The Perfect Tommy Girl
This performance piece examines my alteration process of becoming the ultimate American me. The setting of this piece takes place in my private bathroom with two mirrors. As I see my reflection and I “operate” on myself through multiple bleaching procedures, lightening of the eyebrows, removal of facial hair and eye color, I eat a bowl of fresh cacti. The phrase, “Nopal En La Frente (Cactus on Your Forehead),” is used to mock those who go around pretending they are not Mexican. The consumption of this native plant is a way to communicate that no matter what physical procedures you undergo, a Mexican can never fool anybody into thinking he or she is not Mexican. There is a battle between exterior (seeing the physical changes) and interior (processing those changes) that forms the focal point of this performance. This video is a way to channel the result of years of alienation by reaching closure in the creation of my “ideal self”.
Music By: Blue Hawaii, “Try To Be”
