tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26952773525442933412024-03-19T05:51:09.098-07:00unsettling comfortslaura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-17793054092177971592010-05-02T21:47:00.000-07:002010-05-02T21:59:07.555-07:00"performing mexicanidad"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk80CZPcQyFHQU8EECQejOYCzbIMIsD3fPe-cVrAv23Zv4ZCSsokKXTco0y2r116tiNZAkzJ79z27WOupdcTiPdhOuM6U1WR8vQZHtJPdu6C406AfQ2QFqW_y2u5c2AoUfz3bN1fIFtfc/s1600/Picture+2.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk80CZPcQyFHQU8EECQejOYCzbIMIsD3fPe-cVrAv23Zv4ZCSsokKXTco0y2r116tiNZAkzJ79z27WOupdcTiPdhOuM6U1WR8vQZHtJPdu6C406AfQ2QFqW_y2u5c2AoUfz3bN1fIFtfc/s320/Picture+2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466902506088874354" /></a><br />for such a long time i had planned on titling my book "unsettling comforts." but one's particular likes and wants don't always match-up with the likes and wants of those in charge of the actual book's publication. so, after many-a-month hiatus, i come out of the woodwork to announce the birth of my first book-length publication: <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/gutper.html">performing mexicanidad: vendidas y cabareteras on the transnational stage</a>. by the way, i actually like the title that was used for the publication, specially the subtitle...vendidas y cabareteras has a nice ring in my ears! i want to thank everyone that made this book's birth possible--it's been a long time gestating--specially the fierce female artists whose work inspired the writing.laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-73263334671947670442008-12-15T17:55:00.000-08:002008-12-15T18:37:10.564-08:00"te adoramos maría": mexico's 'playboy'...oh boy!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqq05tax4WcM9bjkb4mZP9eNiEzpVsjYmYtDz3UGmNP-wLr5MPNVQ_Ui8qeqdFEC1TQGZwr6NpGVO-8YTC2wN4YPRz8hNfu6u9wLr_SmIHOdmn7VZ88OzY4DAZFwBirh0lNSNxp3_Ets/s1600-h/virginmaryplayboy.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqq05tax4WcM9bjkb4mZP9eNiEzpVsjYmYtDz3UGmNP-wLr5MPNVQ_Ui8qeqdFEC1TQGZwr6NpGVO-8YTC2wN4YPRz8hNfu6u9wLr_SmIHOdmn7VZ88OzY4DAZFwBirh0lNSNxp3_Ets/s320/virginmaryplayboy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280201093527399570" /></a>as millions of guadalupanos, or devotees of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgen_de_Guadalupe">virgen de guadalupe</a>, prepared to venerate her on her day, <span style="font-style:italic;">playboy</span> magazine was also preparing its december issue that was 'graced' (pun well intended) with the model maría florencia onori on the cover. this maría posed as THAT maría and caused some...well, discomfort, much of what one of my forthcoming book's chapters deals with, representations that conflate sexuality and religion. in addition to the coincidence exploited by <span style="font-style:italic;">playboy</span> executives and creative teams--december is a month for mexicans that is about december 12 (the day in which the virgen de guadalupe is honored) and december 24 (well, you know, the birth of baby jesus, that gave birth while still a virgin)--raul sayrols, publisher of playboy mexico, attempts to explain yet another one: "the image is not and never was intended to portray the virgin of guadalupe or any other religious figure. the intent was to reflect a renaissance-like mood on the cover." well, yes, i say...since then, <span style="font-style:italic;">playboy</span> has <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4BE54F20081215">apologized</a>. <span style="font-style:italic;"></span>laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-37289429716838780782008-08-30T06:33:00.000-07:002008-09-04T19:32:36.380-07:00tu futuro en libertad o el libro del sexo...¡gratuito!i'd never set foot in the <a href="http://www.sma.df.gob.mx/mhn/">museo de historia natural</a>, a natural history museum ensconced in the second sector of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapultepec">chapultepec park</a> in mexico city, until one sunday afternoon earlier this month. i went there to attend a special event/performance for children/youth by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesusa_rodriguez">jesusa rodríguez</a>, which was to take place in the museum's sala del universo that, i should mention, has not changed at all since the museum opened in 1964, during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Lopez_Mateos">adolfo lópez mateos</a> <span style="font-style:italic;">sexenio</span>; its loveliness resides in its unintentional retro feel. as most, if not all of her performances, rodríguez's show, "el libro del sexo gratuito," used political satire to make a comment on the recently released book by mexico city mayor, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcelo_Ebrard">marcelo ebrard</a>, <span style="font-style:italic;">tu futuro en libertad: por una sexualidad y salud reproductiva con responsabilidad</span>. this book, which has caused much <a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2008/08/06/index.php?section=capital&article=038n1cap">controversy</a>, was published by the government of mexico city and is to be or is being distributed to third year <span style="font-style:italic;">secundaria</span> students, as well as those attending <span style="font-style:italic;">preparatoria</span> (i.e. high school-aged youth). get yours free <a href="http://www.educacion.df.gob.mx/">here</a> or <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/docs/1025007/Tu-Futuro-en-Libertad">here</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYa9b_y4WFxXlQ35z9dgvl3hRuQH6ZkCeQL8Z3WLUoFz6Aw9fiCs2OYCf19jL1s7vjSM1GUYQysybymx1GFtF0UnYdzuQ0qYf3gBe3rZ_48HWsdQWzehXysmvAT-awx9FeaL86r-K0eY0/s1600-h/Picture+8.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYa9b_y4WFxXlQ35z9dgvl3hRuQH6ZkCeQL8Z3WLUoFz6Aw9fiCs2OYCf19jL1s7vjSM1GUYQysybymx1GFtF0UnYdzuQ0qYf3gBe3rZ_48HWsdQWzehXysmvAT-awx9FeaL86r-K0eY0/s320/Picture+8.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240420414440292818" /></a><br /><br />in typical rodríguez fashion, the performance, even from its very title, offers up that witticism that has marked her political cabaret performances for over twenty years. that is, "el libro del sexo gratuito" can be read two ways, "the free book about sex" or "the book about gratuitous sex"...jejejejesusa! it's a one-woman show where rodríguez impersonates (i know, wrong word), i should say parodies <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elba_Esther_Gordillo">elba ester gordillo</a>; her character, elba estéril, stands in front of her class in the appropriately semi-lit room to (mis-)educate the children of mexico city about all things related to sexuality. here's a snippet, where, as you'll see/hear, rodríguez doesn't skip a beat and makes a comment regarding the much-discussed proposal ("reform") that would begin to privatize <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemex">pemex</a>. