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I think that culture is a reflection of the psychological changes and the reality of everyone's situation. Culture is always chasing the reality of what it glamorizes. The Hollywood gangster movies of the 40's and 50's were parables of the deadly consequences of pursuing evil. The reality of the United States then was an extremely religious society and a cultural and even intellectual embracement of the virtues of patriotism. The corruption and immoral actions of our political class then could never be publicized in the media which comprised radio and basically two national television channels in the mid to late 1950's. The emerging dark underbelly of US society could only be found in the pulp crime novels and magazines like True Detective which were relegated to the hidden corners of a book store where the nudity magazines were guarded by the employees of the stores.

Everything changed in the 60's in the United States and worldwide. Revolutions against colonialism, frustrated with the Western promises of liberation if the colonial countries rebelled against Fascism and Nazism and the dream to be like the United States, broke out all over the globe. Vietnam was the real reality for America and the ethical and moral behavior of the government stripped to the bone in public. Technology had changed. Television had expanded, FM radio came into existence which provided the source of alternative news, music and history and the expansion of underground newspapers which started out as a new type of nude, sexual awareness also contain political and historical analysis still amazingly accurate to this day. Music became the anthems of rebellion. Long hair became the symbol of intolerance for society. The mantra of "America Love it or Leave it" became "America Change it or Lose it". Films became more violent, nihilistic to the point of trying to destroy the good and evil construct of American society in the past. Again culture was always reacting to the changing political landscape of the time. This new emerging culture was always viciously attacked, condemned as a real threat to society, censored, persecuted by law enforcement including assassinations. The attacks and censorship did not work and that could be one of the reasons why Narco Culture is tolerated. It really does not affect the real mechanisms of power, political corruption and economic control. Now of course, if there is a cultural development that is threatening to the continuing economic and military expenditures to the Ukraine and Israel, as a government you have to try and ban, censor and suppress it like the banning of TikTok in the United States and Europe. Complaints about Narco Culture maybe a nice diversion from the real corruptors of society, our governments and their economic and political partners.

Culture that is crafted into a symbol of political aspirations is propaganda which could be true or false but it represents the hidden emotions of those it tries to convince if it is successful. Many people do not realize that after World War 1, the Communist Party of Germany became a huge party far outnumbering the Nazis later in the battle for the minds of Germany. The propaganda battle was key. Nazi propaganda was extremely colorful full of young, energized men and women symbols of a new strength and purpose. Communist propaganda was extremely dour, extolling the misery of your current life and no color except for brown in their poster and pamphlets. The Communist party was crushed. Manipulating culture to promote new visions of a society is still very valuable and the goal would be to create your own cultural propaganda to counter what you think is immoral, unethical and dangerous.

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What a stellar well thought out response - it's great to get such writing into the comment section. It's interesting you take it back to the 60s and the cultural change then. One thought perhaps is that the 60s changes were good but then have helped lead to a rather soulless super materialist culture now mixed with a rather confused moralism. I agree with the conclusion that creating a positive culture is the way forward - but it can be evasive to see what that is.

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I think that is not a question of whether the cultural change in 60's was positive or not, it was the fact that it was a a seismic change in a very short period of time. The conformity of the previous culture was exposed for its hypocrisy, political faith and acceptance was destroyed when the lies of political alliances were exposed as baseless exploitation. Also the 60's changes were so explosive because of the incredible technological developments that were occurring. Unfortunately, since the 60's, corruption is even more rampant or it seems so since we now have the technological means, the internet, to gather more information then ever before.

