Latina/o Hollywood: Celebrities Helping or Hurting the Stereotypes
American culture and society has taught its citizens the true meaning of stereotyping. From the racist and lude remarks on television to the discriminatory acts minorities face daily; they are all playing into some stereotype. Minority groups such as Latin Americans deal with biased racial criticism on a daily basis. Yet as a people, many would say that Hispanics have come a long way from where they started. Countless television and movie roles as well as mainstream music expansion has helped in the growth of the Latina/o celebrity. Although these strides have sparked a Hollywood diversity trend, some celebrities are merely feeding into the stereotypes versus combating them. Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and George Lopez have been combating the stereotypes for years and making leaps for the Hispanic community; while other figure heads like Carlos Mencia and Vida Guerra merely play into these pre-established roles.
People are just people, they are born, and they live and then die. Women and men are the same no matter the race or social class, all women and men have the same bodily parts. ‘Maybe it’s just a universal, timeless fear of people who are different that creates the prejudice and animosity that is directed toward minority cultures” (Ruggieri 57). So the idea of being different has nothing to do with people but rather culture and race. People are people, no one race should have the power or authority to stereotype and criticize another. Yet it happens, on a daily basis, but the puzzling part is when people from the same race/culture stereotype each other.
Female stereotypes tend to spread across ethnicity and remain constant regardless of race or cultural background. Jennifer Lopez is one of those pioneering celebrities furthering the positive outlook on Hispanic women. According to Forbes magazine Lopez is the richest Hispanic in America; she is also ranked # 13 on Time Magazine’s list of most influential Hispanics in America. Well immersed in her Puerto-Rican roots, Jennifer Lopez is the highest-paid Latin actress and she did not have to compromise herself to get to the top. Although after filming Selena, she was chastised in Hollywood for the shape of her butt; she still maintained her dignity and composure. Jennifer Lopez has had a major influence on Latin American culture; she has overcome racial adversity and strives to educate others.
The idea of exoticism and beauty work together in generally defining many women that are of Latin American descent. Although this may sound like a positive insight on a race/culture, think less about whom and more about why. This stereotype is in large part due to the bodily features of Latin-American women. Vida Guerra is a prime example of defining the Hispanic woman by her ass and titties. The cover girl for FHM magazine in December 2002, Vida has become a major success by baring her self for all of America to see. A native of Havana, Cuba Vida has been in the forefront of many rap/hip-hop videos since her debut. On many occasions Vida is pictured wearing only a thong or g-string. Although she is leaving her mark in the entertainment industry her representations are not something for little girls to mimic or aspire to be.
Many Latin American teenagers seek to find their own cultural identity through celebrities in the media. “The tension between the “two Americas” is further manifested in the need to recognize the boundaries of the identity of the other – whether that other be a Latin American national or a U.S. citizen – in the process of shaping one’s own identity in the U.S. context” (Oboler 27). Since there are dominant stereotypes about Latin Americans that pass over into the media, it is almost impossible to achieve non-biased self identity. With the growing speed of racial typecast, prejudice between ethnic groups is more prevalent than ever. Some television shows stereotype Hispanics as gang members, cheap laborers, or immigrants.
Carlos Mencia is one of the most controversial talked about comedians of 2006; he is sometimes referred to as the Latino Dave Chapelle. However, with a deeper examination one may realize that he is an advocator for racial stereotypes in Latina/o communities and a key contributor to these biased views. Mencia is a comedian from Los Angeles and he is of Honduran decent. He has his own television show on Comedy Central called “Mind of Mencia”. On this show he address issues in the Latin American community and makes parodies about certain stereotypes. Mencia’s online site documents some of his racial remarks “Welcome to ‘Are You Smarter than a Wetback?’ The show where Wetbacks don’t pick lettuce, they pick answers” (carlosmencia.com). Not only is the use of this term offensive it adds to the already dominant notion that all Mexicans are immigrants, even the ones born in the US.
The expansion of minorities on television can be truly uplifting for an entire race but only with the right representation. George Lopez is labeled as the 12th most influential Hispanic in America (Time Magazine), and his comedic style does not mimic any type of Latino stereotypes. He stars on “The George Lopez Show” and in a recent study by the Harris Poll; Lopez is ranked #9 among favorite television personalities. His show, often referred to as the Latino Cosby Show, is universal and the characters do not play into US defined social Latino-American family stereotypes. George Lopez prides himself on being Hispanic and is deep rooted in uplifting the image of the Latina/o.
The quest for self-identity in a world of racist stereotypes and discriminatory portrayals of a culture is like traveling in a circle. The path is the same all the way around and the cycle never ends. There will always be separation between Latin-Americans and Americans, the problem lies in the separation within Hispanics. US society is dividing minority groups when they should be banning together to stop racial stereotyping. Maybe once the minority races stop stereotyping one another then maybe the circle will turn into a road, a road of freedom against prejudice.
