Latinos in Television

Univision, historically the number one Spanish network, departed from its long tradition of safeguarding neutral Spanish to embrace not only English, but also Spanglish and Spanish-Caribbean accents in 2015. This article explores Univision's new linguistic flexibility via two emblematic reality TV shows: Nuestra Belleza Latina (2007-) and La Banda (2015-). Through a textual analysis of these shows and industrial analysis of the strategies deployed by the network, the authors argue that Univision's targeting of "billennials"-bicultural and bilingual millennials-prompted a linguistic flexibility that challenges the traditional lineup of neutral, Spanish-only, television, and is more inclusive of Latina/o audiences' language use.

"Video like sculpture, painting and other art form “might not focus directly on a religious subject but nonetheless might reveal ‘the human situation in its conflicts.’ The writer and director who can bear and express guilt, who can experience meaning within the context of meaninglessness, therefore, are doing religion.”[4] In this critical reflection, I will consider Ugly Betty not as a religious television program but as one in which Latino religious themes abound. I would like to begin by considering the “sweet, intelligent and hard-working”[5] Betty Suarez as a female Christ-figure. I will also focus on some of the subaltern religious symbols found in the TV series."

Univision, historically the number one Spanish network, departed from its long tradition of safeguarding neutral Spanish to embrace not only English, but also Spanglish and Spanish-Caribbean accents in 2015. This article explores Univision’s new linguistic flexibility via two emblematic reality TV shows: Nuestra Belleza Latina (2007–) and La Banda (2015–). Through a textual analysis of these shows and industrial analysis of the strategies deployed by the network, the authors argue that Univision’s targeting of “billennials”—bicultural and bilingual millennials—prompted a linguistic flexibility that challenges the traditional lineup of neutral, Spanish-only, television, and is more inclusive of Latina/o audiences’ language use.