Liverpool FC recently found themselves embroiled in a racism controversy for the second time in the last few months. Their goalie, Spanish national squad player Pepe Reina, came under fire from British anti-racism group Operation Black Vote for starring in a TV ad which they deemed to be racially offensive. The advert - for insurance company Groupama – depicts Reina meeting with the “king” of an African tribe who decides to take the goalie for his “queen”, a joke on his surname. Following complaints lodged by OBV, the campaign was pulled from Spanish television. Unfortunately for Reina and Liverpool, the ad in question came right on the tail of huge controversy caused by their … [Read more...] about Pepe Reina’s “racist” blunder: a question of black and white?
An all-too-fleeting break from obscurity for Horacio Echevarrieta
Before embarking on an article about Oliver van der Zee's recent documentary El último magnate, an important question to ask is why this film about the little-known yet groundbreaking Spanish mogul Horacio Echevarrieta has been all but overlooked in his home turf of the Basque Country (not to mention much of the rest of Spain). Perhaps one clue is director José Antonio Hergueta's comment to El País that Echevarrieta “was the man of the moment in Spain, the most famous, the richest; a pioneer and innovator...(but) these days no-one even in the Basque Country remembers who he was.” All attempts to watch this 80-minute documentary (known internationally as The Last Tycoon and part … [Read more...] about An all-too-fleeting break from obscurity for Horacio Echevarrieta
Jobless in Spain: a personal viewpoint
In January of this year, I became one of Spain's five million unemployed. The redundancy in itself has not hurt me badly. I receive a decent monthly unemployment benefit (with entitlement for 16 months) and, on a personal level at least, must admit to being pleased that my husband is one of Spain's 2.5 million job-protected funcionarios. The circumstances surrounding my redundancy, though not atypical, were legally ambiguous. “Ambiguous” because I had been hired to work until the completion of an unspecified project (or 'Fin de Obra') under what remains to date the most common type of contract in Spain. As I was hired in 2009, more than two years prior to recent changes in … [Read more...] about Jobless in Spain: a personal viewpoint
Spain’s film dubbing: ghost of a fascist past must be laid to rest
Most ex-patriots living and working in Spain will be all too aware of the Spanish penchant for dubbing foreign-language films. Whether Spanish-speaking or not, this is enormously irritating, particularly for those of us not living in more cosmopolitan cities like Madrid or Barcelona, with more cinemas showing films in original version. The nearest big city to me is San Sebastián, which hosts an annual international film festival famed for its predilection for the avant-garde. Throughout the festival, all showings are in original version and San Sebastián is extremely proud of its cinematic culture. Yet after almost 60 years of hosting the event, there is still only one small, two-screen … [Read more...] about Spain’s film dubbing: ghost of a fascist past must be laid to rest
Fancy a sexual fling? Dating agency will help you cheat on your partner
The latest dating agency to hit the internet caused a stir in Madrid earlier this month, the main reason being because its advertising campaign was aimed at married women, though the agency, Victoria Milan, claims to cater for both sexes. We all know, of course, that neither sex needs an agency in order to be unfaithful. The agency says it offers ‘Married and Attached Dating – Free and Anonymous’. A further look at its website reveals that its main headquarters are in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. One can’t help but wonder whether this is a case of the more liberal attitudes generally displayed in the Nordic states coming into conflict with the Catholic principles held by many … [Read more...] about Fancy a sexual fling? Dating agency will help you cheat on your partner