The downfall of Spanish stereotypes: Andalusian, Basque and Catalan identities in ‘plurinational’ Spain

Abstract

In a historically controversial moment for Spanish territorial politics, where the traditional regional system of the State and regional politics are constantly fluctuating – especially considering the referenda in the Basque Country and Catalonia –, the films Ocho apellidos vascos (Spanish Affair) directed by Martínez-Lázaro in 2014 and Ocho apellidos catalanes (Spanish Affair 2) in 2015 have become the most successful films in the history of Spanish cinema. In these films, the Andalusian, Basque and Catalan stereotypes are taken to the extreme, breaking down the negative stigma they have acquired by reducing all their possible meanings to a simple gag. Consequently, the overindulgence of these stereotypical representations has proposed their very deactivation as a legitimate category of representation. The study of stereotypes and prejudices reflects an interest in relationships between social groups. Therefore, if intergroup affairs focus their discussions on beliefs that describe actions such as violence, alliance, or negotiation, this means that perceptions, beliefs and attitudes must mediate all intergroup affairs. According to Fredric Jameson, in order for images not to unfold just their own stereotypes and confirm themselves as realities, a considerable distance should be kept between the contents and what they represent. The proposed goal of this study is to analyse both films from a critical discourse analysis (CDA) in relation to the stereotypes categorization defined by Jaakko Lehtonen. The announcement of the end of the armed struggle by the terrorist group ETA and the eccentric political fights in the last Catalan elections have allowed the production and success of these comedies. These films question the sense of the Basque, Catalan and Andalusian stereotypes, the latter being the primary internationally recognized Spanish stereotype, showing the ‘plurinational’ origin of the Spanish State.