In defense of Isabel Pantoja after losing her temper in front of the press: should she wear a balaclava?

At 68 years of age, the Triana native has art in her veins, but it seems that her artistic blood has a hard time dealing with diplomacy, good manners and self-control. We can speak of her genes because we know that her father, who died half a century ago when he was barely 52, was Juan Pantoja Cortés, a lyricist for fandangos for the trio Los Gaditanos. We know that Doña Ana, who died three years ago, was a dancer in the companies of Pepe Pinto and Juanita Reina.

We are left to examine the family, her brother Agustín Pantoja, who was a singer in the 1980s and 1990s, while Juan Antonio, another of her brothers, has been a guitarist. Only her brother Bernardo, avoided the artistic world, although he was her chauffeur for a time. Isabel’s paternal grandfather, Antonio Pantoja Jiménez (who died on December 9, 1977), was also a singer, known as “Pipoño de Jerez”, although he was later called Chiquetete because of the fame of his son, the great Chiquete. On Doña Ana’s side, we can remember that Isabel’s other grandfather was a well-known greengrocer in the Seville Market. He was nicknamed El Lechuga.

From the tonadillera down, we have the well-known Kiko Rivera, whose ways with the media and the press have not always been impeccable either. Both mother and son have always had a love-hate relationship with the press because they have made a colossal amount of money thanks to their exclusives, that is, their loves, heartbreaks, disputes, scandals and various misfortunes, such as the artist’s time in prison after her romance with the corrupt Julian Muñoz, with special prominence in the last decade for disputes with his own children.

Jordi González: “He should wear a balaclava”

But in defense of the indefensible, because insulting, humiliating and disrespecting is not justified, we must remember that Isabel Pantoja is going through a difficult time in almost every sense. Now that we are finally talking normally about mental illness and we understand that going to the psychiatrist or psychologist is healthy and fixable, it is worth putting into context that the singer, who is performing this weekend in Tenerife, is under terrible pressure. Probably like many people but, in her case, with the media exposure of a character who cannot go through an airport without cameras and journalists behind her. The presenter Jordi González said this Saturday on the main channel of public television that if she does not want to be recognized she should “go with a balaclava.” Maybe a little exaggerated.

It is inevitable that if Pantoja appears, the paparazzi do your job, since she is the first one who, when it suits her and there is money, submits to interviews, goes to Survivors or sells posed to Hello. This inoculates public opinion with the drug of her fame and when information is lacking, the craving for information soars, which sets the media in motion. It is an inevitable loop. Another thing is whether we can be condescending and try to understand that a person, famous or not, subjected to the pressure of barely speaking to her children, trying to get her battered economy going to pay off her debt, and with Spain trying to find out what is happening to her, how her health is, or what she thinks about everything, can lead to an unjustifiable but perhaps understandable outburst.

She lost her temper: not knowing who the mole in her inner circle is has her on edge

Let us remember that Pantoja lost her temper this week in front of a reporter from Europa Press, who asked her about her children and the latest friction that has strained family relations. There was an insult and a slap on the microphone. For this outburst, she has been showered with criticism, from Ana Rosa Quintana to Gema López.

Furthermore, contrary to what is recommended in such an embarrassing situation, there are no signs of repentance from the singer. Nor are there any apologies to the reporter. An intransigent stance that has led to a crisis cabinet with her team, who have told her no, that this is not the way to go. That this is not the way to go. Pantoja was already angry and does not regret anything. She still does not see that she was wrong. The reason for Isabel’s anger is that as soon as she got off the plane, she was informed that her daughter Isa Pi had told her off for not visiting her and had asked her to go see her after her operation. Other sources add that she is especially nervous about the continuous leaks of her life that reach the media and that necessarily have their origin in the very small circle that she trusts (or trusted). Not knowing who the mole is has her on edge.

The episode occurred this Thursday, September 19, when the artist was heading to Tenerife to prepare her concert this Saturday, September 21, after canceling the recital last April for health reasons. The reporter was following the artist, microphone in hand and camera behind, but nothing. Not a word. Until the Sevillian exploded with the angry “Shut up, you idiot. Take care of Spain!” Journalist Isabel Rábago has even made a T-shirt with the unfortunate phrase.