The soulless super materialist culture was really promoted in the 1950's with the first introduction of tract homes in the United States in California. Refrigerators released your tether to ice boxes which also involved personal contact with other humans, Dining room sets and bedroom sets were advertised for the first time in magazines. Advertising was being refined and looked at seriously how to influence consumer's buying habits. Materialism as a cultural concept was truly developed in the 1950's. And of course all this was accelerated with cell phones and the expansion of social media. which has destroyed any ideas of community involvement and the obligations of the individual in a community structure. The key to all this is that a global economy demands a subservience to a material ethos. It would come to a grinding halt if the soulless nature and even unhuman aspects of globalist demands were ever questioned. They are being questioned now all over the world. I think we are entering another era of massive political and cultural change with the challenges and rapid development of AI technology and robotics. These developments challenge the notions of why we should even work and what are we going to do with all the potential leisure time for example.

Luis Bunuel, the great Spanish film maker and Surrealist who featured Mexico's greatest actress, Silvia Pinal in some of his most explosive films, had a character in his movie The Milky Way, who along with his friend were trekking through the Spanish landscape coming in contact with every known sect of the Catholic Church. His conclusion was " My fear of technology and science may force me into the absurdity of a belief in God"

Speaking of Pinal she was the dancer in this film clip of 'Resortes' and Pinal dancing. Now this video they incorporated different music and synced it perfectly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wCZOm0k8WQ

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Thanks Ioan. Very acute reflections on this "peliagudo" topic. Is very intertesting how music production in Peso Pluma and the like "corridos tumbados" is very professional, they are tremendous musicians. The re-assessment of corrido with these trap and hip hop influences is doing very good, I think, to a traditional genre that is still transforming: the corrido. To fight back ideology, particularly the powerful misoginy present in lyrics and videos, feminist artists have been using the rythms and turning them into concioussness... Like you, I wouldn't like censorship to limit these developments, but we have to be aware of the negative influences...

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Thanks much Carlos and you sum it up well with this line - "I wouldn't like censorship to limit these developments, but we have to be aware of the negative influences..." - Ethically I don't think this is straight forward but there is a discussion to be had. I'll have to check out the female artists - anyone you recommend in particular? Best there.

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Would enjoy recommendations on female artists as well.

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Issue 6 of our UNAM Internacional magazine, on music, includes playlists for every article. In the article on "Women and Urban Music", young researchers address reggaeton, corrido tumbado and heavy metal with the following proposals:

For reggaetón and "perreo sáfico" (which addresses the right of young women to enjoy and dance perreo without being harrassed by artists and discourse):

Renee Goust, “La cumbia feminazi”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE-gSdqya7A

Rebeca Lane, “Ni encerrada ni con miedos”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU__TM9peCY

Rosalía, “Bagdad”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2WOIGyGzUQ

La Van Bicholi ft. Koworks, “Con Jarabe”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si6TO1MDhqQ

Sonido Violeta, “Ven Ven (Gatita)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWPpOFUITCA

Plan B, “Fanática sensual”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9sqdaEpSPM

For nuevos corridos (corrido tumbado):

Ivonne Galaz, “Empoderada”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xb1g3R0Znw

Alto Linaje x Junior H, “Ojos tumbados”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MePka4ZSdp8

Junior H, “1004 KM”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daP5xJ3Z1KU&list=RDXuUM270XfHU&index=3

For Women and the most machista rock genre: heavy metal:

Apokalipstick, “Fantasma”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYxiN7y2vBI

Anna Fiori, “El día de la ira”: https://youtu.be/Q2wowGkxXrs?si=veeONG_0hRtyRqCN

Paroxis Histérica, podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3gp4JqjqkBZYlL1sCxcztV (this one is a podcast on how journalism covers women in the scene)

Hope you like this. You can find this information in the PDF version of the magazine: page 267

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Fantastic, well appreciated. A great resource there.

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Same dilemma found across all free societies, do you the allow the glorification of violence or do you succumb to censorship? There was a big fuss here in the UK about drill music but at the end of the day, I don't think music can cause someone to pick up a knife and start stabbing someone. There are always structural factors, and no doubt in Mexico & Central America those structural factors far outweigh Peso Pluma's influence

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Thanks Pavaan. I'd be interested in hearing more about the UK drill scene. Feel free to share any good docs or stories on it. I used to be involved in the jungle scene many moons ago.

