Will 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' Offend Latinos?
By the DiversityInc staff
September 18, 2008
Keywords: George Lopez, Salma Hayek, Edward James Olmos, Cheech Marin, Andy Garcia, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Disney, Chihuahua, stereotypes, mambo
Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," a PG-rated, live-action comedy about a pampered purebred Chihuahua that gets lost in Mexico, features the voices of Latino stars such as George Lopez, Salma Hayek, Edward James Olmos, Cheech Marin and Andy Garcia, but detractors say the film's marketing uses ethnic stereotypes and the film itself shows an ignorance of Mexican culture that could offend Latinos, the Los Angeles Times reports.
"The movie's generalizations about Hispanics and its stereotypical depictions of Mexicans will not get a positive response from most of the 46 million Hispanics living in the U.S.," Anton Diego, president of EveryMundo, a marketing firm that helps businesses target Latinos online, told the Los Angeles Times.
The film's trailer opens with a Chihuahua explaining how his family's lineage extends to the Aztecs, but then the film shows a statue of Machu Picchu in Peru--a symbol of the Incan Empire that is located in Peru, not Mexico. Also, the trailer's music is mambo, which originated in Cuba, Diego told the Los Angeles Times.
Attracting a Latino audience is important to Disney. Latinos could boost the movie's box-office revenue because they tend to be among the most avid moviegoing groups in the United States. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, Latinos saw an average of 10.8 movies in 2007, compared with 7.9 for whites and 7.8 for Blacks, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Click here to read the full story in the Los Angeles Times.
Readers' Comments
Posted: Monday, Apr 27, 2009
Will 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' Offend Latinos?
Why would they think this movie will get more Latinos to watch it? Do the creators really think Latinos love these awkward movies that make fun of their race? Chihuahuas and Spanglish? The movie's so awkward to me with all the stereotypes. It's so offensive it even offends me to watch it and I'm not Latino.
Juju Crystal
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Posted: Sunday, Sep 21, 2008
Will 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' Offend Latinos?
This proves once again how ignorant Americans are about the world outside their borders. (Did you get a chance to watch the latest James Bond movie???) they just think south of the US is all Latino... well dudes there are a lot of different cultures, ethnicities AND countries! of course Machu Picchu was not made by the Aztecs, but anyway we don't expect Americans to even notice that when they watch the trailer or the movie... they will love the chihuahua!
Mateo Cabrera
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