The Economist Puts AMLO on Cover; Calls Him a ‘False Messiah.’ Hilarity Ensues

British magazine The Economist wrote a scathing editorial critizicing Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (aka AMLO) and urging voters to “curb” the ambitions of the “power-hungry” leader.

Published in its May 29-June 4 edition, the piece made it to the cover, showing a photo composition of AMLO beneath the headline “Mexico’s false messiah.” The editorial compares AMLO, as the president is commonly known, to “authoritarian populists” Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Narendra Modi of India and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil.

While the government officially dismissed the article as “very propagandistic” and even went as far as to send a letter to the editor, Mexicans (yours truly included) have tons of fun tweaking said cover. Once again, I’m happy to say that Mexican Twitter never disappoint.

Here some of my faves:

Mexico’s True Messiah: El señor de los tacos

Idea: (yours truly) Photoshop via: @zwiitt

Grande, Del Toro

JuanGa: El Mero Mero

El Buki

Giovanni Dos Santos

Two Covers. Two Truths

Last, but not least. Her Majesty La Concha

Hold on to your Sombreros: Cinco de Mayo 2021 Has Begun!

T-Mobile does Cinco de Mayo with taco socks, maracas and the like.

No matter how many bizarre holidays Americans come up with, Cinco de Mayo will forever be my favorite. And not only because it’s an excuse to drink all day and yell ¡Viva México! while thinking it’s Mexican Independence (it’s not) but because it is also the time of year that brings out the stupidest most creative marketing brains to sell Americans everything, from DIY printable fiesta kits and taquito shooters (whatever that is,) to senseless drink mixes, “ethnic food” and even life-size cardboard Mexicans as scene setters.

Etsy T-shirts, anyone?

Nacho de Mayo, because why not?

This time around, though, in honor of that amazing marketing tool known as Twitter, I’ve put together a few tweets making their way to my timeline using the #CincoDeMayo hashtag. This has only begun, so, please help me by tweeting me your own personal horrors for 2021 Cinco de Mayo and let the “Mexican” madness begin!

T-Mobile

Barnsdall Art Foundation

Taco Johns – Ole The Day?

This reporter

This ‘Salsa’

Gluten-Free Churro Cupcakes

Mission Foods

Note: This post will be updated on a regular basis.

 

U.S. Salsa Makers Join Nonsensical Trend of Putting an ‘Ñ’ where it Doesn’t Belong

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Remember that nonsensical trend of putting “eñes” where they don’t belong just to make something look — and sound — more authentically Latino?

Well, it looks like American media giants and Hispanic journalists organizations are not alone in this thing. As it turns out, the makers of Trinidad salsa* have decided it’s OK to put an “eñe” on habanero.

I mean, COME ON! It’s not that difficult. How about putting an “eñe” where it DOES belong? Like in “jalapeño?” for example?

jalapeno3

  • Don’t get me started

#ItsHabaneroNotHabañero

St. Patrick’s Day: The Other Binge Drinking Mexican Holiday

st_patricks_mexico_2

Go ahead; wear green and go out get drunk or whatever it is you do this weekend. But don’t forget Saint Patrick’s Day is a celebration of the Batallón de San Patricio, which according to Wikipedia my extensive readings of history books, was a unit of hundreds of immigrants and expats who fought as part of the Mexican Army against the United States.

Of course for Americans of the generation that fought the Mexican-American War, the San Patricios were considered traitors, while for Mexicans of that generation (and pretty much to this day) the San Patricios were heroes.

Now you know.

Now go get some green tequila and Irish tacos.

Zara Home Attempts to Gentrify Luffa Sponges; Hilarity Ensues

Multinational fashion chain Zara has done it again. The home products division of the Spanish giant has put some luffa sponges (known in Mexico as zacates) for sale at 299 pesos (about 9.60 U.S. dollars).

As any Mexican knows, these kinds of sponges can be found in any market around Mexico from less than a dollar a pack. The over 2,000% price difference was not lost on Mexican Twitter, which quickly activated the Zara Home Meme machine. The results are… hilarious.

Eco Shower

Eco Lunch

Make Cubetas Chic Again

Eco Friendly Dog House

Eco friendly Dog House

To think I was brought up in a Zara Home

The Best Mexican Memes of the Biden Inauguration

Luis Valle on Twitter

It’s January 20, 2021 y’all, which means two very important things: Trump will no longer be president and Mexican Twitter is on fire. I will be posting here my favorite meme-moments of the day and updating throughout the morning so be sure to come back!

Guess Where He’s Going?

Don’t Forget Him!

In Some Form

Bernie Knows What’s Up

Awww, Bernie

Make Red Hats Great Again

Bernie, Always Bernie

This Was Inevitable

Cleaning up the Mess

Swearing on El Baldor, Of Course!

Coco & Bernie

Last, but not Least….

