(CelebNMusic247-News) Eva Longoria Addresses Devious Maids Backlash
Lifetimes new hit series Devious Maid, which is loosely based on Mexican telenovela, is a great that follows 5 Latina women and the drama in their lives.
The show is helmed by Marc Cherry of Desperate Housewives [creator and executive producer], and he’s joined by two fellow Housewives alums: Sabrina Wind and Eva Longoria.
But with hit shows comes controversy stemming from some in the Latino community who have expressed their disappointment for the show, calling it a “wasted opportunity.”
They say Maids will only perpetuate the ongoing issue in Hollywood that Latinas can play only stereotypical roles such as maids, gardeners and nannies.
The Latin community is facing the same walls that the black community faced with being stereo-typed to play slaves, servants, car wash attendants, thugs, gang bangers, thieves, and bank robbers. And in the world of reality the Italian community went off on MTV’s Jersey Shore by saying all Italian’s were Guido’s, ignorant, muscle heads and hot tempered people. The offended community list goes on as Shahs of Sunset had their backlash when Iranian-Americans attacked the show for playing on stereotypes. Even before the show officially debuted on March 18, an anti-“Shahs of Sunset” Facebook page had been set up and anti-Shah petitions were circulating online, accusing the producers of promoting racial stereotypes and depicting Iranian Americans as caricatures.
Which leads us to the most recent series to face the criticism. Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, author of “The Dirty Girls Social Club, writes:
“It is not wrong to be a maid, or even a Latina maid.”
“There is something very wrong with an American entertainment industry that continually tells Latinas that this is all they are or can ever be.”
Longoria responded to the backlash on The Huffington Post:
“I take pride in the fact that these characters are not one dimensional or limited to their job title. As the minority becomes the majority and the United States becomes more diverse, it is important that the protagonists on television embody this diversity.”
Eva continued:
“Television is a business. If we don’t support shows that have diverse content, we won’t see shows with diverse content! They will simply go away, and the hurdles to make the next show with diversity will be even more challenging.”
Which Michelle Herrera Mulligan, editor in chief of Cosmopolitan for Latinas, countered:
“Well, Eva, I’ve watched the show, and I’m genuinely sad to say that I disagree. It’s not a complex portrait; it’s an insulting disgrace.”
Valdes-Rodriguez said:
“I saw the first [episode] and thought it was annoying.”
“I just don’t like the flamenco guitar tone every time there’s a Latina on the screen. It’s very unimaginative and predictable. I have no interest in the show at all.”
The National Hispanic Media Coalition is supporting the show, stating members of the coalition watched the pilot and saw nothing wrong. They said if Lifetime were depicting Latinas in negative stereotypical roles, the coaliton would be the first ones to criticize the show.
Alex Nogales, executive director of the coalition, interview with CNN, explains:
“Some of the issues that Latinos go through in this country is characterized by each of these maids, things they are trying to overcome.”
“If I came from a poor migrant experience, does that mean that story doesn’t get told? That’s silly.”
Part of the criticism is the frustration that Hispanics don’t have more characters on television that represent them as nurses, doctors and lawyers. Nogales says that to imagine Latinos being represented on-screen as successful professionals before telling the immigrant stories of hardship, assimilation and struggle first just won’t work.
“Devious Maids” stars; “Ellas son la Alegría del Hogar,” and stars Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”), Dania Ramirez (“Premium Rush”), Ana Ortiz (“Ugly Betty”) and Roselyn Sanchez (“Chasing Papi”). Newcomer Edy Ganem plays Reyes’ daughter. Read more about the backlash …
