May 16, 2023 – 8:30 PM – Culture
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After her defeat in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, La Zarra, the Canadian singer of Moroccan descent who was a candidate for France, made a gesture that neither her fans nor the French delegation liked. She has been under fire ever since.
While she was in the top 10 according to the bookmakers, La Zarra finished in 16ᵉ place on Saturday during the Eurovision Song Contest (104 points, far behind Loreen, the Swedish winner, who collected 583 points). Her fans and those in the know of the match were shocked not so much by her defeat as by the gesture she made after announcing the results. The singer pointed with a haughty look first with her middle finger down and then up for the camera, according to The Parisian.
Read also: Eurovision Song Contest: Loreen triumphs, La Zarra makes an obscene gesture (photo)
This caused quite a stir at the Eurovision Song Contest. “Although I represent France, I also have a double culture. It is a bit generational. It is not a negative gesture, on the contrary, it is a gesture of disappointment that we use among friends. There are many gestures that mean something different in other countries . It’s definitely not a middle finger,” the singer responded. But La Zarra struggles to convince the public. In a story on Instagram, she justified herself again. “The gesture I made is absolutely not a contempt or an insult. And in no way is it a middle finger. It is a gesture of disappointment that could be translated as ‘so be it’. No more, no less. No desire to shock or provoke. My apologies if it’s been misinterpreted.”
The explanation is not enough to bring peace back. “The gesture is inappropriate and no more acceptable on a sports field than in an art competition,” confirms a former contestant. “But her explanation is even more inappropriate. In addition, we have all had a hard time, we all get slapped in the face when we only get a few points, but we remain worthy.”
Read also: Eurovision candidate La Zarra hopes for support from Morocco
The fans of the candidate do not hide their disappointment. “I am disappointed,” confirmed Benoît Blaszczyk, head of Eurofans, on Sunday afternoon. “This is not the image of France that I want to give in this match. La Zarra did not show the decorum or the fair play that was expected of her. It is a match, there is only one winner. Look, the Spanish candidate who smiled and made a gesture of thanks when the audience gave her only 5 points…”
2023-05-16 18:30:00
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