Eva Peron, did they love her or did they not?

I've visited Argentina twice. The myth of Evita is still very much alive after 60 years. Do they love her or hate her? Both. It depends on whom you ask, but there's no middle ground.

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I think she's just like every person in political power, some people hate them and some people love them.

"Don't they know they're making love to one already dead?!"

Love Les Miserables!!!

Well.. just jumping in here. Like many have already stated, millions love her, while the other half simply hate her.

Like all political leaders, you have your supporters and non-supporters- Obama, Bush anyone? Eva's case is a bit different and unique when considering her placement in a historical context and background but at the same time, it's basically the same story.

Her uniqueness also lies in the fact that, as powerful as she became, she never held an elected position and despite being subordinate to her husband, The President, and was never technically more powerful than him, her personal power, mystique and fame, far exceeded his. To such an extent that even after her death, her cold dead (but beautifully embalmed) corpse caused military men and nervous politicians to shake in their cowardly boots fearing it would cause an uprising. They feared her as much dead than alive. Anyhow... moving on...

Eva chose to become active politically in a time woman had no voice and were seen as second class citizens. They could not vote and Eva could not vote for Peron during the first election (she did vote for him during the second election from her hospital bed 8 months before her death). So although this may have won her many supporters, it alienated and shocked many also.

She also came from a poor back ground and was an illegitimate and this also affected her standings in society. This may sound ridiculous today but in 40's Argentina, you were branded and although Eva never denied her poor past, her illegitimacy was something she went out of her way to hide that she even altered her birth certificate. Her poor background and illegitamacy was known during her time in power and again, it was something certain factions could not accept or forgive (as if an illegitamate child is at fault for their illegitamacy … geesh)

She was also an actress with a shady past (no less shady than so many other starlets and actresses past or present but whatever) who also posed for some risque photographs (swimwear and shorts … oh my!!) and this was also reason to dislike the woman. Her past may not have been an issue had Eva remained an actress. She did not (She ended up marrying a Colonel turned General/President and became active politically). The fact that she lived together with her boyfriend (Peron) for months without marrying was also looked down upon. It was OK for Peron to have as many mistresses as possible, but as a courtesy, she should remain hidden. Peron did not hide Eva, some state that he flaunted her and would bring her along to places where Generals should never bring their mistresses. Eva’s reputation was again called into question here.

She championed the poor and woman while at the same time alienating the powerful Oligarchy and military - 2 factions who for years had ruled Argentina previously. So this won her many supporters and just as many haters. Throughout her later years, Eva became fanatical with her Foundation and charitable works and this caused her to have an almost vitriolic attitude towards those that looked down on the poor. It pretty much became a war of the classes and although Eva never hid her disdain for the establish classes, it is very innaccurate to portray her as the sole instigator since the many reason I cited above were reasons enough for the establish classes not to like her. Her poor past, illegitamacy, lack of education (Eva only had a 6 grade education), her background as an actress, her many lovers (OK for the men, but heaven forbid a woman be sexually active), her crude manners or her lack of class, her gender, all contributed to this division. At the time it was hard for many to accept a 20-something year old, former actress, uneducated woman to be in any position of power. Tainted blood ran through this woman’s veins. The problem for them was that Eva didn’t give 2 *beep* about this and simply threw the dirt right back in their faces.

And her methods were incredibly unorthodox... which I will not get into more details considering this response is long-winded enough. But her methods and brand of politics also widened this division.

So Eva was a polarizing figure then and she remains one today but her popularity and mystique continues to florish to such an extent that biographies continue to be written about her, monuments keep sprouting up in her homeland, tourists arrive by the truckloads every year to visit her grave at the Recoleta cemetery and the EVITA museum in Buenos Aires has become a tourist destination. She was in your face but that boldness created a legend :-)

The musical does concentrate on the more salacious details of her life (real or imaged) and it is a bit biased.

The narrator of Che was created in order for the audience to not be too taken in by Eva’s charms. At least according to what I have read about the creation of the musical. Che was originally intended to be the rational voice (which is kind of mind boggling because originally, the narrater was Che Guevara, who is as controversial as Eva Peron. This was changed for the film and recent revivals) and Evita - the villian. She is a colorful villian but a villian nonetheless.

And lastly, as much as I love this musical and consider it one of Webber’s best, it should not be treated as a history lesson.