Unapologetic Queer Sexualities in Mexican and Latinx Melodrama
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Sácala (del closet): Unapologetic Queer Sexualities in Mexican and Latinx Melodrama A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Spanish by Oscar Rivera September 2020 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Freya Schiwy, Co-Chairperson Dr. Ivan E. Aguirre Darancou, Co-Chairperson Dr. Alessandro Fornazzari Dr. Richard T. Rodriguez Copyright by Oscar Rivera 2020 The Dissertation of Oscar Rivera is approved: Co-Chairperson Co-Chairperson University of California, Riverside Acknowledgements First and for most, I thank the inmenso apoyo granted by Dr. Freya Schiwy who allowed and stimulated my pursuit of jotería when I, naively, was afraid/embarrassed to engage with explicit sexuality in an academic setting. Her continuous supportive embrace, availability, constant chats that extended beyond office hours and gracious patience has made my career at the University of California, Riverside an unforgettable and marvelous experience. I will forever be indebted to her por cambiar mi mundo by teaching myself (and cohort) to question everything we took for granted. I would like to thank my other professors who have profoundly shaped my knowledge and allowed my queer readings and essays in their classes even when that was not part of their syllabus, for it permitted a remarkable growth opportunity on my part: Dr. Marta Hernández- Salván for her always-challenging classes; Dr. Alessandro Fornazzari for his reassurance and recommendation of Pedro Lemebel (the inspiration of my dissertation); I am also eternally grateful for Dr. Iván E. Aguirre Darancou for his patience in reading several versions of my chapters and the excellent reading recommendations; Dr. Richard T. Rodriguez who kindly provided many, many words of encouragement in the tumultuous road of writing a dissertation; Dr. Benjamin Liu, our graduate advisor, for constantly checking in with the students and making us feel welcomed and seen; Dr. David Herzberger and the University of California, Riverside for opening their doors to a wonderful and welcoming community of intellectuals. En México, le agradezco de todo corazón a la Dra. Ada Aurora Sánchez Peña por su apoyo incondicional que por ella pude enseñar clases de literatura y cine en la Universidad de Colima. Por igual, estoy iv eternamente agradecido con el Dr. Saúl Villegas Martinez en la Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa por la invitación a enseñar clases y su paciencia en las constantes conversaciones sobre la academia y jotería mexicana. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a larger support system to survive as a grad student and I could not have been any more fortunate with the incredible cohort (and terapeuta-amigxs) that include Dr. Roxana Blancas Curiel, who was once my colleague but soon became mi amiga del alma, mi musa en el karaoke, mi confidente durante las chelas del desestrés académico. My moxxo Dr. Conor Harris, my friend since the first day we met in orientation, my go-to support en las desveladas writing our essays, the countless hours of laughter, por nunca decir que no cuando le incitaba a procrastinar, y por todo lo que hemos aprendido juntxs. I am very thankful for Dr. Suria Ceja, an incredible friend, for the countless and hilarious stories that helped ease the stress, por ser la comadre en el chisme and her constant support. I like to thank my academic sister Dr. Emily Pryor who always recommended amazing music, nos sacaba a bailar and for giving the BEST hugs in times of need. I am also very thankful for Bret Noble and his friendship, por las desveladas escribiendo and for constantly nourishing us with his delicious cooking skills. I am very thankful for Dr. Seher Rowthler and her wonderful and loving personality, for being my writing partner and a challenging adversary in card games during our writing breaks. I am very grateful for Dr. Jorge Sánchez Cruz, my fellow kween, and nuestras conversaciones estimulantes sinfin. I also thank both Ronika Singh and Judith Palencia for their inspiring work ethic (a personal aspiration), for being the best writing partners with or without chelas. v Agradezco a mi familia por siempre apoyarme, especialmente a mis padres Pedro y Marisa Rivera, por todos sus sacrificios, por lo que dejaron en su país para brindar a mis hermanxs y a mi un futuro con mejores oportunidades, pero más agredecido por otorgarme la oportunidad de enfocarme en mis estudios sin pedir nada a cambio; aunque realmente nunca entendieron el trabajo de la academia, lo que sí tienen claro es el orgullo que sienten al ver que sus esfuerzos no fueron en vano. Estoy más que agradecido con mis tías Elena, Vitelia, Himelda, Isela y las tías adoptadas Yezmin, Marta y Leticia que me chiquearon