Lucha libre: performance, activism and politics
from How do you like it so far? Hosted by Henry Jenkins Colin Maclay
In this episode we discuss lucha libre, the popular Mexican form of professional wrestling. We are joined by Peatonito, an activist for pedestrians in Mexico City, who uses the persona of a wrestler to create spectacle as activism on the streets, such as jumping in front of cars. We also speak with Heather Levi, an assistant professor of Anthropology at Temple university, who researches professional wrestlers and professional wrestling in Mexico City. We ask: how is lucha a practice of staging contradictions? How does it comment on the political life of the audience, to bring them along to support a "super-hero" type persona? How have politics, performativity, lucha, etc. merged into each other? And also, how can the luchadores personas help to bring attention to, and increase affect and participation around, social issues outside of the arena? –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Share your via email at [email protected].
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