Back in June, Patrick Radden Keefe wrote this harrowing investigation of the Mexican drug trade in The New York Times. In this New Yorker blog post, he considers the parallels between reality and the popular and critically lauded cable show “Breaking Bad.”
“the show’s portrayal of Mexican cartels is devastatingly accurate. It has been suggested that [show creator] Vince Gilligan has a sick mind, but nothing he could dream up, even the unfortunate fate of Tortuga, can rival the creative barbarism of the cartels. Many viewers were repulsed when Walt and Pinkman used acid to melt a body in an early episode, but this is such a common disposal technique in Mexico today that it has acquired a nickname — the guiso, or ‘stew.’”
You can read the full blog post here. The Times article is also worth a read, though most people won’t find it nearly as fun. And if you’re in the mood for even more bummer content, The New Yorker itself ran an amazing article on the power of Mexican drug cartels late last month.
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