Pop justice and viral shame: vernacular vigilantism in Mexico’s Lords and Ladys
Journal
Popular Communication
ISSN
1540-5702
1540-5710
Publisher
Routledge
Date Issued
2025
Type
text::journal::journal article
Abstract
This article examines the phenomenon of balconeo in Mexico, a culturally form of digital vigilantism characterized by the viral exposure and shaming of individuals labeled as “Lords” and “Ladys.” Captured via smartphones and rapidly circulated on platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, these incidents generate affective publics engaged in what this study conceptualizes as “pop justice.” Drawing from affect theory, meme studies, and digital culture, this article analyzes ten emblematic balconeo cases (2015–2025) combining narrative reconstruction, discourse analysis, and meme semiotics. Memes function as affective technologies that frame deviance and regulate classed and gendered behaviors through ironic repetition and visual performance. Women are disproportionately subjected to extended cycles of symbolic punishment and gendered ridicule, while men are often framed through aggression or impunity. Situating balconeo as a participatory surveillance and moral pedagogy, the article contributes to debates on viral culture, affective publics, and informal justice in global digital contexts. ©The authors ©Routledge.
License
Acceso Restringido
How to cite
Camacho-Gómez, M. del C., Zamorano-Rojas, A. D., & Romero-Delgado, C. I. (2025). Pop justice and viral shame: vernacular vigilantism in Mexico’s Lords and Ladys. Popular Communication, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2025.2605991