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Latinx Pop Culture
Latinas and Latinos on TV: Colorblind Comedy in the Post-racial Network Era
Since ABC’s George Lopez Show left the airwaves in 2007 as the only network television show to feature a Latino lead, the representational landscape of Latina and Latino actors has shifted from media invisibility toward an era of increasing inclusion.
Sofia Vergara became the highest paid woman and Latina on TV for her starring role on Modern Family . In the first successful dramedy starring a Latina since ABC’s Ugly Bet ty, Gina Rodriguez gained critical acclaim for her role on the CW’s Jane the Virgin . And the first Latina leading lady of TV, America Ferrera ( Ugly Betty ), returned to TV stardom in NBC’s Superstore .
This period of diversity brought U.S. Latina and Latino lives to the screen, yet a careful look at TV comedic content and production reveals a more troubling terrain for Latinas/os producers, writers, actors, and audiences.
Interweaving discussions about the ethnic, racial, and linguistic representations of Latinas/os within network television comedies, Isabel Molina-Guzmán probes published interviews with producers and textual examples from hit programs like Modern Family , The Office , and Scrubs to understand how these primetime sitcoms communicate difference in the United States.
Understanding the complex ways that audiences interpret these programs, Molina-Guzmán situates her analysis within the Obama era, a period when ethnicity and race became increasingly grounded in “hipster racism,” and argues that despite increased inclusion, the feel-good imperative of TV comedies still inevitably leaves racism, sexism, and homophobia uncontested.
Sofia Vergara became the highest paid woman and Latina on TV for her starring role on Modern Family . In the first successful dramedy starring a Latina since ABC’s Ugly Bet ty, Gina Rodriguez gained critical acclaim for her role on the CW’s Jane the Virgin . And the first Latina leading lady of TV, America Ferrera ( Ugly Betty ), returned to TV stardom in NBC’s Superstore .
This period of diversity brought U.S. Latina and Latino lives to the screen, yet a careful look at TV comedic content and production reveals a more troubling terrain for Latinas/os producers, writers, actors, and audiences.
Interweaving discussions about the ethnic, racial, and linguistic representations of Latinas/os within network television comedies, Isabel Molina-Guzmán probes published interviews with producers and textual examples from hit programs like Modern Family , The Office , and Scrubs to understand how these primetime sitcoms communicate difference in the United States.
Understanding the complex ways that audiences interpret these programs, Molina-Guzmán situates her analysis within the Obama era, a period when ethnicity and race became increasingly grounded in “hipster racism,” and argues that despite increased inclusion, the feel-good imperative of TV comedies still inevitably leaves racism, sexism, and homophobia uncontested.
- GenresNonfictionLatinx
152 pages, Paperback
Published March 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 5, 2020
Molina-Guzman's treatise on Latina/o representation in American comedy TV shows is quite the eye-opening read. I feel that I learned a lot about Latin representation on television specifically, and minority representation in general. Although Molina-Guzman mentioned other racial and ethnic group's history of on-TV representation, the focus was primarily on Latin actors.
Using a few case studies of Oscar from The Office, Gloria from Modern Family, and Carla from Scrubs, Molina-Guzman shows how comedy has evolved over the last twenty years to incorporate Latina/o faces while also avoiding the lived experiences of Latino/as in America. This she calls colorblind television. Some shows actually do give insights into those experiences, like the Carla character from Scrubs, but most do not. In its worse form, they use the colorblind aesthetic to actually bolster stereotypes. The most common middle ground is where the Latina/o character could have been interchanged with any other race or ethnicity without making a significant difference to the story.
This is certainly academic writing, and the author repeats herself a bit too much, but the knowledge I've gained is invaluable. Clear and understandable. 5/5.
Using a few case studies of Oscar from The Office, Gloria from Modern Family, and Carla from Scrubs, Molina-Guzman shows how comedy has evolved over the last twenty years to incorporate Latina/o faces while also avoiding the lived experiences of Latino/as in America. This she calls colorblind television. Some shows actually do give insights into those experiences, like the Carla character from Scrubs, but most do not. In its worse form, they use the colorblind aesthetic to actually bolster stereotypes. The most common middle ground is where the Latina/o character could have been interchanged with any other race or ethnicity without making a significant difference to the story.
This is certainly academic writing, and the author repeats herself a bit too much, but the knowledge I've gained is invaluable. Clear and understandable. 5/5.
Displaying 1 of 1 review