O Say Can You Boo?

To understand this state of affairs it’s important to know that Spain struggles with serious identity problems.

Images speak louder than words, yes, but this image needs some explaining. The three men are at the King’s Cup Soccer Final, listening to –or trying to distinguish the notes of– the Spanish National Anthem. In the center is King Felipe VI, flanked by the Catalan President Artur Mas and the President of the Spanish Soccer Federation, Angel María Villar. Young King Felipe is stoically enduring the deafening uproar that renders the Royal March practically unrecognizable. The smirking Catalan President makes no effort at hiding his satisfaction, because the secession movement he champions has been cooling so much these past months that he might have to cancel the snap election he had announced for September in favor of independence from Spain.

To understand this state of affairs it’s important to know that Spain struggles with serious identity problems. Listed as one of the 193 nation-states that boast a national anthem, Spain stands out as the only modern state having a hymn with no lyrics. This might seem acceptable for a newborn country, but Spain is one of the oldest nations in the Western world. Every now and then a bunch of Scots will jeer the British “God Save the Queen” or a few rude Canadians will boo the American “Star Spangled Banner”, but can anybody imagine this happening in the presence of Queen Elizabeth or President Obama? A major Spanish glitch is that the local press has always been in favor of this offense, which is considered hilarious. After the King’s Cup incident veteran Spanish journalists began tweeting this joke: -“Do you know why the National Anthem has no lyrics?” -“So that people can boo it, instead of sing it”. Is self-hate funny?, one might ask. Sí, sí, sí. Apparently, it’s gut-busting.