Commentary / Television: For Bravery in Stereotypes
Last week, while most of you were probably still reeling from Bachelor Jake’s tragic decision to try to turn a ho into a housewife, a touching and long awaited moment happened for one of our favorite stars of “Will & Grace.”
Shelley Morrison, lifetime actress best loved for her truculent turn as Karen’s maid Rosario, came out as a Latina.
Never having answered any questions about her race to members of the press, she was often criticized by the Latin American community for her reticence.
“It’s not like I ever said I wasn’t Hispanic,” commented Morrison in an interview last week. “I just didn’t see why it was anyone’s business. What do you want me to do, join a mariachi band? Bet on a cock fight?”
“But she deed bet on the cohk fight! I promees, I see her do thees in an epeesode that is my most favorito!” This, from Abuelita Que Linda, the spokeswoman for Elderly Latina Service-workers United. “Senora Morrisohn shee show us that we can be prrroud of who wee are!”
ELSU honored Morrison shortly after the publication of her cover photo on the March issue of Latina Magazine. In a statement released through a few of the group’s grandchildren, ELSU praises Morrison for her significant contributions in the struggle for equal legal representation and new-found respect on behalf of all Latin Americans:
“When no one else on television had the guts to play a Latin American woman as slow, lazy, morally corrupt, apt to steal things, and a little gassy, Shelley Morrison said – ‘Yo can do thees.’”
ELSU aren’t the only ones grateful to Morrison for her recent revelation. A prominent Washington society woman (who requested to remain anonymous) agreed:
“I’m just happy that I don’t have to feel bad making jokes about Mexicans. After all, they’ve been saying the same things about themselves for years. That Shelley girl seems honest enough.”
Morrison remains sanguine. “I’ve always been very proud to be a Latina. I was just too ashamed to tell you about how proud I was until last week.”
By our new TV contributor, Topher Burns, who taps into Sean Hayes pissy public coming out experience with this Onion-style commentary
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For the record, she’s not Latina – she’s descended from Spanish Jewish folks and grew up in New York City. And Rosario wasn’t Mexican, she was Salvadoran.
I think Thor might be missing the point, here.
He’s missing it by mile.
Latino has nothing to do with the recentness of your connection to a Spanish-speaking country. It’s a heritage that is passed down by generations.
If any group knows this, it’s the Sephardim (the Spanish Jews). They still speak fluent Spanish no matter where they find themselves and much of their culture is infused with the cultural traditions of 17-century Spain (like the culture of Latin America). Just ask Edie Gorme (another Sephardic Jew), who has had a bigger career as a Spanish singer in Latin America, than as an English singer in the U.S. Or you can visit the many Sephardic communities scattered around the world in places like Morocco, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Israel, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, etc.
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