Netflix Adds Univision, and that Means One thing…

…. Soraya is BAAAAAAAACK!

lisiada

Per a Univision press release:

Netflix will now offer many hours of some of the most beloved and highly-rated shows from the Univision classics such as Teresa, Maria la del Barrio, Lo Que La Vida Me Robó, Por Ella Soy Eva, La Viuda Negra and Rosa de Guadalupe. The lineup also features some of the Top 20 novelas of all time including La Fea Mas Bella, Cuidado con el Angel and Rubi.

Yeah.. I know what you’re thinking

No, Google, Kermit the Frog is not ‘Kermit la Rana’ in Spanish

OK, Google. Let's try this again
OK, Google. Let’s try this again

Kermit the Frog, the friendly frog that became so famous in TV shows such as The Muppets and Sesame Street is actually called “René” in Mexico and “Gustavo” in Spain. But I guess that’s just too much for an automated voice-recognition, translation program.

During a brief demonstration today of its voice search app, Google’s Senior Vicepresident Sundar Pachai, reached for his smartphone to ask Google — using his voice — on Google’s search app — “How do you say Kermit the Frog in Spanish?.

Google’s response “Kermit la Rana.”

Wait. What?!

As anybody who was not born in the United States, Kermit came to be known as René in Mexico and pretty much all Latin America, and Gustavo in Spain. And as far as this blogger can tell you, nobody in the Spanish-speaking world knows him (or her?) as Kermit.

Yet, I’ve found video footage of the poor thing (René/Hermit/Gustavo) trying to explain his identity problem.

WATCH

via: CNET en Español

Aspiring Mexican Mayor Uses Batmobile to Campaign Around

¡Santas elecciones, Batman!
¡Santas elecciones, Batman!

Awwww, Mexico…

The land of the collective smooch, the coold cocnuts and the 1-million-dollar birthday parties is also the World’s Headquarters of innovative political initiatives.

Take Valentín González, aspiring Mayor of Netzahualcóyotl, who decided it was an awesome idea to drive around the impoverished municipality in his own Batmobile. Why? Simple, because it is the only way to fight crime and stuff so he can get elected and all that.

Per the campaign itself:

“The campaign will be accompanied by our emblem, which we decided to be a Batmobile, simply because in order to reach the Mayor’s Office we’ll have to fight criminals who for a long time have disturbed the peace of our citizens.”

¡Santas elecciones, Valentín!

BatiValentin2

Via: SDPNoticias

What do Jorge Ramos and John Oliver Have in Common? U.S. Machines Don’t Understand their Accent

Screen Shot 2015-05-14 at 12.03.41 PMDuring a brief trip to New York for Upfronts Week, Univision host Jorge Ramos took some time to interview John Oliver.

They touched on many serious — and not so serious — topics, including Oliver’s memorable interview with Edward Snowden, which led to the following exchange:

Jorge Ramos: Why do you think [Snowden] picked you, and not a respected journalist?

John Oliver: [LAUGHTER] I’m not a respected journalist, because I’m not a journalist, I’m a comedian!

Yet, my favorite part has to be when the pair set out to discuss the subject of electronic imperialism and how bloody frustrating it is when when automatic operators simply cannot understand us, the Mexicans and the British.

See? That’s why the only electronic exchanges I can take are those involving super smart, Spanish-speaking ones that are even willing to sing La Cucaracha.

(Watch the full clip below.)

Via: Fusion

Donald Trump Will Build Wall on U.S.-Mexico Border with all the Money Mexicans Took from Him -Or Something

ttrumpMexico

Donald Trump’s latest Mexico rant is too stupid funny to be ignored.

“Mexico will not be taking advantage of us. They will not be having open borders. And the greatest builder is me. And I would build the greatest all you have ever seen. The greatest. And just to finish, you know who’s going to pay for the wall? Mexico. With all the money that they have taken from us.”

Via: Daily Mail

New .LAT Domain Will Instill ‘Latin Identity’ to Your Website

Soy Latino punto Soy punto LAT... what?
Soy Latino punto Soy punto LAT… what?

Remember .SOY?

Google’s Latino-specific domain, crafted specifically with us — “The Latin people” — in mind will soon have (Latin) company.

The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) has partnered with eCOM-LAC to launch yet another Latino-specific domain: .LAT, which according to its creators, is going to instill LATIN IDENTITY (yes, with bold and capital letters) to your Latino website targeting Latino people in this Latino world.

Keep in mind, though, that you must be a pretty wealthy LATINO, since the initial registration fee for a .LAT domain starts in “only” $75,000.

¡Ay caramba!

Hat tip: @Don_Marquito

 

 

 

Venezuelan TV Host Gets Naked Delivering News about Cristiano Ronaldo, because Latin America

Some people really have an on camera talent
Some people really have an on camera talent

I couldn’t make this stuff up if I wanted.

Venezuelan TV host Yuvi Pallares thought it was an awesome idea to get naked as she reported the news about Cristiano Ronaldo dating Playboy model Daniella Chávez.

Don’t be too shock, though. The stunt is fairly common — and pretty much the Raison d’être of Desnundando la Noticia, a Venezuelan “nude-delivering news service.”

NOTE: I’m filing this under Latin American TV journalism and saving my sarcastic remarks for later. (See? I’m busy NOT being that kind of reporter right now).

Just WATCH. Cringe. Repeat (or not.)

Via: Desnudando la noticia

Cinco de Mayo: America’s Stupidest Holiday Is Almost Here!

Americans: How can anyone not like them?
Americans: How can anyone not like them?