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YXSN0zID5DI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YXSN0zID5DI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />[i apologize for the quality of the video, i have an old camera w/no lights, plus the room was very dark, something that rodríguez used to her advantage by saying that sex and discussions about sexuality in the mexican context are most often kept in the dark.] <br /><br /><br />p.s.a few weeks ago mexican journalist patricia vega published an essay in <a href="http://www.m-x.com.mx/2008-08-17/sexo-en-la-ciudad/">emeequis</a> about the controversy of <span style="font-style:italic;">tu futuro en libertad</span> that included an interview with guillermo bustamante manilla. in this interview the leader of the UNPF (unión nacional de padres de familia), a very conservative catholic right-wing organization, states that <span style="font-style:italic;">tu futuro en libertad</span> basically promotes "a culture of death." what would jejejesusa say in regard to this? i'm sure she's integrated the controversy that came about after the book's release in her subsequent performances of "el libro del sexo gratuito." <br /><br /><a href="http://www.m-x.com.mx/2008-08-17/sexo-en-la-ciudad/"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQJEMuFfJ_gxT0NlPWy4IeYXSvtYVnSeREyCx1yV9JqJgQcy6lJ9j_z0Z0ITkhp1AOiOg7A5VURcMESP-sErUgsr2oZ1e_YMRqJ57uUi0m-cNG19tN9skzR4BLxfGHdu1kmD73i728dI/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQJEMuFfJ_gxT0NlPWy4IeYXSvtYVnSeREyCx1yV9JqJgQcy6lJ9j_z0Z0ITkhp1AOiOg7A5VURcMESP-sErUgsr2oZ1e_YMRqJ57uUi0m-cNG19tN9skzR4BLxfGHdu1kmD73i728dI/s320/Picture+6.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239977913786151538" /></a></a><br /><br />p.s. #2 updated on sept. 3<br /><br />i wonder if ms. palin reads spanish. probably not, huh? it may be worthwhile to translate <span style="font-style:italic;">tu futuro en libertad</span> for her and her loved ones. or not, it may be too late; from <a href="http://indexed.blogspot.com/2008/09/or-just-pray-it-doesnt-happen-to-you.html">indexed</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhBb4lii4Brn2qEebf1lGi5niqgWBhQDBZZNWewMbXf54OwLNRoRnpOMN-5yy8_oKX2_eGB9qrxDmuKQvS8tt0GSCY9yPpCXfrfUj-e1REcuVpKk4OOSlMryAPGY3SZyXJ9oGBCfYUbE/s1600-h/card1759.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhBb4lii4Brn2qEebf1lGi5niqgWBhQDBZZNWewMbXf54OwLNRoRnpOMN-5yy8_oKX2_eGB9qrxDmuKQvS8tt0GSCY9yPpCXfrfUj-e1REcuVpKk4OOSlMryAPGY3SZyXJ9oGBCfYUbE/s320/card1759.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242358248253366770" /></a>laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-59043085898910926432008-08-09T17:05:00.000-07:002008-08-09T17:55:13.420-07:00in santa's chimalistac: a photoblog essayi've often wondered if MYTH is an appropriate descriptor for santa, the fictional character that emerged in novelistic fashion from the mind and pen of federico gamboa. the novel, published in 1903 and considered the first bestseller in mexican literary history, has also 'inspired' one song* and four film adaptations, all of which also carry the title of <span style="font-style:italic;">santa</span>, as the novel. but more importantly, santa is the mold by which the paradigmatic figure of the "noble prostitute," a fixture in mexico's cultural imaginary, was cast. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnCoFsO2usmqoGNrjbeUfbqVSAisBpMV7yO5bRqBMRctecx2wJlW2V0Sx7MMwOFPngNTIg5iq3W7MrCorYtHaX_xGnZf0nA5-CmCOmdJPtNhUt0AU8G9QIBve0hnDfgIIOon0q8dH4pM/s1600-h/P7310054.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnCoFsO2usmqoGNrjbeUfbqVSAisBpMV7yO5bRqBMRctecx2wJlW2V0Sx7MMwOFPngNTIg5iq3W7MrCorYtHaX_xGnZf0nA5-CmCOmdJPtNhUt0AU8G9QIBve0hnDfgIIOon0q8dH4pM/s320/P7310054.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232623750702071298" /></a>[fig 1. one of the most prevalent visual and aural images in mexico is of the female prostitute beneath a street lamp; see andrea palma's character in <span style="font-style:italic;">la mujer del puerto</span>. this is my 'take' of santa under the 'farol'. in chimalistac, santa has a street named after her. click to enlarge this and all images included here.]<br /><br />santa was engendered by gamboa from his memories of having lived in chimalistac, once a small sleepy town south of mexico city, but because of the mega-growth thing that happened around the middle of the twentieth century, now lies in the southern part of the megalopolis, adjacent to (or in the outer limits of) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Angel">san ángel</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9j4Ix6jiwOp3xT87rrmyEMTJ06pbyeRtauljiGY5bfVVavmUR6jmzcse57sU_SECUMcnbW0A7Y0btAwGAHhuojNDomo-CulaV4htwDNDl9Fwyg8oUTOdG6BmP-kKZHeR6NkTC_mK2IA/s1600-h/P7210030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9j4Ix6jiwOp3xT87rrmyEMTJ06pbyeRtauljiGY5bfVVavmUR6jmzcse57sU_SECUMcnbW0A7Y0btAwGAHhuojNDomo-CulaV4htwDNDl9Fwyg8oUTOdG6BmP-kKZHeR6NkTC_mK2IA/s320/P7210030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232633427299664290" /></a>[fig 2. a shot of a tiled depiction in the paseo del río of what el río magdalena in chimalistac might have looked during santa's life...now the river's dried up.] <br /><br />i won't get into plot details, but suffice it to say that it was from chimalistac that santa was expelled by her family after a soldier, who had 'dishonored' her, also shun her (or refused to marry her). santa then traveled to mexico's capital city where her only "option" to make a living was to become a prostitute. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6ZC9euMPz7W6_LANVajX52Hs8YFGKmsD9rr2WVvrewSHrfkqaDfvfjCMoEY2en5XDtyU-wVKg62MUUpxQMw6YUyo_jTGa3TR5oLu04JXSTFMyjv7Dl4FpdVz4nz3j3hphq8QIONzkTE/s1600-h/P7210033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6ZC9euMPz7W6_LANVajX52Hs8YFGKmsD9rr2WVvrewSHrfkqaDfvfjCMoEY2en5XDtyU-wVKg62MUUpxQMw6YUyo_jTGa3TR5oLu04JXSTFMyjv7Dl4FpdVz4nz3j3hphq8QIONzkTE/s320/P7210033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232632834076034818" /></a>[fig 3. one of the bridges that went over the now dried-up river magdalena, where santa was dishonored by the soldier. can you see the couple making out? things never change.]