In the media today, Latinos are represented more than they ever have. Specifically, television has had a large increase in Latino actors.1 Furthermore, many Latinos now star in or have there own shows. This has had a great impact on the portrayal of Latinos, as more Americans learn more about Latinos and can see the inaccuracies of their stereotypes. Some shows, on the other hand, further perpetuate the stereotypes of Latinos. On TV today, there are three main shows available on basic cable that are based on Latinos: The George Lopez Show, Mind of Mencia, and Ugly Betty. On this page, we will discuss the impact each of these shows have on the portrayals of Latinos.
The George Lopez Show stars George Lopez in a comedy about his family and life. George is a Mexican American, his wife is Cuban American, and they have two children, a son and a daughter. George’s nationality is a central theme to the show, as numerous jokes are about Mexicans and Latinos in general. 22
The George Lopez Show Home Page
In 2000, Lopez was approached by Sandra Bullock to create a show because she was concerned with the lack of Latino oriented sitcoms. ABC then picked up the pilot, most likely because it had received a lot of criticism for the fact that Latinos had little representation on their shows.28 The show turned out to be a hit, and is still on the air today.
Aside from the woman who plays George’s daughter on the show, the entire cast on The George Lopez Show is Latino. The George Lopez Show overall has a positive portrayal of Latinos. George is the manager at an L.A. airline parts factory, which helps to refute the common stereotype in TV of Latinos as cleaners and other blue collar jobs. Also, the Lopez family is a very loving one at that, with both parents very devoted to their children, and the issues they face are ones that any family of any race will go through.22 However, I think the George Lopez Show has a negative impact given that pretty much everyone George interacts with is Latino. It sends a message that Latinos are only trying to interact solely one another instead of other races. Another issue that the show was criticized for is that it doesn’t truly represent that Latino community, as it is mostly Mexicans in the show.2
Overall, the George Lopez Show is positive representation of Latinos and it gives those who haven’t had a great amount of interaction with Latinos a chance to learn more about them.
Mind of Mencia is a sketch comedy hosted by Carlos Mencia on Comedy Central. The show is a blend of pre-filmed skits, while the other part is of Mencia’s stand up. The show is typically centralized on different nationalities and their accompanying stereotypes. All though some has helped to refute the stereotypes, for the most part he is just adding to them. For example, he commonly refers to Mexicans as “beaners” and “wetbacks”. The show has found a great deal of success; however, it seems as if it is just adding to unfair stereotypes. For example, one sketch is titled “The Stereotype Olympics”. In this sketch, different races square off in decathlon like events. However, along with ice skating, there is an event where contestants throw rocks at military vehicles, which the announcer claims that the Arab contestant will surely run away with. Each event focuses on a certain contestant’s stereotype, and even though that contestant didn’t necessarily win, it still perpetuated a stereotype for each of the cultures.23 Although the show is quite funny, it really only adds to negative stereotypes of Latinos, and every other culture for that matter.
Ugly Betty is a comedy-drama about a young Latina who works for a fashion magazine in New York City. She is an awkward woman who wears thick glasses and has braces, which has resulted in her nickname of Ugly Betty. This show has helped to paint a positive portrayal of Latinos, as Betty has become very successful in the company. It also helps because it shows some of the issues that Latinos face that have not gotten enough attention in politics. Throughout the series, Betty has had to help her illegal immigrant father obtain a visa, however, they are having a very difficult time in doing so.7 In fact, California Congresswoman Hilda Solis honored America Ferrera for bringing a positive profile to Latino communities.6
