The first time I became aware of **Paco Álvarez** was through a video in which he debated with a right-wing transgender individual about their genitalia. Intrigued, I searched for information on both their professional profiles and discovered that they are among the latest flamboyant additions to morning talk shows. I have noted on several occasions that Spain is cruising at full speed towards an emotional subworld that has already been explored in the past by _Kirchnerism_, a trend that is evident not only in politics but also in the media landscape, where some changes have drawn its content closer than ever to the realm of the grotesque.
These changes have impacted [public television](https://www.elconfidencial.com/tags/empresas/rtve-2797/), which was never exemplary but has now become something that borders on the eerie. I say this not only because of its talk shows, where few seem to realize that this medium is funded by all Spaniards, not just those with a Ferraz membership card. I also refer to programs like [Manu Sánchez’s](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/caza-mayor/2026-07-06/pedro-y-manu-el-sanchismo-despues-de-sanchez_4383808/), which distribute a sense of revenge laced with drops of humor—or alleged humor. Let’s avoid potential lawsuits by asserting something that may not be confirmable, such as whether the comedian is indeed funny.
Private televisions have had to adapt to this new reality, which is why they attempt to maintain their connection with audiences through characters like Paco, who utilizes body expression—or more aptly, textile expression—to convey ideas to the public. This practice of wearing **customized t-shirts** was common among individuals from primitive cultures who, lacking oratory skills, would paint or tattoo their bodies to signify themselves and represent their gods. The trend lost traction when Athenians discovered that oratory was far more suggestive and effective, thus replacing these representations with spoken words.
Amazons and Polynesian tribes maintain these representations, as does some Mediaset talk show host like Paco, who last Wednesday wore a t-shirt on Cuatro that read: “**Thank you, Morocco**.” Just a day earlier, [Minister Elma Saiz](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-08-17/atencion-migrantes-ceuta-plazas-1tps_4407217/) expressed gratitude to the country for its collaboration during the Ceuta crisis while hardening her tone against President Juan Jesús Vivas. Paco '_The T-Shirt Guy_' caught the message.
During that program, _Barbie Gaza_ appeared on air to declare that the situation in the autonomous city was completely normal, dismissing the complaints of local residents about the insecurity of their streets as either racist or exaggerated. This was, of course, delivered with a crass tone—the only one she knows. What once belonged to **Sofía Suescun** is now performed by a political activist turned television clown.
Decline of Meaningful Discourse
Years ago, we observed that _info-entertainment_ talk shows had taken over the mantle from _Sálvame_ as the daily non-fiction serial. When they transformed **Sarah Santaolalla** into one of the country’s most famous individuals, the new princess of the people, replacing Belén Esteban, it became clear that the genre demanded flat characters without dilemmas or nuances, showcasing the degeneration of the genre itself and the overall quality of political discourse, reflecting the audience's declining expectations.
The next step in this descent into the abyss was reached when _Sanchismo_ found itself [lacking convincing arguments](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-08-20/leire-diez-denuncia-investigacion-paralela-uco-cloacas-no-escale-audiencia-nacional_4409087/), faced with corruption, fatigue, and ineptitude. Supporters in the talk shows had to adopt unimaginable tactics, such as printing t-shirts or reviving **Ernesto Ekaizer** and **Rosa Villacastín** in hopes that their antics would provoke a rise in viewer engagement, encouraging them to switch channels and tune in to the pre-fabricated interventions of the usual pundits.
**Paco Álvarez** may not be the most obvious caricature of this group. He serves as a modern-day **Father Apeles**—known for his robe, he left without anyone missing him, just as no one in the future will long for the t-shirts of his successors in the talk shows. However, Paco is no worse than those who, dressed in blazers and speaking in serious tones, recite ever-changing and nonsensical slogans that always align with the interests of Moncloa [the Spanish government](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-08-14/ley-entrega-menores-inmigrantes-ceuta-marruecos-gobierno_4404901/). They are all defending the management of the Ceuta crisis, just as they did with the blackout, Adamuz, or Leire Díez's scandals.
The Emotional Appeal in Media
Three weeks ago, they attempted to convince audiences that the Government had swiftly resolved the migration crisis despite its severity. During that time, they praised Morocco's cooperation because [that’s what Albares expressed](https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-08-17/ausencia-ministro-senado-ceuta-1tps_4407126/), who later rebelled against Italy... and all the commentators **fired shots at Giorgia Meloni**, the ultra... the populist. When reality set in, revealing that thousands of Africans were still wandering the beaches and streets of the autonomous city, they resorted to emotional appeals, leveraging populism, attributing criticisms to xenophobia or aporophobia.
Subsequently, the Security Forces began describing the scenario with dramatic tones, speaking of disturbances and violations. This prompted the Government to discuss the transfer of **500 vulnerable women to the mainland**. Faced with the PP's doubts about the plan's existence, they once again appealed to humanitarian factors. Meanwhile, _Barbie Gaza_, the local Susana Giménez, claimed that nothing unusual was happening in Ceuta. Simultaneously, Moroccan antennas, along with their Justice Minister, were issuing warnings and threats to Spain that seemed to fall on deaf ears, particularly those of Paco _'The T-Shirt Guy.'_
As reported by elconfidencial.com.
