Análisis de videos

Videos and related topics for class discussion on Tuesday, September 4.

I. TOPIC: What is "Cultural Studies"?

Come up with a list of three or four Caribbean singers or groups who are popular in their country of origin and among Caribbean diaspora communities in the U.S. and/or elsewhere. How is Caribbean identity represented through their music? How is that music marked racially, sexually, linguistically and nationally? These questions will guide our first class discussion as we elucidate the productive practice as well as the limitations of "Cultural Studies" in the Hispanic Caribbean context.

II. "Doing" Cultural Studies: Some Examples

Video 1: La Lupe, "I Did it My Way" (Mike Douglas Show)
How does she rewrite Frank Sinatra's classic rendition of male bravado, "I Did it My Way"?



Video 2: John Jellybean Benítez,"The Mexican" (Anita Haan vocals)
Nuyorican John Jellybean Benítez appropriates the story of "The Alamo" and renders the U.S. Mexican conflict of 1836 on the floor of the Electric Circus and Studio 54 with this house rendition of "The Mexican." How are U.S. Latina/o Caribbean diaspora communities able to identify with each other, as well as be subsumed by, a nebulous appeal to pan-Latinidad in the U.S.? (For related context see: Antonio López de Santa Ana, Davy Crocket, The Alamo, etc.)

A.Electronic House version (Anita Haan vocals)



B.Babe Ruth's* original version (Anita Haan vocals)
*"Babe Ruth" was an English rock band who were popular before your time (and mine) in 1970s.



C. Samuri Jack's version. Note the ruinous visual representation of the narrative logic of the song's lyrics as well as how Mexicans are represented in this cartoon (lyrics below).



"The Mexican," original version by Babe Ruth

Chico Fernández,
sleepin' on his gun
Dreams of Santa Anna
Fighting in the sun
Drums so loud from both sides
Makes it hard to dream
A bluish fall on an orange fast
Makes it all seem real
Mornin', calm mornin'
Ah, Chico's gonna have his share
Mornin', sad mornin'
Sad it must be there
Mornin', sad mornin'
and I laughed and I cried
Aahahahahahahahahahaha...
Me-xi-ca-an!!!
Señorita panned in:
Chico, come-on-home!
Santa Anna's losing
You'll be the first to go
Sam Houston's laughin'
Davy Crocket too
When Anna takes the Alamo
The first to go is you
Mornin', calm mornin'
Ah, Chico's gonna have his share
Mornin', sad mornin'
Heaven will be there
Aahahahahahahahahahaha...
Mornin', sad mornin'
Me-xi-ca-an!!!

Video 3

Daddy Yankee, "Oye Mi Canto"
This is the first Reggaeton video to make it to MTV. How is Puerto Rican national identity marked in this video? How are claims to a national identity problematic when there is no nation-state to speak of?