It’s Over!

I would like to say that I cannot believe it is the end of term, better yet the end of my four years here at UBC but I am so happy. I have learned a lot about popular culture through this course and even some of my own heritage as well which I am grateful for. Isolation has not been easy on any of us, but having sessions over zoom has had its perks.

As for my favourite topic from this course, I would like to say that I enjoyed learning about narcocorridos. That week blew my mind. I had never heard anything like it in Mexico as I usually listen to just Latin pop or folkloric music when I am there. That being said, I had never been exposed to the more underground genres of Mexican popular culture as my family, which is a mix of socio-economic backgrounds, mostly live in those gated communities discussed in our week about telenovelas. I also really enjoyed the fighting Cholitas, I actually showed the video to my sister and she was more confused than anything ahaha.

Anyways, best of luck to everyone on their projects and finals, I also hope everyone stays safe and happy this summer 🙂

La revolución digital: mobile media use in contemporary Cuba

This piece about mobile media use helped me more fully register (if that makes sense) the cultural intricacies associated with the phenomenon. Just like Grandinetti and Eszenyi (2018) highlight, “Within infrastructures of high-speed and mobile connectivity, immediate access to content is part of social routines.” is something that we as Westerners take for granted because we are not aware of our production of spatiality and spatial experience (p.875).

That being said, I was intrigued by the description of contemporary Cuba and its recent past interacting with technological infrastructures. Legacies of military and economic power, colonialism, and international corporate interests while negotiating with a socialist government have created this contested public sphere that has divided older Cubans afraid of becoming marginalized if Cuba becomes capitalist while younger Cubans want a greater connection outside of the country. Cuba’s history represented on billboards, revolutionary monuments, murals, framed artwork, and t-shirts are inter-related with the use of wifi hot-spots in public areas such as parks. However, despite increased web access, most internet connectivity isn’t readily available in domestic spaces unless you are wealthy and must be shared communally in public hot spots. The country is already marginalized along class lines so the greater introduction of international markets and increase in connectivity would only ameliorate some of the quality of living in Cuba.

I was also interested in the concept of a shared internet culture such as the USB hard drive exchange economy ‘El Paquete Semanal’ as it does require internet connectivity. Shared pirated movies, television shows, music videos, magazines reflect socialist values within the citizenry even to this extent. It also reminded me of our reading of Peruvian punk and the similarities they share with a sort of ‘underground’ culture whose dissemination was purely social and socially stratified. On another note, mobile device types, such as the use of laptops or tablets rather than the cheaper alternative of a smartphone, further stratified social classes in spaces such as hotels in Havana in this case that are already characterized by exclusivity and costly nature of web access.

Taking on this information I just absorbed from this article, I feel like internet access should be subsidized by the government as it has become so essential for connecting people to each other and access resources for social mobility. The goal for any non-corrupt country would be to expand their economy and they can only do that if they give these resources to the lower classes to succeed. And for the sake of this class, would help create new forms of popular culture that do not have to rely on the physical distribution of media that can be lost or destroyed much more easily. But maybe permanence is not the point as culture and fluid and ever-changing. idk

Anywho how do you feel about the transmission of popular culture through either physical copies or online?

What is your take on limited internet connectivity? Pros? cons?

The Eternaut

Hector German Oesterfeld and Francisco Solano Lopez’s comic Eternaut had me hooked, especially with its cliff-hanger. Maybe because I am in the international relations program, the micro and macro political aspects portrayed in this comic I thought were very intriguing.