<br /><br />because of <span style="font-style:italic;">santa</span>'s literary success--blows the mind in a country that was mostly illiterate then!--gamboa was not only honored with a street named after him, but also got his own plaza in chimalistac, around the parish of san sebastián.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsx2f3EnwSIBwunaPNJavOh0uUK4SX-kjY3VsADzmHGVcVXUvhOhvYFWhAJ9OdAbZS8M_Ft3YBbkzQjePiXp6MW4BxQ0HzRe5MFfZejqRuX3CvE23zd8JzzMbETzMO7WbswRGfE7G74k/s1600-h/P7220123.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsx2f3EnwSIBwunaPNJavOh0uUK4SX-kjY3VsADzmHGVcVXUvhOhvYFWhAJ9OdAbZS8M_Ft3YBbkzQjePiXp6MW4BxQ0HzRe5MFfZejqRuX3CvE23zd8JzzMbETzMO7WbswRGfE7G74k/s320/P7220123.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232658945458252130" /></a>[fig 4. cross streets by the plaza federico gamboa.]<br /><br />of the four film adaptations, the most famous and best regarded is the 1932 version directed by antonio moreno and starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0869830/">lupita tovar</a> as santa. the grandmother of those boys that brought you <span style="font-style:italic;">american pie</span>, but that's another story. as i was saying: moreno's version also holds the honor of being the first talkie in mexican film history...hearing santa speak in melodramatic tone probably added more than one brick in the construction project to build this 20th century myth. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQsBnu9E7zIFDTyC5ZPuJQtTvBuOnRwS3JDaWv6up5rOQw8-Zn2iLeTkMje9otqzb2_OigfCZzpdh9eQlFLiEW-cjNT409dGZem16thxBptgNrM5uA_fpHHYxBe9PhE38z1LRzK_GeAo/s1600-h/P7220098.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQsBnu9E7zIFDTyC5ZPuJQtTvBuOnRwS3JDaWv6up5rOQw8-Zn2iLeTkMje9otqzb2_OigfCZzpdh9eQlFLiEW-cjNT409dGZem16thxBptgNrM5uA_fpHHYxBe9PhE38z1LRzK_GeAo/s320/P7220098.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232658957801911490" /></a>[fig 5. the plaque that gamboa read to tovar when they met, before the filming of moreno's version of <span style="font-style:italic;">santa</span>.]<br /><br />tovar herself traveled to mexico--she had already immigrated to hollywood and was working in the relatively short-lived spanish language film industry there--to meet with gamboa in the very plaza that carries the writer's name. and even went to meet the woman that inspired the character santa, emeteria, who was in her 70's by then. for more on this meeting go <a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2007/12/26/index.php?section=opinion&article=a05a1cul">here</a>. and to hear a relatively recent interview with tovar click <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19033089">here</a>.** <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0-Tp8Q3DeWcQHE9lTckTnL1ygggZ07A4w8bE2D784jL3GK3gZecbBDuXn7z8LeSMgC8QdM9dDqpBSyJ5f212QonylBwbFKgQIM8oL-rmc7BStx474-HSzI9djIupY3fpHhHnzJfoGyI/s1600-h/P7220102.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0-Tp8Q3DeWcQHE9lTckTnL1ygggZ07A4w8bE2D784jL3GK3gZecbBDuXn7z8LeSMgC8QdM9dDqpBSyJ5f212QonylBwbFKgQIM8oL-rmc7BStx474-HSzI9djIupY3fpHhHnzJfoGyI/s320/P7220102.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232658957021405362" /></a>[fig 6. the iconic franciscan cross that stands in the plaza a few feet in front of the very quaint parroquia de san sebastián where my favorite scene of the 1932 version was shot.]<br /><br />* a few verses of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agustin_Lara">agustín lara</a> composition inspired by santa.<br /><br />Santa, santa mía<br />mujer que brilla<br />en mi existencia<br />Santa, sé mi guía<br />en el triste calvario del vivir.<br /><br />Aparta de mi senda<br />todas las espinas;<br />calienta con tus besos<br />mi desilusión.<br />Santa, sé mi guía<br />alumbra con tu luz<br />mi corazón.<br /><br />**picture of lupita tovar, "mexico's sultry screen 'sweetheart'" at 97 holding an original <span style="font-style:italic;">santa</span> film poster (photo by stephen shugerman)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2NXWVJTylsCC0CL0pbFfDSRUMBGy4U6crHVGWJNu6bzXvoOFKO1KjbDU8j_16wjXwqyYclZMI8Z437TuG7s0gsWrvtkc2t80-Q8QASEXtD2y2K0t1eXAPzWtdnmfEtm8dx88QFwBEzA/s1600-h/lupita3_540.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2NXWVJTylsCC0CL0pbFfDSRUMBGy4U6crHVGWJNu6bzXvoOFKO1KjbDU8j_16wjXwqyYclZMI8Z437TuG7s0gsWrvtkc2t80-Q8QASEXtD2y2K0t1eXAPzWtdnmfEtm8dx88QFwBEzA/s320/lupita3_540.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232682067887729746" /></a>laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-73490069261425985092008-07-15T18:56:00.000-07:002008-11-13T01:47:43.238-08:00thinking of the diva of neomexicanismo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BerGDh3-jROgb5QYkoQsA8AUjJplmr-fX7iDNFx4nSXB9vz2Uasfejbw7OPITwf1fEWK-kmTKWlrbAV_rP-O9eL_a8t_IuQFiKf3Ac-qKFhYAaBzarcI6tz8kMNfES3ee1FcCQpzUBo/s1600-h/P7150236.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BerGDh3-jROgb5QYkoQsA8AUjJplmr-fX7iDNFx4nSXB9vz2Uasfejbw7OPITwf1fEWK-kmTKWlrbAV_rP-O9eL_a8t_IuQFiKf3Ac-qKFhYAaBzarcI6tz8kMNfES3ee1FcCQpzUBo/s320/P7150236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223430828084787138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />my first full day in mexico city and i was fully blown away by <a href="http://www.sanildefonso.org.mx/expos/juliogalan/pensandoenti.html">a great exhibit</a>. i walked to mexico city's centro histórico and tucked behind <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templo_Mayor">el templo mayor</a> is <a href="http://www.sanildefonso.org.mx/frame.php?sec=11">el antiguo colegio de san idelfonso</a>, a colonial building of learning since the 16th c, until it was converted to a museum. there i saw two exhibits, both great, but i focus on the second, entitled <span style="font-style:italic;">pensando en ti</span>, a retrospective of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Galan">julio galán</a>'s paintings, almost two years since his untimely death. mexico city is <span style="font-style:italic;">pensando en ti</span>'s second stop, as one <a href="http://bluegrassbaobabs.blogspot.com/2007/12/monterrey-and-art-of-julio-galan.html">blogger</a> noted, last year it opened in monterrey, where galán was partly raised.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sanildefonso.org.mx/expos/juliogalan/pensandoenti.html"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vC3fsLvHGWvbNcfwQiw8ZVzqlWThpnRP_w692-7YHXzK2g1USJDJ6q-pR4c6X9bXdkCkfGHcI4Yb2vGjwxdUKscFb8WCyIZ802UnhVYhumm98TCu4QLq7xBHQALhd8UCcfUm91Aj3D4/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vC3fsLvHGWvbNcfwQiw8ZVzqlWThpnRP_w692-7YHXzK2g1USJDJ6q-pR4c6X9bXdkCkfGHcI4Yb2vGjwxdUKscFb8WCyIZ802UnhVYhumm98TCu4QLq7xBHQALhd8UCcfUm91Aj3D4/s320/Picture+7.