cuando estaba en México durante los veranos y se asegurarón que tuviera comida, agua y mezcal para que no dejara de escribir cuando me encerraba. Por ello, y mucho más, les quiero y estoy eternamente agradecido con ustedes. Lastly, but not least important, I like to thank my UCSB babes, Joaquin Barcelo, Ernesto Díaz, Jonatan Guzmán y a mi jotería Juán Zambrano, Allen Magaña, and Vanessa Farías for the constant conversations when I needed to vent, for reading my chapters and providing their perspective. I cannot forget to thank my fellow gaymers who have been there since the inception of my dissertation and allowed me to pick their brains, some through conversations, some as experiments of my theories and thoughts, some with feedback, some with encouragement, but all with love: @spidercatman, @kweenslays, @marzipol, @splitcreampie and @moonbeam_moloch. vi Para mi abuelita Simona Farías Cruz, Mi padre Pedro Rivera Farías, Mis tías Elena, Vitelia, Himelda e Isela, Y mi hermana Rebecca, Por su apoyo y fe incondicional. Para lxs que han encontrado el valor de aceptarse diferente Y lxs que están en proceso. vii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Sácala (del closet): Unapologetic Queer Sexualities in Mexican and Latinx Melodrama by Oscar Rivera Spanish, Graduate Program in Spanish University of California, Riverside, September 2020 Dr. Freya Schiwy, Co-Chairperson Dr. Ivan E. Aguirre Darancou, Co-Chairperson This dissertation aims to actively approach melodramatic Latinx/Mexican productions as cultural manifestations of a political movement that not only pushes the proverbial envelope towards post-queer-identity (that is post the coming out climax of many works) by demanding the recognition of explicit queer sexuality as a powerful tool that can and does invoke change in the cultural and social realm. Sácala (del closet) theorizes what I am calling unapologetic raw queer sexualities, which I see manifested in Latin American and Latinx cultural productions. I pay close attention to the transnational connections and influences not only between the neighboring countries of México and the US but also in global conversations with sexual identities in Latin America. The works I engage in my dissertations include the 1983 novel titled Melodrama by Luis Zapata. I suggest that Melodrama is both an homage and a parody of the melodramatic genre in Mexican Golden Age cinema and how the novel ultimately destabilizes fixed notions of gender and sexuality viii that impact both straight and queer understandings of body, identity, and desire. In Chapter 2, I work with performances by El Mariachi Arcoris de Los Angeles by analyzing the different ways in which the queer mariachi queers spaces and dares to reimagine what it means to be queer and what it means to unsettle patriarchal, heteronormative frameworks that are historically associated not only with Latinx culture and Chicanx activism but indeed socially pervasive across the different ethnic groups that make up the United States of America. The following chapter analyzes Netflix's La casa de las flores (2018), an original series entangled with Mexican melodrama, particularly stemming from telenovelas, that relate directly to queer world making issues as I pay attention to US notions of sexual identities that are appropriated by non-US subjects as well as the different forms in which these subjectivities exceed theoretical imagining of transnational queer (re)formation with a visibly queer sexuality. Lastly, I analyze Tangerine as an audiovisual project which allows the viewer to experience -with limitations- sexual otherness while questioning notions of Latinx family. ix Table of Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………… 1 Ch. 1 Queer Futurity in Melodrama ...……………………………………………...…...20 Ch 2 Sácala (del closet): Queer Visibility and Performance in Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles ………………………………………………………………………………….66 Ch 3 Más Turbado: Mexican Sex(ualities) in La casa de las flores ……...…………….….116 Ch 4 Disidentification and Queer Worldmaking in Tangerine ………………..………….. 153 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………. 185 Works Cited ………………………………………………………………..…………..190 x List of Illustrations Chapter 1 Image 1.1 Example of textual games ………...………………………………………….42 Image 1.2 Word and image play in the work ……………………………………………45 Chapter 2 Image 2.1 Leandro and Allen Serenata …….……………………………………………81 Image 2.2 Natalia caressing the audience ……………………..…………………..…….95 Image 2.3 Mariachi Arcoiris in el día de los Muertos ….……………………………...105 Image 2.4 Carlos and Leandro …………………………………………………………111 Image 2.5 Carlos in A mi Manera ……………………………………………………...113 Chapter 3 Image 3.1 RBD Touchtones ……………………………………………………………125 Image 3.2 Julián’s introduction ………………………………………………………...136 Image 3.3 Still from El