The Latino-Anglo Social Strata Preserved For Another Generation In Disney’s “Handy Manny”
2 October 2007, 9:00 AM. By Cindy Casares
We’re sure those of you with children in your lives (our condolences) are well acquainted with “Handy Manny”, but we just got wind of him the natural way—via a publicist. And we have one thing to say about this show: WHAT THE FUCK????? Essentially, Disney has come up with a Hispanic children’s character that is…wait for it…a manual laborer. Check out the above clip of the show’s opening theme song where the privileged, white kids laugh as Manny sets to work on a piece of plywood. Watch as his happy tools shout and dance in a fiesta of carpentry, signifying that Manny is a happy manual laborer. And perhaps most horrifying of all, listen to Manny’s voice done by Wilmer Valderrama. (Wasn’t someone killing him for us?) Kids seem to be eating it up, too, because he’s back for a second season. And a small tear rolls down Cesar Chavez’s picture in Delano, California.
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I have a friend who refuses to let her kid watch this until they make him “General Contractor Manny” or at the very least “Project Manager Manny”
My 2 year old has been watching it for about a year, which means I have been watching it for about a year. While Manny may be a manual laborer, the town he lives in cannot run without him. If someone needs help at home (doorbell, stairs), he’s the only one who can help. If a small business owner needs an emergency fix (speaker not working, store not organized), no one else will suffice. If the stop lights quit working, he is the expert. If a construction crew gets stuck, he will solve their problem.
There are many Hispanic small business owners. The mayor is Hispanic. And the only real loser, Mr. Lopart, is a middle class, bald (with a bad comb over) white guy who refuses Manny’s freely offered help, and always has a horribly embarrassing accident doing things for himself.
One of the episodes had him fixing the citizen of the year trophy, only to be awarded it at a city assembly. He is respected, well liked; generally everything Mr. Lopart is not. You have to endure a number of sappy episodes to reach this conclusion (it is, after all, made for pre-schoolers), but the cartoon over all is very pro-Hispanic, Manny’s job not withstanding.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
mare mare here..
but seriously why do we always gotta find a problem with everything coming our way? call me the optimist who lives in la la land, but as a “sensitive to offensiveness” latina who’s up to date with pop culture and all that jazz, i dont see what the big deal is here. handy manny is portrayed in a positive light, he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important… building things! fixing things! he’s like a latino bob the builder que no?? and what?
should i be offended that ronald mcdonalds face is white-out white? should i be offended that dora the exploradora is border hopping in each episode? that the poor mice in cinderella are BROWN? should i interpret taht disney is trying to tell me that since the mice are brown then all latinos are poor dirty vermin? get real.
@mare mare: No one can accuse Guanabee of Mi Gente Syndrome. You have to admit this character hits pretty close to a stereotype. Sure there’s Bob the Builder, one white character in an infinite pile of Anglo-American (or whatever he is) characters. The same can’t be said for Latinos. We’ve got a handful of characters representing us in mainstream media and 9 out of 10 of those are in service positions. And besides, it’s just a funny observation.
@ La Cindy & fulatina: so with you on this.
I too am a optimistic chick from LA. Even here where everyone has their own Handy Manny on speed dial for everything and clearly can’t get a damn thing done until he deals with it, it is glaringly obvious that this positive yet hella stereotypical cartoon caters to the American ideas of status and subservient service. And then, even worse, it neutralizes the effect of the Mr. Loparts of the world, who will always benefit from Manny’s happy-go-lucky, ever willing service.
I really think shows like this don’t help portray a well rounded view of AmeriLatino life for children so very young.
Want to watch a great simple show about Black life for young children? watch Little Bill.
i think we’re looking into this a little too much. It’s not like Manny’s picking up other Manny’s and Tito’s at te Home Depot. It looks like an earnest little show for kids…produced by canadians and probably animated by south koreans. if there’s anything wrong here is that his name sounds like one of the gogo boys at MJs at RimJob.
however, i do want some of that grade A Mexican peyote Manny’s doing to make all those tools come to life. talk about happy fun time.
Disney has a very long and “colorful” history of promoting and exploiting stereotypes in their films and television shows. When you consider the power of television to form opinion, especially in young people, issues like this are downright despairing. Like Echoparkgal said, the tacit message is that Latinos are subservient and heck, they can even be non-threatening. It’s the same bullshit that blacks had to go through and endure 50 years ago.
whats migente syndrome?
i guess i didnt see this blog post as a funny observation. i thought it was a legitamate rant to which i disagreed.
now, if you rant about “maid in manhattan”… i’ll join you…why does the gringo have to save her???
He is respected, well liked; generally everything Mr. Lopart is not. You have to endure a number of sappy episodes to reach this conclusion (it is, after all, made for pre-schoolers), but the cartoon over all is very pro-Hispanic, Manny’s job not withstanding.
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This character is ‘liked’ because he’s at the bottom of the food chain and knows his place. He’s no threat to anybody.
That’s the message being sent to these kids: Manual labor is “brown people’s work.” Don’t aspire to a position of power. Be “humble.” Know your “place.” And you will be liked.
Gte a clue people. This show is propaganda and your impressionable kids should not be allowed to watch it.
i’m sorry but i can’t peel myself away..
