After reading the previous post, and enjoying a good laugh, I returned to the original reason I opened the blog: to post this article by Holly Cashman (our author for tomorrow) published on the Daily Grito. I don't mean to put a damper on the fun, but just to think about it a little deeper. Check it out:
http://www.dailygrito.com/holly-cashman/2012/01/20/are-accents-a-laughing-matter/
The article is topped by a picture from the popular show Modern Family. Sofia Vergara provides ample comic relief via her accent, but its also notable that the other major source of laughs are the gay guys, specifically Cam. What is it about the marginalized that the mainstream finds so hilarious? People often cite the presence of the marginal in mainstream t.v. as proof of progress. Is it, when people are being used for comic relief? Or sex appeal, as is the case with most (all?) of the Latinas on tv? Can you guys think of other examples that don't play into the stereotypes? Luis & Maria from Sesame Street are the only ones I can think of...
Great post, Ashley! I really enjoyed that article, and I do agree with a lot of it. There are so many things I want to say...I think most accents are made fun of. Just look at the "Shit Burquenos Say" video. I'm not offended by it at all. I think accents are awesome, and yes, a bit entertaining at times. Is there something wrong with getting a kick out of how others talk? I guess so when it means that you are looking down upon a certain group, but I don't think most people do it for that purpose. Sometimes I feel like people just need to chill out and laugh at themselves and one another. Or am I wrong?? Do I need to be more sensitive??
ResponderBorrarIts tough and a fine line in so many ways! The one thing that stood out to me from the article was that when uneven socio-political conditions are in play, the jokes can have a different impact, maybe depending on the goodwill of the person making it (or lack thereof). But I'm with you--I love accents and the funny stuff that happens when people move between languages. The "Shit Burqueños say" video could even be seen as a celebration of the Burqueño way. People in Andalucia have bumper stickers that say "Aquí se habla andalu" and people in Boston are proud of the way they pawk the caw (or whatever it is). The question remains--when big, mainstream media makes the jokes, is there any goodwill? Or is it only about entertaining for the sake of the almighty dollar, which turns the "other" into a palatable caricature for general U.S. consumption?
ResponderBorrarhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7YzJr3ZJu0&feature=related
ResponderBorrarHere is the Sofia Vergara and Ellen Degeneres covergirl ad on youtube. I think it's funny!
Honestly I think that people would feel differently by the way Sofia Vergara gets mocked if she was ugly. It is funny, because she is beautiful, and since she is beautiful there are obviously no self esteem issues, so she is never hurt. A lot of her power is in her body and looks. (I do think Modern family does a pretty good job though of making her character a pretty strong woman, but they still do play into a lot of stereotypes.) If she was not pretty then there would be a lot LESS patience with her English.
ResponderBorrarThat being said this show does validate the american public to think it is funny and acceptable to make fun of people with accents. I am also saying that it is essentially ok to make fun of BEAUTIFUL people with accents, because since that is what our society values the most, Sofia HAS been validated to us. SO SHE'S IN! We aren't attacking her.. we are playing! She is not an "other" (to us) because she is not ugly. Let her gain 100 lbs and see what the public thinks then about her accent.
Primero tengo que decir que Sofía Vergara me parece una mujer agradable y no me molesta en absoluto el papel que ella representa como actriz, al contrario la admiro. Hace tiempo estaba viendo un episodio de una película cuando pude notar que una de las mujeres en la pantalla me parecía muy familiar. Rápidamente me pregunté si era Sofía Vergara y efectivamente era. Lo que me hizo dudar por un momento no fue su físico, por supuesto que no había un cambio en esto, pero su manera de hablar era pasiva y su acento en inglés era menos notorio. El personaje que presentaba en la película era muy diferente a la Sofía Vergara que todos conocemos hoy en día. Me pregunté, dónde quedó la mujer pomposa, extravagante y con acento fuertemente marcado que conocemos.
ResponderBorrarClaro, Sofía es una actriz y es su trabajo presentarse como esa mujer despampanante que es el contraste de lo Americano pero que por su belleza, fama y estabilidad económica puede defenderse efectivamente en este ambiente. Sin embargo, ella es un estereotipo de lo que es ser una mujer Latina en los Estados Unidos. Esto es más complicado de lo que podría parecer porque, como lo menciona Amber, Sofía es una mujer físicamente bella pero está representando a un grupo de mujeres que seguro difieren de ella de una manera notoria. Para mi esto podría significar una manera de abrir las puertas a presentar a la mujer Latina un tanto superficial y a la vez, provocar comentarios que se podrían convertir en racistas e inmorales para personas que no tienen la fama, autoestima, dinero, actitud que tiene Sofía.