At least in what we can generalize as the Global North, the Cold War would usually only include state actors in the US and Europe. The same went for the two World Wars despite any contributions from Latin American countries or other continents. So, that kind of dismissive attitude displayed at the beginning of the comic when the eternaut is playing cards with his friends can be interpreted in multiple ways. In the context I have already mentioned, I think the most natural response is to be apathetic towards politics or events that you do not think affects you directly (I do not take this stance but it is a common one) which is what these characters do until they see the immediate effects of the deadly ‘snow’ outside their window. Moreover, the comic shows how nobody in Buenos Aires was prepared for such a disaster which further exemplifies my earlier point. In the U.S. during the cold war era, especially during the 1950s, there were so many preparations and drills for nuclear bombings in schools and at home (which were proven to be not effective in the least), as well as bunkers being made underground but the intention was there. So, when the time came and the actions of the U.S. and the USSR did have a larger rippling effect than intended, those all the way in Latin America had no escape except in this fictional scenario where these group of friends and the eternaut’s family get creative to make a suit that will allow them to scavenge for supplies in this apocalyptic world.

On a more contemporary note, the dismissive attitude at the beginning of the comic is still relevant today since Western media still excludes most headlining global news, even in this increasingly interconnected system we call globalization. Which reiterates the notion of apathy towards events that we do not think directly affect us but they do. And in doing so, we not only disempower and invalidate the stories of other nations, but the lack of exposure also thwarts opportunity that comes with exposure such as more resources, networks, investment, and so forth. Maybe that is the intention, or maybe it is another ripple effect from the West that we are not aware of.

Question for this week: How else can these dismissive attitudes in The Eternaut be interpreted in the context of Latin American popular culture?

Peruvian Punk (Greene)

Peruvian punk is not something I thought I would come across but I am glad I did. Shane Greene, while publishing his article in an elitist and rather inaccessible form of publication, an academic journal, discusses the Marxist aspects associated with the distribution and production of Peruvian punk.

While reading the article, I noticed that the upper class brought punk to Peru, just like how our Galeano reading mentions how soccer was introduced to Latin America through the English, an elite class. Anyhow, the discussion about the monopolization of musical production with vinyl and its dissipation when cassettes became cheaper alternatives is an interesting aspect. Cassette Culture, as Greene refers to, allowed for the widespread circulation of cassettes, local production, and the de-monopolization of the music industry which, therefore, made musical recordings accessible to most people. Moreover, the pirating and the use or consumption of cassettes also tied in with the socio-political message of rejecting global capitalism and oppressive institutions as there were no limitations on the creative potential of punk ‘underproduction’. It is, however, a bit ironic that in later years following Peruvian punk’s humble beginnings in the early 1980s the iconic band Narcosis chose to release a limited production of vinyl of their music that criticized overproduction.

Another aspect that I drew a connection to were the similarities that Peruvian punk and the general concept of Indigeneity shared. For instance, both have faced criticism/racism as not being valid as their ‘informal’ transmission of culture is not standardized and is much more fluid. There is also the rejection of capitalism found in arguments for Indigenous sovereignty and Peruvian punk, as well as critiquing class conflict that plays on rigid binaries of race, gender, orientation and so forth. Their mere existence challenges colonial institutions because they offer an alternative to the existing social/political systems in place. The fetishization of musical formats such as vinyl and Indigenous artworks, clothing, and more for collecting cultural pieces also fits the ‘Marxist capitalist-produced commodities at large’ (Greene 297).

However, punk is much more provocative to promote a discourse that undercuts social norms by blatantly disrespecting them which does not seem to be the case for those defending their ancestral identity. Just existing in a colonized system is a revolutionary act. Ethnic cultural identity is also something that cannot be as widely related to such as an ideology shared in a music genre. My explanation here is obviously very generalized but worth exploring in greater detail in a more specific context.

Do you know of any other musical genres in Latin America that challenge the mainstream? How are they provocative?

Eduardo Galeano’s Soccer in Sun & Shadow

I do not know much about sports but Galeano’s work was a fun read. The writing is playful yet authoritative so it made the book easier to read. Anywho, I wanted to bring some aspects about how spectator sports like soccer are similar to the act of war in some ways, from the technical layout of the game, the politics associated with it, and its romanticization.

