Hollywood's Ą Deadly Latino Sins
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ENTERTAINMENT BY FELIX SANCHEZ and William Levy in Univision’s Triunfo del Amor. Fortunately, there are new projects on the horizon that bring balance more character development opportunities, we’d see them nominated Sixth: Fuzzy Math. Hollywood rarely visualizes Latinos in the and well-thought-out entertainment. Seth McFarlane’s animated Fox for Emmys in the Best Supporting Actor categories; but because they are future or in locations like Los Angeles or New York, which often comedy series Bordertown has hired brilliantly funny writers like Lalo Hollywood’s cast in truncated roles, they never receive the industry recognition they serve as a backdrop for blockbuster films. A perfect example is NBC’s Alcaraz. ABC’s comedy Cristela, starring South Texan Cristela Alonzo deserve. The Night Shift, which (although the show looks like it was filmed and CW’s Jane the Virgin, headlined by Gina Rodriguez have garnered Third: Se Habla Español—Kinda. The use of interspersed Spanish- in Lubbock) is set in San Antonio, Texas. Although 56 percent of industry kudos and a strong social ą(IEHP] language dialogue has been increasing on TV and the big screen since San Antonio’s population is Mexican American, not one Mexican media fan base in advance of their fall its successful use in Universal Pictures’ Fast and Furious franchise films. American actor was cast as a series regular. premiere dates. If Cristela succeeds, Over the last two summers, FOX’s The Bridge and Gang Related and Paramount’s recent Star Trek sequels present a more complicated and I believe it will, perhaps it will FX’s The Strain advanced the use of Spanish dialogue with English racial/ethnic issue. In the film, the Dominican and Puerto Rican convince Saturday Night Live’s Lorne 0EXMRS7MRW subtitles. On Gang Related, gratuitous Spanish-language dialogue for the actress Zoe Saldana played the iconic Lt. Ohura, a black character, Michaels that real Latinas, not faux sake of “bonding” with Latino viewers is experienced as contrived and but since Zoe is also Latina, the diversity boxes get double checks. Latinas are funny. After 39 SNL fake. In contrast, The Bridge has set a high bar for the authentic use of Similarly, Cuban American Gina Torres plays black characters on seasons, no Latina has ever been hired regional Spanish by native speakers, who transcend language barriers and USA Networks’ Suits and NBC’s Hannibal, but her Afro-Latino as a cast member on SNL; only 2 spate of 2014 media studies tells us what we already know: seamlessly present a dramatic bilingual storyline. At the other extreme, it ethnicity skews the actual Latino representational numbers. This Latino comics have ever made the Latinos are absent on the big and small screens, while largely was a disastrous experiment on CBS’s failed ¡Rob! is in contrast to Afro-Latina actress Daniella Alonso, who plays a cut. And Guillermo Del Toro’s A filling a majority of movie theater seats and over-indexing for Fourth: International Latinos vs. U.S.-Latino actors. Hollywood has always Latina character, Dr. Landry De La Cruz, on NBC’s The Night Shift. animated film The Book of Life, opening broadcast, cable, streaming and gaming media. preferred the international Latino to the U.S. Latino. The international Characters should be clearly in October, also looks promising. The National Hispanic Latino is often whiter and more familiar to Hollywood, but these actors defined as either Afro-Latino or I would be remiss if I didn’t also Cristela Alonzo Foundation for the Arts co- don’t always resonate with U.S. Latino and non-Latino audiences. For black. Martin Sheen, born Ramón mention HULU’s series East Los High, sponsored, together with the example, ABC’s The Bachelor featured Venezuelan-born and U.S.-raised Antonio Gerardo Estévez, has a contemporary teen dramedy. Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey network, National Association of Latino Juan Carlos Galavis well-intentioned casting that backfired for many always said that he is Latino by together with Troublemaker Studios are seizing on an opportunity to Producers, a study by Columbia reasons, but mostly because of the astonishing cultural differences that birth but Irish by profession, an lasso the male youth demographic, many of whom are Latino, mostly University professor Francis Negron were out of sync with American sensibilities. acknowledgement that his roles under 20, who are drawn to gaming-like programming that presents a called Latino Media Gap. The key Let’s examine the canvas painted by FX’s The Strain, executive shouldn’t be misperceived as true heightened sense of reality. findings of that study were that produced/co-created and directed by Mexican-born Guillermo Del Latino representations. Do we FX’s Sons of Anarchy, which