Monday, September 28, 2009

The New Fall Lineup 2009

    As I glance at the new Fall 2009 TV schedule, I realize it’s all the same, nothing has changed. Again there are No Chicanos on TV. No significant TV programming for Chicanos, Asians, Blacks and other minoriites. Another year that the TV stations have an opportunity to be great but instead they chose to be small. Another year that Channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and others receive an F.
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The Alma Awards - Chicanos On TV

   I don’t usually watch the awards shows, whether for movies, TV, or music etc. Mainly because it’s always the white folks who win the awards, the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys, the MTV awards and all of the other minor ones, the People’s Choice, Dancing with the Stars, American Idols or even America’s Got Talent. When have you ever seen a Chicano/ a or a Latino/a win the big one? Sometimes we are not even nominated. Which is why we Latinos started the Latino Grammys several years ago, so that you would have Chcano/ Latinos  win some awards.
    But last Friday night was different. I did watch an awards program. It was the Alma awards sponsored by the National Council for La Raza. Boy were there a lot of Chicanos On TV. I have to tip my hat to both the NCLR and Channel 7 for making it possible to see us on TV in primetime on a major network. And boy did the program shine! It was a who’s who of Chicanos/ Latinos On TV. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there are more Latino actors on cable shows too.

Frank R. Castillo   © 2009

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Friday, September 11, 2009

“No Chicanos On TV” Theme Song

    This is the battle song for what we are trying to accomplish. If you haven’t heard it,  do yourself a favor and listen to it. If you haven’t heard it in a while please listen to it. I’m sure that it has a message for you. If you are a veterano Chicano, hear it every once in a while. I hope that it will inspire you with its message: NO CHICANOS ON TV. QUE VERGUENZA! 
    Both the message and the messenger, the late Chicano Lalo Guerrero, are incredible.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZt6lZ6RDAU

Frank R. Castillo  ©
2009

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

The Recent Deaths in Hollywood

    Recently there have been several “big” names in Hollywood that have passed away like Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Director John Hughes. While many people may miss them or think much of this, my question is what did these Hollywood people do for Chicanos/ as? What did they do for Chicanos on TV? The only exception is maybe Michael Jackson, but the question still remains. What did these Hollywood types do for Chicanos on TV? How did they advance our visibility on TV or the movies? 
    The answer is a sad zero, nothing. Most of these white, liberal people living or recently dead have done nothing to advance Latinos or other minorities on TV and in Hollywood. They only cared about their careers and the box office receipts.
    Regarding judgment after someone dies, in the Christian New Testament in Matthew Jesus says, “I was hungry and you did not feed me. I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink….” When did I refuse you food, drink, visitation etc.” the dead respond. Jesus says, “When you refused to the least of your brothers.” And Jesus casts them into the pit of fire.
    And similarly, “When did you help Chicanos get on TV or in Hollywood?  When did you help African Americans or Asians or other underrepresented groups get into the field that you were in?
    So why should we care about these Hollywood people and about their deaths when they didn’t do anything for us during their lifetimes?

Frank R. Castillo  ©  2009

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Friday, May 1, 2009

New Images on Chicanos On TV

    On this May 1st, May Day, the international day of the worker I just have a few observations and comments. First there are a lot of images of Chicanos On TV and specifically Mexicans On TV. However, the images coming out of Mexico and Mexico City are not positive. They are of sick Mexicans, dying Mexicans and Mexicans wearing masks because of the recent and current outbreak of the swine flu. Not the best images of us on TV, but images of us nonetheless. And to put a positive spin on this, maybe bad publicity is still publicity. Like I told people, this Cinco de Mayo everyone in the world will think of Mexico although for the wrong reasons.
    The other comment I had was that today they are having marches in LA. That is the good news. The bad news is that there will be about a dozen different marches. I know people have the right to demonstrate. But this is ridiculous. Talk about divide and conquer. Talk about splitting the groups of several years ago. Why do we always have too many chiefs and not enough Indians? How does this send a unified voice? How will anyone take us seriously? Which is also why we have virtually no Chicanos On TV. How can we keep one unified voice?

Frank R. Castillo   ©
 2009

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

3 Chicanos On TV Movies

    “I must be in hog heaven,” I thought yesterday when I learned that there are three, count them three, 3,3, 3, Chicanos On TV movies coming soon to the movies. Two are coming out this weekend, Viva La Causa (about Cesar Chavez) and Sin Nombre, about several Central Americans coming to the US.  Viva la Causa will be shown this weekend at the Yost Theatre in Santa Ana (Saturday night). The third movie is Sleep Dealer. It felt like three planets must have aligned themselves correctly or something.