What I found most interesting was the comparison of soccer to actual warfare from pages 17-23 because it makes complete sense. Wars have been romanticized for as long as I remember (even with the fallouts of WW1 and the Vietnam war) as with key figures being iconified in history. Political decisions obviously depended on who won and who did not and who would gain territory; soccer players and those betting on them would decide who would rise to fame and receive money while the losers become more invisible. With soccer matches being romanticized and representing pride and dignity, countries began to use their teams to promote nationalism and economic endeavours, as with gaining new territory and building an army, down to the matching outfits. Just like Jon said, soccer can be a whole course, because even though I do not know how to play soccer or the teams, the game itself is a far-reaching phenomenon that can be used in reference to most in life.

In another realm of popular culture, I also found it intriguing that the poorer folks in Latin America appropriated soccer from the upper-class English rather than vice versa that brought the game to the continent. I automatically assumed soccer came from Latin America because of how fused it is with everyday life but I was wrong. The game also emphasizes a few themes like machismo and opportunity. At the beginning of Galeano’s book, he notes how it is every young man’s dream to rise up the ranks, become famous, woo every woman and become wealthy through soccer while also including that a lot of players in Latin America reference the soccer ball as a woman because it is loyal (21). A lot of things to unpack there. The woman in both senses is objectified figuratively and literally and feeds into the narrative of manliness. This narrative also serves to gatekeep women from playing soccer or being paid equally if they do. And to bring it back to the war comparison, women were expected prizes when men came back from war successful or participated in tournaments. Soccer’s chauvinistic roots live on.

My question for the class: what do you associate soccer with?

The Fighting Cholitas

I think this is my favourite reading so far. The Fighting Cholitas documents the ‘double life’ of traditional, Indigenous women in Bolivia who wrestle regularly. Really though they are challenging stereotypes on what it means to be a woman, as well as traditional to create a more fluid identity. Wrestling also helps as a cathartic release for everyday stresses and creates a sense of community in El Alto.

One of the more obvious features of the fighting Cholitas is that they choose to wear their traditional layered skirts when they fight, even if it seems unreasonable to an outsider. However, choosing to wear the layered skirts is to proudly express their identity not only as a woman but as an Indigenous woman as well. There is also the direct challenge to masculinity or machismo by 1) displaying aggression in the ring 2) wearing traditionally feminine attire 3) all while being wives, mothers, sisters and so forth, and they do it with confidence. These women could easily be scrutinized but choose to fight anyways as a testament to their strength and sense of self.

Moreover, being able to put the social norms aside to fight is reasonably a cathartic experience. To let your walls down and express yourself through wrestling is truly la Lucha libre. In addition, there is the aspect of being ‘idolized’ or cheered on by spectators that is also a confidence booster. People gather to see these women fight in an auditorium regularly, supporting their favourite Cholita wrestlers or booing the Rudas (the fighters who don’t obey the rules) because of its novelty and the show they put on. Children, little girls in particular, are seen in the documentary as well imitating the Cholitas fighting in the auditorium which is warming to see. The fights are usually a spectacle between good and evil or the Technicas (wrestlers who follow the rules) and the Rudas so they are also reinforcing values about justice for the young ones to emulate.

Thinking about how this was filmed in 2006, the message about challenging social norms is even more potent since there was not a widespread movement of women’s rights just yet in Latin America. There is a quote by G.D Anderson that goes “Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength” which resonated with me especially in context to the Fighting Cholitas. These women lead complex lives but chose to fight the good fight regardless of which side they fight on in the ring.

My question for the class: What do the Fighting Cholitas represent for you?

Roger Canals’ article “The mirror effect: seeing and being seen in the cult of María Lionza”

For this week’s reading(s), I found the content of Canals’ article intriguing but found his ‘take-away’ message a bit alarming.

The positive aspect I want to address is that exposure to a Latin American religion other than catholicism is always welcome, since popular media does not make it readily available. I appreciate how Canals’ anthropological research was done in a respectful manner, documented how a somewhat ‘invisible’ cultural practice is performed to a presumable Western audience, given that the text was written in English, and some context to how it is significant within Venezuelan society. However, I did find his concluding message conflicting as it suggests disrespecting cultural norms to collect more data.

