I am originally from Brazil. There, I am considered white. Here in the United States, I am considered Latina. For immigration purposes everyone from any country south of the United States are Latinos. Because of my identification with Latinas, their representations in American media have always caught my attention. Jennifer Lopez’ case study done by Maria C. Beltran (2009) is a great example of how Latinas are represented in the media and how they are perceived by the public because of these representations. American media play an important role in shaping public knowledge of Latina women through their representations.
Beltran (2009) argues that American media frequently distinguishes Latinas as “in possession of more body, emotion and sensual passion than their white counterparts” (p. 143). She also suggests that Latinas are represented in the media as “innately sexy, fiery, and/or irresistible” (p. 132). This happened to Jennifer Lopez and still happens to many other Latina actresses. Perhaps the most famous Latina on television now is Sofia Vergara. She plays the voluptuous/sexy/fiery/funny Gloria in the sitcom Modern Family.
Gloria always wears tight pants or skirts and low cut tops that show quite a bit of cleavage. It is clear that there is an exploitation of Sofia Vergara’s body in the show. Also, there is an expectation that she looks and behaves like Gloria in real life because that is how the public perceives Latinas to be. This perception happens because of the way they are represented in the media. People expect to see Sofia Vergara dressing sexy for the Golden Globes or the Emmys. If she does not, then she would be criticized for not conforming to people’s expectations of her.
Some people might argue that Modern Family is critiquing the way Latinas are perceived by the American audience. If so, I would agree. However, I feel that the majority of people who watch the show do not see it that way. For those people, Gloria is depicting a true representation of Latina women. And her depiction is shaping and reinforcing the way the public perceives Latinas.
Reference: Beltran, M.C. (2009). Crossing over the Latina body: Jennifer Lopez and the 1990's Latin wave. In Latina/o star in U.S. eyes: making and meaning of film and TV stardom (pp. 131 - 153). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
After I wrote this post I came home to an Esquire magazine in my mailbox. Sofia Vergara is on the cover wearing a black lacy corset. She is striking a very sexy pose. Right in the middle of the cover the word SEX is written in large bold letters. Her prime role as an actress on Modern Family is as a comedian, yet she is celebrated most as a sex symbol on the cover of a magazine featuring articles about the luxury lifestyle for men.
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