Miss Mexico's frock touches a nerve

It was as if Miss USA had turned up at a beauty contest "wearing a dress showing images of the Ku Klux Klan in the deep South, with their hoods, their burning crosses and beer cans," a columnist wrote in the Mexico City daily newpspaper La Jornada.

The cause of this outrage was a dress worn by Miss Mexico, Rosa Maria Ojeda, the dark-haired beauty who is currently representing her country in the Miss Universe pageant, which Mexico is hosting this month. From a distance, the garment in question looks like a fetchingly old-fashioned, hoop-skirted ensemble. But the dress, accented by a bandolier belt and a wide sombrero, was adorned with depictions of a firing squad and Catholic rebels hanging from posts.

The theme of this, um, highly original design refers to Mexico's so-called Cristero War of 1926-1929, when Roman Catholic followers rose up against Mexico's leftist, anti-clerical government. After the Mexican revolution of 1910-20, the victorious rebels effectively outlawed the Catholic church, which they regarded as a repressive vestige of the old regime.

Catholics fought back against the government and allied vigilante groups in a brutal conflict that claimed 90,000 lives. The designers of the dress said it expressed a rich chapter of Mexican history.

But, Miss Mexico's dress has been redesigned with a less controversial image: the Virgin of Guadalupe. NBC and Telemundo will broadcast the pageant's finale live from Mexico City on May 28. No official word yet on whether there'll be any historically themed bathing suits.

Posted by Reed Johnson in Mexico City

Comments

[Lucina Cabrera]

I am not catholic, so I refuse to consider this dress as representative of my past. There are several mexicans who are in the same situation. Why do the government and mass media try to integrate everybody in universal categories without considering the differences? This dress is ugly and offensive, offensive for those who think Mexico is more than the "guadalupana" and offensive for catholics themselves: marketing is making use of symbols they consider sacred.

[Al Camms]

Creo que el tema es un distractor político, las autoridades han sido asesoradas profesionalmente para desviar la atención de temas importantes como la crísis política y la anulación de la independiencia de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos.

Los asesores han tratado de cubrir puntos importantes: "Polémica" para dividir opiniones y fragmentar a la sociedad, "absurdismo" donde la política no tiene lógica desde la perspectiva obrera (¿a caso lo tuvo el chupacabras del salinismo?), "inferioridad" ya que los disidentes masculinos al nuevo orden observarán un claro mensaje (traido por una perfecta hembra) de su posible destino y mermará cualquier espiritu, y "tiempo" para encontrar estratégias de legitimación a sus clientes.

Estos axiomas tan inocentes (y absurdos) evidencían la crísis política y el uso de estrategias mercadotécnicas como vía de dependencia a los países más desarrollados. (Mismos que desde sus orígenes, éstos crecieron gracias al esclavismo y no podrán hacerlo sin él)

Las batallas a librar en el futuro serán, ante todo, de caracter espiritual.

[Raul Elizalde]

Considering all the beautiful garments Mexico has it its regional traditions, as a Mexican and as a chatolic, I find this outfit not only offensive, but rather vulgar, it is my believe that just because the right, through a fraud, is now in power, all those groups that for many years remain in the dark, the yunque and others alike, are attempting to show the world what we Mexicans thought had left behind, ignorance, obscurantism and revenge. I wouldn't be surprised if it a near future Mexico became a crime to be liberal, considering the 67-year sentence that was just dictated to several social activists that oppose this government.

We are living under one that could become a fascist regime.

[Walter Kellingham]

La Jornada's Mr. Cervantes analogy is right because both instances refer to a conflict between the State and a SECT. The KKK is known to be one, understood to be "a group of followers of a religious or ideological branch" (see RAE.com and search for "Secta", Mr. Soto.)

[Olivia Martinez Burgos]

It's hard to explain tho foreigners the influence and corruption of lots of religious memebers in Mexico. Religion has harmed our country deeply. We are now under a fascist government. That is what makes the theme very very offensive.

My familily and I WILL NOT wathc the contest, and we will go to the regional dress contest to protest against Ms. Guadalupe Jones' comment in an interview. Mexican citizens are tired of our classist, fascist, "religous" governement and will not let harmful comments or symbols like these go by.

Viva Juarez!! Voto x voto

[Manuel George]

I think that girl is an stupid mexican that not has brain, in mexico la virgen of guadalupe is not the most interteresting for us
thank you

[Efrain Soto]

The theme of that dress could be interpreted in two ways: 1) as offensive like Mr. Cervantes and the La Jornada journalist believes or 2) as a reminder of one of Mexico's many conflicts between its people (fighting for certain rights and freedom) and the government (fighting for control of the people). I dont believe the designers of the dress intended the theme to be interpreted as #1 above and I choose to believe the latter.

The analogy of the La Jornada journalist comparing the Cristero War themed dress to Miss US wearing a dress with the KKK is ludicrous. The Christero War was a conflict of church and state, not racism.

I do believe, however, that the "Cristero War" themed dress is not a place for the Miss Universe Peagent.

Nevertheless, the images pay tribute to the sacrifice and determination of the Cristeros. They fought not only for religious freedom, the Cristero's (mostly from the Los Altos region of Jalisco) also fought to preserve their land rights (a topic that is rarely mentioned). To understand their involvement in the conflict you have to understand the historical social-economic characterisitics of the region. My family is from the Los Altos region of Jalisco, and I find its history quite fascinating. Do a little reading........

[Raul Cervantes]

The theme on this dress is offensive to those of us who fight for religious freedom. I thought these type of events (besides exploiting women) claimed to bring reconciliation to a socially sick world. Lupita Jones has proven herself to be a classist person. In a recent interview she spoke lowly of protestors in Mexico City. She represents what the right in Mexico is: classist and opressive.

As for me and my family, we will not be watching this contest. It demeans women.

Mexico lives now under an usurped fascist goverment. Beware!!!