‘visual mistakes’, as Canals’ refers to wrongly capturing cultural practices to ‘collect valuable data for research’, could be avoided altogether if he asked the right questions with consent from those he wished to collect data from. Moreover, Canals could have used another medium to record his data, such as writing or sketching, as to not invade privacy or interfere with cultural practices. His methodology and encouragement to other visual anthropologists thus highlight some ethical questions that tread the line of humanizing, dehumanizing, and integrity.

As for the actual content within the text, I wondered why the more evolved version of Maria Lionza is a white woman. Maybe it’s racism, maybe it follows the chronological history of Venezuela from pre-conquest to present, but it definitely reinforces some harmful norms that are common in Latin America. Language, either oral, captured through a medium, or behavioural, shapes the way you think and perceive the world so it is interesting how such a mixed population would continue to validate this concept.

Lastly, I do not really understand why the religion of Maria Lionza is called a cult if it is the second most practiced religion in Venezuela, whose population is almost 29 million. At this point, I am no longer critiquing Canals but Western interpretations of African or Indigenous religions in general. The term cult is used to define a social movement rather than a religion at all, which is offensive given that these religions have been performed for centuries or even more than millennia. I do not see why Voodoo, Candomblé, or Maria Lionza should be considered a myth or cult given their cultural significance. Especially if many people practice this religion, I do not see how they are a ‘secret’; maybe given that the West is not in close proximity to the communities that practice these religions and that the values from the religions we are familiar with conflict with those found in Maria Lionza and so forth is the reason we do not take them as seriously.

Therefore, my question to the class is – how did you find Canals’ writing? Methodology?

The Cultural Life of Coca

I greatly appreciated this rather short article. It was purely anthropological and did not criminalize coca and by association the people who harvest it, as I find most Western media does.

In her abstract, Alison Spedding does note the stigma associated with the plants that narcotics derive from in the U.S., especially in context to the war on drugs. However, these plants, and in this case the coca plant in the Yungas region of La Paz, has a greater significance for the social fabric across the different cultures in Latin America. One of my favourite examples from the text is that the life cycle of the coca plants is equated to a woman by the Yungas people. There is the direct correlation of plants literally representing life, and thus the life cycle of a Yungas household, but also being fertile and bearing ‘fruits’ like women are traditionally associated with.

And just like the people, plants also hold a socio-historical significance. The excerpt

“After the coca has been picked, the process of drying converts it into a beneficial ancestor, parallel to the dried corpses of the ancestors whose cult was so important in the Andes until the [Spanish] extirpation campaigns of the seventeenth century.”

as well as the dated Cajatambo idolatry trials of 1656 demonstrate how coca has been used and adapted over time but has also been seen as a cultural threat to colonial sovereignty. The plant was so tied to the Indigenous identity in Bolivia that the Spanish sought to extirpate it in the 17th century. Parallels can be drawn to the same demonization of drugs in the US because of their association with self-medication and a foreign presence. Drugs in and of themselves hold no meaning until we give it a narrative, and so it is interesting how we can go from one extreme where we can value the medicinal properties of coca, to where we weaponize the idea of it as a political tool.

Moreover, South America is not listed as one of the continents associated with drug addiction but North America (excluding Mexico) is (UNODC 2019). So the stigma itself is hurting people where it is most prevalent, making it difficult for people to seek support or access unbiased education around illicit drug use. Popular culture, however grand in scale, is so important when disseminating information because of the numerous forms it can take and how abstract it is. A famous study conducted by SFU professor Bruce K. Alexander also notes the implications of social vs. individual use in his famous experiment ‘rat park’, with his findings suggesting that the mere exposure to drugs will not prompt individuals to get addicted as popular western narratives have suggested.

The concept of drugs is a multi-faceted discussion that can go on for hours but perspective is definitely critical for when we choose to project our own cultural values onto objects or practices.

