The Mater Dolorosa: Spanish Diva Lola Flores as Spokesperson for Francoist Oppressive Ideology

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Summary

The article aims to analyze the Spanish diva Lola Flores and her role in the television series "El coraje de vivir," arguing that the fascist regime of Francisco Franco shaped her identity and career. The author attempts to establish a link between Flores and the Francoist regime, suggesting that her public persona was a product of fascist propaganda.

General Comments

Your exploration of Lola Flores’s role in "El coraje de vivir" is intriguing. However, there are several areas where the article could be improved to strengthen its academic rigor and objectivity.

1. Misquotation and Manipulation of Sources:

   • It is important to represent the sources you cite accurately. There are several instances where you have inserted the term [fascist] into quotations, such as those from Alberto Romero Ferrer, Carmen Martín Gaite, and Carmen Ortiz. This insertion changes the context and meaning of the original quotes, which can mislead readers. I recommend revisiting these quotations and ensuring they are presented accurately without alterations that imply unsupported assertions.

2. Academic Rigor:

   • The article lacks engagement with key academic sources that discuss Franco’s regime and its classification. Historians such as Stanley G. Payne, Paul Preston, Julius Ruiz, Michael Seidman, and Enric Ucelay-Da Cal have debated whether Franco’s regime can be strictly categorized as fascist. Including their perspectives and acknowledging the complexity of this classification would provide a more balanced and substantiated argument.

   • Additionally, there is an absence of a minimal collection of references to fascist ideology and aesthetics. Also, there is no reference to the myriad of scholarly essays published on the topic in Spain. For one of the many summaries of the polemic adscription of Franco's regime to fascism, see Campos, I. S. (2004). Fascism, fascistization, and developmentalism in Franco’s dictatorship. Social History, 29(3), 342–357. https://doi.org/10.1080/0307102042000257629

3. Overgeneralization:

   • Your article tends to overgeneralize by categorizing Franco’s regime solely as fascist. It would be beneficial to acknowledge the significant differences between Franco’s regime and classical fascist regimes, such as pragmatic economic policies and a lack of mass mobilization. A more rigurous approach would enhance the credibility of your analysis.

4. Methodology:

   • The methodology employed seems to rely heavily on speculative connections. To strengthen your analysis, it would be helpful to build a solid theoretical foundation and support your claims with robust evidence. Consider using a more systematic approach to analyze "El coraje de vivir."

   • Furthermore, there is a lack of a clear methodology, which is not explained at the beginning. A clear methodology section would provide a structured framework for your analysis and make your approach more transparent.

5. Bias and Objectivity:

   • The article appears to be biased, selectively quoting sources and manipulating content to fit a specific narrative. Striving for objectivity and presenting a balanced view would significantly improve the scholarly value of your work.

Formal Comments

1. Structure and Coherence:

   • The article would benefit from a clearer structure and logical flow. Ensuring smooth transitions and maintaining a coherent narrative would make it easier for readers to follow your argument.

   • The use of extremely long one-page paragraphs makes reading difficult and confusing. Breaking these into shorter, more focused paragraphs would improve readability.

2. Introduction and Abstract:

   • The abstract should accurately reflect the content and main arguments of your article. The introduction could be strengthened by clearly stating your research question or hypothesis, providing a solid foundation for your study.

   • There is also a lack of conclusions that support the thesis and connect to the title. It is important to address the theme of fascism more explicitly in your conclusion (if you decide to keep it as a central part of your thesis)

   • Avoid using quotations in the abstract (especially if they have been manipulated)

3. Literature Review:

   • A more comprehensive literature review that engages with key academic sources would provide a stronger context for your argument. Including diverse perspectives on Franco’s regime would enhance the depth of your analysis. This article is one, among many, that can help you understand the complexity of the topic you are discussing: Campos, I. S. (2004). Fascism, fascistization, and developmentalism in Franco’s dictatorship. Social History, 29(3), 342–357. https://doi.org/10.1080/0307102042000257629.

4. Evidence and Analysis:

   • Ensure that the evidence you present is rigorously analyzed and well-supported by credible academic sources. Avoid speculative connections and base your arguments on solid evidence.

   • The article contains too much description (it is mostly a close reading of the TV series) with superficial analysis. When there is analysis, it doesn't always back the thesis expressed in the abstract and introduction. More critical analysis is needed to support your arguments.

