Kingpin Movie

NEWS ALERT



Mr. Juvencio Gonzalez, Jr. who contributed the below commentary, appearing in HispanicVista.com this week, regarding the NBC program, Kingpin, provides the "smoking gun" evidence supporting the observation and complaint that the series greatly contributes to stereotyping Latinos. As you will read, when NBC itself uses promotional language to increase audiences replete with such stereotype ignorance, it can only mean their own executives have negative misconceptions about Latinos. If after reading Mr. Gonzalez's article you wish to let NBC know your feelings we provide you with the contact information: Mr. Andrew Lack, NBC President, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10112 Telephone number 212 664-3457 or 212 664-5900. Web Page: http://www.nbc.com E-mail: kingpin [at] nbc.com)

February 24, 2003
NBC's Kingpin series reinforces negative stereotypes of Latinos
By Juvencio Gonzalez, Jr./HispanicVista.com

Imagine that you received a fax or e-mail with the following message: "If everybody in America stopped buying drugs tomorrow, the Mexican economy would collapse and then millions of Mexicans would cross the border to survive and that is the American government's worst nightmare." Well, what you have read is a direct quote displayed on the NBC Web Site for one of the Kingpin episodes and that promo only reinforces our concerns that "Kingpin reinforces negative stereotypes of Mexicans/Latinos and places us under scrutiny by others."

With that introduction, I wish to share my great disappointment with NBC's Decision to air their new program - Kingpin, which consists of six episodes. The program has been described as one of the most violent and sexually explicit episodes ever to be shown on a broadcast network by most of the National Newspapers (USA Today, Washington Post, and Christian Science Monitor).

What is the problem with the show? Aside that it is compared as the Hispanic version of "The Sopranos" and to be brutally violent, it glorifies drug dealers, it has no social value and it truly reinforces the negative stereotypes against Latinos.

In the word of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National President, this type of programming will only "teach people to fear or hate Latinos."
As an example, in a city like Philadelphia with 70 percent school Latino drop out rate before 9th grade, where a Mayor (John F. Street) is working so meticulously to combat crime and drug dealers, a violent show that glorifies drug dealers is not what we should consider as ideal entertainment and it hurts the educational and governmental fabrics of our society.

Why even request additional State and Federal resources when the NBC network is glorifying the very thing that we want to get rid of in our communities?

As you read this opinion, I challenge you to consider the time schedule when the episodes will be shown because they are aired at 10 P.M. (Tuesdays and Sundays) when many children and young-adults are still watching television and "may associate Latinos as drug dealers, murderers, with other crimes, and unpatriotic American citizens."

Just last month, a Reporter named Robert Bianco for USA Today, added: "Latinos who take it seriously might be offended by the show's violence and by its depiction of Mexicans as either corrupt, insane or stupid-especially when there are so few positive images on TV". And he goes to distinctly describe the outrage of a general who "drops his pants to display the size of his manhood…a crazed voodoo-worshipping Mob boss…tasting human flesh." Jan. 30, 2003.

Several years ago, supported with resolutions by the Senate of Puerto Rico, the PA House of Representatives and the Newark NJ City Council, (and Dr. George Gerbner, who was commissioned by the Screen Actors Guild to conduct an analysis), I was part of a major National brownout in response to the under-representation of Latinos on movies and on television series. At the time, according to the analysis, it was revealed that of the 26 new shows debuting in the fall on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX not one Latino or person of color played a primary or secondary role.

Is this a response from NBC to let us know that they are meeting our concerns and that they have heard our pleas? Or has NBC finally and genuinely collected the best minds of Hollywood to demonstrate (to America) how they really perceive the Latino role model?
On the creative side, I do give the entertainment industry some credit and do admit that the Latino actors in the episodes are of the highest caliber and I am impressed with their quality of performance. However, being a rational and objective human being, I have to agree with Dr. Flores that the "Kingpin is a reflection of the values of NBC and not of the Hispanic community" because the "vast majority of Hispanics are law abiding, hard working, patriots and their story is rarely portrayed on television". Frankly speaking, considering all the historical Latino role models that exist and have existed - Kingpin is an unfortunate waste of talent.

If NBC needs to compile a talent bank of Latino role models, why not speak with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus which consists of dozens of Congressmen and Congresswomen. Quoted by The Boston Globe reporter Suzanne C. Ryan, a former Congressman from Los Angeles states clearly my thought: Why is it that we never see ourselves on television as senators or congressmen? I've been one."
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Juvencio Gonzalez, a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), may be contacted for additional information at Vince_jgv [at] hotmail.com or by telephone at: 215 917-2291 or contact Ms Lorraine Quiroga, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) 202 833-6130.

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