MovieChat Forums > Despicable Me 2 (2013) Discussion > Is DM2 anti-Hispanic?

Is DM2 anti-Hispanic?

posted 12 years ago by denniskriz
69 replies | jump to latest

Full disclosure: I'm a Catholic priest who writes a blog about movies and works in a parish where about 75% of the kids are Hispanic. I also loved the first Despicable Me and TRIED REALLY HARD TO LIKE DM2.

And there's much to like. The minions and the three little girls that Gru's taking care of are really really cute. The addition of the Kristen Wiig character is also good.

But (SPOILERS) ...

At the end of the day, the two villains in the movie are (IMHO NEEDLESSLY) identified as Mexican.

Okay, "El Macho" is kind of a villain of Gru's caliber (and Gru has a "East Europeanish" accent as well...). So one COULD perhaps lump "El Macho" and "Gru" together. And Gru's of course the hero/anti-hero of the whole franchise.

HOWEVER, the film makes a gratuitously nasty comment about the grooming habits of "El Macho" that's going to stick with people (and one would think is actually false ... I haven't exactly known Mexicans to be particularly "hairy"...)

FURTHER, the film gratuitously has "El Macho's" son play a "latin lover" where he first woos the oldest of the three girls that Gru's taking care of AND THEN FOR NO REASON (other than perhaps that "he's a Latin Lover/Mexican...") HE DUMPS HER.

NEITHER ONE OF THESE STUPID INSERTIONS serve a purpose in the film other than suggest that older latin men are "unclean" and younger latin men are not to be trusted.

Now put yourselves in my place. How am I supposed to recommend this film to the Hispanic families (and their kids) in my parish??

Fr. Dennis Kriz, OSM
http://frdennismoviereviews.blogspot.com

[–] mikebrady6 12 years ago

The back hair line has nothing to do with the character being Mexican, and everything to do with the character being macho.

And I don't think El Macho's son is meant to represent all young Hispanic men. And I think most people who see the movie (particularly children) are capable of making that distinction. In the first movie Miss Hattie has a southern accent. She was overweight and horrible--was the movie saying all southern women were like that? Should southern people not have seen the movie? Dr. Nefario's age was the subject of several jokes. Should the elderly have stayed away from the movie?

You see my point. I think it's positive that the cast of the movie was more diverse than the typical animated movie. Still waiting for African-Americans to show up--but maybe the filmmakers are afraid of offending them...

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

Mike,

They could have made Margo's boyfriend a _random_ boy. Instead they _chose_ to make him into a "love 'em and leave 'em" latin lover. (a stereotype).

Then "El Macho" was portrayed not so much with a "back hairline" but with a ridiculously hairy chest, so much that it largely obscured his chest-sized "Mexican flag" tattoo. (Part of the ridiculousness of this is that most Mexicans aren't even particularly hairy ... that's actually more a Caucasian thing ... Yet here, the "unkempt" hairy guy is explicitly portrayed as "Mexican").

So I do think that there is a difference between how the Mexicans are portrayed in this film and that the counter-examples that you give.

And I honestly don't know how I could recommend this film to the many, many, many cute Mexican-American families (with kids as cute as those three little girls that Gru is taking care of) that go to my parish. 75% of the students at our school are cute as a button Hispanic kids and 90% of our CCD kids (those who go to public schools) are similarly cute/nice Hispanic kids. Yet in this film, the only Hispanic kid ... is a jerk (and his father is portrayed as "unkempt"/"unclean" ...).

Then consider that the majority of kids (under 17) in the U.S. are no longer white ... so not only is this Hollywood decision "racist" but also financially stupid ...

(Fr) Dennis Kriz, OSM

[–] witeowlK 12 years ago

No, they couldn't have made the boyfriend a random boy. He had to be El Macho's son in order to make Gru's accusations of his father as El Macho a comical desperate reaction of a father rather than a logical accusation based on facts. They needed that plot device in order to discredit Gru.

Additionally, do you see the boy as an unkempt overly hairy Latino? No. He's suave and charming... until he turns into a typical teenage boy and sets his eyes on another girl. The boyfriend is an archetype, not a stereotype, who just happens to be Latino because it fits the plot.

[–] benman46 12 years ago

Before your rant what you say never even occurred to me whilst watching the film and I still don't get it.

You say Mexicans aren't particularly hairy, but if you went to Mexico you would find many Mexicans are as hairy as hell. With Mexican males this is a positive thing, hence El Macho. Saying that hairiness is more a Caucasian thing is nonsense.

The boy couldn't be random because El Macho was his father. He wasn't portrayed as a typical latin lover he was just a teenager who can also be jerks.