5. Subheadings:

   • Not a single subheading is used, making it very difficult to read and see the rationale behind the narrative. Including subheadings would help organize the content and guide the reader through your argument.

6. Conclusion:

   • The conclusion should effectively summarize your findings and provide a clear answer to your research question. Addressing any gaps or inconsistencies in your argumentation would strengthen the impact of your conclusion.

 

Author Response

Thank you for your detailed comments. My re-written article addresses your feedback regarding structure, logical flow, paragraph length and other aspects in the following way: The analysis is divided into clear sections that follow a logical progression. It moves from the framing of Lola Flores’s 1990s autobiographical narrative to the ideological implications of her star persona, followed by specific themes such as her relationships, racialization, gender  constructs, and the role of Suevia Films.Each section builds upon the previous one, ensuring coherence and smooth transitions between ideas. My article is structured with well-defined sections and subheadings.The paragraphs are shorter,  focusing on specific points before transitioning to a new topic. Overall, my article effectively addresses your feedback by organizing the argument in a more structured, accessible manner and improving readability through better paragraph segmentation.

My article carefully attributes quotations to their respective authors without adding terms like fascist that could distort the original intent. Overall, it aligns with your recommendation to accurately represent sources and avoids misleading alterations that could undermine credibility.

My article takes a more nuanced approach to discussing Franco’s regime, rather than categorizing it solely as fascist.  Instead of broadly labeling Franco’s Spain as a fascist state, my article refers to National Catholicism, authoritarianism, and ultraconservative institutions, emphasizing the regime’s ideological pillars beyond just fascism.It highlights Francoist cultural policies, gender norms, and racial hierarchies without conflating them entirely with classical fascism. It discusses how Franco’s Spain had distinct ideological elements, including the influence of the Catholic Church, economic pragmatism, and controlled cultural policies. It incorporates historical specificity, referencing how different institutions shaped Lola Flores’s image within the regime’s ideological  framework. While maintaining a critical stance, it implicitly acknowledges that Franco’s regime evolved over time, particularly in economic policies and international positioning, distinguishing it from classical fascist mobilization strategies.

My article incorporates a clearer methodological framework, grounding its analysis in established theories and scholarly perspectives. It explicitly references theoretical frameworks from star studies, media representation, gender studies, and critical race theory (e.g., Richard Dyer, Judith Butler, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Patricia Hill Collins). This helps contextualize the analysis within broader academic discussions. It integrates concepts like framing (Goffman, Entman, Lakoff), monologic narrative (Bakhtin), and social Spencerism, providing a structured lens to examine the autobiography. It cites primary sources (Flores’s autobiography, statements from Tico Medina, and contemporaneous media portrayals) and secondary sources (scholarly works on Francoist Spain, cultural memory, and Spanish media). it systematically demonstrates how Flores’s narrative aligns with Francoist cultural strategies and media framing techniques, reinforcing its arguments with textual evidence. It follows a structured approach, moving from the construction of Flores’s star persona to specific analytical themes (gender, race, Francoist ideology, and mythmaking). It makes its analytical process more transparent by clearly differentiating between Flores’s self-representation, media portrayal, and ideological implications. It systematically deconstructs how different framing techniques work within the autobiography, providing a clearer structure for the reader to follow.

My article makes a more deliberate effort to present a well-supported, scholarly analysis. It carefully attributes quotations to their sources without altering their meaning or inserting external terms (such as fascist), ensuring that sources are represented faithfully. It engages with multiple perspectives, particularly regarding Lola Flores’s identity, Francoist cultural policies, and the construction of her star persona. While it maintains a critical stance, it acknowledges scholarly interpretations that frame Flores’s image more positively, such as those from Alberto Romero Ferrer and Juan Ignacio García-Garzón. It contrasts different viewpoints—for example, the argument that Flores self-constructed her myth versus the idea that her star image was a Francoist fabrication—allowing for a more balanced discussion.It focuses on textual analysis, using framing theory, star studies, gender studies, and historical context to dissect Flores’s autobiography systematically. Instead of making speculative claims, it demonstrates continuity between Flores’s self-representation and broader Francoist cultural strategies, backing up assertions with textual evidence. It does not entirely remove its critical stance, but it presents its arguments in a way that allows readers to engage with multiple interpretations rather than pushing a singular, polemical narrative.

