Latinas and Latinos on TV: Colorblind Comedy in the Post-racial Network Era

153 Pages·2018·3.744 MB·English

by  Isabel Molina-Guzmán

LATINAS AND LATINOS
ON TV
Latinx Pop Culture
SERIES EDITORS
Frederick Luis Aldama and Arturo J. Aldama
LATINAS AND LATINOS
ON TV
Colorblind Comedy in the Post- Racial Network Era
Isabel Molina-Guzmán
The University of Arizona Press
www .uapress .arizona .edu
© 2018 by The Arizona Board of Regents
All rights reserved. Published 2018
ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 8165- 3724- 2 (paper)
Cover design by Leigh McDonald
Publication of this book is made possible in part by the proceeds of a permanent
endowment created with the assistance of a Challenge Grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Molina-Guzmán, Isabel, author.
Title: Latinas and Latinos on TV : colorblind comedy in the post-racial network era /
Isabel Molina-Guzmán.
Description: Tucson : The University of Arizona Press, 2018. | Series: Latinx pop
culture | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017042857 | ISBN 9780816537242 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Hispanic Americans on television. | Situation comedies (Television
programs)—United States.
Classification: LCC PN1992.8.H54 M65 2018 | DDC 791.45/652968073—dc23 LC
record available at https:// lccn .loc .gov/ 2017042857
Printed in the United States of America
♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992 (Permanence of
Paper).
Por las cuatro cámaras de mi corazón
Luciano, Ian, Rafael y Isabel Luciana

CONTENTS
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction: Latina/os, Hipster Racism, and Post-Racial TV 3
1. Scrubs(ing) the Beginnings of Post- Racial TV 26
2. Hipster Racism Comes to Colorblind TV 47
3. Reading Against the Post- Racial TV Latina 81
Conclusion: Post-Racial Past and Colorblind Futures on TV 103
Notes 119
References 123
Index 133

ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Judy Reyes performs the role of Carla in “My American Girl” 34
2. Steve Carell and Oscar Nuñez in “Gay Witch Hunt” 61
3. Screenshot of the Pritchett- Delgado character breakdown 69
4. Sofía Vergara in “Snip” 70
5. Sofía Vergara in “Open House of Horrors” 70
6. Aubrey Plaza in “Sister City” 84
7. Aubrey Plaza in “London: Part 2” 85
8. Sofía Vergara in “Run for Your Wife” 94
9. America Ferrera in “Tornado” 109