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223436481052646962" /></a></a>walking through the retrospective was as if layers of fine gauze were being slowly lifted to reveal the sadomasochistically tormented soul of julio galán, whose paintings have been tagged, including by him, as excessively autobiographical. his paintings from the 1980's--part of the neo-mexicanism wave that began to gain notoriety due to ironic playfulness of mexican nationalist iconography--have been credited with the renovation of mexican art. below, "mientras me despierto" from 1985. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPT_B3pppygWFqwS2WTkd_TrmY5FNZhyeFE6sRwTnBNR0It7TCGG5epFsaocuA7ZPIoE_F9yp8_OYLBjFCGAhaY-DV78ZGqR2t942ZYN7ZD_dbT7sbKU4NdTVIHQJSfyzb93UdZ3F9HY/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPT_B3pppygWFqwS2WTkd_TrmY5FNZhyeFE6sRwTnBNR0It7TCGG5epFsaocuA7ZPIoE_F9yp8_OYLBjFCGAhaY-DV78ZGqR2t942ZYN7ZD_dbT7sbKU4NdTVIHQJSfyzb93UdZ3F9HY/s320/Picture+4.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223444208646836114" /></a><br />his extravagance, or his histrionics (both in the self-portraits or on camera) as raquel tibol <a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/08/06/a05n1cul.php">labels his world</a>, continued from the 1980s to the new millennium. the retrospective contains galán's work from 2001; beyond the painting being used for publicity, <span style="font-style:italic;">pensando en ti</span>'s last paintings reveal a galán more and more obsessed with his queer persona. <a href="http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/519314.html">el universal</a> kinda agrees.laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-32352044952239233562008-07-11T09:04:00.000-07:002008-11-13T01:47:43.554-08:00queering el taller mecánico, 'down argentine way'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLJQ4mCwkCZv46q1vcRZuR9I3_D-vhRtKk54fjACXlRVyvIzXiPfUT_-tNNd_ahM7Do_npNt4f3On1-1hqu6GdqDOs1ePKvHoecZOvh0J8-tZG-LkdJwcN6lOkUtPCFYVDOjdlDMA0U0/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLJQ4mCwkCZv46q1vcRZuR9I3_D-vhRtKk54fjACXlRVyvIzXiPfUT_-tNNd_ahM7Do_npNt4f3On1-1hqu6GdqDOs1ePKvHoecZOvh0J8-tZG-LkdJwcN6lOkUtPCFYVDOjdlDMA0U0/s200/Picture+2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221793772118122370" /></a> "chica de calendario." i first heard this song by kumbia queers when somehow i stumbled on <a href="http://mx.myspace.com/laskumbiaqueers">their myspace page</a>, let's call it research. somehow these punkrockeras-turned-cumbiamberas are connected to me through those six degrees of queer separation. i donwloaded the song "chica de calendario" (oh and "la isla con chicas") to my ipod and have been listening to it (on and off) for a few months. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDTSOqSMXQ044lvOauTD1C_HTpIZi6GfUrK5zO8xqrxqUcJpuWtqyeuFNAo668o7jHzW5yxRT2-yWLzvWFgWDHr9UrK5chwA3eKgRR5r5IpRf1Zps5kPDRVZ5DM4Ml37F7D2scpLKibo/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDTSOqSMXQ044lvOauTD1C_HTpIZi6GfUrK5zO8xqrxqUcJpuWtqyeuFNAo668o7jHzW5yxRT2-yWLzvWFgWDHr9UrK5chwA3eKgRR5r5IpRf1Zps5kPDRVZ5DM4Ml37F7D2scpLKibo/s200/Picture+3.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221794155075394370" /></a>then i saw that the "chica de calendario" video was posted on youtube. i watched with similar delight as i had listened. fascinated by the way that this all-girl self-defined 'punk tropical' band had re-signified the hyper-masculine working class space of the mechanic shop, particularly its penchant for semi-nude calendar girls, and, oh yes, grease, lots of grease. and i laughed, of course, but always being conscious of these dykes's own level of consciousness. even their name's playing on the tejano <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbia_Kings">kumbia kings</a> group. have a look/listen: <br /> <br /><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oGNll2RQc6g&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oGNll2RQc6g&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br />this band of mostly former (and current) queer punk rockers is also, to my surprise, mostly made up of argentines (save one of the lead singers, whose mexican and sings in "chica de calendario"). but what throws me off is listening to the afore-mentioned "la isla con chicas," which sounds alot like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Isla_Bonita">"la isla bonita"</a>...all the "yo's" become "sho's" and you hear "sheno" and "sha"...i confess, not used to argentine's digging cumbia, then i came across <a href="http://cumbiadelapura.blogspot.com/2008/06/las-reinas-de-la-bailanta.html">this podcast</a> one day when i was cruising by the fine <a href="http://www.fmlatribu.com/">colectivo la tribu</a>. which led me to <a href="http://cumbiadelapura.blogspot.com/2008/03/temaso.html">this one</a>; turns out that during the argentine 'dirty war' <span style="font-style:italic;">cumbia</span> was used to ease the pain. so this is a post on re-thinking '<span style="font-style:italic;">cumbia</span>' and 'argentina.' so <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_cumbia">argentine cumbia</a> has a bit more nuances than i was aware of...laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-7993593643256406682008-07-10T06:24:00.000-07:002008-11-13T01:47:43.756-08:00racial DIS-comforts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eMxPboxl1rKSS2lhxxKocmzNdcIWwKkUhoxnr9TtrD-wpTx6orHefIFD_pbOIbq5v2Qn3txk3rpS8iJy84RSp0QljbRUP_WIuXM4FCsyjCPhfd1FnlnRE5648xvkkduivABbeYwb3VY/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eMxPboxl1rKSS2lhxxKocmzNdcIWwKkUhoxnr9TtrD-wpTx6orHefIFD_pbOIbq5v2Qn3txk3rpS8iJy84RSp0QljbRUP_WIuXM4FCsyjCPhfd1FnlnRE5648xvkkduivABbeYwb3VY/s320/Picture+5.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221408285997855218" /></a><br /><br />the afro-mexican <span style="font-style:italic;">historieta</span> (or comic book, or simply, cómic) character <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memin_Pinguin">memín pinguín</a> runs for president and he pisses people off. in a texas walmart, no less. and the webs of signification begin to spin. [btw, the tome was actually published in mexico during the presidential elections there, remember 2006? but what's interesting is the context in which it's being "read" w/out translation or with bad translation (<a href="http://unsettlingcomforts.blogspot.com/2008/06/noches-rabes-al-pastor-in-tepoztln.html">transnationalism, sigh!!