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March 14, 2006

Wacky Mexican Television

It's 1 am on a Tuesday and I'm watching one of Mexico's most revered female authors, Elena Poniatowska, being interviewed on a show called "Show del Insomnio." Yet she's not being interviewed in a studio or any place befitting her stature in the country's literary landscape. She's being driven around what I presume to be Mexico City in a flatbed truck that has been set up like a bedroom, complete with bed, nightstand and a television.


poniatowska-2.jpg
Elena Poniatowska on Show del Insomnio

This is the only aspect of the interview that is so campy; she is discussing other authors, recounting her early days as a journalist, and talking about the advantages of being small.


poniatowska-3.jpg
Elena Poniatowska on Show del Insomnio

Although we get it on channel 80 here in Guadalajara on Megacable, it's a Canal 22 production.

I love this country.

Posted by crispy at March 14, 2006 12:13 AM

Comments

Good gravy.

What's the sound like? Can you hear anything she's saying?

Posted by: Mark Allen at March 14, 2006 12:09 PM

I realized after watching it and viewing these photos that the sound was perfect. Not only could you hear both the subject and interviewer perfectly, but there was no wind noise whatsoever.

Posted by: Chris Coen at March 15, 2006 08:28 AM

The air's probably so smoggy in Mexico City that it doesn't make noise when it passes.

Posted by: Mark Allen at March 15, 2006 11:49 AM

Maybe she's encased in a Pope-bowl?

Posted by: Kevin Wenzel at March 15, 2006 08:14 PM

I wrote to the producers of this show, apologizing for my Spanish but telling them how much I liked their show on Poniatowska. Their response follows:

Estimado Chris, una disculpa por lo tarde de la respuesta, pero nos da mucho gusto que hayas visto el programa con Elena Poniatowska y que además te haya gustado, te aviso que el programa está pasando de lunes a viernes a partir de la 1:00 a.m. se que es un poco tarde el horario, pero esta es la repetición de dos series que ya hemos producido, ojalá puedas ver el programa y tu español está muy bien, sigue sintonizando el canal 22, porque tendremos nueva programación.

Un saludo
Producción de "El show del Insomnio"

Posted by: Chris Coen at March 27, 2006 02:35 PM