Thursday, November 16, 2023

Pluto and Discrimination (Spoilers)


As November 16th of 2023 there has been a lot of buzz about Pluto, a manga created by Naoki Urasawa and with a series in Netflix there has been plenty of conversation about Pluto due the contemporary issues that border around discrimination, equity and equal rights that match the civil rights to a marginalized group which in-universe are robots to the Civil Rights movement or even Pride.

We need to think that is just a reinterpretation of The Greatest Robot on Earth arc that was in Astro Boy back in the 1960's and many other reinterpretations in the last five decades. Pluto is a complete juxtaposition of the original material, it's gritty and it has some essence that transcendent in to current world issues that are linked to discrimination and system race.

You as a viewer can see it on how the world deals with robots, is not that difficult to compare it to how systemic racism has pushed people of color down the rug in States with little to no development in the infrastructure of their people and how that lack of investment reflects in the culture and people life development. Is not difficult to see robots as a marginalized groups where their basic rights are constantly placed in danger.

Episode 1 and episode 5 have moments in which we can see how robots are threated, when they die they are handled as mere junk instead of acknowledging they are gone and there's no way to bring them back much as a person would be when they are declared dead, but even when they are gone there are comments by minor characters that their bodies are just junk which mimics a similar state when police and other public official mention when a transgender or genderqueer person is killed, the officials just mentions their lives were a mess and they got what they deserved.

The point that got my attention is within episode 5 which reveals how Gesicht  learned about rage and gained a motivation that made his AI to act beyond the robot laws and kill a human which was the brother of Adolf Haas who was murdering robot children. Similar situation goes with the general premise of the series which on some extent equals the gay panic defense which diminish the life of the people who were murdered.

Within the intricate narrative tapestry of Pluto, the exploration of discrimination goes beyond the realm of robotic rights and delves into the depths of racial inequality. The parallels drawn between the plight of robots and the systemic racism faced by people of color offer a poignant commentary on the shared struggles of marginalized communities.

The juxtaposition of how society deals with robots in the series mirrors the historical and ongoing challenges faced by communities of color, particularly in the United States. The narrative underscores the stark reality of systemic racism, where communities with little to no investment in their infrastructure find themselves pushed to the margins. The lack of development and support for these communities has a profound impact on culture and individual life trajectories, echoing the deeply entrenched racial disparities witnessed in society.

Episodes 1 and 5 provide crucial moments that amplify the social commentary. The dehumanizing treatment of robots when they meet their demise reflects a callousness akin to the dismissal of lives in marginalized communities. The dialogue surrounding robot "bodies" as mere junk echoes the troubling rhetoric employed by authorities when addressing the deaths of individuals from racial or ethnic minorities, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and reinforcing systemic biases.

In Episode 5, Gesicht's journey becomes a microcosm of the broader societal struggles against discrimination. His discovery of rage and his subsequent deviation from established robot laws to confront the human perpetrator draws an unsettling parallel to real-world scenarios where individuals, driven to the brink by systemic injustices, act outside established norms. This mirrors instances where marginalized communities, in the face of adversity, are compelled to challenge oppressive systems.

The series delves into the complexities of Gesicht's motivations, portraying the blurred lines between right and wrong, much like the gray areas that characterize discussions around racism and discrimination. The narrative prompts viewers to reflect on the cyclical nature of injustice and the repercussions of historical traumas, drawing connections to the deep-rooted struggles against racism that persist today.

Pluto's exploration of discrimination and racism extends beyond a mere reflection of societal issues; it serves as a compelling call to action. By weaving these themes into the narrative, the series challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths and actively engage in dismantling discriminatory systems. In doing so, Pluto transcends its robotic facade, emerging as a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the interconnected struggles for racial and social justice in our contemporary world.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Champeta de Las Saylor Moon un Breve Recuento de la Cancion Original

Han pasado casi tres años desde que empece a escribir esto, y la he mantenido en stand by debido a problemas de salud pero con el tiempo he vuelto a ver la parte investigativa que le habia cogido fastidio a lo largo de los años. De todas la canciones del genero Terapia Criolla, Las Sailor Moon es una cancion que me llego al alma ya que a principio y mediados de la decada de los 90 no habian mujeres que representaran la champeta criolla.