</a>)] in today's <span style="font-style:italic;">la jornada</span> newspaper, the editorial director that publishes the comic, and son to Memín's creator Yolanda Vargas Dulché, said in a comuniqué: <br /><br />“Es increíble que protesten contra Memín Pinguín, personaje que lucha contra la discriminación y que resalta la belleza espiritual por encima del aspecto físico, pero no dicen nada contra algunas de las películas de Eddie Murphy que se venden también en Wal-Mart y que, ésas sí, ridiculizan a los afroestadunidenses con personajes que se convierten en mujeres de más de 400 kilogramos de peso. Tenemos tres años de vender las historietas de Memín Pinguín en Estados Unidos y nunca habíamos tenido problemas. Pero, al parecer, algunos tienen sus motivos políticos y se empeñan en ver racismo donde no lo hay”. <br /><br />read the full jornada story <a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2008/07/10/index.php?section=espectaculos&article=a09n1esp">here</a>.<br /><br />p.s. the coverage in the u.s. press pretty much looks likes this <a href="http://guanabee.com/2008/07/valencia-burgos-memin-pinguin.php">guanabee</a> post, but they have a video that's interesting.laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-62770699661887728152008-07-04T10:17:00.000-07:002008-11-13T01:47:44.378-08:00mexico en chicago<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_nQX2D-7X3FHo4rBJTy-ojy3Xk_b01nHzS_H7sMvWm6mpNEg8G7EuZyK7KZYUuuL3NMuKkJt7jOtrvIRo0Uw0MB54f1CeU7cL_-kQGnLkeB-tZc_p0TyCfxO6Au1s3j_OmZd38MeKFs/s1600-h/nmmapic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_nQX2D-7X3FHo4rBJTy-ojy3Xk_b01nHzS_H7sMvWm6mpNEg8G7EuZyK7KZYUuuL3NMuKkJt7jOtrvIRo0Uw0MB54f1CeU7cL_-kQGnLkeB-tZc_p0TyCfxO6Au1s3j_OmZd38MeKFs/s320/nmmapic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219212196899681810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">wet dreams<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span> (2008) by juan carlos macías (acrylic on canvas 24" by 84")<br /><br />though i seldom visit my hometown chicago (the place i immigrated to, like many mexicanos), i still subscribe to the e-newsletter that the national museum of mexican art puts out. call it nostalgia. call it (academic) curiosity. the <a href="http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/">NMMA</a> was--when it was called something <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_museum_of_mexican_art">else</a>--the place where i first began to build my interest for mexican and chicana/o performance art, this was through the 'del corazón' and 'sor juana' festivals. that's where i first saw luis alfaro, jesusa rodríguez and liliana felipe, maris bustamante, ofelia medina (and others) perform and got into this mess that will result in a book (<span style="font-style: italic;">unsettling comforts</span>)...that's another story though.<br /><br />the museum has gone through some changes, for better or for worse. but in its mainstreaming, it's maintained a certain level of edginess. i got the e-newsletter a few days ago announcing that today (btw happy fourth) opens an exhibit that is part of a three-year commitment to immigrant centered programs.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlokbET8wclEVD3s1ocN4tpXtddrWARkC-_aljdZo7vChszakR-9Aqkp6943sDaDwMIizxGUMXYksr2aNiK6OuKFuDG7JOL1QRKV5V5cQ_hYB4xUXYG8LOxMZtDEe0RD2vwv9wi5u5A8/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlokbET8wclEVD3s1ocN4tpXtddrWARkC-_aljdZo7vChszakR-9Aqkp6943sDaDwMIizxGUMXYksr2aNiK6OuKFuDG7JOL1QRKV5V5cQ_hYB4xUXYG8LOxMZtDEe0RD2vwv9wi5u5A8/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219213542595763682" border="0" /></a><br />the museum and the city of chicago are not the only ones paying attention to the presence of mexicanos in chicago, so is the <span style="font-style: italic;">new york times</span>. from their <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/travel/29next.html">travel section</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU_D7mydG0VVnpD8Rg7ZD4YUiYHV5iAevI8kc14mEEoch5uCbzzIR8Vy6ckY_fe9xWoS9YHhgLFEmRzNwoqOO__DUWfwmH3qDH602Q_CLHMsxr3qJ3b_hvP9eKiw8YCMy2SJvLu8IYWI/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU_D7mydG0VVnpD8Rg7ZD4YUiYHV5iAevI8kc14mEEoch5uCbzzIR8Vy6ckY_fe9xWoS9YHhgLFEmRzNwoqOO__DUWfwmH3qDH602Q_CLHMsxr3qJ3b_hvP9eKiw8YCMy2SJvLu8IYWI/s320/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219215627482254898" border="0" /></a>i liked this pic so much (by sally ryan for the new york times) that i lifted it from the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/06/29/travel/0629-CHICAGO_index.html">multimedia slide show</a>. it's the 'new' maxwell street market. we used to ago to maxwell street market when we were kids (my dad made us), when it used to be on maxwell street, before the gentrification there.laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-72363256553998019452008-07-02T08:39:00.001-07:002008-11-13T01:47:44.718-08:00inside the homies actors studio<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDwpe_hUN0w9f-CqtS1YUZMJJWMqjyUVKfQgSG1M9Os56G1f6tnj9ReVn7FTk5PLD4SesnVC-AK2EDsNbKQ3JwtF1zKQn-BC9YG3GpRiGpEqfB-uHmGez74hn_RP_ztqppVxuwW3nnQs/s1600-h/Picture+8.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDwpe_hUN0w9f-CqtS1YUZMJJWMqjyUVKfQgSG1M9Os56G1f6tnj9ReVn7FTk5PLD4SesnVC-AK2EDsNbKQ3JwtF1zKQn-BC9YG3GpRiGpEqfB-uHmGez74hn_RP_ztqppVxuwW3nnQs/s200/Picture+8.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218444872677612018" /></a><br /><br />the national association of latino independent producers, <a href="http://nalip.org/">NALIP</a>, now has a place to upload videos on its site, they're calling it <a href="http://tutube.nalip.org/">tutube</a>. though i've not had time to survey many of the videos up there yet, i did find this one, "state of latino comedy"...<br /><br />the first three minutes or so, it's the "ceaser and chuy show" but my favorite comes in at the 3:14 mark, "the homies show":<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OvJiUutfzKqdrSZFlBEyceb4Edgs7DFhHhnq6BpzJprvFOcosCMyp1xm6FzPYgUVs606MWqSQNnJrL4wvsuW_uVO0ICJ5fErx_5ynB7SicuDXjQTOHWcPk8XN-l3lOGrCtN0k0XkvRQ/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OvJiUutfzKqdrSZFlBEyceb4Edgs7DFhHhnq6BpzJprvFOcosCMyp1xm6FzPYgUVs606MWqSQNnJrL4wvsuW_uVO0ICJ5fErx_5ynB7SicuDXjQTOHWcPk8XN-l3lOGrCtN0k0XkvRQ/s200/Picture+6.