Narco-Series, Scopic Regimes, and the Performativity of Power: Body, Violence, and Desire in the Digital Age
Keywords:
narcoseries, visuality, aspirations, violence, digital platforms.Abstract
This article offers a critical analysis of Mexican narcoseries through an interdisciplinary framework that combines visual studies, critical theory, gender performativity, and cultural studies on narcoculture. Focusing on three emblematic productions, El Señor de los Cielos, El Chapo, and Narcos: Mexico, the study examines how these series construct a specific scopic regime in which violence is aestheticized, the criminal body is eroticized, and drug trafficking becomes a desirable narrative. Far from being mere entertainment, these audiovisual products operate as symbolic devices that reinforce hegemonic masculinities, neoliberal aspirations, and narratives of transgression. The article also discusses the role of streaming platforms and algorithmic cultures in shaping global visuality, turning narco-themed fiction into a consumable and exportable spectacle. The research aims to understand how these series visually educate audiences by normalizing illegality, hypermasculinity, and spectacular violence as markers of power and successReferences
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