The introduction aligns with the central arguments and methodology of the article. It ensures that it reflects the article’s analytical focus on Lola Flores’s star persona, Francoist cultural policies, and ideological framing, avoiding misrepresentation of the study. It improves the introduction by explicitly stating the research question or hypothesis, providing a more structured foundation for the study. It enhances clarity and scholarly rigor, ensuring that the article has a well-defined analytical direction and aim: to examine how her star persona was constructed within Francoist Spain and later rebranded in the 1990s. It ensures that the conclusion explicitly ties back to the thesis, reinforcing how Flores’s persona was shaped by Suevia Films, Francoist ideology, and strategic rebranding in the 1990s. Rather than merely summarizing findings, the conclusion now serves as a direct answer to the research question, demonstrating the continuity of Flores’s constructed image across different political periods.

My article anchors its arguments in solid evidence, ensuring that claims are directly tied to primary sources (Flores’s autobiography, Tico Medina’s writings, archival media coverage) and secondary academic sources on Spanish cultural memory, Francoist media, and celebrity studies.

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you very much for your work on this well written paper. It is quite interesting, and readers are sure to benefit from the history, culture, and theory in its presentation. As fascinating as this discussion is, it seems to be less than compelling in its conclusion. The connection between an actress, her stage identity, a documentary film she appears in a year before her death, and a dictator from twenty years prior, seem tenuous. Even if Flores was a total creation of Spanish fascism, what is the significance? Does some or all of Flores's artistic work become invalid? Film industries naturally collude with the political powers of the day, whether Left, Right, or Middle. Perhaps the discussion could include a more defined sense of "fascism" and how its artistic influence appears (or does not appear) in Spanish film beyond Lola Flores and during and after the Franco regime. The discussion of the Carmen stereotype is most helpful. However, its enduring legacy, especially with respect to Flores, seem to suggest that rather than being total and subversive fascist propaganda, the Lola Flores identity was perhaps merely helped and used by a fascist regime to shape and cater to audience expectations with modest results (162-163). Thank you again for the excellent work and insights.

Author Response

Thank you for your comment s. This revision complicates the argument, presenting Flores’s star persona as a product of multiple intersecting influences, rather than a straightforward case of Francoist propaganda. This discussion deals strictly with Flores’s self-representation in her autobiography. In other words, the article does not deal with the quality of her public flamenco performances, explaining that it focuses on the portrayal of her offstage persona and how this offstage persona was constructed by Suevia Films and rebranded in the 1990s to rehabilitate her star persona and ensure her legacy as Lola de España stays intact. 

Does this mean her artistic work is invalidated? The response rejects this binary, arguing instead that understanding the political context of Flores’s construction also enhances, rather than diminishes, our understanding of her artistry by seeing how the gender construction of her onstage persona differs from the gender construction of her offstage persona. The article deepens its discussion of the Carmen stereotype by situating Flores within a longer historical trajectory of racialized and exoticized female performers.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This article is a groundbreaking contribution to the field of cultural studies, offering an original and thorough examination of the appropriation of cultural divas, specifically focusing on the internationally renowned Spanish diva María Dolores Flores Ruiz, also known as Lola Flores. The author's closed critical analysis of the four-part television series "El coraje de vivir" not only sheds new light on Flores's identity but also challenges prevailing narratives about her role in Spanish cultural history.

 

By contextualizing Flores within Francisco Franco's regime and examining how her image was strategically manipulated to advance fascist cultural agendas, the author advances the scholarship on the appropriation of cultural divas. The meticulous discussion of historical context, combined with a thorough theoretical framework, makes this article a pioneering piece that will be welcomed by scholars and students of Spanish literature and culture, scholars of gender studies, and scholars of transnational cultural studies.

 

The author's argument that Lola Flores's identity is both a product and an invention of the Francoist regime is compelling and well-supported, offering original insights into the complex interplay between popular culture and political power. The author problematizes "cultural and national memory" and demonstrates that identity is a construction based on appropriation. 

 

Overall, this article is an invaluable resource that advances our understanding of cultural memory and the instrumentalization of celebrity in the service of ideological agendas. It will serve as an essential reference for future research in constructions of national memory and identity and is a must-read for anyone interested in Spanish cultural studies and the effects of fascist regimes in cultural history.

Author Response

Thank you for your positive comments. I revised the article in order to make it a more historically grounded analysis. The article acknowledges the complexities of cultural production under authoritarian regimes while providing a clearer sense of why Flores’s case matters in understanding Spanish film and national identity. This makes the paper more compelling, balanced, and intellectually engaging.

