Because we really needed a fifth one...

During the weekend I went to go see the recently released film of Fast Five staring big time action stars such as Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson best known among the media as “The Rock”. The film has had four previous films and even though I was pretty sure of what I was going to be viewing, I still nonetheless decided to partake in the viewing of the film. As expected, the film was drenched with male gaze and dominance in the film. I found it a bit entertaining that I could pin point certain concepts such as the way the camera would linger in one of the female characters. The slow motion gaze of up and down in her body as she dropped a towel and made her way up a male character or when she makes her entrance in the film she slowly gets off the motorcycle that she arrives in and once again the camera rolls up and down. Although, targeted to a male audience of course by action packed and adrenaline pumping through 90% of the scenes the visual pleasure for men is undeniable in the film. Even though, somewhat entertaining for about two hours, my boyfriend seemed to take a far more pleasure in the film of course than myself.

Univision, are you kidding me?

I am a Latina woman and I am proud when I say that and I claim it. My parent’s ethnic background is something I have managed to take ownership and it has become a part of my identity. Therefore, this weekend I came across in the Spanish viewing channel of Univision the most tasteless site to the image of Latin American women. The show is called Nuestra Belleza Latina translating to Our Latina Beauty. The show is a typical beauty pageant that portrays beautiful young girls, the winner gets $250,000 cash and a host position in one of the networks shows. I myself have always thought the show was just another pretty girl parading around asking for world peace, and this week as I sat down to drink a cup of coffee in my living room and my mom was watching the show I nearly froze when I saw the week’s challenge was for the girls to conduct a pole dancing routine. This was my breaking point towards the show, not only do the girls have to parade around in swimsuits every week at the end of the show in order to get viewers to call in for their favorite, but now they are making them pole dance? According to the host of the show the girls had to portray sassiness and sex appeal; however, there could have been multiple ways in which a woman can define her sex appeal. The approach that the network tried to make towards this concept was disgraceful.

This episode was an insult to every Latina woman, and it definitely sent the wrong message to many young girls watching this show. A woman can be sexy without having to dance around in a stripper pole. I was more shocked at the networks approval of the challenge. Univision represents itself as an empowering network for the Spanish speaking community in the United States. Many of their early morning shows advocate the education of young Latinos and how we can make a difference in our country. So now that I am getting my education, am I supposed to go out and dance around a pole? The network really needs to retrace their concepts of the show, if a girl is going to represent the Latina community; she shouldn’t be put to work a pole. This is something that children in a Sunday afternoon shouldn’t be put to watch while they are seating in front of their TVs with their families. I am completely disappointed with the network, and I can only hope that the show doesn’t come around for another season.