Spain, la gran puta

There are various explanations of Spanish anti-Americanism. The post-colonial hypothesis is popular: Spain is bitter about its loss of empire, its defeat in 1898, its not being invited to the G-whatever. An alternative hypothesis is that anti-Americanism is frustration arising from the idea that an implicit bilateral dollars-for-favours deal has been violated. In Luis Berlanga,…

Ross and Brand are heroes, say Spanish

“Prime minister José Luis Zapatero said the assault on Andrew Sachs was ‘measured’ given the actor’s portrayal of a halfwit Spaniard who thinks a rat is some kind of Siberian hamster.” Given that Manuel in Fawlty Towers is Barcelona’s best-known literary figure, I’m surprised the council hasn’t declared war, or banned UK flights, or something.…