If you can't recommend the film then don't. Let the people make up their own mind.

The statement that the majority of kids under 17 are no longer white is not true. The Government projects that in five years minorities will make up more than half of children under 18.

The film isn't racist and you're the only person who I've read to say this. The film has been a box office hit around the world, not exactly financially stupid.

[–] boxerrebellion 11 years ago

Fr. Dennis,
My daughter is half Central American and half Arabic. Her brother is African American. They are both adopted. To be honest, my daughter didn't even register the things you are referencing. She doesn't in movies. What does concern her is the fanatics in the news, and the upheaval in the Mideast. She looks at her heritage and the very real world around her and wants to know why the people in Egypt, or Syria can't get along; why the Taliban and Al Qaeda hate us. My son, granted doesn't pay much attention to the 'real world' - he's concerned with his immediate world and his worries about AP classes and SATs. Whether African Americans are portrayed in movies as gang members, drug dealers, business men, college students, or politicians doesn't give him shame or pride - they aren't him, or the African Americans he knows. What he doesn't like, in movies is when I drag (and yes, I have to drag him) to movies that show the history of Blacks in America, whether it is Django Unchained, Lincoln, 42, or The Butler. His honest belief, and it is not what he has picked up from me, is that if people would just stop concentrating on the past and treat everyone the same, the issues wouldn't be issues. I have the philosophy that we must be aware of and learn from the past; although I have endeavored to teach them that we should not treat people differently because of race, colour, creed or ability. I will admit that my children have benefited by growing up in a military community where there seems to be fewer issues based upon race or ethnicity.

My take on El Macho was that he was a wrestler.

[–] radditz_13 12 years ago

You know, I had the same problem with another movie. Back when The Muppets came out, I really wanted to recommend it to a lot of people, because I was so thrilled that The Muppets were back. But the villain in that movie was a Caucasian man, so I knew right away that I couldn't recommend it to any family that had white males in it. Obviously it was painting the idea that all white males were evil. I run into this problem a lot, and I wish that Hollywood would stop stereotyping rich white people as evil. It really makes their lives Hell in real life.

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

Hi Radditz,

It's clear that you don't get it:

You'd have the comparison that you're looking for IF the Muppet movie had insisted that the bad guy be dressed in a white hood / sheets through most of the film while selling cross-burning kits for a living out of a beat-up Confederate flag detailed pick-up truck.

That would be offensive and actually there are "dumb hick" films like that out there that I similarly condemn on my blog. The most obvious one was the NC-17 film "Killer Joe" -- about a "hick family" that was "so stupid" that they wanted to kill their own mother "for the insurance money." Lookup what I gave that film ... and why ...

Fr. Dennis Kriz, OSM
http://frdennismoviereviews.blogspot.com/

[–] Franco_Zed 12 years ago

Also the bad guy is not the only Caucasian male in the movie.

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All insults will be interpreted as an admission that you cannot contribute to the discussion.

[–] benman46 12 years ago

The poster wasn't being entirely serious.

[–] Sheldom 12 years ago

I think you're thinking too much into it. It's not like the film outrightly set out to offend any Hispanic person. It's an animated movie and the sole purpose is to entertain.

[–] captinska_1999 12 years ago

Have you not seen the latest trailer for TURBO? That lays the hispanic sterotypes on thick. This was ok.

[–] prterrell 12 years ago

The hairiness of El Macho was because he was a "macho" man, very manly man.

The boy wasn't a representation of a "Latin Lover" he was a representation of a tween/teen boy. His behavior was fairly typical of boys that age, regardless of their cultural background. The relationship he and Margo have is pretty typical of tween/teen romances: full of high drama and over quickly.

Besides, individual characterization isn't the same thing as cultural generalization.

Seems to me like you're looking for offences where they don't exist.

Misidiotaicy - the dislike of idiots.

[–] Sheldom 12 years ago

If we were on Y!A the answer above would be best answer.

[–] SailorRainbowKittyKat 12 years ago

I'm a Latina and I loved the movie and loved Macho's character! Sure, they are stereotypes placed on him (the dancing, the accent, the pet chicken) but I think they weren't negative. They made me love the character. He was suave, manly, caring and cool until we found out what villainous intentions he had. A hairy chest wasn't associated with him being Latino but with being a very macho man. The young son was very suave and had that "Latin Lover" vibe which most people associate Latinos with, and the whole relationship between him and the young girl demonstrated just the fickle ways of tween boys. Why does him dumping her have to be associated with what Latino boys do? I think us as minorities always feel that when we are displayed on screen we zone in on a lot of stereotypes and assume they are meant to make us look bad. Many stereotypes are used just so the general public can familiarize themselves with the character. I do hope in the future Hollywood doesn't rely so heavily on them but within a children's movie I understand why it was done.

