Bad Language, Naked Ladies, and Other Threats to the Nation: A Political History of Comic Books in Mexico (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Mexico's first comic book appeared in 1934..." (more)
Key Phrases: classifying commission, chica moderna, comic book audience, Mexico City, North American, Avila Camacho (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This thoughtful yet entertaining work gives new insights into the relationship between the state, civil society, and mass production of popular culture in Mexico... an enlightening and original exploration of Mexican popular culture, nicely illustrated with examples of this singular medium."--British Bulletin of Publications on Latin America, April 2000 "Duke University, which has developed a fine list of publications on Latin American culture, once again strengthens its contribution to this genre with Anne Rubenstein's well-written exploration of Mexican popular culture. Using the vehicle of comic books, Professor Rubenstein provides fresh insights into the relationship between the state and the publishing world, challenging the myth of strict state authoritarian control over cultural matters."--Latin American Studies, Vol 32 2000 " ... this is an extremely well researched book, very well grounded in the context of Mexian national culture, and makes important observations regarding the loci of power in Mexico. It will be welcomed by those interested in cultural history, gender relations, and the Mexican political system, and is a valuable contribution to a subject which has been unjustly neglected."-- Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, January 2001

Product Description

In Bad Language, Naked Ladies, and Other Threats to the Nation, Anne Rubenstein examines how comic books—which were overwhelmingly popular but extremely controversial in post-revolutionary Mexico—played an important role in the development of a stable, legitimate state. Studying the relationship of the Mexican state to its civil society from the 1930s to the 1970s through comic books and their producers, readers, and censors, Rubenstein shows how these thrilling tales of adventure—and the debates over them—reveal much about Mexico’s cultural nationalism and government attempts to direct, if not control, social change.
Since their first appearance in 1934, comic books enjoyed wide readership, often serving as a practical guide to life in booming new cities. Conservative protest against the so-called immorality of these publications, of mass media generally, and of Mexican modernity itself, however, led the Mexican government to establish a censorship office that, while having little impact on the content of comic books, succeeded in directing conservative ire away from government policies and toward the Mexican media. Bad Language, Naked Ladies, and Other Threats to the Nation examines the complex dynamics of the politics of censorship occasioned by Mexican comic books, including the conservative political campaigns against them, government and industrial responses to such campaigns, and the publishers’ championing of Mexican nationalism and their efforts to preserve their publishing empires through informal influence over government policies. Rubenstein’s analysis suggests a new Mexican history after the revolution, one in which negotiation over cultural questions replaced open conflict and mass-media narrative helped ensure political stability.
This book will engage readers with an interest in Mexican history, Latin American studies, cultural studies, and popular culture.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Duke University Press (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822321416
• ISBN-13: 978-0822321415
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #702,546 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous, cultural insights from the world of academia!, May 27, 1999

By A Customer

Prof. Rubenstein is one to watch! This book is interesting on a number of levels and should be required reading for students and professors in the area of political science, multiculturalism, and anyone interested in the recent or historical blending of pop culture and politics.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding our neighbours South of the border, May 1, 2000

By A Customer

Cultural studies have opened new horizons to researchers in the Humanities, but not every person working the field has offered a more comprehensive, transcultural, multidisciplinary and worthwhile contribution to knowledge. Prof. Anne Rubenstein has. Her latest eye opener (Bad language, naked ladies and other threats to the Nation...) achieves the double goal of making a reasonable point and supporting it with sound, real information, obtained from actual sources --it is easy to tell that she has lived in Mexico, and actually read hundreds of illustrated magazines, before writing her book. I may not agree with her conclusions totally, but I wholeheartedly support every page of evidence she presents. My warmest regards to her --¡Felicitaciones por su trabajo!--, and to every reader who shares in her joyful and amazing quest for truth: The making and remaking of PostRevolutionary Mexico through media, are well worth the reading!

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What exactly is so Good about this book?, August 5, 2007

By	Ian Gordon (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This book comes heavily blurbed and much recommended above. But why? Basically Rubenstein has covered all the bases both giving a brief overview Mexican comics and also showing how they were part of an ongoing debate about the nature of Mexican society and culture.