American culture and society has taught its citizens the true meaning of stereotyping. From the racist and lude remarks on television to the discriminatory acts minorities face daily; they are all playing into some stereotype. Minority groups such as Latin Americans deal with biased racial criticism on a daily basis. Yet as a people, many would say that Hispanics have come a long way from where they started. Countless television and movie roles as well as mainstream music expansion has helped in the growth of the Latina/o celebrity. Although these strides have sparked a Hollywood diversity trend, some celebrities are merely feeding into the stereotypes versus combating them. Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and George Lopez have been combating the stereotypes for years and making leaps for the Hispanic community; while other figure heads like Carlos Mencia and Vida Guerra merely play into these pre-established roles.
People are just people, they are born, and they live and then die. Women and men are the same no matter the race or social class, all women and men have the same bodily parts. ‘Maybe it’s just a universal, timeless fear of people who are different that creates the prejudice and animosity that is directed toward minority cultures” (Ruggieri 57). So the idea of being different has nothing to do with people but rather culture and race. People are people, no one race should have the power or authority to stereotype and criticize another. Yet it happens, on a daily basis, but the puzzling part is when people from the same race/culture stereotype each other.
Female stereotypes tend to spread across ethnicity and remain constant regardless of race or cultural background. Jennifer Lopez is one of those pioneering celebrities furthering the positive outlook on Hispanic women. According to Forbes magazine Lopez is the richest Hispanic in America; she is also ranked # 13 on Time Magazine’s list of most influential Hispanics in America. Well immersed in her Puerto-Rican roots, Jennifer Lopez is the highest-paid Latin actress and she did not have to compromise herself to get to the top. Although after filming Selena, she was chastised in Hollywood for the shape of her butt; she still maintained her dignity and composure. Jennifer Lopez has had a major influence on Latin American culture; she has overcome racial adversity and strives to educate others.
The idea of exoticism and beauty work together in generally defining many women that are of Latin American descent. Although this may sound like a positive insight on a race/culture, think less about whom and more about why. This stereotype is in large part due to the bodily features of Latin-American women. Vida Guerra is a prime example of defining the Hispanic woman by her ass and titties. The cover girl for FHM magazine in December 2002, Vida has become a major success by baring her self for all of America to see. A native of Havana, Cuba Vida has been in the forefront of many rap/hip-hop videos since her debut. On many occasions Vida is pictured wearing only a thong or g-string. Although she is leaving her mark in the entertainment industry her representations are not something for little girls to mimic or aspire to be.
Many Latin American teenagers seek to find their own cultural identity through celebrities in the media. “The tension between the “two Americas” is further manifested in the need to recognize the boundaries of the identity of the other – whether that other be a Latin American national or a U.S. citizen – in the process of shaping one’s own identity in the U.S. context” (Oboler 27). Since there are dominant stereotypes about Latin Americans that pass over into the media, it is almost impossible to achieve non-biased self identity. With the growing speed of racial typecast, prejudice between ethnic groups is more prevalent than ever. Some television shows stereotype Hispanics as gang members, cheap laborers, or immigrants.
Carlos Mencia is one of the most controversial talked about comedians of 2006; he is sometimes referred to as the Latino Dave Chapelle. However, with a deeper examination one may realize that he is an advocator for racial stereotypes in Latina/o communities and a key contributor to these biased views. Mencia is a comedian from Los Angeles and he is of Honduran decent. He has his own television show on Comedy Central called “Mind of Mencia”. On this show he address issues in the Latin American community and makes parodies about certain stereotypes. Mencia’s online site documents some of his racial remarks “Welcome to ‘Are You Smarter than a Wetback?’ The show where Wetbacks don’t pick lettuce, they pick answers” (carlosmencia.com). Not only is the use of this term offensive it adds to the already dominant notion that all Mexicans are immigrants, even the ones born in the US.
The expansion of minorities on television can be truly uplifting for an entire race but only with the right representation. George Lopez is labeled as the 12th most influential Hispanic in America (Time Magazine), and his comedic style does not mimic any type of Latino stereotypes. He stars on “The George Lopez Show” and in a recent study by the Harris Poll; Lopez is ranked #9 among favorite television personalities. His show, often referred to as the Latino Cosby Show, is universal and the characters do not play into US defined social Latino-American family stereotypes. George Lopez prides himself on being Hispanic and is deep rooted in uplifting the image of the Latina/o.
The quest for self-identity in a world of racist stereotypes and discriminatory portrayals of a culture is like traveling in a circle. The path is the same all the way around and the cycle never ends. There will always be separation between Latin-Americans and Americans, the problem lies in the separation within Hispanics. US society is dividing minority groups when they should be banning together to stop racial stereotyping. Maybe once the minority races stop stereotyping one another then maybe the circle will turn into a road, a road of freedom against prejudice.
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