Sexual Tension, Racial Prejudice and Magical Realism.
Did you read the title to this blog post? If not, go back and do so. I’ll give you a second.
Finished?
Good, now let’s get started. Doesn’t that title sound like the makings of an excellent novel? There’s the love interest, the conflict of the racial prejudice, and of course magic. Who doesn’t want to read that story? What if I were to tell you that it wasn’t a novel, but in fact a television show. You’d buy that, right?
Sure you would. TV shows usually have a good plot to keep us interested.
But… let’s just say that television show is for children. Children, you say? Now you’re curious, right?
Yeah, for serious. I’m talking about Handy Manny.
This is a kid’s cartoon that comes on in the mornings on the Disney Channel Manny is a Latin (Is that the PC way to say it?) Handy Man that helps the people of his little town fix their broken stuff.
He’s totally in love with Kelly, the hardware store owner. Seriously, I bet if I looked hard enough I bet I could find some awesome fanfic of them finally going on their first date.
Kelly’s the hot white girl that owns the hardware shop. She’s babe-alicious, always has her crap together, and keeps her store open late for all Manny’s er-hardware needs.
And then there’s Mr. Lopart. He’s the dumb guy that thinks he can fix all his stuff without Manny’s help, but inevitably screws it up and has to call Manny for assistance. Oh, and um–he’s white. Here we have the dumb white guy stereotype. Manny is always really nice to him, but there’s a lot of sidebar eye rolling.
You don’t believe me? Here are some of the wiser, more sage characters: his grandfather Abuelito, the sweet old lady with a lizard, and of course all the hispanic school teachers.
Oh, and I can’t forget about the other white guy who works in the video store. He just shows up when he feels like it.
Now we get to the weird part. The magical realism. I think it’s important than when you have a fix-it handyman you should totally give him a drug problem. How else would you explain his talking tools?
Now that I know all there is to know about this show and its stereotypes, I bet you’re wondering if I let my child watch it?
You bet I did. I wanted to know if Kelly and Manny ended up together.
I used to love Handy Manny! I never noticed those moments.
I total agree with your Calliou review, but you went way to far with Handy Manny. You sound like a total screw up! You can’t be watching kids shows with an adult mind. You may as well think that the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a whore house. Never ever reading your BS again!
This is satire/ironic right?
Holy Mother of McCartney, that’s a trippy show.
Not only does Manny take LSD, he serves up a steaming load of After School Special tucked inside a shiny, googly eyed CGI shell.
.-= @jmartinlibrary´s last blog ..Literary Mashups: Paul is Undead =-.
I don’t even watch the show–but I will now!
hilarious
I was just telling my husband this same thing the other day. Because the only black guy in town? He’s the town barber.
WTF, Sheetrock Hills?
@tehawesomersace, The black guy is the barber? Damn… this show keeps getting awesomer and awesomer.
Because unfortunately you are a poor writer. This blogged forced it’s way uninvited onto my Facebook page, so I feel compelled to respond.
The word is “Latino”, by the way. It’s what most would prefer over Hispanic (I am Mexican).
I am guessing you have cocooned yourself in a lilly-white world somewhere, if your writing is any indication. The show you refer to is not “racist”…it’s just real life for many Latino people living in the U.S.
To write about what you don’t know is intellectually dishonest. And to write about it poorly only reflects more poorly on you.
Be sharper. Write better. Share something insightful.
People can only read so many words a day, a week, a year, in their lives. Don’t waste it for them by writing pablum.
For clarification – the above was a response to your statement below “How could I write an entire blog entry on this and not make the tool = metaphor for penis joke?”.
It posted under the wrong statement, for some reason.
I asked my black husband if I had cocooned myself in a lily-white world and we just laughed. I do agree though that when you write about something you don’t know (in this case, the fact that I had cocooned myself in a lily-white world) is intellectually dishonest, and I also have to admit, a little racist. You assuming that because I noticed these stereotypes in this show isn’t sharp at all, and a little disappointing just because I want you to fight against them!
Tool shows are all about the sexual tension…
Um, Bob the Builder and Wendy anyone?
“Can they do it?”
“YES THEY CAN… FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST MAKE THEM DO IT ALREADY.”
And um… COUGH: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5662284/1/Setting_Up_Shop
@HWPetty, dude. How could I write an entire blog entry on this and not make the tool = metaphor for penis joke?
@Jamie, I don’t know… but I’m ENTIRELY disappointed in you right now.
*heavy sigh*
hee!
@HWPetty, I respect that. 🙂
I don’t put that much thought into most of the kids’ shows. I like Handy Manny. His tools are funny. 😉
.-= nicole´s last blog ..It’s the Little Things =-.
@nicole, haha me either… usually 🙂