Category Archives: Media

Laugh now

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Need some entertainment at work? Want to forget the Lakers’ loss but not enough to forget about the whole series and the next game this Sunday? Tired after waking from a nap under that nice, shady saguaro I’ve been eyeing all week and you’ve never left? [Ed. note: ¡Culero!]

Months ago, one of my favorite blogs, Guanabee, posted a music video of the song “Homegurlz” by Los Angeles-based singer La La. According to her MySpace, she’s from Van Nuys. I don’t know much more about her because I don’t follow her career.

Anygüey, Guanabee’s post featuring her video mostly poked fun at it by pointing out the clichés present in the video:

We appreciate her not missing one chicano cliché in this video, either. See if you can spot them all, won’t you?

In my infinite quest to do nothing of importance, I answered their call and wrote all the clichés I found after two viewings:

1. Raised by abuelita
2. Virgen de Guadalupe mural
3. Necklace with name
4. Those nails!
5. All the religious iconography
6. Mexican flag
7. Pictures of her friends around the mirror
8. The can of hairspray by her mirror
9. there’s a charro at the beginning
10. lowrider
11. Old-school baseball cap in your gang color
12. the Oldsmobile
13. the small meals with the large ass drinks
14. The single mamacitas reference (2:30)
15. rosary around the neck and that pompadour (I think)
16. All those damn gold bracelets.
17. The pristine white shoes. At the beach.
18. that purple sweater (go lakers!)

I just noticed the Barbie doll in the vestido tradicional at the beginning. I f****** love this video.

Other commenters at the site pointed out a few that I missed (namely, the Homies figures). Are there any more Chicano clichés you see in this video? Do share in the comments section. If we can’t laugh at our selves/former selves/community, then where do we turn for humor?

Watch the video here. I can’t seem to embed it. Boo!

When Latinos Turn American

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Li of Under the Alexandria (a blog that’s less than a month old but already has tons of interesting posts) pointed out this piece in the LA Times by Hector Becerra, which deals with some changes happening in Baldwin Park. Basically, some of the next generation of Latinos want to get rid of the mom and pop stores that still cater to the needs of Immigrants (and those not so removed from that background) to replace them with the usual bunch of meaningless corporate stores like Applebee’s and Starbucks. Check out Li’s post where she argues it doesn’t have to be one or the other. I mostly find it pathetic that when Latinos want to Americanize they tend to pick the worst aspects of American Culture to emulate, as if they could suddenly join the club by consuming the same crap items of their perceived social betters. And worse, they get to the game late: while Americans are now more interested in leaving a “smaller carbon footprint” (uggh) they’re still trying to buy a Hummer. While Americans are exploring the benefits of “Edible Estates” (uggh, retch) they try to erase all evidence of that small milpa of corn their parents once grow in the front yard, now turned into a worthless patch of wasteful lawn. If anything, Latinos should be sharing the skills of getting by with less, being resourceful and getting creative with what you do have, rather than taking on the baggage of the culture of consumption.

My favorite quote? “If I want a pair of Kenneth Coles, I have to go to Arcadia.” Haha, the dude has to pay premium for some fancy huaraches, just cuz he needs a label. Some call them Chuppies (Chicano Yuppies) or Chispics (Chicano-Hispanics) but I just call them Chumps. And to many of the Americans you want to impress, yer still just a Mexican in fancy shoes.

The film Bang. LA beyond black and white and boy.

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There’s lots of talk of Crash being the ultimate race relations movie in LA.

I disagree.

There was another movie that actually intersected race with class and sexism. It even included a portrayal of the homeless population (which I’m not sure how you could have a movie in LA with no homeless people.)

It had a limited release in 1997. The protagonist wasn’t a white guy or a black guy or even a guy, but an Asian-American woman.

The name of the film is The Bang Theory. It was written and directed by Ash.

In the film an unsuccessful actress (is there any other kind) a character called “girl”, played by Darling Narita shows the audience Los Angeles.

In the film opening unnamed girl has just gotten thrown out of her apartment for not paying rent and her landlord couldn’t even just throw her out. He has to throw her out and call her racial slurs as he does it, because for some reason even now in LA you can be real open about racial slurs against Asian people.

She has one last chance an audition and in LA fashion it goes horribly (this is real LA, no one ever makes it real LA, unless their parents are someone.)

Anyway she “somehow” gets a hold of a cop’s motorcycle, uniform, and gun and takes a journey across LA from East LA, South Central, and West LA.

The best movie ever on race relations, class, and gender in LA.

A refreshingly strong Asian-American woman lead whose character has nothing to do with martial arts.

A Los Angeles treasure.

Rent it. Love it. Have a discourse party. I used to do that in college, but I was weird.

Browne Molyneux

Token Rights. Breaking Special Order 40

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The talk about amending Special Order 40 pisses me off.

This has nothing to do with gangs. This has to do with one thing, race and class, well that’s two, but you know what I’m saying.

LA has always had a major gang problem. It just sickens me the right wing has gotten their teeth into the grief of this family and are using them as tools to pass some stupid racist bs agenda.

I’m not exactly sure how people actually continually fall for the gang rape trick.

What is the gang rape trick? After America got embarrassed about killing Native Americans, lynching black people, excluding Asians, and subjugating women for just being who they are biologically, they needed another way to justify crappy unjust treatment, because why be fair when being an asshole is so entertaining.

So what they decided was to get laws passed that are under the guise of anti-gang, but in actuality they are laws that rape the civil rights of people of color, who the cops can just lie and say are gang members.

If you’re a young person of color how do you convince someone you’re not a gang member?

You can’t.

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Eastside filming locations

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Over at Metblogs L.A., Cutter is making a short film about bicycles and he needs your help:

[P]art of the production involves shooting a bicycle chase in and around the eastern neighborhoods of Downtown Los Angeles.

. . .

We’re also shooting in Chinatown and in Boyle Heights. One of the potential locations included the beautiful Mariachi Square, but after scouting in that neighborhood I discovered that the Square is under construction and every street in a 1-block radius has been closed to through traffic.

Foiled!

So the question I put to you, faithful readers is this: What are some of the lesser known but no less interesting and distinctive East La/Boyle Heights/Downtown landmarks that might lend themselves to being photographed?

What locations do you suggest, Eastsiders? I think the Sears at Soto & Olympic is perfect, especially at night, when the sign at the top of the tower is lit and shines EARS (on one side, I think) to Boyle Heights. Leave suggestions here or over at Metblogs!