In a business and culture dominated by males, the narcocorrido, “La Reina Del Sur” by Los Tigres Del Norte, is considered an anthem towards the empowerment of females among the narcoculture. A narcocorrido is a song-style under the regional Mexican music genre that narrates a story related to the drug business (Beezley 11). In a music industry that tends to narrate and honor men’s experiences, Los Tigres Del Norte sing a narcocorrido to celebrate a different character: Teresa Mendoza, a female drug leader. Unfortunately, the music video fails to fully honor a female drug leader and reinforces Mulvey’s Male Gaze concept. Mulvey argues that Male Gaze occurs when an image is constructed in a way that objectifies women in order to please the sexual
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Though the song was written and interpreted by men, Teodoro Bello and Los Tigres Del Norte (Notimex 1), the story attempts to focus on the success of Teresa Mendoza, a woman from Sinaloa, México. After the murder of her boyfriend, “El Güero” Davila, a pilot who worked for the Ciudad Juárez Cartel, Teresa escapes to Spain. By recommendation of Epifanio Vargas, Teresa begins selling and buying drugs from Europe and America along with Mr. Santiago Pisterra. Through Teresa's determination, loyalty, and bravery, she gains control over the drug business and becomes known as “La Reina Del Sur” (“The Queen of the South”). Unfortunately, Teresa mysteriously disappears and though her whereabouts remain unknown, she is still an admirable legend (Los Tigres Del Norte, 1). Teresa challenges the traditional social standards that dictate women to be silent, docile, and passive by being a leader, opinionated and fearless (Kilbourne 265)––most importantly, the complexity of her character resists becoming just a prop for the male gaze (Mulvey 383). The hypermasculine messages, the violence, and the male-dominated drug business and Regional Mexican Music industry, contribute to a music genre appealing to an audience that is mostly men or individuals that have normalized hypermasculinity. Despite this, when the song was adapted to a novela, it became the …show more content…
In the minute (00:43), the video first introduces Teresa through a medium angle shot that shows her shaking her chest while wearing a low-cut shirt. Teresa is sexualized through the minimal amount of clothing she wears and by bringing the viewer’s attention to her body and chest. Unlike the lyrics that targeted a wide range of audiences, this image appeals to heterosexual men and encourages scopophilic that brings them pleasure from “[...] using another person as an object of sexual stimulation through sight” (Mulvey 383). This power dynamic create Mulvey’s Male Gaze and establishes dominance over the observed subject. In minute (01:12), the camera creates a close shot of only Teresa’s exposed stomach and makes a jump cut to a medium shot that only focuses Teresa’s bare legs seen through her short mini-skirt while none of these shots show her face . A similar narrative occurs in (03:28), when the camera depicts close-up shots of Teresa body getting dressed. Teresa is broken to mere body parts, erasing her identity, dehumanizing her, and pleasing the male gaze with views of her objectified body. This reinforces one of the traditional uses of women “as an erotic object for the spectator” (Mulvey 384). In the minute (02:14),
Though the song was written and interpreted by men, Teodoro Bello and Los Tigres Del Norte (Notimex 1), the story attempts to focus on the success of Teresa Mendoza, a woman from Sinaloa, México. After the murder of her boyfriend, “El Güero” Davila, a pilot who worked for the Ciudad Juárez Cartel, Teresa escapes to Spain. By recommendation of Epifanio Vargas, Teresa begins selling and buying drugs from Europe and America along with Mr. Santiago Pisterra. Through Teresa's determination, loyalty, and bravery, she gains control over the drug business and becomes known as “La Reina Del Sur” (“The Queen of the South”). Unfortunately, Teresa mysteriously disappears and though her whereabouts remain unknown, she is still an admirable legend (Los Tigres Del Norte, 1). Teresa challenges the traditional social standards that dictate women to be silent, docile, and passive by being a leader, opinionated and fearless (Kilbourne 265)––most importantly, the complexity of her character resists becoming just a prop for the male gaze (Mulvey 383). The hypermasculine messages, the violence, and the male-dominated drug business and Regional Mexican Music industry, contribute to a music genre appealing to an audience that is mostly men or individuals that have normalized hypermasculinity. Despite this, when the song was adapted to a novela, it became the …show more content…
In the minute (00:43), the video first introduces Teresa through a medium angle shot that shows her shaking her chest while wearing a low-cut shirt. Teresa is sexualized through the minimal amount of clothing she wears and by bringing the viewer’s attention to her body and chest. Unlike the lyrics that targeted a wide range of audiences, this image appeals to heterosexual men and encourages scopophilic that brings them pleasure from “[...] using another person as an object of sexual stimulation through sight” (Mulvey 383). This power dynamic create Mulvey’s Male Gaze and establishes dominance over the observed subject. In minute (01:12), the camera creates a close shot of only Teresa’s exposed stomach and makes a jump cut to a medium shot that only focuses Teresa’s bare legs seen through her short mini-skirt while none of these shots show her face . A similar narrative occurs in (03:28), when the camera depicts close-up shots of Teresa body getting dressed. Teresa is broken to mere body parts, erasing her identity, dehumanizing her, and pleasing the male gaze with views of her objectified body. This reinforces one of the traditional uses of women “as an erotic object for the spectator” (Mulvey 384). In the minute (02:14),