'Alpha males' delves into harassment and consent: “In Spain we have instilled the fact of remaining silent”

“With comedy, everything comes lubricated,” says Fele Martínez.

Perhaps that is why

Alpha Males,

after taking its four protagonists to a course of deconstruction of masculinity to try to adapt to the new social reality, launches its second season—which premieres this Friday on Netflix—to address topics such as sexual harassment at work or the limits of consent.

To talk about the issues that the series addresses, we brought together four of its leading actors, Raúl Tejón, Kira Miró, Raquel Guerrero and Fele Martínez.

They sit in the Netflix offices in Madrid while they discuss among themselves the scripts for the third season, which will begin filming in a few days.

And after much laughter and jokes, the conversation begins to get serious.

The series takes to the extreme, and with humor, situations that anyone has been able to experience.

Anyone can also see themselves identified in those eight losers, as the actors describe their characters.

Although the actions and words that come out of their mouths are sometimes questionable, they try not to judge them.

“If I had to judge the characters, I would have been left without a career.

I have made pedophiles, rapists, murderers, psychopaths…”, reviews Raúl Tejón.

He defends that comedy makes serious topics reach the viewer better, but there is one requirement: that the comedy be good.

“Humor cannot be the excuse for everything, and there are types of humor that make us very angry.

The good thing about this series is that it does not single out the different ones to make fun of or mock, it makes us all equal, because we are all lost, and there, as viewers, we can identify.

That doesn't happen with poorly written humor.

That speech that today you can't make humor out of anything is a lie, you can make humor out of everything, but good humor, not humor that points to someone who is different so we can laugh at them."

Gorka Otxoa, Fele Martínez, Raúl Tejón and Fernando Gil, the four protagonists of 'Alpha Males', in the second season of the series.MANUEL FIESTAS/NETFLIX

In the new chapters, one of the protagonists has to deal with harassment situations in his new job.

Sexual consent is also put on the table.

These are issues that affect everyone and structural problems of society, but the recent publication of accusations of sexual violence against director Carlos Vermut have put the audiovisual industry at the center of the conversation in the topics discussed by

Alfa Machos

.

The questions are obligatory: Have the actors experienced or are aware of situations of sexual harassment in the work environment?

“Patriarchy is structural, we have grown up in a patriarchal system where we have all lived it, seen it, consented to it.

It is not a question of our industry, it happens in law firms, among architects, among bank tellers...", says Tejón.

“It has to serve not only the audiovisual industry, but at all levels.

It's okay, why do I have to put up with certain behaviors?” continues Raquel Guerrero.

“We are on Netflix, and they do have a commitment to this.

Before starting to work for the house, we had a long talk talking about all the situations that are not going to be tolerated, even situations that we did not think could be, but that could bother someone," explains Tejón, who He also mentions the importance of the introduction in series and films of the figure of the intimacy coordinator: “They now decide what yes, what no and to what extent.

Before, the director decided.

And this cannot be tolerated, because the director has to tell a story, but he does not decide about the body of a companion,” the actor continues.

Raquel Guerrero and Kira Miró, in a moment of the second season of 'Alpha Machos'.MANUEL FIESTAS/NETFLIX

It is striking that the Me Too movement that exploded in 2017 in the United States did not reach Spain but did reach other surrounding countries.

For Kira Miró, one of the possible explanations is that “we have more instilled in us the fact of remaining silent.”

“In the United States, actors even position themselves at the political level and don't have much of a problem.

Here, if you take a stand, they may veto you,” says the actress.

“I think that looking for a Me Too as such does not make sense, but rather talking about things, putting them on the table and looking for solutions,” adds Raquel Guerrero.

“And that everyone has the right to speak or not speak,” Miró continues.

“By remaining silent you are not taking a position.

Maybe you are at a certain point in your life and you prefer not to expose yourself or you don't feel like telling things.

But I talk about this like motherhood, loneliness, your jobs... It seems that there is always a need to have speeches on all topics very well formed, solid, and that we have to give our opinion on everything.

And it's terrible because sometimes you're lost and you feel overwhelmed by having to talk about a topic that you don't feel like talking about for whatever reason or you don't want to be related to any headline."

“That's why I love how the characters speak, some have zero filter and it's a bloody liberation,” intercedes Fele Martínez.

Raquel Guerrero and Fele Martínez, in a moment of the second season of 'Alpha Machos'.MANUEL FIESTAS/NETFLIX

Both Tejón and Guerrero agree on the difficulties of knowing what to do when separating the artist from his creation.

"We cannot confuse the artistic fact with the creator, because otherwise we would have to cancel half of universal cinema, writers, artists... When I ask myself these issues, a lot of doubts assail me, I have been thinking about this for years, it generates a lot of conflict in me ” says Tejón, and Guerrero agrees.

“What is clear is that in this profession there is a physical part, a barrier that we break from day one.

In other professions people don't touch each other until the Christmas party, and here on the first day you have to look at a man you don't know at all with love, touch him, kiss him.

That is why there begins to be some care with regard to privacy, because for many years there could be confusion that does not occur in other professions.

Yes, there are abuses of power everywhere, but not that physical contact that exists here from the first moment,” reflects Kira Miró.

Raquel Guerrero continues: “I believe that abuse of power exists everywhere.

The cases that I have been able to experience personally, some have been in the audiovisual environment, but others have nothing to do with it.”

“The thing is, who hasn't been groped in the subway?

Even me,” continues Raúl Tejón.

“But the limits change, thank God,” he continues.

“Yes, but unlearning what you have learned is complicated.

I'm also lost in that and I'm looking for myself,” Kira Miró continues.

And, precisely, that is what

Alpha Males is about.

But with comedy, so that it enters better.

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