Forget about Mattel’s. This is the Real Barbie Mexicana

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Mexican native Omar Ariel Cortés has created a Facebook page showcasing a world in which Mattel’s famous Barbie doll leaves her magical world to join a more sinister one: the world of drug dealing, breast cancer, single motherhood, prostitution and migration, mostly from a Mexican perspective.

I do not know this guy, but I think some of these images are quite powerful. Besides, they are much more real than Mattel’s now infamous Mexican Barbie.

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All images taken from Omar’s Facebook page.

 

I Don’t Know You, but I’ll be Watching #SOTUS with an Accent

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It took me forever to admit this. But I am a sucker for Latinos speaking with an accent. So instead of going for some serious journalistic outlet or other kind of Pulitzer-prize-winning publication, I am going to be watching #SOTUS with the adorably accented Jorge Ramos and occasionally switching to an irreverent Talking Hot Dog (who is now sort of my Twitter buddy.)

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Oh, and did I mention I am NOT a so-called #millennial?

Frito Lay Thinks Pico de Gallo Flavored Chips are a Good Idea

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I kind of like it when gringos go out of their way and tweak their menus and snacks to cater to “a more diverse America.”

Thanks to their relentless search for multicultural tasty perfection, we now have the Dunkin Donuts’ culturally-relevant Cuban sandwich, 7-Eleven’s Latin-inspired food and the millennial-targeted Doritos Dinamita to name only a few.

And now a new contender has arrived: Frito Lay’s Pico de Gallo flavored chips, which I’m sure will help the m lure the taste buds of my people (i.e. The Mexicans).

But if you are in the restaurant business, don’t think these papitas will help you lure more Hispanics to your establishment… This will, though. Enjoy the windfall.

Thank you @minsd for the tip.

These Guys are not Screwed, They are Screwed Up

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I don’t really know what’s worse: If watching a video of Tim Donnelly pledging to put a goddam gun in every goddam American home, or witnessing the pathetic, supposedly funny translation by María Conchita Alonso while clutching a pet named Tequila and informing us about the large size of Donnelly’s balls.

I am also not sure how I managed to make it to the following 3 minutes below, but I did. Sadly.

In any case, I felt I had to say sorry to my Californian friends. This blogger will be praying for you.

Insight: How to Attract more Hispanics to your Restaurant

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I just love it when business writers and business journals on the business of writing meaningless business pieces give business owners advice on how to attract more Hispanic customers to their, ahem, businesses.

Take the Orlando Business Journal, whose appropriately-named Latino spin-off (Latino Business Journal) recently walked us through 4 tips to get more Hispanics into your restaurant.

Among the earth shattering insights shared by presumably non-Hispanic writer Hernan Tagliani:

Make it a pleasant, relatable experience. […] Fresh, healthy ingredients, along with quality and service are very important factors.

Because, as everybody knows, non-Hispanics love to dine out in unpleasant, un-relatable places, where they can stuff themselves with canned foods and unhealthy ingredients.

Thank you, Orlando Business Journal, for the insight!

Latinos on Fox News Latino Declare 2014 ‘The Year of the Latino’ -For Some Reason

René Alegría, founder of Mamiverse.
René Alegría, founder of Mamiverse.

Sometimes I wish I had less time on my hands to actually go over all the Latino-related stuff that lands daily in my Inbox.

But just in case you were wondering what’s new in the senseless fascinating world of Latino media and Latino things about Latinos on Latino media©, check out this video on Fox News Latino, where René Alegría (a Latino, mind you) declares 2014 ‘The Year Of The Latino,’ with all its capital letters and all, while chatting away with other Latinos as they deliver “Empowering Transformational Entertainment”.

Appropriately, my Book Is Featured on Cheesy ‘Latin’ Video

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I don’t mean to brag, but you know? I wrote a book. Yes, a physical thing made of paper and ink, which was actually sold in Amazon.com and all, making it –at some point– to the New York Times list of The 500 Books You Will be Well Advised to Ignore (i.e. Not Buy.)

Anyhow, I did not make a penny out of the thing, but I had tons of fun co-writing it with the insanely funny Alexis Munier, an American nutcase imported from Switzerland, who came knocking on my Inbox many moons ago.

But I digress. It is with great delight [and thanks to the watchful eye of Diego Olivé] that I’m happy to see my opera prima reaching YouTube-celebrity status as important footage in this Lorrie Morgan & Sammy Kershaw rendition of He Drinks Tequila.

Here is Talk Dirty: Spanish, in all its literary glory.

This. Blogger. Can. Now. Die. In. Peace.

Bimbo’s ‘Negrito’ Goes Rasta with ‘Negrito Raztachoc’

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If you thought Bimbo’s decision to drop the name ‘Negrito’ from one of its decades-old brands was final, think again.

A “correspondent” of this blog in Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo has spotted this treasure, now in vanilla flavor.

(And no, it’s not old: This Raztachoc is good through May 7, 2014)

Click here to see Bimbo’s negrito “evolution” through the years.

Photo: Begoña Lozano