From the one and only El Alteño on Twitter

The 2021 Guac-Bowl Is Here and I Can’t Even

It’s already that time of the year when –not content with punishing this blogger with a pandemic, a white supremacist attempted coup, frigid temperatures *and* plenty avocado-hipster nonsense– the people behind Avocados From Mexico are once again reminding me of the upcoming, pandemic Super Bowl –and all I need to know about gringo guacamole.

Enter the 2021 Avocados From Mexico’s Guac Bowl, a “digital experience” where people obsessed with avocados can learn all sorts of things, including how to keep their avocados fresh longer for game day, and get rewards from buying avocados and other weird stuff.

Hosted by Troy Aikman and sportscaster Erin Andrews, the Guac Bowl digital experience also offers participants the chance to win “limited-time only avocado gear and weekly prizes of $1,000, as well as the opportunity to enter to win the grand prize of $1 million.”

Avocado gear? Yes, you read that right: Avocado gear is a thing and it’s just as ridiculous as you can imagine.

And no, I’m not making any of this up. Go ahead, read all about it right here. Now if y’all excuse me, I’ll go get drunk.

The Pro-Trump Mob Assault on the Capitol in One Word

The day after a pro-Trump mob assaulted the nation’s Capitol, Metro, a Mexico City tabloid, printed what this blogger declares the best headline ever on the whole messy situation.

Please also note the wonderful use of the word zafarrancho, a wonderful choice to describe Wednesday’s brawl.

Filing under “Why I love Mexico” and “Mexicans: How Can Anyone Not Like Us?”

Mexico’s COVID-19 Czar Goes to the Beach; Hilarity Ensues

Mexico’s coronavirus czar Hugo López Gatell urged Mexicans to stay home… but then he went on a beach vacation, sparking anger … and tons of memes.

After urging people to stay home, wear a mask, keep a safe distance from others and avoid going on vacation, Mexico’s coronavirus czar, Hugo López-Gatell, decided to take a maskless beach vacation in Oaxaca, prompting a wave of criticisms among Mexicans and later becoming the nation’s butt of the joke.

A series of photos published this weekend show Dr. López-Gatell seated at an outdoor bar with a female companion in the tourist-friendly beach of Zipolite, Oaxaca. Neither is wearing a mask. Another photo, taken a few days earlier on a crowded flight from Mexico City to the beach resort, López-Gatell is seen talking on a cellphone — again not wearing a mask. The photos quickly went viral on social media.

While the politician’s beach escapade sparked anger, naturally, it also gave rise to some hilarious memes and images that continued to light the Internet well into the new year, because when it comes to quick, witty Internet humor, Mexico sigue siendo el rey.

Here are some of my favorite reactions to López-Gatell’s beach escapade.

AMLO got a Special T-shirt

Back from Zipolite

Coronavirus Ready to Pounce

The thing Is… Nobody Reads the small Print

Medical Marketing in Mexico Be Like…

“It’s not the cold; your member is just small”

Today in our always popular section Mexicans, How Can Anyone not Like us? I give you Dr. Ricardo Madrigal, whose urology clinic specializes in non-surgical penis enlargements and fixing other virile malfunctions. Judging from Dr. Madrigal’s marketing tactics, he’s not the one to beat around the bush when it comes to promoting his services.

“IT’S NOT THE COLD; THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS!” reads a recent billboard in Mexico captured by a Reddit user.

In addition to huge signs along local highways Dr. Madrigal is also very active on Facebook, where you can find tons of other incredible Christmas promotions.

Just in time for the holidays. Yay!

Via: Dr. Ricardo Madrigal on Facebook

Tortas, Tacos and Trajineras to Encourage Mexico City Migrants to Vote in 2021

‘A chilanga without a voting document is like a al pastor taco without pineapple’

Mexican electoral authorities are calling on chilangos (as Mexico City residents are known) living abroad to take part in the 2010 election and vote for a “Diputación migrante.” What this basically means is that migrants hailing from the city capital will be able to cast a vote for representation at the Mexico City Congress.

And what better way to convince chilangos to take part than using some of the things that make our heart beat the hardest? Tacos al pastor; tortas de tamal and trajineras.

As Mexico’s Electoral Institute (INE) inform us on a dedicated Website, being a chilango without a voting document is equivalent to really dull things: Like a taco al pastor without pineapple; a guajolota (torta of tamal) without bolillo or a trajinera without a name.

This blogger better go sign up for this thing ASAP.

‘A chilango without a voting document is like a guajolota without bolillo.’

Hat tip: Chilango Le Chanclé

Pinball Machines: The Latest Victims of COVID-19 in Mexico

Reddit user IranRoman in Guanajuato, Mexico, captured this image showing two unsuspecting victims of COVID-19: Retro arcade games.

The sign literally says “Out of order because COVID-19,” which in Spanish sounds like they are not working because they “got” the virus, and not that they’re not available because of the virus.

Regardless, this is yet one more excuse for this blogger to exclaim… Mexicans: How can anyone not like us?

Photo Via Reddit