Louis Mendoza's Review of Tex[t]-Mex from Latino Studies, Spring 2010

source

...a huge tip of the sombrero to my gifted compadre out in the Minnesota outback, Louis Mendoza

No Surprises! The New York Times Pans PHANTOM SIGHTINGS

updated below! original posting 4/13/10

The New York Times' Ken Johnson weighs in with a less-than-loving pan of the Phantom Sightings show. You think you want a taste? You don't. Here's some anyway from Johnson's acidic conclusion: "A more astutely focused, judiciously selected exhibition might lead to different conclusions, but this one will not alter the impression that last rites for this type of show are in order." Zoiks! More from Johnson's screed is here.

But as they say in London, no worries. The NYTimes did the same favor for Luis Valdez's Zoot Suit back in the day and Valdez is still getting good work!

Hit the image to your right for the PHANTOM SIGHTINGS review; then tap the image below for a trip down memory lane and Richard Eder's snarky Zoot Suit review from 1979. More better? Daniel Hernandez's post on the LA Phantom Sightings show.

Chon Noriega weighs in with a worthy riposte to the NYTimes review in his monthly CSRC newsletter hot out of Westwood and UCLA:

The art world no longer excludes Chicanos? If only we had spoken to New York Times reviewer Ken Johnson five years ago, we could have avoided the painstaking research that informs Phantom Sightings: Art after the Chicano Movement. The exhibition, which I co-curated with Rita Gonzalez and Howard Fox, opened last month at New York City’s El Museo del Barrio. It is the first exhibition to focus on contemporary artists influenced by the Chicano civil rights movement. These artists do not engage in identity politics. In fact, several of them are not even Chicano. But Mr. Johnson’s review on April 10 ignores all that and instead lauds the 2010 Whitney Biennial as an example of how the art world has assimilated “artists of many different backgrounds.” But wait! The Biennial does not include any Latino artists. And, ironically, the Biennial is exactly the kind of “identity-based group show” that he rails against. In fact, it is the exemplary case. Johnson’s review is confused and mean-spirited, revealing a bias against exhibitions that engage race and ethnicity. In New York City, the Mexican-descent population is 300,000. Nationwide it is 30 million. According to Johnson, this population has been “assimilated” into museum exhibition and modern art history. Really? He concludes that any museum or foundation that supports another view is sustaining an unnecessary “evil” that should be given its “last rites” (that is, killed). What Johnson calls an “evil” we call a phantom that remains exiled from mainstream institutions. That phantom represents 10 percent of our nation. This review, like recent events, suggests an underlying fear that, in the words of Eric Cartman, “There are too many minorities.”

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez's MOVIE MIENTO Blog--Shifra Goldman edition

Don't Talk To Me Weeth Dat Steenken Axcccennte! Arizona, in the NEWS, again...

thanks to brand,spanking, new SD correspondent Jenna Carter for sharing the link--hit the image for the story!

Dora the Explorer Busted in Arizona

Thanks to Sandra Islas of LPAN for the image!

Fritz Lang's M screened for free! Very cool site; gracias to boingboing!

hit Peter Lorre for the flick--then go to full screen for an eerie treat! thanks to boingboing's Cory Doctorow for the headsup!

Public Protests Continue in Arizona!

Shocking Revelations Regarding Latina/o Targeted Media! They dig güeros/güeras even MORE than yankOUTLETS

Of Arizona, and California... More on the Anti-Immigration Legislation

Finally Aiming to Bring BORDERED SEXUALITIES to Light, Summer 2010

Pancho Villa Rides Again! At the Red Cat, this MONDAY in LA

Thanks to John Paul Gutierrez, sage, Sage editor, for the link!

More Luchador/Mexican Wrestling Goodness from Carlos Avila | LUCHA LORDS EDITION

For the rad LUCHA LORDS site, hit the image above; and also be sure to check out Scarlett Johansson (as BLACK WIDOW) rip-off Mexican Wrestling moves in Iron Man II in this HDclip:

Luchador/Wrestling Allegories from Jack Teagle and Carlos Avila

first, jack teagle--hit the luchadores for his rad site...



and, now, from Carlos Avila, two rad, cinematic, luchador bonbons--the fusion of performance, street culture, and dance in the videos signals an evolution in what can now be rightly called a lucha libre aesthetic or luchador imaginary (a tip of the sombrero to Jacques Lacan!)

Does America Mean WHITE

Hit the image for the story; thanks to regular, nefarious correspondent, Michael Wyatt Harper, for sending in this link.

Arizona! Mexicans, Beware!!!

Not ALL of Arizona is Totally Loco: Paul Espinosa Retrospective in Tempe!

For more info--hit here.

Jon Stewart on Arizona: Humor in a Swiftian Vein

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Law & Border
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Thanks to Sandra Islas, of LPAN, for sharing the link with me.

Spread the Palabras! Shifra Goldman Poetry Circle, This Weekend in LA!

Adolfo Guzman Lopez writes in to remind us of a cool gig going down this weekend in LA--hit the poster above for the skinny or visit these sites mentioned in Adolfo's note:

I hope you can make it, spread the word or check out some of Shifra's work. It's impressive. Here are some links:

http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/collections/cema/goldman.html

http://www.networkaztlan.com/writers/shifra_goldman.html


In poetry,

Adolfo

Dan Olivas on BIBLIOCRACY on KPFK

Headsup that Chicano author Dan Olivas will be winging his way through the LA airwaves (and, internationally, streaming on KPFK) Wednesday, April 28, 2010 @ 2:30pm on Bibliocracy. Here it live here! Or find it archived by hitting the KPFK logo above! Don't miss it!

See Amazon's gallery of his cool books here!

Imagine, If the Tea Party Were Black

Thanks to Michael Wyatt Harper, for the linklove!

Gilda | Rita Hayworth | Lobby Cards--Bizarre New Period Lobby Cards

Wow. These are some of the most curious GILDA movie artifacts I have run across. I love the 2nd lobby card where the Ballan Munson (George Macready) character eyes "his bride"--if you've read Tex[t]-Mex, you know what I am thinking! Which bride, Johnny (Glenn Ford) or Gilda (Margarita Dolores Carmen Cansino)???

Arizona, basta! more on the anti-immigration legislation from the NY TIMES

Warrior, Diva, Goddess Event @ CSUN this FRIDAY!!! Spread the Word

for more info, go here! or email the coordinator, CSUN profe
extraordinaire, Diana Contreras--one of my former students,
a UCLA film MFA, indy writer/activist, and new Fulbright Scholar
Award Winner!

Daniel Hernandez on Next-Wave Latina/o Studies!

Remember Walter Rodney's Amazing HOW EUROPE UNDERDEVELOPED AFRICA? Call This: HOW ARIZONA UNDERDEVELOPED CHICANAS/OS

The Guardian, UK, on Arizona's Anti-Immigration Moves

Lalo Alcaraz on a roll with la cucaracha! Texas Textbooks and Flintstones Edition