George Lopez “Races” Late Night
By Guest Contributor Tomas, originally published at Latino Like Me
Comedian George Lopez debuted “Lopez Tonight” on Monday, November 9. A veteran of the stand-up stage, Lopez’s foray into late night does little to mess with the familiar format honed by Johnny Carson and tweaked by Leno and Letterman: it includes a monologue, video-taped comedy segment, celebrity interview, and musical guest.
The primary difference, as pushed by Lopez, is the “color” of the show. “¡Oralé!” he exclaimed as he walked out on stage. “The revolution begins right now!”
It’s an odd role for Lopez, the man who carved out his niche in prime time as a Mexican Bill Cosby. His eponymous sitcom featured a middle (maybe even upper-middle) class family struggling with the same kinds of life issues faced by any family. Its lack of depth and specificity relating to Latino life was deliberate. It didn’t evade “race,” but it rarely let it mean more than we’re slightly different but still the same.
Putting race at the forefront of his first late-night monologue, Lopez now seems to be making himself both a political advocate (“This is what American looks like,” he proclaimed of his multiracial audience) and a purveyor of “race talk.” Most of his first monologue focused on the kind of “race comedy” we’ve heard since the early days of Richard Pryor: he made fun of whites (often drawing them as “racially other”), used racial stereotypes to get easy laughs, and even offered some multiracial celebratory jokes (describing how much better “we” look when we “mix”). The rest of his stand-up built off of relationships and other “general” topics, while consciously carving out the terrain on the edge of “urban hip” (of the marriage of a centenarian and a 20-year old he said “That’s not polishing the knob, it’s called antiquing”).
The problem was, it didn’t reflect the depth, creativity, and authenticity of later Richard Pryor.
George Lopez is selling himself as something new in late night because he is something brown in late night. The first person of color to host a “major” late night show since Arsenio Hall, Lopez made his statement both literally and symbolically, with his inaugural guestlist composed of Eva Longoria, Kobe Bryant, and Carlos Santana. But being brown isn’t always representing something new.
Lopez’ taped video segment was racial tweak of a standard Leno segment. His camera crew stopped a person of color on the street and talked to them briefly before asking them if they fulfilled a ubiquitous stereotype (they asked a black guy is he had been to jail; an Asian man is he had a small penis). The audience, and two members chosen from them, then had to guess what the person would say in reply.
Lopez is certainly providing something different in late night. Frankly, I’m not sure we’ve had this kind of clumsy interaction with the meaning of race and racial diversity in the US since the 70s. But, so far, that isn’t panning out to be something better. I’m willing to let him settle in to his new role and see what he has to offer in the weeks and months ahead. Let’s hope it entails some growth.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
storm wrote:
I haven’t watched the show yet. However, whenever I see a promo, I cringe. In the spots, Lopez is bucking his eyes so hard that it reminds me of “cooning.” Not sure if this goes on during the actual shows. I hope not.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 9:43 am ¶
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist wrote:
At least it’s a start, no?
Chelsea Handler is, I think, the first female talk show host with a late-night show. Her show is quite popular. She’s slowly carving a path for female late night talk show hosts. So Lopez may do the same for POC.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 11:25 am ¶
stepaside wrote:
Even so, Ms. Handler doesn’t quite stay away from tired, racial jokes either: http://www.angryasianman.com/2007/06/chelsea-handlers-asian-jokes-on-tonight.html
And that’s just one of many, many incidents…
Come to think of it, didn’t Joan Rivers have a late night talk show in the ’80s?
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 12:06 pm ¶
Big Man wrote:
I don’t Lopez talked about race a lot on his show. Way more than Bill Cosby ever did. They talked about race, they spoke in Spanish on occasion, they joked about the tension between Cubans and Mexicans. I don’t agree with this author’s characterization of Lopez’s show. While it wasn’t taking on hard hitting racial issues, the fact that his family was Latino was a prominent part of the show.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 12:35 pm ¶
maus wrote:
“Lopez’ taped video segment was racial tweak of a standard Leno segment. His camera crew stopped a person of color on the street and talked to them briefly before asking them if they fulfilled a ubiquitous stereotype (they asked a black guy is he had been to jail; an Asian man is he had a small penis). ”
oh just great, they got george lopez to do carlos mencia.
worthless.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 12:36 pm ¶
Yonnie3k wrote:
I didn’t watch his sitcom very often, but the way that you describe his late night comedy show does not sound entirely different from the few stand up comedy specials that I’ve seen of his. They are all highly racially/culturally charged.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 12:37 pm ¶
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist wrote:
I don’t Lopez talked about race a lot on his show. Way more than Bill Cosby ever did. They talked about race, they spoke in Spanish on occasion, they joked about the tension between Cubans and Mexicans. I don’t agree with this author’s characterization of Lopez’s show. While it wasn’t taking on hard hitting racial issues, the fact that his family was Latino was a prominent part of the show.
