<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1LOr2V_0wP0YxDS00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1LOr2V_0wP0YxDS00" width="800" height="500" ></figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1kEjsf_0wP0YxDS00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1kEjsf_0wP0YxDS00" width="800" height="500" ><p>Just days after its release, a music video with scathing lyrics and a catchy rhythm that denounces the harassment that the artist has been subjected to for more than a year by the Argentine president managed to enter the Top 5 most viewed videos in the world, and is number one in Argentina.</p><p>This is “Fanático,” the most recent single by Argentine singer, songwriter, actress and activist Lali Espósito, released at the end of September 2024 and with which she seems to ridicule the president and establish a political position of firm opposition to the government of Javier Milei, who has now been in office for ten months.</p><p>With a carefully crafted aesthetic — loaded with symbolism, humour and playful references to the artist’s career, her activism and her fans — the video features a character with fake sideburns and a leather jacket who screams nonsensically, presumably Milei. It also makes numerous references — some more subtle than others — to the insults, accusations and hate speech that Espósito has received.</p><p>The lyrics of “Fanático,” simple and very mischievous, could easily be about any fan who becomes absurdly obsessed with their favorite star, but the images and the context of the confrontation between Milei and Espósito make the reference clear.</p><p>On August 13, 2023, when the result of the primary elections in favor of the libertarian candidate Javier Milei became known, Lali Espósito tweeted the words, “How dangerous. How sad.” Milei’s responses and attacks were not long in coming, and thus began an intense media confrontation similar to that of Donald Trump against Taylor Swift.</p><h2>Music and humour as political tools</h2><p>The fact is that you have to know about Argentine culture, its recent political context and Lali Espósito’s career trajectory to understand the references made in the video.</p><p>The scenes were filmed in a large warehouse, which may be a reference in itself, since Milei called her “Lali Depósito” (Lali Warehouse), as he claimed that the artist lived off public money in exchange for making propaganda for Kirchnerism. In this warehouse, Lali leads a casting session in which a motley crew of characters parades: fans who imitate her as some of the characters she played in kids and teen TV shows, and as a singer.</p><p>One of the people who shows up at the casting and who catches Lali’s attention is a rolinga (a Rolling Stones fan) wearing a T-shirt that says “Who the fuck is LALI?”, a reference to the T-shirt that Keith Richards wore when he taunted Mick Jagger. In addition, when they asked Milei about her, he was emphatic that he did not know her saying, “I only listen to the Rolling Stones.”</p><p>A man who clearly resembles Milei also shows up at the fan casting. He screams and seems to lose his temper, whilst Lali seems bored with him. He is quickly pushed out of the scene, but shortly after he returns to continue screaming insistently despite the little attention anyone pays him, as if he were throwing a tantrum.</p><h2>And who the fuck is Lali?</h2><p>Mariana “Lali” Espósito, born in Buenos Aires in 1991, is a singer, songwriter, and actress who debuted on Argentine television aged just 10 years old. She took part in children’s TV programs and series, continued acting in teen dramas, and has been the face of several ad campaigns.</p><p>She played one of the characters in the 2021 Spanish Netflix series Sky Rojo, which received rave reviews in international media for addressing the problem of sex trafficking.</p><p>In terms of her musical career, she has collaborated on the soundtracks of TV series and a soap opera, and was part of Teen Angels, a pop band formed from an Argentine TV show, with whom she recorded six studio albums. In 2013, she began her career as a solo artist, though she has come to share the stage with great international figures of music and entertainment.</p><p>As for her political side, from a very young age Lali has participated in numerous social awareness and justice campaigns alongside various foundations, NGOs and artists. She describes herself as a “feminist apprentice,” as she recognizes her own shortcomings and hypocrisies, and has set out to work on them to become an increasingly better feminist.</p><p>She is a member of the collective Actrices Argentinas (Argentine Actresses), created in 2018 to support the right to abortion in Argentina, and has been very consistent in her activism for this cause, which resulted in her being the target of many cyber-attacks, threats and harassment, including those of the current Argentine president.</p><p>In a context of increasing poverty, declining human rights and dissenting voices feeling increasingly threatened, the spicy humor in Lali’s video fills her followers with laughter and optimism. And to the chagrin of her critics, it has enabled her to enter the Top 5 of most viewed videos worldwide for the first time.</p><p>In 3:07 minutes of a song, Lali Espósito has done and said much more than the opposition has in 9 months.</p><p>Thank you Queen.</p><p>— Nach &amp; Pop (@Eunepetaculo) September 27, 2024</p><p>—</p><p><i>Previously Published</i> <i>on globalvoices.org with</i> <i>Creative Commons License</i></p><p>***</p><h2>Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating?</h2><h2>Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching.</h2><h2>Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing!</h2><p>***</p><p>On Substack? Follow us there <b>for more great dating and relationships content.</b></p><h2>Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today.</h2><p>All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community. A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities. A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community. </p><h2>Register New Account </h2><p>Log in if you wish to renew an existing subscription.</p><p>By completing this registration form, you are also agreeing to our Terms of Service which can be found here.</p><p>Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.</p><p>—</p><p>Credit: Collage of screenshots from the music video “Fanático” by Lali Espósito on YouTube, made by Global Voices.</p></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Humor and Rock & Roll Against Political Harassment in Argentina

Just days after its release, a music video with scathing lyrics and a catchy rhythm that denounces the harassment that the artist has been subjected to for more than a year by the Argentine president managed to enter the Top 5 most viewed videos in the world, and is number one in Argentina.