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218444878228729714" /></a><br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="420" height="365" id="Video18188183164"><param name="movie" value="http://tutube.nalip.org/kickapps/flash/premium_drop_v3.swf?b=1&widgetHost=tutube.nalip.org&mediaType=VIDEO&mediaId=183164&as=18188" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"/><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://tutube.nalip.org/kickapps/flash/premium_drop_v3.swf?b=1&widgetHost=tutube.nalip.org&mediaType=VIDEO&mediaId=183164&as=18188" quality="best" width="420" height="365" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><br />postscript: from the archives, <a href="http://www.nalip.org/LITI/2007/07_0911.htm">a nalip newsletter</a> talks about what a hit "the homies show" has on <a href="http://www.latv.com/newshows.asp?id=homies">latv</a>.laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-29554836284421775432008-06-28T11:19:00.000-07:002008-11-13T01:47:44.973-08:00homoeroticism in mexican pop culturethose of you familiar with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_code">hays code</a> may also know that a similar code was put in place by the mexican film industry.<br /><br />the very conservative legión mexicana de la decencia, a religious right organization whose aim was to monitor 'good morals,' helped to establish the código (moral) de producción cinematográfica in mexico during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avila_Camacho">avila camacho</a> <span style="font-style:italic;">sexenio</span> [his wife, btw, was a member of the legión]. it stipulated the following in regard to cinematic representations of "los pervertidos": <br /><br />"Tanto en hombres como en mujeres, es en sí un tema prohibido, aun cuando no se muestre al pervertido y solamente se hable de él o se hagan alusiones vagas, inclusive en tono de comedia. A los efectos de cuanto establece este inciso, se considerará como homosexual la conducta de dos personas del mismo sexo que muestre exceso de caricias o mimos, o con celos, un sentimiento que la historia no justifique plenamente con carácter elevado."<br /><br />while it may be a considered a relic, or even a symbol of mexico's folkloric past, i'd argue that the code's vestiges are still very much present in contemporary mass culture, albeit in contradictory and even hypocritical ways. anne rubenstein's book opens with one such contemporary case: pop star <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Trevi">gloria trevi</a>'s controversial <span style="font-style:italic;">calendario</span>. the introduction to her cultural history of <span style="font-style:italic;">historietas</span> help solidify my argument:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kZ-_luTnT6TT0eJ90TDZxAl0ZtXyVG7CFmXlKJL32QxSh9RFBF-sh6FXpNGrA_cOslc7N_wzB-qzJdhoI_1PQ4ZRKZ1wkI1sPbdXWd7PJXjcVRvXSDjcT8b0lESWE74sWYBbGaYKwyo/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kZ-_luTnT6TT0eJ90TDZxAl0ZtXyVG7CFmXlKJL32QxSh9RFBF-sh6FXpNGrA_cOslc7N_wzB-qzJdhoI_1PQ4ZRKZ1wkI1sPbdXWd7PJXjcVRvXSDjcT8b0lESWE74sWYBbGaYKwyo/s200/Picture+5.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217361719665506402" /></a><br /><br />so why am i writing about what could be easily googled? well, it's just that during this summer, on and off, i've been tuning into the latest successful <a href="http://www.televisa.com/">televisa <a href="http://www.univision.net/corp/intro.jsp"></a></a>telenovela production being shown in <a href="http://www.univision.net/corp/intro.jsp">univisión</a> at 8pm, <span style="font-style:italic;">fuego en la sangre</span>. i won't get into the details of the recycled narrative and formulaic plot structure. for that you can go <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuego_En_La_Sangre">here</a>. <br /><br />but i do have to say that i'm completely fascinated by the level of visible homoerotic content in this novela. there is a gay character in <span style="font-style:italic;">fuego</span>, but for the homoerotic content we'd need to look elsewhere, not the open (to the televisual spectator) relationship of this character (whose name i can't remember) with another man. that is, he does pronounce his love to his male partner, but always with a few feet of distance between them. the titillating same-sex homoerotic visual content takes place between the protagonist and his two brothers (and the camera, of course). <span style="font-style:italic;">fuego en la sangre</span> is not necessarily groundbreaking in its depiction of coded same-sex desire, during the height of the código (1940s-1950s) the buddy movies featuring actors like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Infante">pedro infante</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Negrete">jorge negrete</a> were particularly prevalent; case and point <a href="http://cinemexicano.mty.itesm.mx/peliculas/dostipos.html">dos tipos de cuidado</a>. for more on this see sergio de la mora's book:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8opcJS-yHlxdDoWnS6k2SKiWOrMcNqQVFtyIRgG_CJl2DWv7c5DPloJuxYWYj5wWJqwGRuQV8XwMvDJrmd5RAS6Y5IIql025YKRsLtOypVoeIiDhysVmxNqE1qdbe7WTxtSWXJ9xxlHI/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8opcJS-yHlxdDoWnS6k2SKiWOrMcNqQVFtyIRgG_CJl2DWv7c5DPloJuxYWYj5wWJqwGRuQV8XwMvDJrmd5RAS6Y5IIql025YKRsLtOypVoeIiDhysVmxNqE1qdbe7WTxtSWXJ9xxlHI/s200/Picture+6.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217368593878671714" /></a><br /><br />but with <span style="font-style:italic;">fuego</span> televisa does push the very boundaries that had helped to contain it for decades. check out the scene of the three reyes brothers swimming:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1VUxJx6TY48&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1VUxJx6TY48&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />btw, when this episode was aired on univisión the naked butts of the reyes were blurred.laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-58795666940058439922008-06-10T13:26:00.001-07:002008-11-13T01:47:45.247-08:00la vida es un cabaret...patricia vega, a mexico city journalist, astrid hadad fan and commentator, and overall cultural critic, has published a piece entitled: <a href="http://www.m-x.com.mx/2008-06-08/25-mujeres-y-una-sola-astrid-hadad/">"25 mujeres y una sola astrid hadad"</a> in the magazine <a href="http://www.m-x.com.mx/">emeequis</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/3299378/25mujeres?secret_password=129fuj60ss8xcexkjeyt"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEEWgd9lYRjfg_uP045VLzoCxnbgxW5gqF5cd8d6PQC0CZACyqHXcpdB2HynM0aRU2ilq0jI6IUxAhoBOGK33s346BeVsXSUHbJsMsRBQa-InkMrj2EzTphJG93TllKqtlhlpcr_9JXw/s200/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210353123122339538" border="0" /></a><br /><br />in the same issue of emeequis, there's an article about the <a href="http://www.m-x.com.mx/2008-06-08/la-vida-es-un-cabaret-y-las-penas-se-van-cantando/">6th annual cabaret festival</a> organized by <a href="http://www.lasreinaschulas.com/index.htm">las reinas chulas</a> and currently going on in mexico city. again, one of those wish i was there moments.