That’s the thing, though– a prominent Latino family on TV is important because it opened our eyes to a different culture, a different community so different from mine.
I’m not Latino and I don’t have too many Latino friends. Where I live, there’s a veryyyy small Latino community, but they’re exclusive. That being said, I’m interested in Mexican, Latino, and South American politics & history. So I’m always intrigued by jokes of Cuban vs Mexican tension and inside jokes in the Latino community. It’s something new for me and I like it.
so, I’m glad Lopez has his own late-night talk show.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 12:44 pm ¶
curlyscales wrote:
I am very happy to see GL with his own talk show and for the record – no one can do what Ricahrd Pryor did. This comparison doesn’t sit quite right.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 1:01 pm ¶
atlasien wrote:
From what I’ve heard, neither this, nor the Wanda Sykes show, is really any good at all.
Both of them are talented. Maybe it’s just that the format is crap.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 1:46 pm ¶
Adrienne wrote:
Wanted to comment that the family on Lopez’s sitcom was definitely not upper middle class…No way was that family upper middle class for southern California.
And comment that the family was pretty close to the Mexican families I knew. I too agree that the family being Latino was a prominent part of the show.
I also think its easy to confuse the sitcom character he plays with who he is hosting a nighttime show.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 4:04 pm ¶
louie wrote:
I’ve seen an interview where they ask lopez how he feels about Raza telling him that he shouldn’t be reinforcing stereotypes about Raza/Latinos because folx who don’t know us might think that we are ALL like this.His response is why I have no respect for him and view him as a sell out; I have to agree with the person who compared him to carlos mencia. His response was something to the effect of “well if they want me to stop talking about things, then they have to stop doing them”.
This disgusts me because he certainly is a believer in the pick yourself up from the bootstraps theory while completely ignoring the fact that the folx who are telling him to consider the consequences of his misrepresentations of Raza are more than likely NOT the type to fulfill the stereotypes that we call him out for. On the other hand, the folx that DO these “things” that lopez riffs on more than likely do not have the intellectual agency to see through the stereotype and be motivated to transform;which, by his response, is something he is expecting of them. There are many reasons for this going back to the education system that perpetually fails black and brown youth in higher numbers than white students. I’m a young, college grad, a teacher, and Mexican. Just because I’m constantly deconstructing machismo and other aspects of our culture that oppress us does not mean that ALL other young Mexian men are as well.just like all of us are NOT “criminals. one thing I always use for motivation is when people loook “surprised” when I tell them my profession because I don’t “look” like a “teacher” sole based on the fact that my style consists of baggy jeans, xl white t shirt, and jeans. But step in my class and I’ll open up your mind and make you love education. Lopez does folx like us, and there are plenty of us, no good with his “orales” and other cheesy ass ish he pulls in the name of veing “latino”. We are not the same. There are definite similarities but a california mexican is different than a texan mexican. Hell a mexican from the bay area in northern california is different than an LA mexican. Huge.
Another thing, lopex lives in pebble beach, ca. Which is a gated city or province. I grew up 30 minutes away and I’ve never been there. Old white wealth. The city I grew up in is salinas, ca. We have a huge gang problem and our murder rate per capita of every 100,000 residents is 18 this year which is either the same or more than LA. Lopez does “benefit shows” (false generosity and false charity as paulo freire would note) for organzations with majority white youth in monterey, ca. I’ve always wondered why he’s never came to salinas which is toughly 60% mexican. The east side is 99% mexican yet he won’t even step foot in our city. He’s a sell outwho started his career trying to be “nuetral” saw that it wasn’t doing anything for him and turned to making fun of his people to come up. Check him out on youtube and see his early work where he sounds “white” and he aint making fun of white folk either.
Mod Note – Please note, we generally refrain from using the term “sell out” on this site – racial identity is complicated, everyone interprets it differently. Future comments containing the word “sell out” will be deleted. – LDP
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 4:29 pm ¶
G.K. wrote:
Yeah, Joan Rivers did host her own late night show in the late 1980’s. I didn’t really get into her until she did her own daytime talk show, which was excellent,BTW. I watched Lopez’s new show a few days ago, in which he let a Mexican woman give a white woman what hse called a chola makeover—which didn’t look good on her because the makeup was more appropiate for dark-skinned folks. I’ll have to watch the show again to see if it’s any good. I loved Lopez’s sitcom, though—-one of the more refreshing shows that didn’t focus on a white family for a change.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 4:31 pm ¶
uglyblackjohn wrote:
Filmed in L.A. – the first episode had an underlying meaning (Blacks and Browns can still get along.)
Kobe – married to a Latina/Hispanic
Eva Longoria – married to a Black guy
Carlos Santana – Afro Cuban?
