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Sociology Department, Faculty Publications Sociology, Department of

1982 Cuban Women in Popular Culture Mary Jo Deegan University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]

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Deegan, Mary Jo, "Cuban Women in Popular Culture" (1982). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. 328. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/328

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Department, Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Deegan, Mary Jo. 1982b. “Cuban Women in Popular Culture.” SWS Network (Sociologists for Women in Society) 12 (October): 3, 18. Cuban Women in Popular Culture

Mary Jo Deegan University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Popular culture is, by and large, a There are two origins of Cuban pop­ disruptive influence on the Cuban goal ular culture: foreign and indigenous. of equality for women. This rather The two major streams of foreign in­ strong statement is based on a short fluence on Cuban music are from Latin visit to Cuba, but fairly extensive data America and the United States/Wes­ sources. These include daily bombard­ tern Europe. The Latin effect is char­ ment by muzak, two evenings at night­ acterized by the love ideology. Roman­ clubs, five Cuban long-playing record tic myths are maintained through albums, three women's magazines and images of traditional love and sex roles. a popular music booklet, visits to the The style of presentation is, more­ Bay of Pigs Exhibition, and the viewing over, melodramatic-lovers "pine" for of national-sponsored television. In each other, they are "madly" in love, other words, during even a brief stay, and love is a focus of life. The Western the visitor is in frequent contact with effect shares similar themes, especial- Cuban popular culture. (see page 18)

3 Cuban Women (from page 3) Iy of love and romance. But there also Blondes are also visible in indigenous American movie Hello Dolly was shown is an underlying alienation and cyni­ materials. Blondes were depicted in on television one evening during our cism, an element of emotional control several important government posters. stay. and distance, absent in the Latin ma­ For example, the only military poster The popular culture of Cuba, one terial.1 we saw that recruited women pictured must conclude, does not consistently A major indigenous cultural medium a blonde female soldier. In one of the support changing roles of women. was Muzak, played in our hotel and in a most frequently viewed posters, there There are, of course, some strong and museum we visited. Radio stations also was an Anglo-looking child with long often effective new influences. The aired something similar as a conse­ blonde pony tails reading a book. This Women's Federation and popular quence of a government effort to was intended to exhort children to movies such as Theresa 4 point out new supply instrumental versions of popu­ "study daily." image of women. But until the love lar songs without accompanying lyrics. The Federacion de Mujeres Cubanas ideology is seen as part of women's Stylistically, this resulted in a homo­ (Women's Federation) did show more oppression (see Firestone's Dialectic genization of the music and an elimina­ variety in their portrayals of women of Sex), popular music will keep alive tion of the lyrical themes noted above. than other popular resources. In their the idea of suffering, pain and heart­ Clearly, the populace had access to popular magazine, they featured ache as natural accompaniments to other radio and music resources. The women leaders and workers in the intimate relationships. Homosexuality "approved" popular music lacked the market place. However, these maga­ will continue to be ostracized, and vitality of the songs heard in nightclubs zines also included articles on cook­ women will continue to try to be like and over less regimented stations. ing, cleaning, baby care and fashion. the blonde, young, slim models they Music at the Tropicanna nightclub This was especially true of an issue often see depicted in the media. was a mixture of prerevolutionary bought on the street compared to the Stressing military values for women Cuban and Latin American music. This as well as men also does not foster anniversary issue provided to us by the seemed to be a very popular show. re­ positive sex-role change.s Cuban Women's Federation. felcting the government's support of women, like us, need strong new this program. Music presented at A particularly revealing manifesta­ images of human growth and apprecia­ another nightclub, in the heart of tion of contemporary Cuban culture tion. Cubans are committed to chang­ Havana, was even more melodramatic was a large national exhibition marking ing the roles of women and opening and romantic than that at the Tropican­ the twentieth anniversary of the US­ the economic and political structures na. The songs were so well known and inspired invasion of Cuba. This exhibit to them. In many ways they are suc­ enjoyed by the audience that they fre­ used a wide range of media tech­ cessful in promoting this. Their popular quently sang along, and a man sitting niques: paper mache monsters of the culture, however, is largely a force miti­ behind us was moved to tears as he US military, slides, music, artifacts, gating against their success. listened. At both nightclubs, there was colored strobe lights and television. only heterosexual, partner dancing by The viewer was deluged by sensory the audience. The women wore input concerning the unjust attack on, Notes "glamorour" clothing, especially the and victorious rout by, the Cuban 1 Modern technology also is more likely to be performers, featuring tight and slinky people. The key themes were pre­ praised than revolutionary ideals. The Star Wars lines accentuated by very high-heeled paredness, defense and violence. theme, for example, was recognized by Cubans Loud noises, flashing lights, sinister in our hotel, but reggai, the revolutionary Jamai' shoes. can music, was not. One of the strongest disrupting music, military arms drove home the 2 Donna Summer is a "born again Christian" images of women in the Cuban media message of "good guys" versus "bad now, singing many gospel songs. It was the was "the blonde." An informal count of guys" in the Cuban struggle} In the disco image that was portrayed in the booklets. the hair color of Cuban women led to a street outside the show, there was a 3 This exhibit was the only place where military video-drama about the killing of pre­ personnel abounded. Their presence appeared "guestimate" that about one in twenty to be a reinforcement of the images and not a dye their hair blonde. This blonde revolutionary Cubans. These right­ sign of military protection for the exhibit. woman image was featured in a Soviet wing soldiers were machine-gunned 4 This is a very popular film, in Cuba and inter· women's magazine in their advertise­ and ambushed in slow motion, dying in nationally, depicting the Cuban women's strug· vivid color and considerable detail on gle for equality in the home. The predominant ments and fashion deSigns. image is that Cuban women are discriminated An image of the "ideal" black woman the screen. Throughout the exhibit, the against in childcare and housekeeping, but that was embodied by Donna Summer.2 emphasis was on male military leaders they are strong and battling to change this. Her picture was supposed to be "cut­ and soldiers. Women were presented sA national Women's Federation leader ex· out" of the popular music booklet. As a primarily as victims and innocent by­ pressed her ideas about military needs as a standers. function of defense. This was a source of young, beautiful, slim woman, she re­ anguish but pride to her as a Cuban. This more inforces many of the restrictive stereo­ Daily television in Cuba also cele­ positive image of the military for defense only, types of women. Dressed in a seduc­ brated the male values and ideals of and with regret, was not the primary messge tive disco outfit with long, straightened, the military and competitive sports. of the war movies and military actions presented in many popular media. The latter images were bouffant hair, she becomes a con­ This bias is continued through the im­ "macho" and depicted a great deal of violence sumer ideal difficult to realize in the portation of foreign films made in patri­ and aggression without a holistic context includ­ everyday life of Cuban women. archal societies. For example, the ing the costs and long·term effects.

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