Todo Concostrina – "Acontece que no es poco | Contraprogramando al 2 de mayo"

SER Podcast | April 20, 2023
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Contributor: Carlos

Overview: Exposing the Myth of the 2 de Mayo Commemoration

In this episode, Nieves Concostrina applies her sharp, irreverent style to the upcoming Madrid holiday, 2 de mayo, commemorating the 1808 uprising against the French. Rather than repeating the classic patriotic tales, Concostrina challenges accepted narratives, exposing the hypocrisy behind the annual celebration, and highlights the real betrayal of the so-called “heroes” by Spain's army, politicians, and the church. The episode is a "contraprogramming" effort, preemptively counteracting the mainstream discourse and inviting listeners to question widely held beliefs about this iconic date.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Critique of the Official 2 de Mayo Narrative

• Carlos introduces the topic (00:34), laying out the classic view: "El 2 de mayo se celebra el día de la Comunidad... homenaje a los héroes del levantamiento contra los franceses."
• Nieves swiftly pivots to a less romanticized angle, emphasizing the hypocrisy behind the spectacle (01:21):

  "Se evitan un espectáculo hipócrita... Hoy solo de hacer la previa, de aportar unos datos de lo que fue aquella farsa..."

The Big Lie

• The mainstream commemorations are built on a repetitive, manipulative lie (“Goebbels style”—repeat it enough times and it becomes the truth).

• The military, politicians, and church—the principal figures at the annual Puerta del Sol ceremony—were in fact the main traitors of the original uprising (02:20):

  "Fueron los mayores traidores a los madrileños que se levantaron aquel 2 de mayo."

• Concostrina coins (with credit to Toni Martínez) the term “Aplauñalamiento”: a conflation of ‘aplaudir’ (applaud) and ‘apuñalar’ (stab):

  "Aplauden a los mismos que primero apuñalaron." (03:28)

2. Revealing the Real Betrayal

• The focus shifts to debunking the spontaneous-hero myth (04:07–05:56).
• The popular rebellion was orchestrated, not spontaneous, and actually involved only the desperate and worst-informed neighbors—the "bajos fondos" of Madrid. The higher social stratas, clergy, and military all stayed at home.
• Army troops (around 3,000) stayed "acquartelados" on Bourbon orders; they left the uprising citizens to deal with the French alone (04:34):

  "La orden de los Borbones era que todo el ejército permaneciera acuartelado... Nada de molestar a los franceses. Todo el mundo quieto."

3. The Monteleón Garrison: The Real Exception

• Only a handful of artillery officers—Daoiz, Velarde, and Ruiz—and their men disobeyed, acting out of a sense of patriotism and a naïve belief that others would join (06:05):

  "Son ellos, los del cuartelillo de Monteleón... los que desoyen la orden de permanecer acuartelados, de permanecer inactivos..."

• But the rest of the army never moved, enabling the French to crush the rebellion quickly.

Memorable Quote:

"Si Daoid, Velarde y Ruiz... vieran la farsa... estos se liaban a bayonetazos... ahí no quedaba un político, un cura ni un general vivo." (05:11)

4. The Ceremony’s Absurdity

• Concostrina lambasts the modern, solemn reenactments by officials at the Puerta del Sol (07:00–07:19), hypothesizing that the original heroes would be appalled.
• Humor is injected by playing Ricky López’s comic song full of creative Spanish insults, suggesting what the betrayed heroes would likely call the modern participants (07:19–08:03).

Notable Quote:

Carlos (on the Ricky López song): "Qué lista de improperios. Uno tras otro impresionan..." (08:07)

5. Ignorance & Hypocrisy of Today’s Commemoration

• Most present-day participants know little—or prefer not to know—about the real events; otherwise, the celebration would have to become an act of contrition rather than of pride (08:23):

  "No tienen ni idea de lo que conmemoran, ni les interesa saberlo. Porque se te cae el festejo, ¿no?"

• Politicians and clergy were complicit in 1808, literally condemning the rebels and encouraging repression.

  • The Inquisition’s stance: On May 6, 1808, the Holy Office condemned the "scandalous uproar" and demanded protection for public order (09:10–10:10).
  • The church, despite having actively scolded the people for resisting, now participates in the annual ritual.

6. Half-Truths and the Manipulation of Memory

• What is perpetuated is a carefully selected half-truth; the unpalatable details (the abandonment and the repression) are omitted to maintain the patriotic mythology (10:36–11:30):

  "Esa conmemoración... hecha un manto de disimulo sobre lo que de verdad ocurrió..."

• Streets and monuments halo the supposed heroes, but plaques should more honestly acknowledge the betrayal by elites and authorities (11:30–12:38):

  "Lo que tendrían que hacer es cambiar las placas..."

7. Propaganda’s Roots: Fernando VII (“El Mastuerzo”)

• The current mythmaking began as a calculated propagandistic move by King Fernando VII after his return to power in 1814—appropriating the heroic legacy of an uprising the monarchy had worked to suppress (12:51–13:00):

  "Fue una maniobra propagandística que empezó con el golpe de estado del Mastuerzo..."

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Aplauñalamiento… aplaudir a los mismos que primero apuñalaron.” (03:28)
• “Si Daoid, Velarde y Ruiz… vieran la farsa… estos se liaban a bayonetazos…” (05:11)
• Carlos (on Ricky López): “Qué lista de improperios. Uno tras otro impresionan…” (08:07)
• Nieves: "No tienen ni idea de lo que conmemoran, ni les interesa saberlo… debería ser un ‘acto de contrición’…" (08:23)
• Inquisition quote (cited by Nieves, 09:25):

  “El alboroto escandaloso del bajo pueblo contra las tropas del emperador de los franceses…”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:34 — Classic narrative of 2 de mayo is introduced
• 01:21 — Concostrina’s thesis: exposing the hypocrisy and manipulation
• 03:28 — “Aplauñalamiento” coined
• 04:07 — Dissection of who really rebelled and who stayed home
• 06:05 — Story of the Monteleón garrison’s real stand
• 07:19 — Humorous musical interlude from Ricky López, listing insults
• 08:23 — Denouncing modern ignorance and avoidance
• 09:25 — Inquisition’s condemnation of the uprising
• 11:30 — Call to relabel plaques with the truth
• 12:57 — The start of the myth with Fernando VII

Conclusion

Nieves Concostrina’s “contraprogramming” episode urges listeners to critically examine the myth-laden commemoration of 2 de mayo. By stripping back the triumphant rhetoric, she exposes a dark episode of governmental and religious hypocrisy, manipulation, and betrayal—punctuated by contemporary authorities continuing to celebrate a legacy in which their forebears were the true villains. Her vibrant, biting tone—backed by humor and memorable language—challenges listeners to look beyond the official pageantry and demand a more honest account of history.