Jane the Virgin
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Jane The Virgin — “Pilot” Pictured (L-R): Gina Rodriguez as Jane and Andrea Navedo as Xiomara Jane the Virgin By JUAN PIÑÓN The Pursuit of New Latina/o Representations JANE THE VIRGIN, A CURRENT TELEVISION SERIES, ably necessary transformation of what was television products. The success and large makes a compelling case for the U.S. once a daily Venezuelan telenovela, Juana audience following of telenovelas within mainstream television and the presence la virgen, into a weekly series dramedy the U.S. Hispanic television industry has that Latina/os have within that market. Jane the Virgin speaks volumes about ex- positioned the genre as merely one op- The show represents a crossroads of several ecutives’ assumptions of audiences’ social portunity for the U.S. television market to industrial, market and socio-cultural tastes and cultural habits in TV consump- draw audiences from the growing Latina/o forces. As an industrial product, Jane the tion. This distinction becomes sharper population. The narrative formula and Virgin is part of a global-industrial trend because of the existence of Latina/o audi- characters needed to offer different cul- that relies upon adapting television formats ences across the Hispanic diaspora. tural and linguistic elements have always to manage the uncertainties in this new As a market product, Jane the Virgin existed in the U.S. television market. post-network era. At the same time, this follows a television trend in the Unit- As a socio-cultural product, in Jane the trend exposes the cultural tensions that ed States that seeks to attract the U.S. Virgin, Jane, following the steps of Betty arise in the process of adapting narratives, Latina/o population as an audience, given Suarez, in Ugly Betty, speaks perfect and formats and genres for U.S. audiences. the context of growing Hispanic demo- accentless English. They are both third or Jane the Virgin is not a telenovela, in graphics and market trends, in contrast second generation women, with a middle- spite of its soapy elements. The presum- with general ratings declines in U.S. made class mentality, following their dreams to REVISTA.DRCLAS.HARVARD.EDU ReVista 23 TELENOVELAS Jane The Virgin — Pictured (L-R): Yael Grobglas as Petra, Andrea Navedo as Xo, Justin Baldoni as Rafael, Gina Rodriguez as Jane, Ivonne Coll as Alba, Jaime Camil as Rogelio and Brett Dier as Michael climb the social ladder through profes- sional improvement, based on discipline, While seemingly alluding to the U.S. construct of hard work and intelligence. Through the three Villanueva generations, Jane the the Latina Harlot, Xiomara is also shaped by the Virgin manage to present a genealogy of contradictions triggered by walking the fine line, Latina/o representations through different approaches taken under a safe trope: the between being a victim of presumably unrestrained Latina/o family akin to the way the Suarez sexual desires and claiming of her own agency, by family was presented in Ugly Betty. The family as a trope has traditionally showing female characters conquering their rights been used as a safe recipe to present a over their own bodies, as women, as citizens, as non-threatening Latinidad. The assumed “values” of the Latina/o family, which in- sexual beings. clude respect, solidarity and love, have led to representations of Latinidad itself, standing for stereotypical representations grandmother, indeed did not). The “vir- representations which include Latina/o of U.S. Latinas as “harlots”; while Jane Vil- gin” metaphor, is nurtured by Marianismo roles as valuable citizens in film and tele- lanueva represents something new. That that reinforces patriarchal norms. Women vision. Jane the Virgin uses that trope with “fresh” Latinidad is the real trend, one in should not only should be pure, but sub- a matrilineal twist: a three-generation which the Latina/o image is rethought so- missive to their men, committed to their Latina family with strong and admirable cially, culturally and linguistically as that families, abnegate and selfless. The abuela female characters. While love, respect of a full U.S. citizen, as Christopher Chavez brings the core of this philosophy in the and solidarity are at the core of Villan- recognizes it, a new commercial construc- form of the myth of the destroyed flower, ueva family relationships, the characters’ tion known as the “new Latino.” the impurity of the self, brought by sex. development shows different traditions The abuela calls upon a patriarchal Once anyone even mentions “virginity” as of Latina representations that appeal to tradition, present in Latin American tele- a metaphor, a metaphor that represents a different constituencies: Alba Gloriana novelas, in which women, particularly the mythical purity, then the flip-side of vir- Villanueva (la abuela) dwelling on long- female leading characters remain chaste ginity becomes mentionable. The image standing Latin American representations and pure before marriage so as to be of the impure, the tainted and the rugged, of womanhood informed by the “virgin/ deemed worthy for the male protagonist still haunts Jane because it is an important whore” dichotomy; Xiomara Villanueva (even though it emerges that Alba, the element of her Latina/o identity. 