Your one-stop shop for all things Latin/Hispanic/Mexican
Worry no more. Thanks to Almighty Amazon.com, you can now get a head start on your English learning by getting help from where it really matters (i.e. from the Big Guy Himself.)
Plus, it’s only about $9 for the Kindle or paperback edition, so how can you go wrong?
Who wouldn’t want a little help from above?
Hat tip: @blabbeando
This happened.
On the heels of Coca-Cola pulling its controversial ad featuring a group of white Mexican kids bringing hope — and sugary drinks — to an indigenous community in Oaxaca, a group of mixe indians from the town of Totontepec came on to share their own message.
Using the same footage of the now infamous Coca-Cola spot, the mixes take the stage to share stories about their community’s lack of water and an alarming increase in diabetes levels, brought about by — what else? — sugary drinks like Coca-Cola. Among other things, their message (in mixe language featuring Spanish subtitles) includes the following statement by one local student:
“Fifty years ago, cases of diabetes type 2 in our indian communities were rare; now they begin to be an epidemic. In order to remain united, we must preserve our dignity, our health and our culture. In Oaxaca, we drink tejare, tea and clean water.”
News of the spot was first reported by SinEmbargo.com.mx in Mexico. Here’s the video, in mixe language with subtitles in Spanish. Stay tuned as I will be translating the whole message very soon. I just need to get this out for the sake of giving the mixes the space they deserve.
Eva Longoria (aka La Prieta Faya and this blogger’s favorite retroacculturated Latina) is like super excited, because NBC on Monday Dec. 7 will premiere Telenovela, a 13-episode comedy that promises a lot of drama along with “passion, betrayal and raw sexuality.”
As this blog reported earlier, the show tells the story of a telenovela star who doesn’t speak Spanish, which is just perfect, since we all know Ms. Longoria is not particularly fluent in the language of Cervantes.
I will watch at least the first episode of this thing (for research purposes, you know?). But I still think it’s a pity NBC didn’t cast Erick Estrada as her co-star in Telenovela. After all Mr. Estrada is the only actual telenovela actor who was able to get away with making an entire telenovela despite his very poor command of Spanish.
See? This is what NBC viewers will be missing.
Remember this blog’s posting from Nov. 26, 2015?
Not many people paid attention then, I know. It kind of went unnoticed for a while, as I suspect a lot of you, people, were busy eating turkey or crushing fellow shoppers to get a discounted OLED TV or whatever it is you do on Thanksgiving Weekend.
Fortunately, a few independent blogs, including my compadres at Latino Rebels and other high-profile writers did pay attention and the brouhaha finally blew up con Coca-Cola’s face right around Tuesday Dec. 1, 2015. This was the day when the soft drinks giant decided to pull its ad from YouTube — or more accurately decided to “make it private,” so that neither you or me would have to see that horror again.
Here are only a few of the articles posted by mainstream media on the issue –in chronological order:
See? I knew I was not crazy (or at least I’m not THAT crazy.) This sh•t was so out of whack that it needed to be stopped — or at least made it private, so Coca-Cola and its Mexican agency, can go on and pursue their creative advertising prizes or whatever it is they do.
Just, please, leave the Mixe community alone, will you?
I wish you didn’t have to see this again, but in case you missed it, this blogger’s friends at Latino Rebels have you covered
This is wrong in so many levels, that I’m just going to leave it here.
I am speechless. I am without speech.
WATCH. CRINGE. DON’T REPEAT
I might be Mexican, but when I think of the magical kingdom of Disneyland, the last thing that comes to mind is a “street style” elote con chile *and* a colorful piñata/sarape background.
How’s that for cultural appropriation?
Do you hate El Trumpo but are not into whacking an actual piñata?
Worry no more. Two young developers have created a free app for iOS and Android that envisions Donald Trump as a piñata you can whack to produce candy.
According to this blog, the game allows you to collect coins, candy and unlockable piñata accessories and costumes. But no, it’s not just some money-making thing (yet,) but part of one of the developer’s USC Master’s Thesis.
I don’t know about you, but I’m on my way to download this thing. However, I MUST WARN YOU: I am seriously convinced that a Donald Trump piñata (digital or otherwise) cannot be full of candy; but just full of sh*t.
