The Perfect Miss Narco: On Hateful Representation of Women in Netflix TV Shows El Chapo and Narcos: Mexico

Abstract

TIJANA CUPIC Boston University tijanac@bu.edu The aim of this research paper is to rethink the representation of women in two Netflix TV shows, El Chapo and Narcos: Mexico. The explanation for the selection of these two shows lies in the fact they occur in the same country and approximately in the same time period and in their popularity. Both TV shows tackle drug trafficking in northern Mexico and the relationship between Mexico and the United States. This paper will include media and film analysis, but also historical literature overview regarding women in drug trafficking from revisionist and feminist points of view (Campbell, 2008; Carey, 2014; Franco Diaz, 2015). In the TV shows analysis, we will analyze trophy women and women within the family (mothers, for example) as part of the narcoesthetics. The second category we will analyze is rare, empowered women in drug trafficking, which will include an analysis of the woman body. Body as a category is an important part of the analysis of instrumentalization and objectification of women in drug trafficking, and El Chapo and Narcos: Mexico exploit that aspect in the sense of Debord’s ideas on spectacle.