Casting Call For 'Hot Blooded' Latina Moms Makes My Blood Boil

By Tanisha Love Ramirez | January 8, 2013 | 8:45pm

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A new reality show being produced by DaM Legacy Entertainment is casting hot Latina mamis. I am not making this up!

The casting call, as it appears on RealityWanted.com, calls for “hot blooded, passionate, attractive, Latina moms that have effectively raised successful children through real life, old-school Latin traditions.” So if you’re a mild-mannered Latina who, say, doesn’t prove the stereotype of the loud, attitude-giving, chancleta-wielding mother, you need not apply.

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The highly offensive post goes on to specify that candidates MUST be “Real Latina Moms who are as big and brash and full of confidence in their parenting style! Should have at least on kid in his/her 20′s” and should “stand behind their parenting style 100%, and who will stand up and show us how it’s done”. So, ladies, be ready to submit to a Latina litmus test in order to prove that you are, in fact, a “real Latina”, and don’t forget your stereotypical “big and brash” attitudes at home. Also, make sure you stretch before the auditions and please bring your favorite chalncletazo slipper, as you’ll be expected to “show us how it’s done”, whatever that means. Child abuse, perhaps? Sounds fun!

Also, don’t forget that no matter how tough-as-nails you mamacitas are, you still have to be muy caliente! Casting directors are looking for the Sofia Vergara type. Considering Sofia has never publicly confessed to being especially strict on her now 20-something year old son, Manolo, one may be led to believe that the Sofia Vergara-esque qualities being sought in cast members are more of the aesthetic variety, rather than a reflection of her parenting style.

Despite a diligent internet search, I was unable to find much information about the so-called production company, DaM Legacy Entertainment. Their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles are sparse, lacking a company description or any contact information. The lack of contact information and lack of brand trail makes the casting call all the more suspicious. Wouldn’t a legitimate entertainment company have a working website and informative social networking profiles? I’d think so.

The site on which the ad appears, www.RealityWanted.com, claims that they perform background checks on the casting agencies that utilized their services, stating, “Unlike other casting sites and publications we do not allow just anyone to post a casting call. Casting professionals must register for an account and allow us to do some background work before they are allowed to post notices, if things don’t check out the account is declined. We review every casting call posting before it is set live to ensure accuracy.” However, despite Reality Wanted’s rigorous background checks, no information can be found on DaM Legacy Entertainment. Interesting.

Whatever the deal with this casting call is, it’s highly offensive to the Latino community. The post perpetuates stereotypes of loud, brash and abusive Latino families, and further sexualizes Latinas in the media. I truly hope that this casting call isn’t at all legitimate, because there are still too few positive representations of Latinos in mainstream television, making the addition of another negative stereotype stand out all the more.

This piece originally appeared on Chica and the City, a blog started by aspiring writer and former Jezebel intern Tanisha Love Ramirez. Republished with permission. Follow Tanisha on Twitter: @TanishaLove.

Image via Anastasiya Obidina/Shutterstock.