24 ReVista FALL 2017 PHOTO: PHOTO: NINO MUÑOZ/THE CW — © 2015 THE CW NETWORK, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. WOMEN AND SEXUALITY The ghost of the virgin suddenly flips made Latina/o presumably “uncontrolled to create an identifiable television audi- into its reverse: the “whore.” If you are sexuality” a central property of Latina/o ence and market to be sold to advertisers. not a virgin, then you are a whore. This character representations. As Ramirez- Ironically the Spanish language that was dichotomy traces its tremendous sway over Berg has underscored, the Harlot, the used as a marker of Latinidad, was also Latina/o psyche and identity because of Dark Lady and the Latin Lover are active the trait that represent their assumed in- the opposing poles of “La Malinche” and stereotypes in film and television nurtured trinsic foreign-ness. In contrast, Jane is an the “Virgin of Guadalupe.” La Malinche, by white peoples’ desires and projected all-American girl. Far from the still quite in Octavio Paz’s terms, represents the onto the Latina/o population. common depiction of Latina/os as maids, traitor who sold out to the Spanish con- The exoticization of Latina/o charac- gardeners, gangsters or Latin lovers, Jane’s queror, and only then did La Malinche, ters in the United States has been a cen- character and subjectivity becomes the become la Chingada. The desecrated, the tral formula to present a potential appeal “moral balance” within the narrative on raped, the impure. To counter the insidi- of Latinidad for media consumption. The the series. The presence of Jane under- ous power of this seminal identity figure, exoticism of the Dark Lady and the sen- scores the great values of citizenship, de- the Catholic story of the apparition of the suality and passion of the Latin Lover are sire for empowerment, Western rationality Virgin of Guadalupe, la Virgen Morena, characterizations that present an alluring and moral values. brings the redeeming qualities into focus Latina/o identity, in spite of their sexual A male triad counterbalance of the in such a way that the mestizos and indig- dangers, to mainstream audiences. The Villanueva family is made up by Michael enous people can be integrated to society, Harlot, at a lesser level of sophistication, Cordero, Rafael Solano and Rogelio de as rightful bearers of the values of the new presents Latina women as slaves of their la Vega. All these characters function as race brought about by the encounters of own sexual desires, in spite of their best in- signs, the white guy (Cordero), the Latino the old and the new worlds. The force of tentions. Xiomara, in many ways, seemed man (Solano) and the Latin American these two seminal figures has informed to represent this Latina stereotype: a well- man Rogelio de la Vega. All of them carry Latin American identity for centuries. In intended character seemingly trapped by the burdens of patriarchy, heteronormativ- spite of all these ancient traditions, Alba her bad decisions, triggered by the unre- ity, immigration and citizenship. They all seems to carry within herself the seeds of pressed force of her sexual impulse. While seem to trigger specific audience’s expecta- that contradiction. Always a voice of sexual seemingly alluding to the U.S. construct of tions, but at the same time, they defy them conservatism, prudence, and restraint, by the Latina Harlot, Xiomara is also shaped through their behavior when confronted advising Jane, as well as admonishing by the contradictions triggered by walk- by real love. Machismo as the other side of those who appear to deserve it at the time. ing the fine line, between being a victim Marianismo, is also challenged in Jane the In contrasts, Albas seems to flourish and of presumably unrestrained sexual desires Virgin. Latino men have long been tainted unleash her inner desires every time that and claiming of her own agency, by show- in media by their depiction as inherently telenovela star Rogelio de la Vega, “the ing female characters conquering their macho. The male characters in Jane refor- president,” visits the Villanueva’s home. rights over their own bodies, as women, as mulate the stereotype of Latino men, and Rogelio is the main character of The Pas- citizens, as sexual beings. In this context, thus their own relationships as sensible sion of Santos, Alba’s favorite telenovela. Chicana/o theorists and activists, such as men, as rational men, as full citizens. The Then Rogelio’s initial encounters with Gloria Anzaldua and Cherry Moraga, have initial dichotomy, in citizenship, seems to Alba offers a kind of picaresque moments, reclaimed the image of La Malinche, not as be illustrated by the idea of Michael Cor- in which her presumably unrestrained at- a whore nor as a traitor, but as wise women dero (an ambiguously Latino character be- traction to her beloved television star is with agency, their bodies, and, of course, cause of his last name).