Hispanic Women In the Media

Taking this class has made me more critical of the films and programs I watch. Recently I watched the film " We Own the Night" if your not familiar with the movie I posted the link to the official site. My dispute with this movie is the portrayal that Eva Mendez gives to hispanic women. With the first 3 seconds of the movie starting the character she plays is involved in a sexual act and through out to movie she continues to either be film doing some type of recreational drug, in bed, or partying at a club. In the more serious of scenes she's portrayed as being defenseless and dependent on her counterpart. Not only doesn't she perpetuate the stigma of latin and hispanic women in the media the movie makes light of it as other actors during the movie make "suggestive comments" and Eva Mendez's character. By the end of the movie well let me not ruin it for those who haven't seen it Similar to most films hispanic/latin women are given the reputation of sexual beings and nothing more. Since the era of "J Lo" the fascinating for latino women has grown which has pawn the careers of such actors like Penelope Cruz, Salma Hayek and Eva Mendez. It's evident that in many of the roles these females star in they are nothing more than are candy for there staring actors who are always men. The image perpetuated by society and now widely accept that women of this cultural and ethnic back ground are uneducated, impoverished, sex crazed, gossiping, drama queens is a widely accepted belief. We think of a Puerto rican female as single who is probably on welfare with children living in a urban community working a minimal job. and the only positive imagine we do accept is of her being a sexual object. I encourage you all to view this film and if you could type in some of your thoughts about this movie. Thanks http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/weownthenight/