Post Colonialism and a Taco Ad
When looking at Rosenblatt’s deconstruction of the take out menu from Burrito Bandito the viewer can see Post-Colonialism extremely present throughout the entire reading. While Post-Colonialism is never directly named, it does state; “The menu is ostensibly aboutâÂ?¦cultural studies of empiricism and the struggle for decolonizationâÂ?¦the knowing participation of the bourgeois, hierarchical assumption in the exploitation of the Third World.” which leads the reader to think directly of Post-Colonialism as a source for this type of comment. Looking at the process of “othering” that occurs between, in this case, us and Latin American’s. Mexican’s are presented as the exotic other through the commercialization of the “Mexican experience” which is sold to American’s as “exotic.”
Another theory mentioned by the article is Queer theory. Queer theory is mainly about the idea that gender itself is completely constructed and that each person is influenced, at least in part, by the world around them when developing their gender identity. Queer theory also rejects the idea there are clearly defined “groups” of gender. Labels such as homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual as used to classify our gender identity. Some of the major players in Queer theory Diana Fuss, who edited the book “Inside/Outside: Lesbian Theories, Gay Theories,” and Bonnie Zimmerman who wrote “What Has Never Been: An Overview of Lesbian Feminist Criticism.” There are other theorists that are credited with being an antecedent to Queer theory such as Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida, and Jacques Lacan.
In the article the idea of Queer theory is apparent in the use of gender roles within the menu. The gun slinging burrito at the top of the menu is presented as a Mexican male who is wearing a sombrero and has a mustache. It is presented to the customer as a stereotypical heterosexual male figure, especially through the addition of the guns to the picture. This is also present through the use of the name “Burrito Bendito” as the name for the restaurant. The name, which is translated in to “Burrito Bandit” is also a stereotypical male role. The menu even states that it uses “âÂ?¦Pancho Villa/Emiliano Zapata iconographyâÂ?¦” in its cartoons, which represents the use of two characters who are historically considered to be very “masculine” and this presents, while subtly, the idea of gender construction.
One of the names that the article mentioned that I was not familiar with was Paul De Man. De Man was best known for his theories on “rhetorical reading” which suggested that text can not only have a literal meaning, but also a figural meaning. He worked closely with Jacques Derrida and remained his close friend until his death. Many consider him part of the school of deconstruction as well as of his own theories. De Man focuses on how the rhetorical text is in conflict with its technical components, such as grammar and “speech acts.” One of De Man’s most influential texts was The Resistance to Theory which was published in 1986, two years after De Man’s death.
In the article the ideas presented by De Man can be seen best in the reading of the “meaning” behind all of the symbols on the menu itself. Everything on the menu, including the cartoons, pictures of food, and food listings, can all be read as a rhetorical statement that has hidden messages. Even things like the layout of the menu can be read as a text, one that feeds in to the consumer’s ideas about Mexican food, people, or culture, using this to subconsciously lour the reader in. The cartoon of the cute gun slinging burrito also plays on this idea of metaphor behind the text because it compares not only the food to the idea of what it means to be essentially “Mexican” but it also humiliates this idea.
This article is “funny” because it displays how one can take theory “too far.” While theory is meant to be a serious topic that is to provoke thought and discussion about some of the leading issues in our society and the world, there are some that would argue that it is too critical. What Rosenblatt is doing in this article is becoming the epitome of theory taking it one step too far in “reading” a text. It is comical because it is using the restaurant menu, which seems like a trivial item in society, and making a drawn-out example of it. I think, what makes this funny, is that we all have done this type of thing. I know that after 3 years of studying theories such as feminism, I often find myself going the same type of thing, especially during movies. This type of behavior always aggravates my friends, and some of them will not even go to the movies with me at all anymore due to this. The article is also funny because it satirizes journalism itself. The article is presented as important, even displaying a picture of a grief stricken Rosenblatt, and is obviously poking fun at story choices that the news makes.
References:
�· http://en.wikipedia.org/ -Wikipedia
�· Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory.