It is so thrilling to have so many choices and to be able to see different lives about ourselves and our communities.

Please support these movies.

***********************

SIN NOMBRE

NOW IN ORANGE COUNTY
 
Starting Friday, April 3, 2009
 

Edwards University Town Center 6

4245 Campus Dr., Irvine, CA, 92612

(949) 854-8818

 Sin Nombre

Drama, Thriller - R

11:20a 2:10 4:50 7:20 9:50  

 Tickets: $9 adults; $7 matinee; $6.50 children & seniors; $8 student.


 http://events.ocregister.com/irvine-ca/venues/show/41735-edwards-university-town-center-6

*******************

April 17,18,19, 2009

The opening for the

 Sleep Dealer

(Luis Fernando Pena)

 Regency South Coast Village 3 Theater

1561 W. Sunflower, Santa Ana, CA, 92704

(714) 557-5701

or at a theatre near you.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804529/

Frank R. Castillo  ©   2009

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Cesar Chavez Day 2009 1st year anniversary

    On this Cesar Chavez Day 2009, I’m not sure what to write about. “All is quiet on the Western Front.” Probably the single most important thing to me right now is that I have had this blog for one year today. Although I have not written every day, I hope that what I have written is meaningful. I know that I’m surprised that the time has gone by so fast and that I hope to keep up with this. Not so much for myself as because Chicanos On TV is an important issue to my community.

Frank R. Castillo ©
   2009

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Friday, March 27, 2009

“La de los ratones…”

  A few weeks ago I was in a public place in Santa Ana when I overheard the following conversation. A middle-aged Latina was talking to another middle-aged Latino. “Did you go to the movies the other day that I saw you?” she asked. “Yes, I did,” he responded. “Which one did you see?  La de los perritos?”  she inquired. “No,  I went to see la de los ratones (Tale of Despereaux). Pero habian dos peliculas de perritos (Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Marley and Me),” he replied. 
   I stopped listening because I realized there are more movies in Hollywood about animals than Chicanos On TV.  I was disgusted that in  2009, there are still more movies being made about dogs and cats than about Chicanos On TV. It seems that Hollywood cares more about the stories and lives of these creatures than about us. I still think we have a very powerful tool. Boycott these animal movies until they start making more movies about us.

Frank R. Castillo  ©
  2009

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Monday, March 23, 2009

Chicanos On TV Hall of Fame

   

     We need to have a Chicanos On TV or Hollywood Hall of Fame,” I thought as I learned about the recent death of Ricardo Montalban.  We need to admire, protect and respect the work of those who have gone before us. Those pioneers who opened the doors to a very racist and closed group like Hollywood.
    These were brave people who had to endure the most racist and violent forms of discrimination just like in any other area of life like education, housing, jobs or politics. Just like our black brothers endured all of these forms of discrimination, so did Latinos. And Hollywood was no exception. We still see some of the earlier racist portrayals of Latinos and we can only imagine what it must have been like for the Ricardo Montalbans. Just like in college where Chicano students formed UMAS and M.E.Ch.A. for support and survival, Ricardo formed Nosotros.
      We need to recognize and acknowledge these Latino pioneers who dreamed of being on the big screen and representing us in Hollywood and TV despite all of the odds.
                    

For more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Montalb%C3%A1n

Frank R. Castillo  ©
 2009

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Our Country, Mexico, is shown on TV

    One thing I’ve noticed at the movies is that although there are No Chicanos On TV (or Hollywood), Mexico is shown as a place where the film was partially made. In other words, although we may not be represented, our land is. The latest example of this was the new Fall 2008 James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, there are credits to Mexico, Baja California in particular. And these scenes are not necessarily shot there to save money as when they shoot in Canada or other places simply to save money. No they shoot in Mexico because of the landscape and the scenery in other words because it is part of the storyline.
    Another recent movie that similarly was shot in Mexico was Vantage Point. It was to take place in Salamanca, Spain (Europe) but was filmed in Puebla, Mexico. Imagine Mexico stood in as a body double for a Spanish city.
    My point is that although we are not on TV in great numbers yet, TV and Hollywood are discovering our beautiful mother country and next door neighbor, Mexico.

Frank R. Castillo   ©
 2008

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