Berenice Gutierrez
Univision's Nuestra Belleza Latina
Television is meant to entertain the audience and viewers. The question is do all television shows really entertain the viewers? Neuestra Belleza Latina is a Latin reality show airing on Univision. This show is meant to entertain all viewers by winning their attention. The show is hosted by Gizell and centered on about 24 young Latin American women, aims to air Latin American Women's talents, struggles in a competition to elect a women to represent the Latin community. Each week three contestants are eliminated and out of the competition. The show is similar to a beauty pageant because all contestants have the opportunity to represent themselves to the judges and audience to win their votes and continue competing. During every show the contestants are faced with a challenge weather it may be in dancing, acting or public speaking. Although they do not get rated on their performance exclusively, however their performance does determine their future in the competition. The show is meant to entertain and inspire the audience to follow their dreams and work for what they want.
The show contains emotional moments from the contestants which sentimentally engages the audience and keeps them intrigued. It can be compared to Miss America but this is the Latin version. In The Miss America Pageant the contestants compete in a variety of tasks including talent performance, interview stage, and runway walk. Nuestra Belleza Latina completes similar tasks such as performing their strongest talent whether it may be dancing, acting, singing etc. The contestants are also required to publicly speak about important issues on the show. At the end of every show the Latinas are put in bathing suits and are required to walk down the runway where the host announces their names and encourages the audience to vote for them.
The show Nuestra Belleza Latina started showing in Univsion network in 2007 and this year is it's fifth season. Meaning there is four previous winners of the Latin crown representing the Latin community. The show starts out with the contestants who attend the casting calls in the six distinct cities that I previously mentioned. The participants are then chosen by the judges Osmel Sousa, past Miss Universe Lupita Jones, and Latin actor Julian Gil. In the process of when the girls are given passes by the judges to be on the show, they are ultimately picking their favorites to form a group of girls who will compete in a beauty pageant for the title of Nuestra Belleza Latina, which translated in English means Our Latin Beauty. After the group is picked twelve of them are chosen finalists who have the privilege to move into Miami where they will live under the same roof and home as house mates and roommates. They receive dancing, runway, diction, teleprompter and physical training classes while they are preparing to compete for the crown. Portions of these classes and their daily lives are recorded and aired on the television show. The finalists compete against each other week after week trying to win the audiences votes to win the crown. After each episode is over, the audience is given the chance to vote for their favorite beauty through text message. The finalists then compete against each other every week. After each episode of the show is over, the home viewing audience votes for their favorite contestant by phone or SMS text message.
"The winner of Nuestra Belleza Latina this year wins a cash prize of $250,000 and a contract to be on Univision's entertainment gossip show El Gordo y La Flaca. The runner up this year receives a cash prize of $50,000 and a contract on one of Univision's many shows that remains to be announced " (J. R. Huetteman).
My overall recommendation of this reality television show is good if your watching only for entertainment, But if your watching to learn about the Latin women your watching the wrong show. This show objectifies women making it seem as if their only purpose in life is to be sex objects. It emphasizes the contestants beauty and points out every physical flaw decreasing their self esteem. For example at the end of each show there is a bathing suit runway where all the contestants are dressed into two piece bathing suits showing off what many would consider to be an ideal body. The pressure the contestants are under is immense and to top it off the image they are portraying to young viewers is somewhat unrealistic. They are showing an image of how people should be or look when in reality not everyone can look that way, being different and big can be just as beautiful. These stereotypes are unhealthy to society and should not be praised by the public. Personality should be one of the main things this show should consist of because it is key to how a person is judged and what real women are like. Although the show is entertaining it does not show the true capabilities of a Latin women.
If your looking to watch the show for the drama, pretty girls, and tense moments you are in the right place and should keep tuned every Sunday at eight. Nuestra Belleza Latina will fulfill your expectations of a beauty pageant/ reality TV show with all the tasks they are faced with and of course the competition adds plenty of drama.
Works Cited
"Greidys Gil." Zimbio. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.
"Tag Archives: Nuestra Belleza Latina." Headline Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.
"Videos De Programas De Televisión | Univision Videos." Univision.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.