IMO the movie just happened to make the villain hispanic, and I was happy to finally have us in a movie where we aren't us a side character, but one of the main ones. I would definitely recommend this to other Latinos, because many of them would love to hear the Spanish dialogue throughout the movie, the music, and the dancing. We have to just stop being so damn sensitive of everything that portrays us.

[–] disneyprincess209 12 years ago

I am not Hispanic, but I am sensitive to any kind of racial coding, and I usually spot it right away. After seeing the movie, it occurred to me after the fact that the villains were Hispanic. But that's the point, it occurred to me AFTER seeing the film.

And that's why it did not offend me. The film does not exploit Hispanic stereotypes as a basis of villainy; the villains just happen to be Hispanic (if that makes sense). The Mexican flag tattoo, the Latin lover trope, and the chicken were quirky touches that had nothing to do with what made the villains villains.

I would add that the film does not belittle anything in Latino culture. I agree that Macho's son could have been any boy, but it was refreshing to see a Hispanic love interest for Gru's daughter. Its also nice to see Gru and Lucy stop mid-action to enjoy the secret salsa, which is what I would do! If many people enjoyed the film and all the characters, good and bad, I would say its a testament of Hispanic culture being a part of the mainstream.

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

Hi princess,

Unlike you, I caught the coding right away. Again, working in a largely Hispanic parish, I could not miss the stupid scene in which "El Macho" takes off his shirt to reveal a chest-sized tattoo of the Mexican flag that was then 3/4 covered by grotesquely thick chest hair.

Beyond making "El Macho" look like an idiot it's even RATHER IMPROBABLE because Mexicans AREN'T EVEN KNOWN TO HAVE A LOT OF CHEST HAIR.

Was that scene NECESSARY to the film? Of course not. So what was the point?

To HIJACK A VERY CUTE FILM, OVERLAYING IT WITH AN ANTI-HISPANIC message:

(1) Older Hispanic men are "gross", and

(2) Younger Hispanic men (his love 'em and leave 'em "latin lover" tween son) "can't be trusted."

[–] dudeman5685 12 years ago

There's a stereotype that younger Hispanic women dump their girlfriends quickly?

Alot of times I'm not aware of these stereotypes until someone points them out?

[–] dudeman5685 12 years ago

When I saw it it kind of made me think "Oh, hell the Hispanic people are going to be livid over this guy". Strangely all I have found so far from Latino sources is positive. Perhaps this is because both of the voice actors are Hispanic and perhaps one of the writers too (his name is Cinco).

So I guess its like all the Jew jokes in Mel Brooks' movies -- "Its OK if we make stereotypical jokes of ourselves."

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

Have you seen a picture of "cinco"? He's not Hispanic at all. His parents simply named him that, kinda like Frank Zappa named his daughter "Moon Unit."

On the other side of the coin, Al Pacino walked away from the role of "El Macho" ...

[–] mcca555 12 years ago

I am Mexican and I say no.

[–] CitizenCairParavel 12 years ago

Gimme a break.

[–] freshy 12 years ago

A break from what? Wasn't his statement clear enough?

[–] billsonbob 12 years ago

If you're a priest, I'm a bit surprised you chose not to focus on the positive and instead focused on the negative.

As long as people continue to point out race as an issue, it will remain an issue. I thought yours was a gospel of love.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] CitizenCairParavel 12 years ago

Vell, I am Roumaniahn, and I toroughly resent Gru representing Roumaniahns the way he did. So offensive. Actually, I am not Romanian. When will all this racism stop?

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

Citizen, that's a whole other ball game.

Read my review of Despicable Me 2. Since 2010 there have been at least a half-a-dozen Hollywood produced children's films that have followed the formula "All Anglo Americans are good" and "all non-English accented people are bad"

George Orwell's sheep couldn't have done better ...

Fr. Dennis Kriz, OSM
http://frdennismoviereviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/despicable-me-2-2013. html

[–] CitizenCairParavel 12 years ago

Yep, when the media is constantly portraying all whites as racists or white men as stupid or Wall St as money grabbers, that's another whole ball game. DM2 did not treat ALL Hispanics in a malicious manner...only El Macho. Grow up.

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

Citizen

... and his son.

BOTH of the "bad people" in the film were painted as Hispanic, one, El Macho not merely as "bad" but also with "personal hygiene issues", the other, his son, as a suave but untrustworthy jerk.