Let’s say you’re right and they should put better Latino cartoon representation out there for our kids…how would they be able to pull of a cartoon of “Fransisco El Financiero” ?? I’ve personally worked at disney (and left only because of interoffice cultish politics) and seen focus group after focus group about what interests kids and parents etc. and i sincerely believe that Handy Manny is not propaganda to imbed social class difference into our kids and to teach our brown children “their place in society”. it was simply an attempt to bank on Dora The Exploradora phenomenon and America’s realization that being bilingual in Spanish and English is essential to a prosperous future.
sometimes some people allow their tunnel vision to blind them into believing that everything is an injustice or that everything is trying to put the brown man down. but its not so. this is reminding me of the Mechistas on my college campus whose radical beliefs and words made them look like outrageous, unreasonable nutsos. They think we’re the ones “blinded by society” but in reality, they’re the ones blinded by their tunnel vision that la raza is ALWAYS being oppresssed.
@ mare mare/don’thate: “he’s clean, we see no butt crack, he’s not cat calling anybody and he knows how to do something we all see as important…”: wow, progress at last!!!
@bill: “the town he lives in cannot run without him”: Right. And antebellum America could not run without its slaves, too.
“sometimes some people allow their tunnel vision to blind them into believing that everything is an injustice or that everything is trying to put the brown man down. but its not so. this is reminding me of the Mechistas on my college campus whose radical beliefs and words made them look like outrageous, unreasonable nutsos. They think we’re the ones “blinded by society” but in reality, they’re the ones blinded by their tunnel vision that la raza is ALWAYS being oppresssed.”
@ mm: you must of went to the same school i did. the Claremont Colleges?
But what I did learn from the “outrageous, unreasonable nutso Mechistas” (who, once they hit the pipe at the end of their long-winded sermonistic speech/parties, were usually an awesome bunch) was that there are so many different ways in which La Raza del Mundo (everyone) are oppressed, some clearly obvious and some ways are more subtle, like Handy Manny cartoons. It’s not tunnel vision, if you understand and can admit that we are in a country that can 1.) easily produce and rationalize a show such as Handy Manny, 2.) simultaneously dialogue about the rights of immigrant (read: illegal, Latino) workers, their families and their place in America and 3.) continue to treat Hispanic and Latinos individuals as a homogenous group despite their few communalities of Spanish language and religion, especially in the media. If you get that shows like this are not created for you and your child’s best interest, great! More power to us for understanding this and demanding better. But if not, let him or her watch a positive tale about community well-being and kindness. But know this, your child’s future classmate, friend, teacher, boss, co-worker may not have been taught to differentiate what the media has taught them because America encourages the media monster’s subliminal control.
close.. i went to USC, which i must admit has Mechistas that are a tad mellower than Claremont Colleges and Berkeley for example. But, i’ll agree w/ your point echoparkgal that my future kids future peers may not have been taught to differentiate what the media has taught them. but i still see this handy manny cartoon as a “positive tale about community well being” just like dora the exploradora. sure i’ll demand better… give me Fransisco El Financiero but for the mean time i’ll take Handy Manny.
I really wanted to be offended by this Handy Manny, but so far I can’t muster up that feeling. Granted, I haven’t watched the show in its entirety yet, so I am not convinced that this character is a good idea, either.
I used to run a Literacy Program for preschoolers and their parents in a predominantly Latino community. Having had my more than my fair share of Dora and Diego, I think it’s nice to have another Latino character for kids to be acquainted with. At least this character doesn’t have heavily-accented English; I’m really hoping there isn’t gratuitous code-switching.
Do I wish that there were shows with a Francisco El Financiero? Sure. But preschoolers aren’t gung-ho about following the adventures of a banker, and neither are adults, or else there would be more of us making bank right now. Disney does have it’s history of shady ethnic characters and I question all of them on some level, but mm is right; children programming is more about ratings and how much money you can make with merchandising than on the desire to perpetuate a cultural bias.
That being said, Handy Manny’s limitations can be complemented by the many available books in the Latino, Spanish and biliterate market.
xicarodgs
OK, no one can deny how stereotypical Manny’s character is. But this is a TV program and I would say that at least 95% of all TV and movie characters are stereotypes. The other 5% usually possess superhuman powers.
I guess the question is whether or not Manny is damaging at all.
Does Disney truly have the power (much less the desire) to trap Latino children into a blue-collar future or identity? Didn’t I just read on here a few days ago that Latinos are graduating from colleges in greater numbers than ever before? Does anybody really think that Disney is actively seeking to reverse that trend? How would they accomplish such a thing? Are Latino children that easily brain-washed by cartoons? Are Latino parents just as helpless against these cartoons?
In ten years, will Latino teenagers be quitting high school in droves in order to become handymen? Will Latino mothers be on their knees, crying “Why? Why won’t you do your homework?” Will teenagers say: “Remember Manny, Mom? Its because of Manny that I choose slave labor.”
So should there be no more animated handyman on TV anymore? No more blue-collar cartoon characters? Doesn’t it sound elitist to make the connection between “subservience” and a man who does his job well and honestly? If Manny lived in Mexico, would he be seen as “subservient” at all, since his clients would largely be Latino?
Maybe Latinos should take it upon themselves to create cartoons featuring Latinos from all walks of life doing outrageously dumb things like most cartoon characters do. Wouldn’t that be fair? Wouldn’t that satisfy the nuance we expect from televised cartoons? Wouldn’t that help stem the institutionalized tide of “keep brown people down” propoganda from Disney?
@mare mare:
It’s actually called Pero Es Mi Gente Syndrome.
and it’s something Guanabee is vigilant against. My point in referencing it is that we are far from Latino cheerleaders or Mechistas. I hope you can tell by now that the whole point of Guanabee is to break the stereotype of the humorless, angry “La Causa” toting Latino. And my point in writing this post was simply to point out that a Latino character named Handy Manny who is literally a day laborer is, um, awkward to say the least in today’s political climate. It’s funny. That’s all.
Here is the video about the characters from the Handy Manny movie and how it has been done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2pNduQnQA0