Gringo En Mexico: The Show That Turned Robert Alexander’s Nerdy Exuberance Into An International Hit

For all the anti-Mexican sentiment we’ve had to endure these past few years, it’s nice to see some Americans really embracing our neighbors to the south like this crazy gringo Robert Alexander who has his own Televisa produced culture magazine show called–what else?–Gringo En Mexico or GEM. The show has been so successful since its premiere last year that it’s now syndicated in forty countries around the world in Europe, Africa and the Americas. The appeal seems to be Alexander, a former soil scientist from San Francisco, and his horrific American accent underscored by an insanely geeky exuberance for Mexican culture.

“I know the words, but I’ll never get the accent,” he says. His vocabulary is sometimes imprecise. When he gets excited, his el’s and la’s (the Spanish articles) go out the window, mixing up his genders. His viewers love it.

It is kind of addictive. Plus, Mexicans say that in this depressing climate of drug wars, illegal immigration crackdowns and rampant kidnappings, he makes them feel good about their country again. Of course, Alexander had help getting his show off the ground from his wife, Mexican TV gossip hostess Veronica Gallardo. But, according to an article in USA Today, in true clueless gringo style, Robert met Gallardo in an art gallery and was oblivious to her celebrity status.

Below, check out video footage from the show. His accent must be heard to be appreciated.

Roving gringo raises spirits around Mexico [USA Today]