features strong Latino characters, was Latino characters are increasingly Toro. The beautiful Argentine-born actress Mia Maestro plays Dr. Nora really believe that Cameron Diaz is cited by Forbes as one of the seven best dramas of 2013. FX’s The marginalized, that stereotypes Martinez, straddling the international fence: legitimately a Latina, yet always playing a Latina character? Bridge, often mentioned as the new Breaking Bad, was also singled abound and that consumer pressure closer to a European profile. Contrast her to the Latino family—on Hollywood still does not out by Forbes as one of the best new shows. Both of these FX shows does have an impact on media the same show featuring Miguel Gomez (Bless me Ultima) and Adriana understand that Latinos are not a feature Latinos’ in-culture as authentic images of Latino modernity. decisions. And a University of race, but a community made up The Bridge incorporates northern border Spanish, spoken authentically Southern California study was aptly summarized by the New York of many ethnic groups. We need by fluent speakers. The Bridge, like Showtime’s Orange is the New Black, Zoe Saldana Daily News as “Latino stars barely there (or nude).” The two studies can to show all the segments of this also captures some of the best-drawn LGBT characters, projected best be understood by examining Hollywood’s 7 deadly Latino sins. community; the issue is context. A film like Warner Bros. Pictures’ Her through a Latino lens. Sons of Anarchy features rugged Latino figures First: Whitewashed Casting—Latino characters, played by non-Latinos. is set in Los Angeles, which has a 49 percent Latino population, yet who claim the screen in every scene. These shows set the future When folks like Ben Affleck take on roles like Tony Mendes in Warner it reflects an almost all-white city. A casting director must present an standard for Latino imagery that will build audiences by attracting Bros. Pictures’ Argo, it perpetuates a practice of “dressing-up” Latino accurate reflection of America and must also ask the question: Does both Latino and non-Latino viewers. characters by using white actors. The same holds for roles on TV series. this actor represent the right ethnicity for San Antonio? Miami? New From an economic point of view, however, only one of the top 20 For example, Lili Taylor as Captain Sandra Maldonado on Fox’s Almost York? Understanding diversity is not hard, but if there are no Latino grossing films in 2013 featured Latino actors as principal characters. Human didn’t even try to portray the character ethnically. Similarly, casting directors, Latinos will get miscast, non-Latinos will be cast as The film Fast and Furious 6 earned more than $788 million worldwide. Nicole Ari Parker as District Attorney Jacqueline Martinez on TNT’s Latinos and actors will be asked to leverage their ethnicity for lip- The areas for improvement are clear. The best change agent wins a lot Murder in the First does not convey any sense of Latino identity. My service diversity purposes. of money and gets to write the next chapter in American media. All first thought while watching Sakina Jaffrey as Linda Alvarado on Seventh: Villains. If a Latino actor is lucky enough to be cast in that’s needed is the vision and the will to get it done. ¡Sí se puede! Netflix’s House of Cards was that I had never seen that actress before, a lead role, that role is often that of the bad guy. Such roles have only to learn that Jaffrey is of Indian heritage. Cliff Collins as Javier common characteristics: a friend or colleague you trust, who Felix Sanchez is the Chairman and Co-founder of the National Hispanic Mia Maestro Miguel Gomez Acosta on Fox’s Gang Related is another casting decision that’s difficult inevitably betrays you; a boss or authority figure who cuts corners; Foundation for the Arts. to understand. Collins’ make-up looks deliberately dark, and his Barraza (Amores Perros). Miguel’s character is a tattooed, muscle tee- a complicated “cable” character you love to hate. Kevin Alejandro Spanish dialogue sounds diction- coached, not native. Why go to all wearing son of an undocumented, Spanish-speaking, hard-working played such a role on CBS’s Golden Boy. Alejandro’s character was The National Hispanic Foundation for the this effort to convert a non-Latino actor into a Latino stereotype? Mexican woman. The mother and son characters represent lower-class brash, a bully, a jerk, a jealous opportunist who never failed to blow Arts (NHFA) and the District of Columbia’s Many Latinos see through the ruse immediately and get the sub rosa immigrants. This bifurcated social class portrayal, contrasting an educated every good opportunity that came into his life. Alejandro played that Office on Latino Affairs (OLA D.C.) are message that a Latino was not good enough to play a Latino character.