“Feminism should not be faced as a sensitive issue or approached with fear,” say the creators of the new Netflix series
MADRID, 14 (EUROPA PRESS)
Netflix premieres next Friday, December 30, ‘Machos Alfa’, a new series by Laura and Alberto Caballero. The fiction follows in the footsteps of four middle-aged friends as they recount their difficulty in accepting this “new era of masculinity”, placing the debate on feminism, the end of patriarchy and toxic masculinity at the center.
“We must not face feminism as a sensitive issue or approach it with fear,” says Laura Caballero in an interview with Europa Press in which she explains that the idea for this series “arises from what is happening in society. It is in the street, in the media, in people’s debates”.
“The feminist movement has gained a lot of strength in recent years, #MeToo was a very clear starting point, and the demands for equity and the end of patriarchy have now gained a power that has made us wonder what happens with it, what happens with the average guy, how he reformulates and adapts”, adds Alberto Caballero, who affirms that “characters out of place always generate comedy”.
Despite dealing with a delicate subject, Alberto Caballero points out that his intention was from the beginning “not to fall into indoctrination.” “One of the great things that the most rancid sector of the patriarchy clings to is the issue of being heavy, of terminology. We wanted to avoid that precisely so that they would not have that excuse to disconnect from the series, not fall into that issue of say what is right and what is wrong. Here we do not judge, we are observers of something that is happening in society”, he stresses.
Laura and Alberto Caballero are also behind ‘La que se avecina’, which has received the occasional criticism for the homophobic or macho attitudes of its characters. “Many people have not understood any of our chapters or series, in the sense that it is a parody or a farce. The fact that suddenly there is such an extreme character does not mean that we defend that or want to make him a hero. He is a loser, He’s an idiot and life is going badly for him precisely because he thinks like that. If someone really thinks you’re apologizing for something, it’s their problem,” the screenwriter clarifies.
A CHORAL CAST
Fernando Gil, María Hervás, Raúl Tejón, Kira Miró, Gorka Otxoa, Paula Gallego and Fele Martínez, among others, make up the extensive cast of ‘Machos Alfa’. “Spectators are going to find four friends in their 40s who are programmed by the old patterns of patriarchy and who come across this social and generational change that is the empowered woman and feminism. They begin to see how their ways of relating to the environment are no longer valid, everything they do is going to be questioned. We are going to see their pathos and also their vulnerability,” says Gil.
As Hervás points out, the criticism of ‘Machos Alfa’ does not go only against the male characters. “Apart from toxic masculinities, it also speaks to types of femininities that are a bit installed,” he reveals. “Feminism, the need for new masculinities, the deconstruction of patriarchy and the destruction of strict gender roles are also there, but at no time as something sobering,” adds the actress.
A novelty compared to previous productions by the Caballero brothers is the format, since the episodes of ‘Machos Alfa’ last around 30 minutes. “It’s a hilarious comedy, it works very well. It’s fresh and has a great rhythm,” says Otxoa. “It’s a little gem, nowadays there aren’t many human, modern, current, half-hour comedies,” he adds.
In addition to the aforementioned actors, the cast is completed by Raquel Guerrero, Virginia Rodríguez, Isabel Serrano, Jazmín Abuín, Cayetana Cabezas and Silvia Marty. ‘Alpha Males’ arrives on Netflix on December 30.
Laura and Alberto Caballero deconstruct toxic masculinity and