Mexico: The Unplugged Nation

June 24, 2007 7:23 PM

Only four percent of Mexican households have cable TV and 19 percent of the population uses the Internet.
posted by Yakuman (31 comments total)

"Until recently, one of the most popular news personalities was dressed as a clown."

Interesting. Ours all just act like clowns.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:28 PM on June 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

On the other hand
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/healmed.html

and compare that to the U.S.
posted by Postroad at 7:34 PM on June 24, 2007

So? I guess most are using modems.
posted by delmoi at 7:40 PM on June 24, 2007

Are you "unplugged" if you watch broadcast television?
posted by oneirodynia at 7:42 PM on June 24, 2007

There are lots of countries where cable isn't common, simply because you can still get a decent amount of television stations for free. Unlike in most of the US where if you want to watch TV you basically have no choice but to get cable.
posted by whoaali at 7:46 PM on June 24, 2007

Without knowing a lot about the Mexican television business landscape, it seems like a good ruling to me, typical trust busters sort of stuff. Mexicans can only benefit from having a wider selection of television options.
posted by Falconetti at 7:57 PM on June 24, 2007

This probably explains why finding a mold shaped Jesus on your tortilla is one of the more popular entertainments in Mexico.

But seriously, sometimes low subscriber numbers enable countries to leapfrog to wireless solutions much faster and relatively cheaply.
posted by BrotherCaine at 8:01 PM on June 24, 2007

Mexicans Everyone can only benefit from having a wider selection of television media options.

I completely agree.

Well, yes, but what does this mean for the US and how will it affect immigration policy?
posted by IronLizard at 8:09 PM on June 24, 2007

modems at home?

I would have thought internet cafes and their ilk.

I wonder what the most influential medium of advertising is in Mexico? Billboards? Radio?

Church?
posted by porpoise at 8:18 PM on June 24, 2007

Tequila bottle labels.
posted by IronLizard at 8:56 PM on June 24, 2007

I wonder what the most influential medium of advertising is in Mexico?

Uhh ... broadcast television?

You know. Old school. ;-)
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:06 PM on June 24, 2007

I wonder what the most influential medium of advertising is in Mexico? Billboards? Radio?

Broadcast Television. Radio. Newspapers.
posted by vacapinta at 9:11 PM on June 24, 2007

On the bright side, they didn't have to see their ass get handed to them today. : )
posted by pwedza at 9:39 PM on June 24, 2007

That sounds about right, and I'm not really sure how that leaves Mexico any more "unplugged" than any number of developing economies. Now, Afghanistan or Somalia, those nations are un-freaking-plugged, and even there, media is expanding slowly.
posted by StrikeTheViol at 9:44 PM on June 24, 2007

Oh, for the simple life.
posted by ninjew at 9:45 PM on June 24, 2007

usf?
usf?

usf (usf)
posted by dorian at 10:20 PM on June 24, 2007

After a long conversation with one of my co-workers who has a Mexican background (born and raised in the country), I keep wondering why we keep fighting the obvious solution; Make Mexico a protectorate. Or hell, give them a shit ton of money and buy it into our 51st state.

If for no other reason, it would change our southern border from thousands of miles of unregulated harshness into a small choke point.

I mean, it seems like a silly solution, but were we to dump enough money into the problem, we could eliminate the whole illegal immigrant issue and at the same time make our country actually safer.

And yeah, with that, give a couple of million people access to cable modems and broadband wireless networks.
posted by quin at 10:33 PM on June 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

I keep wondering why we keep fighting the obvious solution

I'm sorry? Mexico has a 'problem' of low cable tv penetration and your answer, (sorry, 'obvious solution') is to abandon national sovereignty?
posted by pompomtom at 10:58 PM on June 24, 2007

Only four percent of Mexican households have cable TV and 19 percent of the population uses the Internet.

(sigh) That's low, but not low enough to get away with teasing them mercilessly for their 'strange ways' like the Amish.

