Ramoncín: From fried chicken king to aging controversy

Ramoncín is no longer the king of fried chicken: he's the queen

A photo circulating online has sparked a storm of comments: Ramoncín, the man who once sang Marica de terciopelo, now appears with antiestéticatures many identify as those of an elderly woman. The debate isn't new but has returned with force, driven not by music.

The trigger is a recent image of the Madrid artist showing him heavily aged, with white hair and no beard. Analysis has shifted to mixing bar-stool endocrinology, SGAE history, and settling scores with a generation of public figures.

The question floating in the air isn't if Ramoncín has aged, but why he aged this way. The repeated answer involves testosterone, the hormone that forum experts claim distinguishes a mature man from a churchgoing lady.

The fried chicken king becomes an old hen

The phrase "king of fried chicken" has trinc Ramoncín for years. He admitted hating it and called those who use it "idiots." This fueled the joke. With the new image, the nickname mutated: from king to queen, from chicken to hen.

The shift isn't accidental. In collective imagination, fried chicken is greasy, popular, inelegant. Associating it with an artist claiming political commitment and anti-Franco struggle has its charm. But when physique fails, the joke turns cruel. Comparing him to an elderly woman isn't a medical diagnosis; it's an aesthetic judgment with political weight.

Some argue Ramoncín was always more talk show than stage. Critics say his musical output boils down to "one and a half decent songs." Here lies the core resentment: a man living off stories, collecting royalties from a levy declared illegal, and appearing at town festivals hosted by socialist councils. The image is the cherry on top.

The hormonal theory spreading through forums

The most repeated argument has a pseudoscientific basis worth debunking. It claims men without beards and low testosterone develop feminine traits when aging. That estrogens take over. That male menopause exists and Ramoncín is its face.

Reality is complex. Testosterone decline in older men is documented but doesn't turn anyone into a woman. Facial antiestéticatures change with age, skin loses elasticity, hair thins. This happens to everyone. In Ramoncín's case, lack of beard and slight build built a narrative transcending physicality.

Comparison with Paul McCartney, looking youthful at 83, is inevitable. But McCartney is a real musician with a catalog justifying any tribute. Ramoncín carries the burden of being remembered more for TV appearances and SGAE management than songs.

The levy, SGAE, and accumulated resentment

Here is the key. Ramoncín isn't just a badly aged singer. He symbolizes an era: the digital levy, collecting societies, artists becoming tax collectors. The tax on blank CDs, declared illegal, was never refunded to citizens. That isn't forgotten.

Resentment toward Ramoncín relates little to music, much to his public role. He was the visible face of an SGAE charging hospitality businesses for radio, pursuing internet users, funded by public money. When such a figure ages and loses physical appeal, mockery becomes score-settling.

Ironically, Ramoncín presented himself as left-wing, anti-Francoist, close to people. Now, those same people bill him. Taxpayers' revenge, one might call it. Comments accuse him of living off stories, being opportunistic, profiting under power's shadow. Deep down, that's worse than a missing beard.

What happens when a public figure ages without dignity?

The issue transcends Ramoncín. In Spain, public figures holding cultural or political posts face fierce scrutiny in old age. They're demanded a dignity they didn't always have. When they fail, they're punished with mockery.

There's injustice here. No one chooses how their body ages. But there's inevitability: those living off public image must accept it deteriorates first. Ramoncín could have chosen discreet retirement. Instead, he accepts festival speeches, TV appearances, payments. For many, that's provocation.

Comparison with other figures is unavoidable. Bowie, McCartney, even Mercedes Milá are mentioned. All aged differently, but none generated such visceral rejection. Difference isn't wrinkles, but representation. Bowie brands Hacendado, said a comment. The phrase sums up general feeling: Ramoncín is the cheap version of something that could have been great.

Ramoncín's future: festivals or retirement?

At this discussion's date, Ramoncín remains active. No signs of retirement. Appearances limited to local festival speeches, TV collaborations, rights management. The audience that bought records now dedicates memes to him. Price of prolonged fame.

Question is if such scrutiny is healthy. Criticism of public figures is legitimate. Mockery of a 70-year-old's physique borders on ageism. Line is blurry. Clear is Ramoncín built his own trap: more exposure, more judgment.

With these elements, joke likely continues. Nickname "Charo" or "Charoncín" is here to stay. While he collects from SGAE and appears publicly, mockery has fuel. Unfair, but reality. Dignity should have been earned earlier.