Pepe Rubianes - Controversy

Controversy

In 2006, he was the subject of intense controversy over his speech on January 20, 2006 on the El Club program on TV3 (Catalan public television). Responding to a question from the presenter Albert Om about his attitude to the unity of Spain, he replied "To me, I don't give a flying fuck about the unity of Spain, they can give it to Spain in its damn ass and explode in there, and leave its balls hanging from a bell tower." Later, before the uproar caused by these statements, he publicly apologized and explained that such comments were referring to a certain concept of Spain:

...I insulted the Spain that killed Lorca. I respect the Spain that is constitutional and democratic. This Spain merits all my respect, and also, I belong to her...

Also, his book Me Voy (I'm Going) states that this statement was made in a comic tone, an adaptation of part of the script of his show, Rubianes, solamente (Rubianes, himself)

The Association for the Defense of the Spanish Nation prosecuted Rubianes for "insulting Spain", which was filed in May 2007. However, in June 2008, the Magistrate's Court in Sant Feliu de Llobregat decided to reopen the case and accusing Pepe Rubianes and the presenter Albert Om of "incitement to hatred against a section of the population based on national origin and outrages upon Spain," and also against TV3 as responsible vicariously.

Rubianes company was hired by Mario Gas, the director of the municipally owned Teatro Español, to present in Madrid his piece, Lorca Was Everybody, about the poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, part of a cycle of homage to the Grenadine poet during September 2006. After the protests (and even threats, as told by Alicia Moreno, councillor of the Arts) against presentation in a municipal theater, the actor decided to withdraw voluntarily from his show because of, in his words, the "aggressive atmosphere" and "in order to free the management from the pressure to which they have been subjected". Mario Gas considered resigning in the circumstances.

An independent Madrid spokesman explained: "It is unacceptable and intolerable that the actor seeks to take advantage of contracts in public spaces at the expense of everyone." That, he said, "is unacceptable for a person who is dedicated to insulting Spain and Spaniards."

The actor noted that, thus far, the presentation of the work in different Spanish cities had not created any problem, and again attributed the situation in Madrid to a campaign of "the most rancid right." Rubianes, accepted the offer of CC.OO. to present Lorca Was Everybody in its auditorium in Madrid.