Before I begin this post, a little bit about me: I love stand-up and great sketch comedy. Since 1993, I have done improv comedy in the Boston area with ImprovBoston, a Boston comedy institution. I love humor that is intelligent yet hilarious (why someone like Eddie Murphy or Chris Rock is genius). I wanted to share my background since what I am going to say next might sound a little bit knee-jerky.
NBC’s Saturday Night Live, one of the TV’s longest-running brands (and some say a brand that has run too long), still doesn’t get it when it comes to Latinos and comedy. Its only Latino cast member is Fred Armisen (half-Venezuelan), who has been on the show for 9 years and developed the “Fericito” characters and the catchphrase “I’m just keeeeeeding.” There is no major high-profile Latino comedy writer, and quite frankly, SNL just misses the boat.
It is as if SNL has one theme when it comes to Latinos: always have them speak with accents because that is funny. Got it, SNL. You have been doing that same tired bit since Garrett Morris (a non-Latino) played Chico Escuela (“Ebaseball has been berry berry good to me.”) in the 1970s.
Chico Escuela
The show has never had an Eddie Murphy Latino equivalent (Horatio Sanz? Really?) and I am convinced that it never will, unless SNL realizes that if you are going to try and target key demographics, you should at least try to be funny.
So instead of getting comedy that might actually connect with a growing and savvy US Latino demographic, we get skits like these (ESPN Deportes), which ran on the January 16 show with Gwenyth Paltrow:
Ok, the idea of the skit is funny. The execution is not. Yeah, we get it, but it could have been so much more clever. Maybe actually having bilingual and bicultural writers on your staff might actually help? Yes, SNL we get it, ever since Chico Escuela, your characterizations of Latinos of unintelligent, foreign and party-loving dolts is a theme that we’re tired of.
So less skits about “The Manuel Ortiz Show,” like this one:
And more skits that just, mmh, maybe just have some real Latino talent doing mainstream comedy?
Maybe it just doesn’t matter to you.
But we’re not keeeeeeding.
I totally agree Franky. I love SNL, and Conan O’Brien. Yet both leave me a bit uneasy with their portrayals of Latinos. Conan makes jokes about L.A. being a Mexico City north, and I just think- y qué? This is news? It’s not funny.
I’ll admit I thought last night’s skit made me laugh- it IS funny when people go from speaking Spanish to saying something very English, which you often hear from Spanish-language TV reporters. Heelary Cleenton. But 98% of SNL’s skits focusing on Latinos, like the Dominican talk show? Unfunny and very clearly conceived by non-Latinos.
We need a Latina Tina Fey on the show, for sure (Clementina Fey?).
Hey, thanks so much for your comment. The ESPN Deportes idea was funny I just wanted to be a bit funnier and thought it would have been funnier if an actual bilingual actor did it.
Paltrow’s Spanish is actually very good. She is solidly bi-lingual. The sketch was lame-ass, but her Castilian is very good.
Sure, she sounded great but too bad the sketch sucked.
Maybe I’m biased because I love SNL but I think it plays with all sorts of stereotypes. That’s just the idea, mess with the fun. It might get old for some but it doesn’t for others.
I do get your point though, but even Shy Ronnie pees his pants…
-MTO
I hear ya. But when comparing the African American comedy tradition to Latino comedy tradition on SNL, it doesn’t even compare. Murphy was brilliant and so was Rock. Armisen is tired and Horatio Sanz was not funny. Thanks so much for commenting!
Wow, thank you so much for writing this Franky, we’ve been feeling this way for a long time. It has been what’s inspired us, we do improv and sketch comedy in Chicago and the Midwest was in desperate need of a check in the Latino arena.
You can display stereotypes, but skew them to really SAY something. I think the problem in these sketches are not that the premises aren’t funny, but there is no substance in content to support the funny circumstance. I cannot knock the actors in that sketch (I actually know Paul Brittan personally), he’s studied Spanish and has lived in a Latin American country. I just think the fact that there are no Latino writers is kind of crazy. There should be a Latino representing the culture, a person who would know what references to pull from, stuff like that.
We showcased for SNL last year, and believe me, even the fact that we were able to get up in front of the show’s producers, shows that they know that they have to target Latinos somehow. They just haven’t gotten it quite right just yet. I do believe they’ll get there, I just hope it happens before they lose all of their Latino audience. We’ll always watch it though….comedy nerds, lol.
