Feature: Should Latinos Get Special Treatment From Latino Media?
10 January 2008, 11:15 AM. By Daniel Mauser
Latinos have been held back by the group in power since the group in power got here several hundred years ago from Europe. So, we owe it to each other to help one another get ahead, right? Or, by helping everyone–including mediocre talent–advance, do we only serve to lower the bar? Guanabee editor Cindy Casares looks back at our own experiences with this phenomenon to try and make head or tales of one difficult situation.
Why do a lot of Latinos expect preferential treatment from Latin media? Most recent case in point: Playboy model Rebecca Reyes, aka Reby Sky. We wrote a story about her two weeks ago reporting her well-documented arrest after she pulled a Bruce Lee on the cops during a routine traffic stop. She wrote us last week to say:
I’m very disappointed in this article, especially being that your website is run by the people of my own Latin community…It’s a shame you can’t find a way to report news about your own Latin community and culture in a compassionate, or at least, decent way.
Then, last year there was the Latina.com reader who no doubt took time off from her busy scrapbooking schedule to tell us she didn’t appreciate some jokes we made about Beyonce wanting to be Latina:
I read your comment on the Beyonce interview with Latina. I am hurt and ashamed you are latins…Bad enough that we have prejudices with Americans and other races, but to have it within our owns - just kills me.
Ironically, Beyonce’s reasoning for wanting to be Latina?
I noticed a big difference between speaking to all of the Latino stations and speaking to the pop stations or the other stations. With the Latino stations, there was so much love and everyone is so genuine.
Love? Yes. Genuine? Not so much. Unfortunately, in a culture that prides itself on being warm, sometimes genuine feelings of disdain can go underground. Leaving authenticity on the back burner. Unless, of course, you’re the much reviled opressor. Then, sarcasm is fine. Albeit, not very funny. (Cough! “Ask A Mexican,” Cough!) Which is why it doesn’t surprise us when the same people who don’t appreciate our humor love his. Like our pal overseas Miguel Diaz who emailed us (a LOT) over the Christmas holidays to say, amongst other things, “Ask-A-Mexican” is the Latino comedy gold-standard and Guanabee is not cutting it:
I just don’t know what to make of you guys. I suppose you guys think you are being funny. But your comments are just not funny and they are attacking people who may agree with your politics but who may be trying to be taken seriously by the writing establishment. Your stuff is nothing like Gustavo Arellano’s work. I mean, it seems like he’s making fun of Mexicans–but in reality–he is taking shots at American culture and racism–and he is funny as hell.
Privately, I’ve often toyed with the theory that Latinos are mostly born without a sense of humor. Miguel’s letter kind of confirms my worst fears. And then of course, there are the commenters who don’t get it either. Most of you do, of course, which is why I have a job. But it never fails to astound me how much of an anomaly we are. Like the time several people sounded off when we poked fun of Vanity Fair’s hysterically WASPY (we’d expect nothing less of VF) Brazil Issue last Summer.
Posted by the raphlexnyc:
Insulting…hasta cierto grado llegando a lo denigrante y vulgar…. el humor ironico y negro realmente no es su fuerte.
Posted by Taty:
Alright, theres (sic) sense of humour and theres been stupid just to try and make someone laugh. Brazilian culture is must bigger then those pictures above, mate seriously have you ever been to Brazil? No doubt, those guns, gays, and many other bad things are true. But try next time to make more bright by showing both sides of the storie, (sic) as a blogy (sic) you no doing so well. We are proud of our country, we have no shame to admit that we have many bad things. unlike alot of Latin people who cant i’ve admit when immigrat (sic) to other countries that they are latinos.
Posted by wtf
ha. so not funny u obviously dunno the brazilian culture
Those Latinos cursed to have a sense of humor about themselves are left feeling like illegal aliens amongst their own people. Fortunately through the magic of the internet, these seemingly outnumbered individuals can find each other. Like when we found New York Daily News journalist Dolores Prida who coined the phrase, “Pero Es Mi Gente Syndrome” last year in regards to the Latino community’s veritable silence over the Alberto Gonzales debacle:
Why have most of the major Latino organizations remained silent about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ woes? They’re suffering from PMGS (Pero es Mi Gente Syndrome)…(But he’s one of us). The Latino equivalent of “I am my brother’s keeper.”
