Archive for February, 2009
Penelope Cruz Wants Her Damned Oscar
9:32 am By Maegan La Mala · Celebrities|Chismes|Entertainment|Events|Movies|Spain · 1 Comment
3 Feb 2009This past Sunday Penelope Cruz picked up a Goya award (see above video), her country’s version of the Oscars for her performance in Woody Allen’s Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona. While most people are pleased to just be nominated, la Pe told Liz Smith she wants more than that:
I congratulate Penélope again on her nomination. I ask, because it’s the tiresome but necessary question, if it really matters to her if she wins. “Hmmm … what can I say? It’s not a lie that it is an honor to be nominated, and if I don’t win, I won’t be any less honored, but … look, ask anyone who is nominated. No matter what you think you feel about awards, when you’re there, sitting in that seat, with those people, all dressed up — of course you want to win!”
At least she’s honest! I personally don’t think she’ll win (though I thought her performance was fabulous)…too much stiff competition in that category.
P.S. What is up with the intro to that video?
Via / wowowow.com
Super Bowl Ads
4:04 pm By Maegan La Mala · Entertainment · 2 Comments
2 Feb 2009So, rather than watch the Super Bowl, I ate food and slept. In spite of my attempts to avoid, however, I still wound up being forced to deal with the prerequisite oohs and aaaahs over the commercials. I’m not a big fan of commercials period–but Super Bowl ads are often especially problematic to me because they are well aware that they are appealing to the most base instinct of the macho drunk male getting it on with his macho drunk male friends (I read somewhere that more partner abuse happens during Super Bowl than any other time of the year).
That said–I’m not completely incapable of finding humor in commercials. The following was one of the more amusing (and less problematic) ones. Although I have yet to understand why a shot to the groin is still considered so dang funny.
Which commercials did you like?
A Mexican and his Guitar
2:05 pm By la Macha · Celebrities · Comments Off
2 Feb 2009Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the day Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens died in an airplane crash. Of course, most of the coverage of this milestone has, does and continues to center on Buddy Holly–but most of us Mexicans/Chican@s and maybe Latin@s in general remember that day because of Richie Valens.
His legacy (especially as it was remembered by the movie, La Bamba) represents all the tensions that so many Latin@s go through–growing up in extreme poverty, dreaming of assimilation AND retaining your cultural identity, being forced continuously to admit those things can only happen to a certain degree, the tragedy of lost potential.
He died too early to be a part of the Chicano movement. But it makes me wonder how much of that movement happened because of Richie Valens. Because of a pride he brought to a community.
A Mexican and a Guitar can change the world.
Not Holding my Breath for Gillibrand to Change Her Position on Immigration
1:29 pm By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|New York|Politics · Comments Off
2 Feb 2009
Last week, I expressed concern at recently appointed New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and her record and comments on immigration and the English first movement. Yesterday, she met with local leaders, including many Latinos specifically to talk immigration and her equally controversial positions on gun control.
“I was very grateful with the frankness of my colleagues as they described the issues that affect their communities with such passion and such honesty and that helps me be a better senator,” she said.
Pero does her appreciation equal a change in position? I personally don’t think so. All she said was that she was willing to reconsider which reads to me as a political nicety.
Monday Musica : Boricua en la Luna
12:51 pm By Maegan La Mala · Music|Puerto Rico · Comments Off
2 Feb 2009Para mi Abuela Lucia who came to the United States many many years ago with her children.
Lyrics in Spanish from a poem by Juan Antonio Corretjer after the jump.
Olympic Athlete Phelps Caught with Bong
10:49 am By Maegan La Mala · Celebrities|Chismes|Controversia|Drugs|Sports · Comments Off
2 Feb 2009
Gold medalist and all-around sports hero Michael Phelps is in the midst of what might be a decisive moment in his career: a scandal, according to some. A photo of Phelps puffing on a bong has surfaced, and las malas lenguas are all about taking him down for it. As is to be expected, the U.S. Olympic Committee isn’t happy:
The United States Olympic Committee, which Jan.22 named Phelps its Male Athlete of the Year, issued a statement saying it was “disappointed” in Phelps’ behavior.“Michael is a role model, and he is well aware of the responsibilities and accountability that come with setting a positive example for others, particularly young people. In this instance, regrettably, he failed to fulfill those responsibilities.
FARC Releases 4 Hostages in “Goodwill Gesture”
7:04 am By Maegan La Mala · Colombia|Latin America|society · Comments Off
2 Feb 2009Colombian guerilla group FARC released 4 hostages, three police offers and a civilian, into the jungle last night in what is being called a “goodwill gesture”. The hostages were picked up by a Brazilian Red Cross helicopter, and taken to a small airtport in Eastern Colombia to be reunited with their families. Colombia’s CaracolTV shows the emotional reunion in the above video.
AP reports that while the release is great news, it is being “marred by accusations that Colombia’s military interfered. A reporter who was accompanied the mission, Jorge Enrique Botero, said the military hounded and delayed the mission by more than two hours with numerous flyovers.”
Via / YouTube
I am not a sports fan save the occasional futbol game (and no I am not talking Superbowl football), pero even I knew who Jose Chegüi Torres was. I would listen to the first Latin-American world light-heavyweight boxing champion discuss not just race in sports on radio station WBAI, pero identity politics and power in general as he was a regular guest on many Latino themed shows.
From Ponce, Puerto Rico, Chegüi Torres passed away on January 19th.
From a tribute written by Julio Pabon:
José “Chegüi” Torres was one incredible role model for anyone that took the time to speak to him. The fact that he was loved in the Puerto Rican communities of the 60’s is a matter of record. He was an inspiration for every Boricua sweating in the factories of New York struggling in a city that did not understand our political plight.The 1960’s were a very rough period for the Boricua’s living in this city. It was the height of the struggles between Italians and Puerto Ricans that was manifested in many schoolyards, rooftops and parks in this city with casualties that would equal those of many undeclared wars that received no international attention. It was West Side Story in every community where Puerto Rican’s were moving into and Italians were holding on to.
In was during that volatile period in our history that Chegüi Torres got his long awaited chance to fi ght for the World Championship that was being delayed for no other reason except that he was a dark skin Puerto Rican. Finally in 1965 Chegüi was given the opportunity to fight the reining Champ, Willie Pastrano the pride of the Italian’s.
What people might not know is that Chegüi not only negotiated for himself for this important fight, he also negotiated for the entire Puerto Rican community. Chegüi explained it to me this way: “I knew that every Puerto Rican who could afford it was going to go to Madison Square Garden to see this fight. I also knew that the other half of the Garden (sitting in the lower expensive seats) was going to be filled by Italians. I wanted to do something special for our community so I negotiated that I wanted the Puerto Rican national anthem to be played before the fight.”
This might seem trivial today, however, historians would tell you that no other countries national anthem, other than the American national anthem was ever played in a boxing match, especially if both fighters were American citizens.
Not Forgetting the Crisis in Gaza
8:13 am By Maegan La Mala · Activism|media justice|Palestine|TV · Comments Off
1 Feb 2009The BBC wouldn’t show this pero we (and others) will.
There are a number of organizations accepting donations for Gaza relief: Doctors Without Borders (US), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) (International), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
Via / Suburban Guerrilla, Wampum
Hola!
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