It’s unclear whether this is just me or this is obvious to everyone. Have you noticed that television commercials tend to show an inordinate number of mixed race or gay couples? Granted, historically they only showed Ozzie and Harriet-type families, and clearly there were other families out there who were never seen. But the pendulum has swung disproportionately far the other way.
The purpose, as I understand it, is to normalize the existence of various families and lifestyles beyond the norm, which, as far as I’m concerned, is a perfectly worthy purpose. But then, the majority of families aren’t mixed race or gay, and so this effort at normalization feels forced, wrong. Even TV commercials are now preaching at me. I realize it’s just marketing, whether to sell to the woke or, at least, not to evoke the wrath of the woke for their failure to pander to social justice, but can they force you to care by pushing it at you?
There is a show on Netflix called “One Day at a Time.” I’ve never seen it, which is no big deal as the list of shows I’ve never seen is very long, indeed. But apparently, I’m not alone, so the show is being canceled. That gave rise to an op-ed in the New York Times
In Netflix’s Cuban-American family sitcom, “One Day at a Time,” Rita Moreno’s punchy one-liners are a complete delight. Justina Machado, who stars as single mom Penelope Alvarez, triggers a sobfest every time she delivers an utterly vulnerable monologue. The series tackles issues from homophobia to colorism with sensitivity and insight, and offers Latinos — members of a woefully underserved demographic — the chance to see ourselves, warts and all, while still reliably delivering laughs and earning rave reviews.
The first sentence makes me want to watch it, even beyond my love of Rita Moreno. But the second sentence?
Aside from being a joy to watch, it is a rare example of a television show about the United States-born children and grandchildren of Latin American immigrants. That’s why its cancellation is more than just the loss of a critical darling — it’s an egregious erasure of Latinos at a time when anti-Latino rhetoric floods our political discourse, and it’s a reminder of Netflix’s tepid support for our stories, just when we need them the most.
I guess cancellation of a show is about as close to “erasure” as empty jargon gets, even though it erases only the show, not the people, because they’re physical beings who exist regardless of whether there were enough people watching this show to keep it on the air.
Despite being the largest ethnic minority in the United States and making up nearly 18 percent of the population, Latino roles in digital scripted series constitute a measly 7.2 percent, a figure that’s even lower for broadcast and cable.
The thing about being the largest ethnic minority at “nearly 18 percent” is that it’s still just 18%, meaning that 82% of the potential television viewing audience isn’t Latino. On the one hand, this isn’t a reason to ignore Latinos, to exclude Latino roles from a “digital scripted series.” But it’s not a reason to include them either.
Many years ago, there was a show called “West Side Story,” which included a much younger Rita Moreno. It was, perhaps, one of the best movies ever. And there it was, filled with roles for Latinos and culminating in a message of peace and brotherhood. Damn, it was good. And people loved it. It won a ton of awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture in 1961.
In the mid-1970s, there was a sitcom called “Chico and the Man,” starring an old white man, Jack Albertson, and a young Latino comedian, Freddie Prinze. And people loved it, until the 22-year-old Prinze took his life during the third season of the show. They tried to keep the show running for another season, but without Prinze, it couldn’t maintain its panache and it was canceled.
It’s a loss for Latino audiences that is even more profound than the industry’s diversity numbers reveal. “One Day at a Time” is a show about the lives of Latinos in the United States, with a Cuban-American woman at the helm, at a time when these things are all too rare.
Having never watched “One Day at a Time,” I am fully prepared to accept the premise that it’s a great show. But if so, then it would have tons of eyeballs watching it, because why wouldn’t people watch a great show? But what no one can demand is that people watch a show because diversity demands it. It’s not that Latinos are unworthy of being on television. They clearly are, although neither more nor less worthy than any other ethnic group. But merely putting on a show with Latinos isn’t a reason to watch.
With a slew of upcoming series and movies directed by and featuring African-American, Asian and L.G.B.T.Q. talent, Netflix has received credit from many critics for championing diverse content. An assessment of the number of stories by and about Latinos in the United States paints a very different picture. Netflix has firmly turned its back on us.
The critics may well praise Netflix for their commitment to diversity in programming, but whether any series or movie is a success has to do with whether enough people want to watch. They can meet the demands of social justice all day long, even if it ends up being disproportionate to the relative percentage of the population fitting racial, ethnic or sexual orientation. After all, we white folks had more than our share of air time with the Donna Reed, Patty Duke and the Flying Nun.
But no matter how much diversity ends up on air, whether Netflix or elsewhere, you can’t make people watch it if they don’t want to. Don’t blame Netflix for erasing Latinos. Nobody can erase Latinos. They just canceled a show that didn’t gain the eyeballs. On the other hand, if this op-ed was about what a great show it was, rather than how it “tackles issues from homophobia to colorism with sensitivity and insight,” I might have been persuaded to tune in. I still might, because Rita Moreno is the best.