Are All Latinos Happy that George Lopez is the New Latino Poster Boy?
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By Ricardo González.
Are all Latinos happy that George Lopez has become somewhat of our Latino poster boy? Granted, he came out of poor and rough means and I understand that, I really do. I also respect that he has been able to overcome his upbringing and succeed in this great country. I also come from a very poor family with a Puerto Rican father who finished eighth grade, but no more, and an orphaned mother from Kentucky. I understand poverty and I also understand how a family leaves it behind with dignity. The last two times I have listened to George Lopez he has been both vulgar and anti-white. It makes me wonder how much hatred he still harbors. Either that or he doesn’t harbor hatred but is catering to an audience that does. I have never heard my father be vulgar in public, much less be anti-white. Never. Did you see Lopez’s recent HBO special?
Last night I turned on TBS to check out his new show and the first thing I saw were two contestants trying to guess things about people on the street. One of the people on the street was a man and the question was about whether the man had a large or small penis. I changed the channel in disgust. I do not want to come off as a “holier than thou” because that is not my attitude at all. This is just me asking the question whether or not this is the “Latino” image we want to be portrayed to the entire country? Seriously, is this the picture we want of Latinos? Did I close my eyes and open them in a Latino world that I don’t know? Are we a base, vulgar people? Is that what defines us?
It certainly doesn’t represent what a lot of us are about and I, for one, wish López would go back to being funny without being vulgar and base. I used to enjoy the George Lopez Show very much and it was my father’s favorite all-time show. I wish we had a few famous Latino comedians who actually could be funny without being vulgar or feel the need to put down white people so frequently. To me this is counter-productive as hate only produces more hate. Think Bill Cosby. By all accounts he is one of the funniest (maybe the funniest) comedians in history. He was clean. He also made you think about society and culture. He also did more with The Cosby Show to elevate African-Americans in the eyes of the world (and perhaps in their own eyes?) than any other comedian in history. He also opened the path for black comedians in mainstream society.
Are there any other Latino comedians out there who will stand up and be funny without the vulgarity or the constant put downs of other races? Yes, Caucasians are a race also. By the way, here’s the business application. Be careful about your “Latino” spokespeople. Make sure they truly do represent your values and the mission of your organization. Remember that “Latinos” are not one big group of people who all hold the same values in life. Find spokespeople who truly represent what you and your organization are all about. If you don’t, it won’t be funny.
Ricardo González is the Founder and Executive Director of Bilingual America, a nationally recognized language and cultural management training institute.
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It’s unfortunate that most of minority comedians nowadays could not follow Bill Cosby’’s footsteps (which I doubt they ever will), to make us laugh without spewing racial filth and cursing to extract cheap laughs. It is just as unfortunate if not surprising that our current society thinks it’s acceptable…
Hmmm It is definitely a wake up call but I’m still wondering what it will take to reverse such behaviors???!!!
Does anybody remember Red Skelton, he could make people laugh without uttering a sound. I saw a video of him doing a silent mime act with just a feather and he had me laughing so hard I was crying. He wasn’t vulgar and I never heard him put anyone down. That reallly takes talent.
When any comedian slams the “whites” he offends more people than he realizes. Some of his audience is of mixed heritage…latin and american a.k.a. brown and white. My grandchildren have a Puerto Rican father and a white Mother. So jokes against whites offends half of them! They are very young and I hope by the time they watch adult t.v. entertainers realize the mixed heritage of their audience. I learned along time when you talk bad about a parents child you are talking bad about the child…the parents are part of them.
I really liked George Lopes’ early humor when he was able to laugh at himself and his early life experiences. When we make fun of ourselves others can enjoy with us. However, his recent nastiness is not able to be enjoyed by all, and thereby it becomes devisive and insulting! Wake up George! Laughter still is the best medicine. …Make us laugh again….
he is hilarious. his stuff is true. and you spelled lopez wrong HAHAHA
I’m from California and I agree. Not all Latinos here are happy with George’s new degrading style of humor. I appreciate the author of this article being willing to make us think since we probably don’t even realize how much influence a guy like Lopez really has. Here’s one Chicano who also hopes that some good Latino comedians will be found who can make us ALL proud!
I have yet to see the show. I love the family of Lopez show. I think the times in that show where he made remarks about white people it was more of the “white” attitude toward life than anything else. Like, some whites have the “privilege” of not knowing anything much about the choices minority families without money have to make and the contrast CAN be funny at times. but the vulgar thing, si, there is too much of that, not enough of the other.