If they wanted to be fair, the film makers could have spread the burden around. Instead, they chose to make BOTH the 'bad guys' in this KIDS FILM _Hispanic_.

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

So then all the Nazi-era propaganda showing cartoon drawings showing Jews as grotesque sweaty, money grubbing creatures (half human/half rat) with big noses is to be understood as simply "artistic license??"

[–] dudeman5685 12 years ago

Reductio ad Hitlerum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductio_ad_Hitlerum

Well, the voice actors were Hispanic and they were apparently cool with it and the only people who seem to be offended, so far, are white Anglos.

Don't get me wrong. If I were Mexican I WOULD definitely be offended, and I still think the plot line to "Hop" is racially insensitive, but if the people we are supposedly defending don't given a damn, why should we get involved?

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

Hi Dude,

I do actually understand what you are saying with the "ad-Hilterum"

But the accenting question in kids movies goes beyond black/hispanic.

I'm of East European decent. My sister's name is Vera. Her entire life she's hated the name and tried really really had to become "super-american" and then I'm watching a couple of years ago "Hoodwinked Too" and the RUSSIAN-ACCENTED witch is named "Verushka" ... "dear little Vera" (what my grandmother used to call my sister when she was a kid) made into a WITCH and I could hear my sister screaming from a 1000 miles away: "SEEEEE...."

(Fr) Dennis Zdenek Kriz, OSM

As you can see, I was "lucky" as my folks chose to put my "ethnic name" (it's Dennis in Czech and I'm named after an uncle who was jailed by the Communists...) as my middle name.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Franco_Zed 12 years ago

For what it's worth, I think Vera is a really nice name, and I believe that lots of other people like it also. Tell your sister if you want.

___
All insults will be interpreted as an admission that you cannot contribute to the discussion.

[–] mamporrero 11 years ago

More like factual representations.

[–] DonaldFDraper 12 years ago

Good lord, stop being so hypersensitive and stop being arbitrary.

[–] denniskriz 12 years ago

And Donald ... stop coddling racism. This was a CUTE KIDS movie and BOTH of the bad people in the movie were explicitly made Hispanic, one made with personal hygiene issues the other a love 'em and leave 'em jerk. It would not have taken much to spread the burden around. Instead, a point was being made: "Hispanics are gross" and "Hispanics can't be trusted."

AND AGAIN THIS WAS SNUCK INTO A KIDS MOVIE.

[–] DonaldFDraper 12 years ago

Considering I'm Hispanic and I don't think it's racist, I think the problem is with your hypersensitivity.
It's the same PC alarmism that got Speedy Gonzalez banned from the Cartoon Network despite Hispanic children loving the cartoons.

You don't speak for Hispanics. Now get off your high-horse.

[–] mcca555 12 years ago

+1 billion for this post

Edit

Bigmackillah's post

[–] cgrill8 12 years ago

Oh...my... Heavens... it seemed fair to the piont of the movie that ANYONE could be a 'villian' at one point I thought Lucy was playing both fences, until I realized she really WAS partnering with Gru. Thing is, that was part of the PLOT people. They were staked out at the mall checking on who was suspicious, and the wrong person was arrested, yet was the short guy REALLY a villian? Maybe maybe not... thing is, El Macho was a villian, and at first after Gru told his story about El Macho, I thought to my self... it probably IS the villian of old, but he could be reformed and hidding, but that turned out to be a simple wrong prediction on my part. I thought ALL the characters were great in the film. Even villians need personality no matter who or what they are. I didn't find the Muppets offensive to me at all. BUT when DM2 was over I moaned and thought... oh no, the villian turned OUT to be Mexican... but it still was great and funny movie. They just needed a villian, and having a Mexican villian help us have the whole fiesta scene and the chip hat! Which I thought was hilarious! (and cool I might add...)

(edit) And with the kid dumping the oldest girl... I didn't think of any stereotype really.... it happens to EVERYBODY!!! "Latin loverboy stero-type? nazi posters from the 40's?..." many of us are too young to even KNOW that stuff. Maybe ignorance IS Bliss... stereotyping is everywhere, sometimes it HELPS makes thing funny. Why did so many in the early to mid 90's turn to anime? Because America was becoming too "PC" and 'overly sensative' we NEEDED some good old-fashioned laughs. Even if some of them at our OWN expense! If you can't laugh AT YOUR SELF, then there's something seriously wrong with your selfconscious. And the Japanese poked fun at themselves and everyone else in the older anime... that's WHY it was so funny. Until American sensativity spilled over into the 'freedom' of some of their writing and creativity when anime started to become more mainstream over here.