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What started out as just wanting to share a mini documentary called “San Juditas…Power!” (2008), above, turned into an encounter with fan sites, and forums, focused on big-time hate for reggaeton.
*add (5/20): According to the video, the San Judas “cult” is a transnational phenomenon that started in Chicago, and later made its way to Mexico. As the director tells me, “Es el santo para los ladrones.” He’s the thief’s saint.
I haven’t paid too much attention to the San Judas followers, since moving to Mexico City. But it’s obvious that most of the young people you see on the train, toting their horned Jude statues, and heading for Templo de San Hipólito every 28th day of month, are from the outskirts, and some of the roughest areas of the D.F. metro area.
According to Catholic.org, San Judas Tadeo, or Saint Jude Thaddeus
…is invoked in desperate situations because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them. Therefore, he is the patron saint of desperate cases and his feast day is October 28.
The anti-reggaeton sentiment, I think, is more classist than anything. The reggaetoneros are viewed as thugs and neardowells, when in fact, most are just young kids among the desperate and needy whom San Judas is supposed to protect. Albeit with airbrushed and rhinestone caps.
One Facebook fan site, is filled with pictures tagged with racist and mean captions and comments. Odiamos a todos los reggaetoneros ke van a la iglesia de San Judas los 28’s (We hate the reggaeton fans who go to the San Judas church on the 28ths) has over 4,000 fans.
You can see a few of its mocking portraits below, and after the jump. There tends to be special distaste for reggaeton’s doggy dance or perreo that the kids do.
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There’s a last.fm group called “Anti-Reggaeton”.
Below, an undated, partial newspaper clip about the subgroup that makes up so many San Judas followers.
channibalsmith.com 