Guanabee was pretty much founded on the notion that this kind of thinking is holding Latinos back. Of course, we won’t deny that if it weren’t for proud Latinos, we wouldn’t have much to write about around here. But are we really doing ourselves any favors when performers like Jennifer Lopez or Carlos Mencia—two people whose most impressive skills are blind ambition and an unfathomable willingness to shill—are two of our most well-known representatives? On the contrary, it’s precisely because Latinos are underrepresented in the media and already approached with prejudice by the group in power that we must work twice as hard to demand the best from the people who represent us to the world at large.
(28) 
Post Your Comment
Did you know you can now share a link, image or video?
Click to submit your own notas.
I agree, we must demand more from those who represent us because of all that rides on them. As such, it’s a sad day when “Ask-A-Mexican” is considered to be the Latino comedy gold-standard.
“It’s a shame you can’t find a way to report news about your own Latin community and culture in a compassionate, or at least, decent way.”
The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard from someone who takes her clothes in order for guys to jack… well you know what I am getting at.That’s rich.
¿Whatever happened to dando carrilla? I also think this attitude (the reader comments in the post)is just another manifestation of the uber liberalfication and over the top political correctness running amuck in this country-saying what you are “supposed” to say says NOTHING about what the people are actually feeling. I think it prevents any real discussion and progress in regards to race relations.Pusssyfooting doesn’t equal progress.
while i’m not a latina from latin america, i’m still a latin. i’m french, italian and algerian, actually. i like to joke that the french and italians are the forgotten latinos. ask any frenchie or italian and they will tell you, “moi, je suis latin!” or “Me, sono latino!”
anyway, being a darkie, since the day i first came to this country, i’ve always been mistaken for a latina. that and also, my best friends are latino, so you know, i was made “honorary” latina by my friends.
but really, what i wanted to say is that you guys ARE funny AND intelligent. whatever Miguel Diaz thinks, he’s just being a reactionary jerk and he’s probably a little dim with a suck ass sense of humor anyway. but it’s all opinion right? and we all know opinions are like a$$holes, everyone’s got one and they stink in general. if you don’t like something, wank off elsewhere, Miguel.
my point is that my friends and i love your blog and laugh our asses off precisely because the humour is intelligent and insightful, as opposed to pandering to class and ethnic divisions that further misconceptions and hate.
so rock on guanabee, rock on.
I love the blog..gets me through the day..and I’m not just saying that to “stroke” the Guanabee ego..lol..stroke. Anyways where else can we poke fun at the things that make our culture awesome and share the things that drive us crazy. Ask a Mexican is the gold standard?
Please feel free to stroke us anytime.
I’m the first person to trash JLo because I think she has no talent - but I also trash Jessica Simpson for the very same reason. For me personally, ethnicity doesn’t have much to do with it. I will not automatically forgive stupid choices just because we share a culture/ethnicity.
Latinos that are in the media represent us, whether we like it or not/admit it or not. We can only hope that they choose to set a good example.
latinos should be held in a more critical light by latinos…Reby sky especially, since she is all airbrushed anyway…
@la cindy
you dont like Jessica Simpson because she clouds your only hope for a superbowl trip in Cowgirl land…
lets not fumble the field goal attempt again Romo…
@ latinogamer: That was me with the Jessica Simpson comment. :) You know, I was at the football game that day and her fake hair could cloud anyone’s vision. But still- I’m cheering for the Cowboys.
Complacency is the sign of losers. If we don’t get rid of it we’ll never have a say in this country’s culture, corporations, media and politics.
Unless, that is, you have a thing for the minimum wage…
@la cindy
no no no, you claim she sucks because of her no talent, even though she does have a boombastic voice, but i do agree her music does suck. What I am arguing, is that you dont like her because she is a bad luck charm….GO GIANTS!