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/3326291/lavidaesuncabaret"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyzuR9nOm2B_7fFC1Yz8V9Giq32TNpiFSfLmLEgVQL2vy_tzAMqHR3drch_SqEuFgrkZefdOfiHVtwRUP2gXiG1EclSh3NiYhAvsAkRA7JaEy4vJLRigPD2it0OU3JhRALIqfs2r57Ig/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211004698509264930" border="0" /></a>laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-6726895857670317492008-06-07T15:14:00.000-07:002008-07-11T10:36:20.201-07:00"noches árabes al pastor" in tepoztlánduring the summer of 2006 the folks gathered at the annual meeting of the <a href="http://www.lclark.edu/~tepo/">tepoztlán institute for the transnational history of the americas</a> were treated, for one night, to a political cabaret performance piece by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesusa_rodriguez">jesusa rodríguez</a> and company. noches árabes al pastor is, according to <a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/12/06/index.php?section=espectaculos&article=a11n2esp">la jornada</a> newspaper, a theatrical-musical spectacle about the "awkward" [my word] relationship between mexicans and their body, as well as discussing HIV prevention. inspired by the <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_thousand_and_one_nights">one thousand and one nights</a></span> collection of stories, rodríguez <span style="font-style:italic;">et. al.</span> spin the story of how princess <span style="font-style:italic;">reshazada</span> tells stories to sultan <span style="font-style:italic;">charriar</span> and aids him in feeling comfortable with his own body and finding sexual identity. this is all done in the form of political satirical sketches, interspersed with musical and dance numbers. check out the parody of the 'dance of the seven veils' below: <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OZCOXIVMEKo&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OZCOXIVMEKo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />while most of the public appreciated and applauded jesusa rodríguez and co. for coming to tepoztlán in the middle of a busy week, they also caused a bit of apprehension among us-based and trained scholars too aware of racism against african americans in their context. [an aside: jesusa had been working unrelentlessly in mexico city, organizing politico-theatrical protests and aiding the efforts in trying to get the votes recounted during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_general_election_2006_controversies">presidential elections of 2006</a>.] however, among this crowd, who was delighted at sexuality being deconstructed before their ("our") eyes, 'discomfort' did occur. one such moment occured when jesusa rodriguez pulled out a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memin_Pinguin">memín pinguín</a> doll out of a box and made him dance while regina orozco sang a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Gabilondo_Soler">francisco gabilondo soler</a> (aka cri-cri) children's classic, "negrito bailarín." see video below: <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2pmmW5oiACk&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2pmmW5oiACk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />in the following days of conversations among the scholars present at that summer's institute, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrelsy">minstrelsy</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface">blackface</a> were words often used to describe what they saw. while some knew who memín pinguín was, because they had grown up reading his <span style="font-style:italic;">historietas</span> ("comic books") or because of the "stamp controversy" a year before, some were unfamiliar with his 'stamp' in mexican cultural production. still one of the operative words to describe what had happened was "stereotype." this entry is but a signal to a much-needed intervention and is but a work in progress. and here i'd want to join the ranks of <a href="http://textmex.blogspot.com/2007/01/memn-pinguin.html">dr. nericcio</a>, and would like to attempt to unpack the intricacies of doing transnational academic work on cultural and racial stereotypes. it's one of my tasks at hand for the upcoming months, if not years.<br /><br />posdata: i should have said something about smugudrú's dance...<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5GN34gVF83I&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5GN34gVF83I&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-88640956631845380102008-06-06T09:20:00.000-07:002008-11-13T01:47:45.659-08:00apologies and apostasy...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGl9zIX95E864s4RERndCPsJD58g11bImFMQygeXB1zxU8ABAFyNsxRT785NmU6uKFdYYoNQFvcT9NDjBjg6Mm3scu4HQN0x0HNEdrpxBV8h7oMrFDUA5RqBeSOyGTQdSDC1zcJqogeCM/s1600-h/Picture+9.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGl9zIX95E864s4RERndCPsJD58g11bImFMQygeXB1zxU8ABAFyNsxRT785NmU6uKFdYYoNQFvcT9NDjBjg6Mm3scu4HQN0x0HNEdrpxBV8h7oMrFDUA5RqBeSOyGTQdSDC1zcJqogeCM/s200/Picture+9.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208817524603767346" /></a><br /><br /><br />i know that at least my two most faithful (and only?) readers have been asking themselves, what up? [i offer a shout out to <a href="http://borderlore.blogspot.com/">dr. m.</a> and <a href="http://textmex.blogspot.com/">dr. memo nericcio</a>]. may was too eventful on the personal front, hence my silence. <br /><br />one of my interests as you (2) know is how cabaret, as an artistic practice, has been and continues to be mobilized by some artists in the mexican context (see below). i'll come back to those postings, promise. <br /><br />but <a href="http://apostasiaparty.blogspot.com/2008/06/participa-en-la-primera-apostasa-party.html">this</a> caught my attention. a bunch of crazy (in a good way!) spaniards are putting together the first ever <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">cabaret apostásico<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></span> in barcelona. wish i was there...to observe, of course.