Bolivians on the other hand...
posted by Davenhill at 11:14 PM on June 24, 2007

I keep wondering why we keep fighting the obvious solution; Make Mexico a protectorate. Or hell, give them a shit ton of money and buy it into our 51st state.

Do you even know what Cinco De Mayo celebrates? I don't think Mexicans are eager to become a 'protectorate', or a state for that matter.

And what problem is that actually a solution to? Certainly won't help the Lou Dobbs types. Simply allowing free travel like in the European Union would be a lot simpler.
posted by delmoi at 11:42 PM on June 24, 2007

quin writes 'Or hell, give them a shit ton of money and buy it into our 51st state.'

I favour the alternative solution: give states like California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico etc. back to the Mexicans.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:25 AM on June 25, 2007

The best solution would be for the United Mexican States to absorb its North American neighbor as the 32nd Mexican state. That would solve the American problem of not having sufficient domestic vacation spots, it would restore the Mexican lands that were stolen by northern marauders, and it would eliminate the pointless hassle that the United Mexican States has with that dysfunctional and dangerous northern border. Then the United Mexican States could concentrate on humanitarian efforts such as protecting the combined citizenry from the most dangerous spots in the north by walling off places like New York City, Los Angeles, and Detroit.
posted by pracowity at 12:27 AM on June 25, 2007 [2 favorites]

Do you even know what Cinco De Mayo celebrates?

Freedom from France?
posted by psmealey at 2:28 AM on June 25, 2007

Five times mayonnaise?
posted by Wolof at 4:45 AM on June 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Or hell, give them a shit ton of money and buy it into our 51st state.

When I was on the debate team in high school, the topic was immigration because of the influx of Haitians and Cubans. My partner and I created a plan where we would end immigration by annexing the two countries and making their residents citizens.

Unfortunately, the judges didn't like our forward-thinking nature.
posted by drezdn at 6:07 AM on June 25, 2007

Unfortunately, the judges didn't like our forward-thinking nature.

Yes, I recall it well. Judge Jean-Louis and Judge Garcia seemed almost biased against your proposal.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 6:41 AM on June 25, 2007

Do you even know what Cinco De Mayo celebrates?

Sure. It's a holiday promoted by Mexican-Americans to celebrate their culture and origins, not unlike what St. Patricks day has become for Irish-Americans. It's not a holiday which is widely celebrated in Mexico, if thats what you're after.

But yes, you're right. Mexicans value their independence fiercely. And nothing gets them as excited as the word "Revolution."
posted by vacapinta at 7:48 AM on June 25, 2007

I wonder what the most influential medium of advertising is in Mexico? Billboards? Radio?

Actually, for communication, Mexicans commonly send smoke signals which rise from boiling pots of menudo soup. Cilantro is thrown into the pots to create the necessary punctuation marks. I thought everyone knew that. Guess not.
posted by miss lynnster at 8:09 AM on June 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

The best solution would be for the United Mexican States to absorb its North American neighbor as the 32nd Mexican state. That would solve the American problem of not having sufficient domestic vacation spots, it would restore the Mexican lands that were stolen by northern marauders, and it would eliminate the pointless hassle that the United Mexican States has with that dysfunctional and dangerous northern border.

Actually, I think I'd prefer California reverting to Spanish ownership. Then we'd all have EU passports. Of course we'd have to build a wall around the state to keep out all the pesky Americans trying to sneak across the border, but a gigantic protected border would mean more jobs and money for us.
posted by oneirodynia at 8:28 AM on June 25, 2007

500 channels of telenovelas, bad Western and slapstick movies, and cheesy variety shows? No wonder cable penetration is only 4%.
posted by elmwood at 1:11 PM on June 25, 2007

So like if you ask a border buddy who is Ron Paul, you would just get a blank stare?
posted by MapGuy at 1:40 PM on June 25, 2007