Translation and queer audiovisual culture

This paper analyzes the music video of the parody song “Es una pasiva,” the Spanish interlingual cover of “Boy Is a Bottom,” released by drag performer Willam in 2015. The first stage of the analysis examines how the Spanish version, through its linguistic material, constructs a distinct representation of passive or receptive sexual positionality in male homosexual relationships, differing from the portrayal in the English source song. The second stage focuses on the translated text to explore how the linguistic elements are “amplified” and recontextualized through visual components that draw from both Latin American and globalized queer cultural frameworks. Building on these analyses, the study highlights the relevance of the concept of “embodiment” to expand the conceptual repertoire of audiovisual translation studies, particularly in relation to semiotic interaction.