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Here's a article on the censorship of UK drill and the use of lyrics in court - https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/61547/1/how-black-british-rappers-are-being-censored-by-the-police-art-not-evidence

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Nice one, I'll check that out.

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This is great. As a norteamericano long-enamored with Mexico, I am surely guilty of what you describe.

Food for thought...

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Thanks and yeah, I am not trying to condemn as much as give it some context. I am still a big fan of the gangster movie. All best there Chris and great to have your voice here.

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Indeed, Ioan. Thanks. Keep up the good work and I can tell you right now that I am already a fan of your newsletter. Though I live in Korea, Mexico holds a huge place in my heart and I make it a point a to get there most every time I’m back in the US.

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Well appreciated. Korea, wow that sounds like kind of opposite in many ways. (And I guess South Korea!). Best.

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Yeah, it's very different than Mexico but also has a thriving street/market culture, great food everywhere, and a general vibe that makes it perhaps not as dissimilar at you may think.

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It's a dangerous game these musicians are playing. Many have been killed in northern Baja recently including this guy https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-california/story/2024-02-08/corridos-singer-chuy-montana-fatally-shot-in-tijuana

Even the famous Peso Pluma had to cancel a show in Tijuana due to death threats: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/peso-pluma-cancels-concert-tijuana-death-threats-rcna111394

The situation is utterly toxic and Mexico seems to be spirialing into a situation of ever worsening violence and mayhem.

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Yeah, the musicians themselves live a dangerous life - a lot of deaths over the years, Valentin, Chalino, and many more...

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Far from moves to censor, the current administration seems intent on normalizing “bad guys”.

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Yeah, there are some of these "these guys arent so bad" comments in the morning pressers!

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Great piece. This has been a theme forever in cinema. Old westerns glorifying outlaws like Billy the Kid to more current offerings. Miami Vice was popular for a long time. Al Capone is always popular and you mentioned Scarface. It’s definitely a conundrum. 2 Live Crew was a second tier act headed for obscurity until Tipper Gore put them on her list to have albums stickered. I was doing personal security in the entertainment world at the time and remember a conversation I had with Gene Simmons of KISS. He was so hoping they’d get on the list as to boost sales even further.

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You have some fascinating experiences from your time in entertainment security there. That is interesting point that the the censorship attempts boosted appeal - we all wanted records with the warning on. Knowing Gene Simmons must have been a trip.

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😊

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This is a really good piece and gets at stuff I've thought about for a while. I have to admit that I participate in consuming this culture - and not just as it relates to Mexico. Not all of it is interesting or good, but some is.

Having said that, I do think it is possible to create entertainment that actually depicts the destruction caused by organized crime. Here, I'm thinking of things like the Netflix series "Somos". Another example might be the film (not the series) "Gamorrah" (about the Neapolitan Camorra). To some extent Goodfellas by Scorsese does this as well (although maybe not as much).

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Thanks there Ben. Yeah, I enjoy a lot of gangster series and entertainment myself. My conclusion is not to say it should be censorred but more just thinking about the issues around it all. I think there is a line like the VH1 Cartel Crew where it gets a bit nuts. I think Scorsese stuff is genius - I still need to watch Somos. All best friend and great to have you on board here.

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Thanks there Ben. Yeah, I enjoy a lot of gangster series and entertainment myself. My conclusion is not to say it should be censorred but more just thinking about the issues around it all. I think there is a line like the VH1 Cartel Crew where it gets a bit nuts. I think Scorsese stuff is genius - I still need to watch Somos. All best friend and great to have you on board here.

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Thanks for such a needed perspective on the social and cultural influences that crime organizations seem to have been investing maybe for decades. And now raising even above what they expected.

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Well appreciated and great to have your voice here Alberto.

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Gangbangers here in the US dress like their heros.

Prison garb.

Ha

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Yeah, that is a crazy twist of fashion. Best David.

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