To me, the show was more about the unity of Brown cultures than anything else.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 6:08 pm ¶
T.R wrote:
I have watched the show on and off since it started. I agree that the first show was very racially charged and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I am Latina and I find his jokes to be funny, but more so when he talks about his growing up and less the other stuff. However I think that since the first show he has been experimenting with different kinds of segments seeing which stick and which falter, (creepy little white girl for instance) I hope that the racial overtones lessen but dont dissapear…One thing I love about this besides him being the first POC host since Arsenio Hall is the audience and the guests. The audience is America! more so than when the camera pans Fallon, O’brien, Letterman etc crowd. The guests have been mostly black and brown celebrities but I think that is great like I loved the Queen Latifah interview!
I enjoy late night talk shows and I like George Lopez, I sometimes still watch the sitcom on Nick @ Night, it may not be perfect but there are moments of fun and truth too. I am hoping that not only d0es this show stick around and see good ratings but I hope that it becomes more universal without relying on race as a divider. Its time to unite.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 6:18 pm ¶
Luis wrote:
I actually agree with Big Man. Lopez’s sitcom hit a lot of issues. He had a full range of Latino characters with a full range of income, education, accents, and Spanish fluency. He featured Cubans and Mexicans predominantly, but also made reference to other Latino groups. The humor and family interactions more resembled what I’m used to with my own family: loving but sarcastic, caring but critical.
The only thing they avoided was a straight up racial epithet being thrown at a character, but they did capture the passive racial tension that colors everyday interactions, particularly with authority figures.
Regarding the late night show, Lopez just needs to find his stride. I think it’ll work out.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 6:47 pm ¶
pandoradeloeste wrote:
In the spots, Lopez is bucking his eyes so hard that it reminds me of “cooning.” Not sure if this goes on during the actual shows. I hope not.
I would guess that it does – he has one of those very expressive faces (not as extreme as Jim Carrey, but close) and he uses it a lot in his standup. I always read it as an expression of surprise/disbelief, but I can certainly see how it can have an unfortunate racial connotation as well.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 7:06 pm ¶
Barbara B. wrote:
“In the spots, Lopez is bucking his eyes so hard that it reminds me of “cooning.”
The idea of a Mexican-American cooning is so bizarre that I had to laugh. I’ve noticed him bucking his eyes but never related it to cooning.
But if I see a black person do the same thing I’m enraged and disgusted.
I’m happy for Lopez, I’ve never watched his sit-com but I’ve seen several of his comedy specials and find him hilarious. I’m hoping he’s very successful with this new show.
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 9:35 pm ¶
Naliel wrote:
I am a huge Lopez fan and I hope his show succeeds. I feel so relieved that a POC is hosting a late night show. As the previous commenter said, when you pan out to Lopez’s audience, it is AMERICA.
Not the same with Kimmel and Conan, etc.
I’m tired of snarky, self important white late night humor. Don’t get me wrong, it’s funny. But it’s not the only humor out there.
Posted 24 Nov 2009 at 3:36 am ¶
Chris wrote:
I wonder about intersectionality in Lopez’s work. I can really get on board and appreciate the way he raises awareness and creates some familiarity in “mainstream” culture for some Latin@s; however, i am concerned with his lack of attention to homophobia and sexism in our culture, sometimes even using homophobia and sexism to create humor. In his last HBO special he made light of child sexual abuse, blaming vicitms for the abuse. How does that silence Latin@ survivors?
Posted 24 Nov 2009 at 10:12 am ¶
mka wrote:
of all the nitpicking you guys do here, THIS you let go! THIS, you call progress! “A hope for better things to come!”
I’m appalled!
Posted 24 Nov 2009 at 10:17 am ¶
Big Man wrote:
Some words got left out of my original post.
I was a fan of how Lopez handled race. I thought he did a lot more than most minorities on national television.
Posted 24 Nov 2009 at 1:15 pm ¶
Jillian C. York wrote:
I do hope you plan to comment on last night’s show, in which Lopez gave Sandra Bullock a “chola makeover.” It didn’t sit well with me…brownface of a white person, even when done by a brown person? Ick.
Posted 25 Nov 2009 at 10:57 am ¶
ashlynn wrote:
@Jillian,
I hear you, but would drawing on eyebrows and lip liner and using a crazy amount of hairspray be brownface?
And Lopez himself didn’t give the makeover, a YouTube personality named Baby Smiley did. But as it is his show, if something went awry, I suppose he would take the fall.
Posted 27 Nov 2009 at 2:50 am ¶
Jillian C. York wrote:
Ashlynn, it appeared as though Bullock’s skin was darkened as well, but I could be mistaken. She may have already had a tan.
Still, I think it’s worth noting that Baby Smiley is also not ACTUALLY a “chola,” rather, she is someone mocking the culture. Can she because she’s of Mexican descent? Maybe. But is doing it to a white woman taking it too far? I think so.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 2:12 pm ¶