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu8XxMLp6cg_DSXM0y1DBQ2j3SvXAEpsRyeSCc3-eAyciEc5KJLcWTk3_HPybh0NqTtVQpKoZUvm5t8i1xMpMvwwYKkFFfQFm1zpS2woo58YfpB1i8OjI56XNw_1EKVPp8LO3hTlQJy8/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzu8XxMLp6cg_DSXM0y1DBQ2j3SvXAEpsRyeSCc3-eAyciEc5KJLcWTk3_HPybh0NqTtVQpKoZUvm5t8i1xMpMvwwYKkFFfQFm1zpS2woo58YfpB1i8OjI56XNw_1EKVPp8LO3hTlQJy8/s200/Picture+7.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208815183546348626" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1UGeF1NaSqzGPzCPQbTLD2XzOL48rXRPXCr02Mg90pxPVPMYqtYWsjDsthgi-PGBTdRcDmbkGa65xLpQzfWrg0TEdR0eG5yu8EUOSJhZ7v9HMFCTmeGFrXUS3qlhHkss9uyefnbBTDU/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1UGeF1NaSqzGPzCPQbTLD2XzOL48rXRPXCr02Mg90pxPVPMYqtYWsjDsthgi-PGBTdRcDmbkGa65xLpQzfWrg0TEdR0eG5yu8EUOSJhZ7v9HMFCTmeGFrXUS3qlhHkss9uyefnbBTDU/s200/Picture+6.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208815186220695010" /></a>laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-29602508499318290412008-04-24T20:01:00.000-07:002008-11-13T01:47:45.804-08:00regina's "popurrí palomero" (w/special guest, the sleeping mexican)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kYHV24hUiAB_ZugL8jEs34Lt2yECK6rLJWSR9LyLj4XGnzoOdiD5ZUMn7t5SEcp6DOeri0LuZJM2rY4waSOS6w7ipKCSQbmVSFWMAONVobykekLbIGSEiKdeq80A8GdDazzjFYs-7w4/s1600-h/orozcosleepmex.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kYHV24hUiAB_ZugL8jEs34Lt2yECK6rLJWSR9LyLj4XGnzoOdiD5ZUMn7t5SEcp6DOeri0LuZJM2rY4waSOS6w7ipKCSQbmVSFWMAONVobykekLbIGSEiKdeq80A8GdDazzjFYs-7w4/s200/orozcosleepmex.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193012988758963730" /></a><br />one for <a href="http://sleepingmex.blogspot.com/">the sleeping mexican archive</a>.<br /><br /><br />in the summer of 2007 the political cabaretera <a href="http://www.reginaorozco.com/">regina orozco</a> (aka la megabizcocho aka la soprano vedette) performed her show, <span style="font-style:italic;">rosa mexicano</span>, in mexico city's main square, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zocalo">el zócalo</a>. (10q <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcelo_Ebrard">mister ebrard</a>)<br /><br />i poised myself on the side of the stage with my wiggly camera (sorry about that, promise to bring tripod along next time!) and captured most of the show. here's a snippet, when la megabizcocho sings a "popurrí palomero" (i.e. a selection of ranchera classics about palomas). <br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tVXpFCZgFBw&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tVXpFCZgFBw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> <br /><br />p.s. more on la megabizcocho later ;-)laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-55740300007415688002008-04-23T23:45:00.000-07:002008-11-13T01:47:45.950-08:00la multimamadaastrid hadad's show <span style="font-style:italic;">¡oh diosas!</span> (to be read two ways, of course) from 2005 and 2006 brought back to the stages one of her dresses from the 1990's, "la multimamada." in this new millennium hadad's been singing a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milonga">milonga</a>: "la milonga del mono." <br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kWhR4RF0LcE&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kWhR4RF0LcE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />in this and in prior uses of the mammary motif, hadad's been using the dress as a stand-in for the ways in which the powers-that-be (small or large) have basically been sucking women/people...<br /><br />i was reminded of this when i read <a href="http://textmex.blogspot.com/2008/04/striking-visual-sensibility-another.html">this</a> and <a href="http://textmex.blogspot.com/2008/04/update-to-my-posting-on-mr-toledano.html">this</a>, too!<br /><br />but, of course, there is, as in all of hadad's performances, a high element of pleasure involved. [for an aural demonstration of the "multimamada" concept in hadad's universe, see the second video on the sidebar].<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNccMV5h-zjc-kPU8lV8J9fqrlcqq83sVkxLYJne2rlXPOWOLi55_JCuuT2WlTm4_ykCWsY2qgc_YXNbXddmi0sy6KlNmz0TdG-rSL3O2tSvtUgZcmUYOq-1pVBCGBgTPpA6zxEjgLD9k/s1600-h/astridmaya.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNccMV5h-zjc-kPU8lV8J9fqrlcqq83sVkxLYJne2rlXPOWOLi55_JCuuT2WlTm4_ykCWsY2qgc_YXNbXddmi0sy6KlNmz0TdG-rSL3O2tSvtUgZcmUYOq-1pVBCGBgTPpA6zxEjgLD9k/s200/astridmaya.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192701131183601154" /></a><br /><br />the image above is a still from a video clip by <a href="http://luciamaya.com/">lucía maya</a> featuring our multimamada extraordinaire. if i've managed to pique your curiosity, check it out!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TZeMtMib27E&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TZeMtMib27E&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695277352544293341.post-71488179840752897152008-04-21T10:01:00.001-07:002008-11-13T01:47:46.068-08:00unsettling comforts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2SQZoKIoQ3xmRGNiCEMsbGW4dGfK_MKy15q0B5kd0tlbiUE6BYjFBmHhdsesfvJGTNcPTzcjye0Jgw7mkeQ-DSvkJd0xqPZGrYSnc85METc8OB4cvNMdw0De7V8j9uiei0y0v8FtjfY/s1600-h/view.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2SQZoKIoQ3xmRGNiCEMsbGW4dGfK_MKy15q0B5kd0tlbiUE6BYjFBmHhdsesfvJGTNcPTzcjye0Jgw7mkeQ-DSvkJd0xqPZGrYSnc85METc8OB4cvNMdw0De7V8j9uiei0y0v8FtjfY/s200/view.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191744946336379010" /></a><br /><br />bien<span style="font-style:italic;">venidas</span> y bien<span style="font-style:italic;">venidos</span><br /><br />on the right is political cabaretera <a href="http://astridhadad.com/">astrid hadad</a>. she is singing the chucho monge <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranchera">ranchera</a> classic, "pa' qué me sirve la vida" ("what's life good for?"). she is donning typical <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Poblana">china poblana</a> garb, but, the rebel that she is, in untypical <span style="font-style:italic;">fashion</span>. the color of choice here is black...the color of mourning.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAFTA">NAFTA</a> has passed and brought with it GMOs, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenic_maize">transgenic maize</a>...<br /><br />she is, as i write in Unsettling Comforts, my forthcoming book, a <span style="font-style:italic;">transtortillera</span>. <br /><br />thanks to billy "memo" nericcio for providing me with such a fab picture and, while your at it, visit his digs <a href="http://textmex.blogspot.com/">tex[t]-mex gallery blog</a>.laura gutiérrezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11963199204169684477noreply@blogger.com3