The Fire Ant Gazette - A Midland, Texas Blog

Nacho Libre Lives!
Category: Society & Culture...
Posted Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 09:23 AM [GMT-6]

I picked up the following flyer at the restaurant where we now go for our Wednesday night fajita fix, and it proves that Jack Black's 2006 comedy contained far more realism than some might have thought.

I get a kick out of these things (the flyer, not the actual event; I've never attended one); the wrestlers' ring names, in particular, are hilarious. These guys don't take themselves as seriously as their counterparts in the big [business] leagues. Can you imagine a WWF wrestler calling himself "The Coward" (El Cobarde), or "Super Porky"?

Many of the names in this "Lluvia de Estrellas" (Shower of Stars) have puzzling origins: "El Hijo Del Santo" (The Son of the Saint); Nascar (it might sound Spanish, but I don't think it is); "Sexy Flower" (now we know what Lucy Liu does on her nights off); "La Parka" (which, as far as I can tell, translates to "The Parka"; is it just me or is that a less-than-intimidating name, unless your opponent has a ski jacket phobia?); "Impostor" (how do we know he's really an impostor? Behind that mask, he could be the actual person.); and "Hijo de Cien Caras" (Son of 100 Faces; I assume his mask collection is second to none).

The inevitable little people contingent (at least, that's my guess as to the meaning of the heading "Los Minis") are represented by "Piratita Morgan" (a POTC fan, no doubt) and "Mascarita Sagrada" (Sacred Mask).

It's not my intent to mock events such as this or the luchadores or their fans. This is a cultural phenomenon that's been taking place for scores of years, and I hope it continues. The goal of the event is to entertain; it requires a certain amount of complicity between participants and audience, and that's no different than most $150 million Hollywood blockbusters. And I'm guessing that lucha libres take place with a great deal less cynicism and self-importance than their Anglo counterparts.

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Comments

My first introduction to the idea of the Luche Libre (or however you spell it, I'm too lazy to tab back and look) was on the Middle Man recently - and they do seem to have no problem poking fun at themselves.

Still...I just don't get wrestling of any flavor...Greco-Roman included.

Posted by: beth at July 17, 2008 09:56 AM

I just don't get wrestling of any flavor

And I don't get opera or ballet, or ice hockey, for that matter. Different strokes for...well, you know.

Posted by: Eric at July 17, 2008 10:44 AM

i have a soft spot for it, myself. i loved the old WWF (now WWE and just not the same) when i was a kid. unfortunately the biz in Mexico is becoming much like the WWE here. just a bit over the top!

here's something else i thot you might get a kick out of. Tasty Pan Dulce in the form of pillows, backpacks, and more. :)

http://www.xochico.com/PD/BP/PDbp.html

Shane en Seattle

Posted by: Shana at July 17, 2008 01:15 PM

wow - i misspelled my own name

ShanA

Posted by: Shana at July 17, 2008 01:16 PM

I like the pan dulce "fuzzies," complete with their own pastry box!

i misspelled my own name

Hate it when that happens. ;-)

Posted by: Eric at July 17, 2008 01:19 PM

I too have a soft spot for this stuff...I think partly from watching it as a kid with my grandmother and also from going to breakfast on Saturdays to the old Antler's Motor Hotel in Odessa with my Dad, and seeing the Wahoo McDaniels and Co. having cordial breakfasts together...when I had just seen them beat the tar out of each other the night before.

Were you able to have a fresh homemade baked cinnamon role from that place back in the 60's? They served them with fresh whipped butter. Man that was good...

Posted by: Mark at July 17, 2008 02:19 PM

At first glance I thought lucha libre meant "free lunch".

Posted by: dale at July 17, 2008 02:32 PM

Mark, your comment also brings back memories of Dory Funk (Senior and Junior), Man Mountain Mike, and even Andre the Giant. (Interesting side note: we have a former pro wrestler of that generation in our ballroom dance club. He's quite a figure out on the floor, and you don't dare cut in on him and his partner!)

Never went to the Antler Motel though. We rarely went to Odessa and certainly not for breakfast! 86 miles was a bit far to drive even for delicious cinnamon rolls...

Dale, I much prefer "lucre libre," myself.

Posted by: Eric at July 17, 2008 02:55 PM

Perhaps someone ought to tell them that the 915 area code went out.....what five years ago!!

I too remember seeing the old, old stars sitting around the motels in Odessa. Like the ultimate...Sputnik Monroe!!

Up close and personal.....I was taught to paddle outrigger canoes in Hawaii by Sam Steamboat Jr. wrestllin' star of the 70's.

Posted by: Wallace at July 17, 2008 11:13 PM

Wallace, I assumed that the 915 phone number is for the El Paso-based promoter.

Sputnik Monroe sounds familiar, but I confess that I don't really remember him.

Posted by: Eric at July 18, 2008 06:50 AM

It's not my intent to mock...

No, of course not. ;-) You photoshopped those names in, didn't you? I'm rolling on the floor laughing over here. Los Minis? OMG! And look at all the Jrs. and Srs., like there are multiples. If ever there is a day when your blogroll convenes again in West Texas, I do hope there will be a field trip to the Lucha Libre Mexicana on the agenda. :-)

Posted by: gwynne at July 19, 2008 11:35 PM

Gwynne, I guess there's a fine line between joining in the self-directed humor that's a necessary underpinning of these kinds of events, and a condescending attitude that extrapolates from a particular style of entertainment in order to pass judgment on a whole class of society.

OK, that sounded a lot deeper than it really is. But, you know what I mean. It's all about the entertainment (and that would be the ideal blogger venue, wouldn't it?).

Posted by: Eric at July 20, 2008 05:45 PM

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