Hold the presses!After I put up my last post, I got a tweet from Yoani. It seems that La Flaca lives on Twitter and publishes and updates her posts faster than Sullivan of the Daily Dish! And each week she gives us a new bomba!
Her newest post at Generacion Y has a new and much improved video from the Temas internet "debate." It has the same beginning and end, but also includes Yoss' forceful comments (he's the Cuban science fiction writer who looks like he's in Metallica), as well as some words of wisdom from a blond transvestite!
Once we are inside the room where the "debate" takes place, we see what looks like a European reporter with spikey blond hair, then we hear from Yoss, then we are back to this blond woman who turns out to be none other than Yoani herself. The audio in this version of her comments is much clearer. She makes direct reference to Rafael Hernandez's unfortunate comments at FIU last week of her being engaged in "ciber-chancleteo," saying (more or less):
"I was born and raised in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Centro Habana - so don't lecture me about being a ciber-chancletera (aprox. trans., "white trash"). And if what I do is chancleteo, long live chancleteo. If what we do on our blogs is chancleteo, then this society needs a good dose of chancleteo."
Is that the last year's TIME's 100 Most Influential People framed on the wall? I recall that issue fondly- it was uncomfortable having both Steve Jobs and Steve Ballmer ranked against each other in the same issue.
ReplyDeleteVic, it is in fact Time's 100 list for 2008. Yoani Sánchez is on that list under Heroes & Pioneers for her work of covering Cuba's regime and denial of basic human rights. You read more about this @: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733756_1735878,00.html
ReplyDeleteI found another great read about Yoani in NYtimes, check it out if interested: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/weekinreview/18rohter.html
It does not appear to me that Hernandez was referring specifically to Yoani with his comment about there being too much "cyber-chancleteo" (gutter-talk) on the internet. The only thing he specifically said about her blog is that there is not much real debate on it - that it is more about catharsis. I don't think Yoani would even argue that point.
ReplyDeleteYoani's larger point (on her blog) is that the Temas debate was not sufficiently diverse because they did not include her counter-Revolutionary friends. She says how she is going to organize her own more democratic session and debates... made if her previous meetings are any indication. Fine.
This is what Hernandez was getting at. She does not want to dialogue with the real acutal Cuban society - who would find reason to quarell with her on almost every point. If her blog is clear about anything, she wants a monologue full of complaints, rather than the more difficult task of coming up wity possible solutions. Ie. catharsis rather than debate. She has never once found it necessary to try to dialogue with those of us who question her analysis. That is her right, but it is not an interesting site for me, for that reason.
Some missing text in my response above. Should say something to the effect:
ReplyDeleteShe says how she is going to organize her own more democratic debates... made up of a half-dozen like-minded (anti-Castro) friends, if her previous sessions are any indication. Fine.