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In my opinion this paper is an excellent analysis of El coraje de vivir.

I suggest the author consult this book about CIFESA, Félix Fanés (1982). Cifesa, la antorcha de los éxitos. Valencia: Institución Alfonso el Magnánimo. ISBN 84-00-04945-4, which could be of interest to him/her (it is just a suggestion).

Author Response

Thank you for your positive comments. 

My article now engages more critically not only with the TV series El coraje de vivir but also with the book or autobiography Lola en carne viva.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for resubmitting your article and for your thoughtful, detailed response to the original feedback. Your revised version demonstrates a clear and commendable effort to engage with the critique and improve the clarity, structure, methodological grounding, and scholarly rigor of your work. Below is a section-by-section evaluation based on the changes you’ve outlined:

Structure and Logical Flow

Your reorganization into clearly defined sections—moving from the autobiographical framing to thematic analyses (e.g., racialization, gender, ideology, and Suevia Films)—has markedly improved the article’s readability. Each section now builds logically on the previous one, allowing the argument to unfold with coherence and progression. The addition of subheadings provides a roadmap for the reader and reflects academic convention in structuring complex cultural analyses. Paragraphs are more concise and focused, contributing to a smoother reading experience and reinforcing the article’s analytical clarity.

Representation of Sources and Terminology

Your careful revision of terminology—particularly in refraining from using the term “fascist” in an overly broad or reductive way—is noted and appreciated. The shift to more historically and ideologically specific terms such as National Catholicism, authoritarianism, and ultraconservative institutions demonstrates both intellectual precision and respect for historiographical complexity. This approach strengthens your credibility and avoids oversimplification.

Historical and Ideological Framing of Francoism

You now approach Francoist Spain not through a monolithic label but through its multiple ideological pillars—Catholicism, patriarchy, controlled media, and authoritarian governance. This more layered interpretation aligns with current historiographical trends and shows a nuanced understanding of how Francoist cultural policy operated through mythmaking, racial hierarchies, and gendered spectacle. The way you distinguish Franco’s regime from classical fascism by emphasizing economic pragmatism and international repositioning is both well-argued and grounded in scholarship.

Methodological Grounding and Theoretical Framework

Your revised version now clearly situates its analysis within established frameworks, drawing on star studies, gender theory, media studies, and critical race theory. References to Dyer, Butler, Crenshaw, Collins, Bakhtin, and framing theorists like Goffman and Entman create a robust scholarly foundation. This strengthens the article’s claims and provides the reader with a theoretical map that guides the interpretation.

Importantly, the methodological section now makes transparent distinctions between Flores’s self-representation, media portrayals, and ideological implications, allowing for a more systematic deconstruction of her star persona.

Balance, Voice, and Scholarly Tone

You’ve moderated the article’s earlier polemical tone, opting instead for a more balanced critical voice. The inclusion of alternate perspectives—such as Romero Ferrer’s and García-Garzón’s more favorable readings of Flores—adds necessary complexity. The article now invites dialogue between interpretations rather than enforcing a singular viewpoint.

This shift enhances the academic tone and situates your argument within an ongoing scholarly conversation, rather than framing it as a conclusive ideological intervention.

Introduction and Conclusion

The revised introduction is much improved: it clearly articulates the central research question and provides the reader with an accurate sense of the article’s analytical scope. Likewise, the conclusion now explicitly ties back to the core thesis—demonstrating the continuity of Lola Flores’s constructed persona from the Francoist period to its rebranding in the 1990s.

This alignment of opening and closing sections gives the article a sense of unity and argumentative direction that was previously lacking.

Use of Evidence

Your article now consistently grounds its claims in well-chosen primary and secondary sources. The textual analysis of Flores’s autobiography, coupled with references to Tico Medina’s framing and archival media discourse, is well-integrated. These are effectively reinforced by academic literature on Spanish cultural memory, celebrity studies, and Francoist ideology.

 

This is an impressive revision that demonstrates responsiveness, intellectual maturity, and scholarly commitment. Your incorporation of feedback was not superficial—it reshaped the core of the article’s structure, tone, and analytical clarity. You’ve created a sophisticated, well-supported, and balanced study of Lola Flores’s persona within the ideological apparatus of Francoist Spain and its later rearticulation in the 1990s.

This version is suitable for academic publication or conference presentation, and it serves as a strong model of how critical feedback can be productively integrated into a coherent, persuasive, and methodologically sound article.