This week Latino USA dedicated an entire hour to comedy. The show was hosted by Daisy Rosario, our senior producer. Besides being an amazing senior producer, Daisy has had a very cool career on the comedy and improv circuit. In fact, when I joined Futuro Media last year, one of the first things I told Daisy was that I too have been doing improv in Boston ever since my early 20s, which is like 100 years ago, for all of you keeping score at home. Comedy has always been a part of my life, whether it was listening to Richard Pryor for the first time when I was 8 (don’t tell my mom) to going back on stage once in a while with ImprovBoston (shameless online plug).
Anyway, in the spirit of celebrating Latino USA show about comedy, I thought I would try and list my top five favorite Latino comedy moments ever. When I really started to think of trying to limit this to just five moments, I instantly realized that I could have added another 10 more or even 20 more (and this is excluding places like Vine, Instagram or Snapchat). But instead of just rattling off 20 moments, I stuck to five, knowing full well that I will get praised for my choices (I hope) while getting mercilessly slammed for the very same choices I included and the ones I completely overlooked. (Disclaimer: just tweet me @julito77 to give me your suggestions or publicly shame me).
So here is my list.
When Ricky Ricardo Spoke in Spanish on TV
Gets me all the time. Yes, I know, in this day and age, I might be calling out an actor for playing a character like this. But in the context of what Ricky Ricardo’s character did at the time, it will always make me laugh. The dude spoke Spanish on American TV in the 1950s. Enough said.
Cheech and Chong’s “Mexican Americans”
This classic from the time the 1970s were becoming the 1980s was not only funny, it was uncomfortably insightful. It was one of the first times I realized that this Puerto Rican kid (me) might have more in common with Mexican Americans than previously thought.
Freddie Prinze in 1974
I think I have seen and studied this clip from 1974 about 100 times. Freddie left us way too soon.
¿Qué Pasa, USA?
Talk about a show that was way ahead of its time. Can someone just redo this show for a new audience? Please.
Culture Clash
This Chicano comedy troupe from San Francisco had 30 episodes on actual TV in the mid-90s. Talk about ANOTHER group way ahead of its time.
Latino USA also asked its Twitter community the very same question. Here is what they told us: (FYI: did you notice that some of our followers also mentioned a few of my examples?)
@LatinoUSA @SofiaVergara is the Lucille Ball of our generation all her moments on @ModernFam, especially no make-up/hair episode
— Alex Beech (@alexbeech) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA in his work,@georgelopez shows, thru the different languages, references, etc, that the Mex-American community isn’t a monolith
— Steven (@eesstteevvaann) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA Jane the virgin! @JaneWriters hands down
— Guapologa (@Guapologa) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA @fluffyguy has had me laughing since his joke about cops and donuts! I’m going to give a shout out to @anjelahjohnson as well!
— Marc Kochis (@marckochis4real) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA SO many funny moments from @LeJuan__James w/his vine and insta videos! https://t.co/9zPJ1bNQjS Un comediante buenisimo 🙂
— emily oliva (@_emdash) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA Cristela Alonso.
— Rachel Pineda (@rachelpineda) May 18, 2016
@PapiElGuapo @julito77 @LatinoUSA cheech and Chong up in smoke.when cheech meets Chong for the first time.That whole scene is funny #latinos
— Jesus Cortez (@Jes64LA) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA Loved Oscar Isaac breaking the tension in the first Force Awakens scene where we meet Kylo Ren with some comedy.
— Victor Jacobo (@victorjacobo_) May 18, 2016
Whenever @funnyfelipe does his podcast @WhatsUpFoolPod he brings the real, genuine, human hilarity for latin@s @julito77 @LatinoUSA
— Polemicist (@PalmTreesnGz) May 18, 2016
@julito77 @LatinoUSA The entire episode of Cristela about using Josh as a white status symbol date.
— Mariconcito (@armlessphelan) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA so many @HereIsGina moments on @JaneWriters. She’s revelatory! basketball, last season’s wrestling ep, rapping. She does it all
— Madeline Gomez (@madgomez) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA all of @RogelioDeLaVega‘s hashtags and @AnthonyVO‘s narrating in Jane the Virgin!
— itxy (@itxyquesadilla) May 18, 2016
@julito77 @LatinoUSA: I grew watching cantinflas, tin tan, & @CheechMarin. Cantinflas in Bombero Atomico – navaja fight always made me laugh
— Luis Sandoval (@Luis_E_Sandoval) May 18, 2016
@julito77 @LatinoUSA I’ll show my age, Don Cholito sparring with Muhammad Ali. https://t.co/BaB4bnaAXN
— Ricardo Aponte (@Botas111) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA George Lopez skit. When he talks about everyone is a Chicano, then compares it to how Chicanos speak once they are in Mexico
— erik contreras (@erikcontreras20) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA @JohnLeguizamo is one of my all time favs! So many great performances! Always love Chi-Chi Rodriguez in “To Wong Foo…” ☺️
— Kathleen Granados (@Kat_Granados) May 18, 2016
@LatinoUSA I think this skit represents a snap shot of the Chicano stereotype in LA in the late 70s. https://t.co/uYqhgPxrL2
— Gee Bananas (@Gee_Bananas) May 19, 2016
Hands down @georgelopez and @cristela9 stand up routines @LatinoUSA https://t.co/IYBTBS6mmL
— Monica Gonzales (@MonicaGinDC) May 19, 2016
@LatinoUSA the premiere of “¿Qué Pasa USA?” on @PBS. I never in a million years, thought I’d see a bilingual sitcom.
— All England Club (@AllEnglandClub) May 19, 2016
@LatinoUSA Gabriel Iglesias when discussing the five stages of fluffy #gabrieliglesias
— Ruby De Santiago (@Ruby_DeSantiago) May 19, 2016
@LatinoUSA all of the moments with the man in my avatar. Or El Chacal running people off the stage los Sabados
— Abdullah the Butcher (@bong_costas) May 19, 2016