Awwww, Cinco de Mayo.

No matter how many bizarre holidays Americans come up with, Cinco de Mayo will forever be my favorite one. And not only because it’s an excuse to drink all day and yell ¡Viva México! while thinking it’s our celebration of Independence (it’s not.) But it is also the time of year that brings out the stupidest most creative marketing brains to sell Americans everything, from DIY printable fiesta kits and taquito shooters (whatever that is,) to senseless drink mixes, “ethnic food” and even life-size cardboard Mexicans as scene setters.

This time around, though, in honor of that amazing marketing took known as Twitter, I’ve put together a few tweets making their way to my timeline.

NOTE: We’re still a full week away from the actual fiesta and this list will be updated in the following days, but let’s get to it right away, shall we? 

1. This mariachi-themed pitch from BelVita

2. How about some taquito shooters?

3. Old El Paso’s Suspicious-Looking ‘Tacos’

4. Go ahead, print your own fiesta kit

The craziness is such, that even Whole Foods London is jumping on the Cinco de Mayo wagon:

5. Wait, what? Whole Foods London?

6. Or… Sombrero Cinco de Mayo Cookies

7. José Olé Cinco Savings Coming Soon

8. Taco Bell, of course

Last but not least, the King of Ruining Mexican Food, Taco Bell, has already announced plans to introduce a new hot sauce on Cinco de Mayo called Diablo. The sauce, says Taco Bell, will only be available for a limited time and it’s made with a variety of peppers, including ají panca, chipotle and chili. Here it is, in all its GIF glory.

 

I don’t know about you, but at this point in my life, the only Cinco de Mayo thing worth watching is this one.

 

Ayotzinapa in New York III: Dozens Became Hundreds

Tiny boy has huge demand
Tiny boy has huge demand

April 26 marked the seventh month since the disappearance of 43 students in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, Mexico. And while the Mexican government has declared the investigation as “case closed,” Mexicans around the world continue to demand one thing: Vivos se los llevaron, vivos los queremos (They were taken alive; we want them back alive.)

Mexicans and non-Mexicans in New York gathered today to pay homage to the 43, and we were lucky enough to be joined by six of the many parents who were left childless from this state-sanctioned murder.

I was there Sunday as people gathered in New York City’s iconic Washington Square Park before walking all the way up to the U.N. Building. I’ve been to all the Ayotzinapa events before in the city and this was — by far — the one that attracted the most people (around 500 by police estimates.)

I took some photos and wanted to share with y’all here:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Armed with a Good Pair of ‘Cojones,’ Jorge Ramos Asks Enrique Peña Nieto to Resign

RRamos

I know this video has been going around for several days now, and that many of you have already seen it, tweeted it, instagramed it, facebooked it, etc.

Still, this blog had to make sure this footage also lives here, not only for ‘posterity’ but as a daily reminder of what should be the duty of many of us: Make corrupt politicians accountable for their [disgusting] actions or, as Jorge Ramos contends, demand their resignation when necessary, which – of course – applies to this case. Absolutely.

At some point during this five-minute or so speech at a TIME Magazine gala honoring the Univision anchor he says:

In any other country, with a little bit of rule of law, the president would have been forced to resign. Guess what?

Wanna know “guess what?”….

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE ENTIRE VIDEO … I promise you, its almost as interesting as watching Jorge Ramos in Tanga.

Leave your comments below.

What’s this Blogger Supposed to Do without Don Francisco?

October, 2012. Queens, New York
October, 2012. Queens, New York

What???!!!

After 53 years on the air, Univision today confirmed that Sábado Gigante, that weekly extravaganza featuring humor, music, contests and many, many scantily-clad Latinas will end its current cycle on Sept. 19, 2015, to coincide with the end of the 2014-2015 broadcast television season.

You know what this means right? This means no more Miss Colita or Miss Mamacita beauty pageants (i.e. no more fun for this blogger.)

Sniff, sniff

In all seriousness, he’s going to be missed, para bien o para mal. I also wrote this for when he was awarded to  Lifetime EMMY achievement.

Sofía Vergara Transitions from ‘Rotating’ to ‘Leaning In’

Sofia

Last time the Colombian (not Columbian) bombshell was featured on this blog, she had been put to rotate 360 degrees during the annual EMMY’s award ceremony, because apparently that’s what you are supposed to do with hot, Latin women onstage.

This time, Vergara (aka the Colombian, not Columbian, bombshell) graces the May 2015 cover of Vanity Fair magazine, where she talks about many interesting things, including her [fake] accent and –what else?– her “Bombshell Empire.”

But she also talks about Leaning In, which I think it’s awesome and much more interesting than rotating.

Personally, I’m much more comfortable just lying down, but heck, that’s just me!

Hispanic Jeb Bush Is the Best Thing on Twitter Right Now

Unless you live under a rock, in a detention center in Guantánamo or in a place without access to Twitter (very unlikely), you would have heard by now that Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush once identified himself as Hispanic in a voter registration application.

50804272According to a Miami-Dade County document published Monday by The New York Times, Bush listed his race/ethnicity as “Hispanic,” in a 2009 voter-registration application, a fact that quickly spread over social media, giving way to some hilarious tweets, starting with Hispanic Jeb Bush himself.

The incident quickly gave way to the creation of the YebBush Twitter account, which promptly began interacting with this blogger.

I say we should cut this guy some slack. He speaks fluent Spanish. His wife, Columba (NOT Columbia) Bush, was born in Mexico and for two years in his 20s, he lived in Venezuela… Besides, his Spanish is WAY better than that of many “Hispanics” I know. I promise.