El nombre de la autora es Shirley Perez Herrera, que su padre es Melchor Perez el cantante que popularizo el Vacile del Gago a principio de los 90. La historia de por si de la cancion original es unica ya que en ese momento no habia artistas feminos que predominaran en el genero y Shirley esencialmente abrio las puertas. 

Con el tiempo he aprendido apreciar la version mas popera de Yuranis ya que retomo un tema que estaba desaparecido y lo puso a una generacion nueva, la version mas reciente no trae los temas de la calle y la inferencia a bandas criminales de Cartagena y barrios populares pero pone como un tema bailable y para hacer desorden lo que hace un tema de por si chevere que va con los tiempos de la Costa Caribe.

Mientras buscaba informacion para esta entranda, encontre pocos articulos, pero fueron bastante substanciosos ya que por años me pregunte en donde el tema original fue grabado? Y mi sorpresa fue en un estudio casero en El Pie de la Popa en el año 96 - en las fuentes deje un enlace para los diferentes articulos, que encontre con respecto a la version original y asumo que en un punto de la historia como Cartagena es una ciudad pequeña y la mayoria de la gente se conoce entre si y mas en la parte de las artes, el esposo de Yuranis que es El Mr Black habra contactado a Shirley y pidio permiso en nombre de su esposa para hacer un remix y una nueva version de la cancion en 20 años desde su estreno.

La parte que me llama la atencion es como tambien YouTube ha mantenido la historia de la musica Cartagenera, la cancion ha estado en pie por mas de 10 años en diferentes perfiles al igual que otras de hace 35 años como la de Las Tortugas Ninja, Los Caballeros del Zodiaco, El Vacile del Pato para nombrar tres de las tantas.




La version original refleja la realidad popular en Cartagena, que en un punto va con dos ciudades en una, lo que es El Balneario Turistico contra el resto del pueblo Cartagenero. Las cancion habla del barrio Nariño; de Las Sailor Moon que es una banda que va por los barrios de Nariño, el 20 de Julio, Sampayo y van marcando el territorio pero es dificil saber si en verdad hubo una banda criminal en ese entonces, en si han habido varias bandas a nicel nacional que han usado el codigo de Las Sailor Moon.

Si estas leytendo y te preguntas porque use el pronombre plural Las para mencionar a Sailor Moon, estoy mencionado a un grupo y es el calificativo plural que es bastante comun en la Costa Caribe en darle a singulares signifcados plurales.

La historia de la cancion original es interesante porque no fue Shirley la que grabo el tema aunque es la autora y compositora, pero la voz es de la artista Cristiana - Rosalba Santana Guerrero - que ocupo el lugar de Shirley despues que la autora fue a cantar en un pick-up (punto de musica en la Costa donde diferentes cantantes van a promover su musica) Barranquillero con su novio que era competencia de su padre Melchor y Melchor de por si no la dejo grabar el tema como castigo por desobediencia.

Hay mucha realidad popular en las letras de la cancion, tambien hay referencia al show como El Principe Endemion, Sailor Mars y Mercury y la Reina Beryl si estuvieran en Cartagena y fueran parte de una banda pero como toda cancion popular Colombiana tambien hay referencias a barrios y gente conocida de la autora.



Referencias:

https://primeralinea.com.co/la-historia-de-la-sailor-moon-y-el-ay-me-transformaste-de-yuranis-leon/

www.facebook.com/citytv.com.co/videos/capturan-a-las-'sailor-moon'/10153985852519475/

https://www.elheraldo.co/entretenimiento/las-sailor-moon-un-grito-femenino-en-la-champeta-669413

https://www.colombia.com/musica/noticias/asi-nacio-sailor-moon-la-champeta-que-es-viral-en-redes-242740