Sweet very cool of you to connect here! Would love to blog about you guys. So cool that you go showcased for SNL! That is a great sign. You are right on the money, my point is exactly what you are posting here. On anothernkte, do you know Will Luera? He is a great friend of mine here I Boston! Thanks,
Julio
PS Franky is my novel’s name
Yes! We’ve met Will a few times! Small world!
Cool! We should get you here to Boston and do a Boston Latino Comedy night with you, Mike Robles and Latino Improv Boston peeps. Stay in touch, we followed you on Twitter and you can friend me on facebook at Julio Ricardo Varela. ¡Suerte con todo!
Definitely agree with this and, let’s face it, SNL certainly needs some fresh new talent (both in the writing and acting dept).
One thing I did notice about the skit with Paltrow was that in the end, with the top 5 part, it almost became more of a satire of Sportscenter than Latinos. All the phrases used after calling a play really start to sound ridiculous after a while.
Thanks, Jose. I agree with you, the idea was funny, the execution was horrible.
AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!!!! Now ain’t this the TRUTH! I’m also a comedian and completely agree with everything you mentioned here. It’s so SAD to see that it’s the year 2011 and Latinos have yet to conquer SNL! Yet, we still hope that someday they’sll get it right and hire a Latin cast member who can show them how to represent us – RIGHT! In the meantime, we will continue to create and produce our own – and do it WELL!!! ;o)
Agreed! It is a no-brainer.
I’m from northern Europe (like that matters to you,..but I thought it would be relevant)… any way I always thought the funniest part was that it was uninformed white-folk trying to make each other laugh about something they are not familiar with – it’s the bumbling silliness that makes it so funny. A sophisticated approach by a “tuned-in” Latino doesn’t work here…
On point, just saw bad skit about some Latina with a dominican boyfriend, discussing election with Seth Myers!!! Sucked!! Big snl fan, very disappointed. Lack of writers/talent
I checked out the clip as well. It was awful. Not even funny.
Garrett Morris is latino….check his full name…..Garrett Gonzalez Morris.
Thank you for stating that. It’s so tiresome when ppl assume when they see a black person he/she is not Latino/Hispanic. Garret Morris (although not culturally/traditionally Hispanic) is of Hispanic descent. The article sheds an interesting light on the subject but assuming Garret GONZALEZ Morris was not Latino (in a way) was discriminatory itself.
Have you noticed how Hollywood often plays Latinos who are white aka White Hispanics, (or near whites)i n nonwhite rolls?
Examples…
1. Jennifer Lopez in “Enough” and “Monster in Law” (not sure about the latter.) Then again JLo may be a stretch since we all know she’s PRican.
2. Charlie Sheen 2 &half Men
3. Jessica Alba “Fantastic 4” “Good luck Chuck”
4. Alexis Bledel “Sisterhood of traveling pants)
5. Cameron Diaz “There’s something about Mary” “Charlies Angels”
6. Victoria Justice “Victorious” (Nicklelodeon)
7. Aubrey Plaza ” To do list” (in AMC Loews &Regal Theatres) I saw the movie. Pretty funny. She seemed awfully familiar and exotic (Puertoradar!) Sure enough! I just saw her on Cosmopolian Magazine with the caption….”Boricua pa’ que lo sepa!”
8. Vanna White “Wheel of Fortune” Who knew? Her Dad’s a native PR from Poncé PR.
9. Rita Hayworth . How many young prejudiced white teen boys worshipped her decades ago,never realizing she was actually Margarita Cansino?..A Mexican American.
10. Anita Page. (Anita Evelyn Pomares) Latina Pioneer in silent film industry described as “Hollywood’s Blond Blue Eyed Latin” “The most beautiful face in Hollywood in the 1930’s
The Marilyn Before MarylinMonroe!
By contrast, when Hollywood wants Hispanic “characters”, they look for stereotypical Brown native American looking “Latinos” (Luis Guzman type)or they will find ugly faced whites (no offense) to play latinos in stereotypical accents and stupidity.
1. Cheech and Chong (Nuff Said)
2. Machete
3. George Lopez ‘s characters.
Nuff said! Ya basta!