I NEVER experienced racism, growing up in (west of the I5) San Diego, until I went to school and became involved with organizations “east of the 805″ (referring to the eastern counties). I currently live in central Virginia, and the experience I had “east of the 805″ has quantified by an innumerable factor. Before being exposed to these know-nothing attitudes, I would have thought of George Lopez as a simpleton. Now, although I agree with the author’s sentiments, I cannot help but sympathize with G. Lopez’s comedy. In a way it is refreshing because it exposes the true sentiment behind these discriminatory attitudes.
Sadly, but true, during this last decade we have seen the worst of Nativist sentiment having a voice, a megaphone, in the media. This has only served to separate and alienate American from American, because at the end of the day that’s what we should be. A nation of Americans, not whites and hispanics and blacks and asians and so on… This division goes against the very notion of nationalism and perpetuates cultural, ethnic, and racial enclaves that divide our nation. Either we are all Americans (and just Americans), or we are not. There cannot be both. Diversity should not equal division, it should lead to unity through respect, mutual appreciation, and brotherly love. Of course, this is utopia and reality is quite different.
One of the best comments I’ve read here.
You messed up he’s not a poster boy more like a poser! ha! I’d like to follow in true Obama form and give a shout out to our compadre Gringo.
Not this Latino…how about a Latino/a that can be taken a little more seriously…just no attorneys or academics please.
more of the anti -intellectualism
Take a look at Gabriel Iglesias ( http://www.fluffyguy.com ) He’s not vulgar and his stand-up comedy is delivered in a story-telling fashion that is reminiscent of Bill Cosby. A very funny Latino comedian that embraces his culture without offending the masses. By the way he currently has the number one selling stand-up comedy DVD on Amazon.
He’s not funny. He’s nothing more than a racist without an ounce of intelligence. He plays the brown card and thinks it’s ok for him to say whatever he wants.
I used to like The George Lopez Show.
But then I saw a clip of one of his Stand-Up and I thought he was a bit over the top with the obscenities and racist comments.
I’m Spanish and I totally agree…racists comments from any ethnicity is still ugly. GeLo isn’t doing us any favors.
I dont like the things he says sometimes about us repbs or others but he did confront certain sterotypes of latinos by white people….. and I think our poster person should be up and coming comedian anjelah johnson christian values she does not cuss and she is latina who has worked hard and is grounded
blaHH…
He is not funny. He obviously has a lot of hate that he is trying to get out at the expense of any thing or one that he cannot understand. It is easier than finding fault with himself.This guy is Hitler in the makings. His humor is pathetic and laughable. If he was not George Lopez and he was watching the Lopez Show; I’m sure he would conclude this guy is a moron. George, grow up your not a 10 year-old giving a performance to your parent’s friends at your house. —Find a shrink before it’s too late……..
TYPICAL RIGHT WING HYPERBOLE -
“This guy is Hitler in the makings”
You must have no sense of comparison, Sir.
[...] It certainly doesn’t represent what a lot of us are about and I, for one, wish López would go back to being funny without being vulgar and base. I used to enjoy the George Lopez Show very much and it was my father’s favorite all-time …Read More… [...]
I completly agree with the author, also Glopez was funny when he was a Dad on TV. and I’m tired of this Label of so called “Brown” I moved to LA about 7 years ago from Miami where being Latin is a culture not a race and I dislike the term “brown” growing up in Miami We call ourselves hispanics or Latin even when We fill up paper work there is not a category for “Brown” and “White” people are Anglos if they are of english descent. I just think We should use the term Hispanic. This “Brown” nonsense has to really stop, color in this country equals race since when?? Please Glopez stop degradeding eveyone who speaks spanish and putting all of us in this “Brown Bag” and making us look like narrow minded one race of people.
Hear ye! Hear ye!
First of, I just want everyone to back of a little because I love G. Lopez. I think that everyone is being way to over critical of him. Nobody has made him the poster child of Latinos-if he has come off as that – is because Latinos have embraced him as a succesful Latino. We are not used to seing popular figures that come from Latino backgrounds into main-stream the way he has. I give him so much credit because of all the trials and tribulations he has overcome. Latinos and you people should worry about going to school, graduating and being more united. You guys worry about things that are superfluous, and not the relevant things. That’s the problem with Latinos is that you are never proud of someone that is Latino-that’s made in. Instead, you finds ways in the contrary to judge him like this topic and all of its ignorant commentators.
I will say that he is over the top on some of his comedy especially towards other ethnic groups. One has to remember that this is comedy and many other comedians have and are doing it-that are not Latino. This is a double standard that you guys are all pegging George with-you guys should be proud that he represents Latinos in a manner that most of you can’t see and understand.
Dude… i stoped when i saw 8th grade… most real mexican people like my family maybe went to 2 years of school overall.
“real mexican people” Explain.