La Comay: An Examination of the Puerto Rican Comadre as a Feminist Icon, Patriarchal Stereotype, and Television Tabloid Host

This paper offers a discussion of the history of the Puerto Rican comadre, and discusses the traditional but contradictory values she represents in Puerto Rican society. It presents a qualitative deconstruction of the character known as “La Comay” from the popular Puerto Rican television tabloid show, SuperXclusivo, as an example of how the comadre personage is represented in Puerto Rican popular culture. The analysis here demonstrates how SuperXclusivo’s portrayal of the comadre is being used to reinforce patriarchal values in Puerto Rican society. It also evaluates how this television character reflects some of the feminist roles comadres have played throughout Puerto Rico’s colonial history.