Right, to begin with, sorry for leaving that horrid image of the pierced brain for too long. I'm trying to keep on with my other blog, which i had to fix.
Well, this morning, as I usually do, i was flicking through the online editions of the newspapers, and basically on the front page of The Independent, they had the image of the Mexican man (supposedly the fatest in the world in 2007) on his wedding day, and then the news that one massive Capo was caught.
In the Mexican news, obviously, the most important thing has been the capture of Mr. Arellano Felix (the cartel boss). However, i'm very surprised that such news made it to the British media, considering that most important than that has been the sensationalistic image of the weding of that massively obese man. Maybe this was of some relevance to give continuity to a documentary that was shown a while ago either in Channel 4 or Channel Five about that guy. I did watch the documentary just because he was Mexican, not for other reason. I'm always curious to learn about the discourses of 'the other', especially when that other is Mexican.
In England, I've rather found the view of 'the other' as rather scary, and very defensive. I say this with full awareness that this is only a similar case to the majority of the countries in the world. Needless to say that in Mexico they do the same. For example, the representation of the indigenous people as 'the other' is way to denigrating.
Now, coming back the the subject of this post. The representation of the Mexican (as the other) and potential meanings. We know that Mexicans eat chilli, take siestas -probably on a cactus- which should mean that we are very tough people. Who could ever sleep on a cactus for goodness sake? Only super strong armoured backs could take it, unless the ponchos they wear are very very thick. Or course, cannot forget the ponchos and the sombreros, which are probably used to lie in the cactus. You see, there is much logic into this idea of the Mexican.
Unfortunately, the Mexican has work hard to acquire many more meanings in the past thirty years or so. Some examples include, becoming the worlds' fatest/obese people -challenging the Americans-, being drug dealers and traffikers of anything possible, and being inherently corrupt. These meanings haven't yet perpetrated the minds of the common people around the world (who don't know what goes on outside the little worlds). Nonetheless, it saddens me that these things take place with little inner recognition by the Mexican society (at large) and lack of acceptance that much needs to be changed from within.
To close this post. On a superficial and cynical note, and based on those two news headlines, I perceive the -other- Mexican as partaking in a circus of wedding extravaganzas, seasoned by corruption. How could I perceive them differently without further knowledge?
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