Hat tip: Honorary-Latin-by-marriage-white-girl Miblogestublog correspondent
What’s better than regular Mickey Mouse?
A mustachioed, Spanish-speaking Mickey Mouse, of course!
According to Indiewire, the Disney Channel will debut a new episode of its Mickey Mouse shorts called ¡Feliz Cumpleaños! in honor of Mickey’s birthday on Wednesday, November 18. Entirely in Spanish, the episode features Danny Trejo (yassss!) as “a Piñata Boss who, along with his piñata crew, is determined to ruin Mickey’s birthday party.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely watching this thing. I mean… how often do you get to see papel picado in a Disney production and Goofy wearing a mariachi hat singing Las mañanitas?
WATCH:
Hat tip: Bridget Carey
Unlike many of my Latino peers, I decided to break my Very Exciting Saturday Night Plans (I had none, actually) to watch NBC’s Saturday Night Live, an appearance that enraged — and divided — Latinos, many of whom even took to the streets in protest and all.
Oh, the disappointment!
While I didn’t expect to laugh (SNL’s comedy has not been funny for quite some time now,) I was at least hoping to see some sensical comedy applied to the already-comedic-person that Donald Trump is. Alas, there was none of that. Instead, SNL “writers” threw in a few “jokes” about Mexico, with Enrique Peña Nieto bringing Trump a check to build a border wall (zzzzz) and something about ISIS former members now working for Trump Hotels.
Oh, and what’s with suggesting that the President of Mexico would have anything to do with Telemundo changing its programming to all English?
This thing was all over the place and not funny at all. I want my Saturday back.
La aparición de “Enrique” el presidente de #México en un sketch de Donald Trump en SNL. #EPN #DonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/1KRToAsWcf
— Dary Mantecón (@dary83) noviembre 8, 2015
As if I didn’t know where the space agency’s shuttle crews get their inspiration for such colorful suits…
From here:
Photo composition: Laura Martinez (All rights reserved) LOL
Poor James Ramsey.
The President of the University of Louisville was having a lot of fun wearing a sombrero and shaking a pair of maracas, but then he was scolded for his “cultural insensitivity” and was forced to apologize to a bunch of Hispanics.
According to The Associated Press:
The University of Louisville apologized to the school’s entire Hispanic community Thursday after a photo surfaced showing President James Ramsey among a group of staffers at a Halloween party dressed in matching stereotypical Mexican costumes.
I will never understand why these people should apologize to anybody or why Hispanics (and other non-Mexicans) should be appalled and/or offended over these incidents.
Personally, I feel terrible for these fellows. I mean, how else are you going to have fun when you live in Kentucky?
Give them a break!
Hat tip: Begoña Lozano
Somehow the people over at Spirit Halloween think that wearing the Mexican flag or wrapping it around your body is a good Halloween costume idea.
They are wrong.
In fact, you should know that famous Mexican people do that on a regular basis, even if it annoys the hell out of our president and — more importantly — our Director of Democratic Culture and Civic Promotion.
So now you know. Why wait for Halloween when you can be like our celebs and just wrap yourself in the Mexican flag just because?
Blogger’s Note: For other wonderful examples of “ethnic-relevant costumes,” click here, here or here.
In an unusual (mostly bizarre) new marketing effort, Procter & Gamble has partnered with the National Council of La Raza “to celebrate the contributions of Latinos and fight stereotypes.”
And how do you fight stereotypes? Easy! Just follow these simple steps:
Voilá!… adiós mojados, wetbacks, beaners and balseros!
WATCH. CRINGE. DO NOT REPEAT.
Go figure.
After all these years living in regular New York (i.e. Manhattan, what else?) I just learned there is a town called Mexico, located in the northeast part of Oswego County, New York.
According to the always-reliable Wikipedia, the Town of Mexico has a population of 5,197 and contains a village also named Mexico. What’s more, there’s a Mexico High School (once called Mexico Academy,) a Mexico Middle School and even a Mexico Elementary School.
This fact opens up amazing opportunities for this blogger, who can no longer afford to live in regular New York and misses the thrills of living in a place called Mexicou. After all, Mexico, NY officials claim, this town is “A great place to live, work and play.”
That might be so, but before making such a radical move, this blogger will be embarking on a serious investigation of Mexico’s taco-situation, which will ultimately make or break the deal.
Stay tuned.