What are some projections of drug use culture that you have seen in the media? Who was producing that narrative?

Castellano’s Cooking Lesson

Rosario Castellano’s literary piece Cooking Lesson felt familiar and yet so foreign. It reminded me of the pain and invisibility the women in my family have endured, and the praise that follows for taking it in silence.

The narrative follows a housewife candidly thinking to herself about the traditional expectations of women while trying to grill broiled beef. Moreover, the cooking of the beef is the metaphor that runs parallel to her discontent with her husband, married and family life. For a piece that was written in 1961, I was surprised by the explicit descriptions of her sexual relationship with her husband but maybe that was the point. To use that stark contrast of the modesty assumed of a woman (and heavily catholic and conservative Mexico) and the reality that consists of doubt, improvisation, and discomfort at times.

For a more political theme, the theme of ownership between a man and a woman is one that I remember discussing in a history of Mexico class a year ago. The particular passage about the protagonist’s maiden name and new surname not being her own is something that resonated with me because it represents the transfer of custody from one man to another. Although this theme has been discussed repeatedly, this dynamic is still prevalent because 1961 is only a generation away from me, and lived through by generations who are still alive today. It is difficult to believe that we have fully healed from what has been ingrained and taught since time and Immemorial. We can talk about it, but it will never fully go away. At least in our lifetime.

In that sense, Castellano’s dialogue with herself as the protagonist is an echo of what can be considered a cultural memory. The lived and shared experiences of women across Mexico, as well as borders and time, are what make this literary work empowering. In addition, there is comfort in the uncomfortable. Being openly vulnerable about the intimacies and insecurities that come with any relationship is an invitation for any reader to see themselves and emphasize. Thus, the cooking lesson for me, metaphysically, is that you are in control of your own narrative, as Castellano is.

Overall, I really enjoyed this piece and was torn between writing about the Cooking Lesson and the article about the Zapatista corn article. My question to the class – how did you interpret the beef metaphor?

The Pongo’s Dream

I thoroughly enjoyed this piece, although the ending was a bit disturbing to visualize haha.

The six-page chapter follows the story of an “hombre Quechua moderno”, or in this case a lowly house servant (Pongo), who was wildly obedient despite the abuses he faced on a regular basis. The pongo never spoke, which was one of the main reasons his landlord picked on him out of all the serfs, until one day when he recited a religious metaphor to his landlord that would reward the quiet serf for his suffering and punish his oppressor in a revolutionary call.

There are many elements in this short story that I would like to address but I will briefly address only two. I think one of the most obvious points is the hierarchy of power built on racism. Throughout Latin America, there was a social system “La Limpieza de Sangre” or the cleanliness of blood (and the legacy of this system is alive and well today) created by the Spanish that relied upon blood quantum to determine everyone’s role in society.

The Silent Bell piece also exemplified this concept a bit with the Indigenous nun being too poor to give jewellery so the clergy wanted to sacrifice her ‘golden’ eyes instead. However, in these two examples, the golden eyes and the golden honey that the Pongo licks off the landlord as angels in his metaphor signify a purity contrast to the traditional form set out in feudal LA. The endless sacrifices made by Indigenous people and their good nature challenges the status quo with a more meritocratic form of justice.

Religion also plays a large role in popular culture in Latin America, so it only makes sense that the Pongo’s Dream (and the Silent Bell) heavily references it in the story. Catholicism was used to assimilate Indigenous and African groups after the conquest in the new colonies and eradicate cultural pluralism to make the administration of the colonies much easier. Political context aside, when the Quechua house servant with no name spoke metaphorically in reference to Catholicism, such as using the name of Saint Francis for the landlord to understand, It was as if he was speaking on behalf of the whole peasantry that the erasure of Incan cultural autonomy had no basis despite what has been conditioned and forced for centuries. The Pongo was a modern man because he was no longer silent to place the feudal system as obsolete.

Question for the class: Do you think that there is any other idea or imagery that serves as a microcosm of what is taking place throughout this piece?

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