Cultural and ethnic groups possess a profound system of history and traditional practices that determine its existence. These groups preserve their way of life by passing on the knowledge of cultural beliefs to young and developing generations. For an individual who is uninformed of a specific ethnic group, one gathers information on the subject matter through various sources. These sources can include historically documented text or mainstream media outlets such as news or film. Yet, one can adopt a limited perception of a specific ethnic group when absorbing the misinformation that is broadcasted through the bias lens of the Hollywood film industry. Additionally, the misinformation that is projected to mass viewers is prolonged through the support of the audience. Specifically, the Latina/o television viewers indulge as they may relate to the Hollywood infused image of the Latina/o community.
Jane the Virgin is a television series about a young woman, Jane, on a focused trajectory to be successful in a prospective teaching career and in love. Jane is raised and living with her grandmother and young single mother. As Jane is in a relationship, she intends on abstaining until she is married. Despite Jane’s dedication to sexual celibacy, she accidently becomes pregnant at a routine doctor visit as she is artificially inseminated by her physician. Characters of the television series are all somehow connected to Jane and her accidental pregnancy. The complex connection between characters and events occur in a telenovela (television novel) like format all the while displaying stereotypical behavior of Latina/o culture. The pilot show of the television series opens with a flashback of Jane’s catholic-rigid grandmother speaking to a child age Jane of the importance of Jane’s virginity. With her teenage mother lacking interest in the backdrop of this scene, Jane’s grandmother uses a flower to give a visual impression of the topic. She has Jane crumple a flower and asks to have the flower look as it did before having squeezed it in her hands per Jane’s grandmother’s request. After attempting this, Jane then tells her grandmother that she is unable to restore the flower to its original form to which the grandmother replies, “and that’s what happens when you lose your virginity, you can never go back.” The grandmother’s emphasis on Jane’s chastity may stem from her inability to prevent her own daughter from becoming the young single mother as depicted in the series. The episode then progresses thirteen years later into a much older Jane who is romantically involved, but manages to be an abstinent young woman. Following a superficially intimate encounter with her significant other, Jane joins her mother and grandmother in the living room to watch a telenovela, which Jane’s grandmother seems to indulge.
These examples of stereotypical Latina/o behavior along with the displays of religious implications, romance and dramatic love triangles/infidelity that unfolds throughout the episode is a misrepresentation of a culture that is fabricated by the Hollywood film industry. Additionally, the show’s success is owed to its telenovela like platform of multiple story lines involving numerous personalities and outcomes.
“They are a cultural touchstone, especially for Spanish speakers across the globe. Popular story arcs like long-lost family members resonate with Latinos whose families may have emigrated. Religious references will appear in several of these series, another touchstone to the predominantly Catholic Latino population.” (The Power of the Telenovela). As Jane the Virgin exhibits the Latina/o stereotype, its viewers endorse the television show’s interpretation of the Latina/o culture as its audiences seem to connect with the themes.
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I am not familiar with telenova’s because any I have tried to view have all been in Spanish. However, I must say I was raised on soap operas. I remember viewing up to four hours of tape after work. Soap operas too are a little cheesy and have story lines that are mostly the same and mostly unbelievable. I have found that different races have been show in stereotypical fashion but many of the white women characters display a lack of morality, also. White men are the powerful and heroic characters in these story lines. I am beginning to wonder if stereotypes are a little old fashioned as we are exposed to more diverse ethnicities in our communities and work environments.I am not familiar with
I agree to a certain point that Hollywood industry has fabricated much of what is being represented in this sitcom series, but there are those old fashioned Mexican parents that still are firm on many traditions. For example, there are those that have always been head strung about their ‘daughters’ not being able to move out of the home until they are to be wed. Jane the Virgin is over exaggerated but there are some key points which did and perhaps still do exist in the Mexican culture. I’ve seen some episodes and they are quite funny and does touch base on some tradition.
I really enjoyed your review, I have never watched this TV series, but my daughters are fans. The way you described it has intrigued me to want to watch an episode. I love shows where the older generation instills wisdom into the youth in a funny way. Like you pointed out in your post “the grandmother uses a flower to give a visual impression of the topic. She has Jane crumple a flower and asks to have the flower look as it did before having squeezed it in her hands per Jane’s grandmother’s request. After attempting this, Jane then tells her grandmother that she is unable to restore the flower to its original form to which the grandmother replies, “and that’s what happens when you lose your virginity, you can never go back.” Spoken like a grandmother from and older generation.