Have you ever been hurt by a “rata de dos patas”? If so, then you know there is no one better to drag cheaters through the mud than Mexican singer Paquita la del Barrio. She destroys the male ego with her piercing lyrics about lovers with small penises and how she’s dealt with all the vermin that have wronged her.
Audiences in the United States will now be able to learn the history behind her broken heart and satirical verses in Univision’s latest bioseries simply titled Paquita la del Barrio, with a tagline that reads: “Las verdades bien cantadas” (Truths well sung). Playing the title role is comedian and actress Andrea Ortega Lee, in her first major television credit.
The trailer shows a young Paquita in her native Veracruz as she falls in love for the first time and tries to make a name for herself singing at bars and other small local venues. Her worldview changes when the man she thought would reciprocate her affection instead chooses to marry her best friend. Heartache ensues as a result of her first romantic disappointment, one in a long list of hardships and resentments that she would eventually channel into her music. In spite of the pain, Paquita continued to perform and got noticed thanks to her strong voice against macho men.
Known for her irreverent catch phrase “Me estás oyendo inútil?”, the performer is an iconic figure who was ahead of her time challenging the status quo and the submissiveness expected from Latin American women in patriarchal societies. She is harsh, unapologetic, and cleverly dares to humiliate unfaithful and arrogant men in comedic ways. Her origin story is sure to be an entertaining affair for women and “animales rastreros” alike.
The series premiered with great success in Mexico and other Latin American countries in 2017, and Univision is finally bringing it stateside later this year.
[h/t: Billboard]