Who else goes to vacation before a BIG PLAYOFF game, he has never even won one
wow! People this is all great stuff.Congrats to you Guanabees for bringing out (or sucking it out of us).there are too many of us to have a right or wrong about the whole latin thing.There is a new film by philip rodriguez that proposes that the latin image is molded for us by madison ave and spoon fed by univision/telemundo/.I support this theory based on my own experience(Colombiano from the bronx)Can we ever b americans who happen to speak spanish?Where are we going with all this?
I would love to produce a guanabee tv program and deal with these issues on a national level!(and get paid boooyyyy)
Where is Luis Valdez to insert a random quote on media and entertainment pushing latin charactatures on latinos and non latinos…not all cubans look like al pacino in a white suit or daddy yankee, pitbull and countless of thers…oh Luis where are thou?
@ latinogamer:
Ok. Let’s try this again… It was me, Latin_Princess, that posted the commnets about Jessica Simpson, not La Cindy.
I do agree with you about Tony Romo. He is yet another Latino (or half) that has made really some poor choices. Who goes on a vacation right before the playoffs??? That was not a smart choice. And just because he and I both have a Mexican grandma does not mean I’ll forgive that bad choice.
@ Diego. Worse, what about el guey de Carlos Mencia?
I believe this train of thought of wanting unidad en la comunidad latina comes from the fact that in reality, in the real world outside and not the media circus we read about and comment on, we don’t have unidad. Here in Oakland, there is still so much separation if you are from the motherland or not, from centro america o sur america. Border Brothers vs. Nortenos vs. Surenos. It may sound cliche but it is still a reality for many.
@ latinogamer. First off kudos for the Luis Valdez name drop. I’m impressed.
If there is any hope, Luis is out there in the fields, where he started agitating and insinuating a sense of righteousness over las piscas. Not that I’m implying that all Mexicans should be in the fields..well, no.. wait. chin! never mind.
Till then, we all remain in a Cafe Au Lait Minstrel Show.
@ latinogamer: Luis’s too busy casting non Mexicans to play Mexicans in his films.
Tony Romo’s name is “Antonio Ramiro Romo”..lol..thanks for outting him.
@Mon: I love the steaks there.
I agree completely. When you don’t have a sense of humor about yourself, then you don’t really have a sense of humor. If your sense of humor about anything even remorely related to Latinos is comprised *solely* of supposedly “pointing out racism” and “poking fun at American culture”, then you are just a bore. Those things can be funny, but if that’s the only permissible context that you have in order to laugh at yourself, then all you are doing is pointing and laughing at other people.
And if your community can’t keep itself in check by pointing out it’s less-than-illustrious members, then it is implicity saying that they are okay with those people’s actions. So, no, Rebecca Reyes, you should not expect the media from your own community to treat you with kid gloves. They should be the first to point out that you were acting irrationally and all crazy-like.
¡He dicho!
@chupa
Pinoy or Guey, big diff…we all come from a Spanish lord y un puta india…..too be honest, pinoys and mexicanos share alot of the same customs and beliefs so dont hate on lou diamond phillips.
@latin_princess
my bad…
to hex the evil of jessica simpson, burn your pink cowgirl stuff, and beat down a guera at your HEB, kiss a moreno or TO and maybe the Giants will suck.
Who has been to Mi Tienda, talk about the pozole, yummy for dayz….
For all the Carlos Mencia lovers….i dont care if claims he is latin and he is only a little, the fact he steals other peoples jokes and claims that is his own by remixing them, should all be lineup and shot. Gabriel Iglesias FTW
Pandering to the lowest common denomniator only disrespects stupid people. Guanabee is keeping it real, welcome to the future ya’ll.
http://www.latinola.com/story.php?story=5000
“we must work twice as hard to demand the best from the people who represent us”
Exactly! Bravo, Guanabee.
To be so cruel and insensitive to ANY human, regardless of their race, is disgusting.
wtf - Spanish lord y una puta india?
Who taught you history?