ongoing support.
Feminists highlighted that the issue generated strong anger and numerous complaints among women and women’s associations in Madrid, Catalonia, and other regions of Spain, contributing to significant pressure on RTVE’s leadership, including calls for accountability from the Equality delegate, Montserrat Boix.
One prominent journalist urged the public organization to acknowledge the concerns of the victims of sexist violence, while the Madrid Feminist Movement described its stance as a display of solidarity and a consistency-driven, dignified feminist gesture.
There was also criticism about the official translation of the song’s title and its lyrics into other languages, suggesting that some translations soften the message. Specifically, the English version renders a controversial term as “Vixen,” which some argue preserves a more neutral connotation than the traditional insulting terms in the original language. Critics point to terms such as “Bitch,” “Slut,” or “Whore” in the original wording, arguing that this translation choice broadens the impact.
Madrid’s feminist groups reiterated their call for the withdrawal of the song, stressing the need for respectful treatment of women and a strong sense of responsibility among public institutions in the fight against verbal and other forms of violence against women.
EBU’s review and official stance
The European Broadcasting Union confirmed its review process last week. The song in question, titled in Spanish as formerly discussed, was deemed by the EBU to be an eligible entry for this year’s Eurovision competition, given the context of its lyrics and intended message. The organization noted that details regarding staging would be decided later with producers and participants, with final decisions to be announced in due course.
RTVE’s Communications and Engagement Director, María Eizaguirre, explained that the term at the heart of the dispute is clearly defined in the RAE dictionary and that the lyrics comply with current regulations. The EBU echoed this assessment.
Within the EBU’s values and integrity framework, broadcasters taking part in Eurovision are expected to uphold core values and protect the integrity of the show, ensuring that no contestant, delegation, or country experiences discrimination or ridicule. This framework guides the handling of all competition materials and performances.
The Benidorm Fest winner for 2024 was Nebulossa, with 156 points. One of the group’s members, Mery Bas, defended the song’s message, emphasizing the importance of conveying its themes to a European audience. She stated that the term in question is being reinterpreted publicly and that perspectives on it can evolve with broader discussion.