The article examines how La Pata de Cabra (The Goat's Hoof ), an over-the-top fantastical Spanish comedia de magia (magic play), came to figure centrally in serious debates about Mexican politics and society between 1845 and 1857. The article explores the play's popularity and its resonance in the press – it spawned at least half a dozen satirical newspapers – to argue that satire became a critical political language and form of expression that broadened and sustained debates in an era marked by volatile and often heavily restricted press freedoms. The article's focus on the La Pata phenomenon brings two fields of study, theatre and the press, into productive and necessary conversation.

这篇文章探讨了1845 年至 1857 年间关于墨西哥政治和社会的严肃辩论如何成为西班牙奇幻喜剧（魔术剧）La Pata de Cabra（山羊的蹄）的中心。文章探讨了该剧的受欢迎程度及其在媒体中的反响——它催生了至少六家讽刺性报纸——认为讽刺成为一种批判性的政治语言和表达形式，在一个新闻自由多变且经常受到严格限制的时代扩大和持续了辩论. 这篇文章对拉帕塔现象的关注将戏剧和新闻这两个研究领域带入了富有成效和必要的对话中。