La vida pirata

Whatever exists in Mexico, it seems there is also a pirated version of it. Movies, CD's, video games, shoes, clothing brands, designer handbags, and more are sold openly on the streets. I even saw a newspaper headline about the continuing problem with "pirata" buses in Guadalajara. I didn't read the article carefully, but I would imagine that anyone who can get their hands on a bus-like vehicle could simply hand paint some numbers on the front and then drive around picking up passengers and collecting money (no insurance or license needed!)

While the police could care less, a series of highly ineffective anti-pirata advertisements are screened before most films. In the latest, a young job seeker has just purchased a pirated DVD before going to an interview, and when his prospective employer sees it poking out from under his resumé, the manager decides not to hire him. A dour narrator then warns the audience that "buying pirated DVD's says a lot about who you are." Well, I suppose it says you're someone who is in Mexico at any rate.

We resisted buying pirated DVD's for some time, but eventually we were pushed into it. By swarthy, mustachioed banditos? Dishonest street scum? No, by the very giant companies that are so worried that unauthorized viewing activity will eat into their profits. Firstly, if you live abroad, many videos & movies that Americans can watch online (such as through Amazon or Netflix) are blocked. Sadly, some time last year, we were also cut-off from The Daily Show and the Colbert Report on Comedy Central's website. Bloke-boost-air (aka Blockbuster) sucks as much as it does in the U.S., so we got an account with a local competitor. They have a slightly better selection but...most of the movies for rent are encoded for region 4, while the laptop we watch them on is region 1, so our options were cut by about 60%. Over a number of months we quickly depleted the number of watchable movies, and soon found ourselves at a booth selling piratas.

Our pirata man has no eyepatch. He does have a larger selection of cheaper, better movies, all multi-region. They all come with a money back guarantee, and if he doesn't have something you're looking for he can often get it for you within a week. He's also about twice as friendly as the video store clerks. Genuinely friendly, not Bloke-boost-air fake friendly.