Latina.com Blog

For couch potatoes like me, nothing’s more fun than spending the holidays in bed and watching my favorite Christmas movies on TV. Whether it’s seeing Macaulay Culkin slap his cheeks in front of the mirror and yell “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!” for the thousandth time, or getting sucked into a romantic comedy like While You Were Sleeping, Christmas-themed movies bring me back to my youth–a time when my idea of hard work was going to the corner store on an errand for my mom.

So, in the spirit of laziness this holiday season, I invited one of my favorite puertorriqueñas, actress Melonie Diaz, to share her 5 favorite Christmas flicks with Vivo por TiVo. I discovered that our homegirl (whose own movie, Nothing like the Holidays, opens nationwide December 12) has good taste and that I’m not alone in my love for the Mac.

Melonie Diaz’s All-Time Favorite Holiday Films

The Guilty Pleasure - Elf (2003)

“It’s unbelievably funny and sweet. I put it on every Christmas morning while my mom makes breakfast. My sister stares at me while I laugh at the same jokes. There’s something about a grown man in an Elf suit that tickles my stomach.”

The Classic - It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

“It’s a timeless film in which Jimmy Stuart’s performance is heartbreaking.”

The Nostalgic Pick - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

“This film reminds me of the innocence of being a child on Christmas, before the responsibility of being an adult.”

The Neo-Classic - Home Alone (1990)

“It’s reminiscent of my generation and makes me nostalgic for my mischievous days when I was as a kid. ”

The Frightful Pick - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

“I have to give props to Tim Burton for reminding me that the holidays can also be dark.”

What are some of your favorite holiday movies? Oh, and make sure you kick back, do absolutely nothing, and watch them on TV over the break–there’s nothing better!

-Lee

OK, so let’s be honest: VH1’s Viva Hollywood wasn’t exactly ratings gold when it aired this spring, and the whole thing was more than a little corny. But the reality show did do one thing right: it named talented actor, Berto Colon, its first (and last) “Numero Uno Telenovela Star.”

It’s been almost six months since Berto won Viva Hollywood and snagged a myriad of prizes, including a condo in Miami Beach and a grand prize of $100,000, and now the Nuyorican actor is ready to accept his final reward: a role on a Spanish telenovela premiering in January ‘09. Press play below to listen to my audio interview with Berto and find out how he feels about “Viva Hollywood” now, plus his recent roles on English soaps like “One Life to Live” and “As the World Turns” and why he knows that his college sweetheart is The One.

LISTEN:

-Lee

I first met Natasha Komis (a contestant on the MTV reality show Paris Hilton’s My New BFF) through a mutual friend during my high school years. We hung out at Starbucks one night, and the moment I met her, I knew there was something totally kickass about this rocker chica who didn’t take anyone’s crap. She was tough (yet feminine), wicked smart (but kind of a loose cannon) and super confident.

I never saw Natasha again after that Double Espresso White Mocha. That is, until she popped up as one of the potential BFFs to the world’s most famous socialite. In honor of tonight’s series finale, the Cuban-Greek Jersey Girl tells Vivo por TiVo who she thinks should/will win the title of Paris Hilton’s bestie, plus reveals scoop about the dramatic reunion special and explains why she’s not a fan of reality TV.

Who do you think will win the title of Paris Hilton’s BFF in tonight’s finale?

It’s a close call, because I see good things in both of of the finalists. I saw a big bond between Paris and Vanessa…but then again, Brittany fits in a little bit more into the scene, for shallow and superficial reasons. Friendship-wise, I think Vanessa is the right choice.

Ok, now who do you think should win?

I really don’t care [laughs]. Whoever Paris feels is better.

Have you stayed in touch with Paris since your elimination on Week 5?

I got to know Paris, and yeah, we’ve gone out. She’s my friend…but for now, I have a mission, and I don’t want to do it with Paris’ fame. I love Paris so much, but I never wanted to be known because of her.

Are you sad that you didn’t win?

I was never like, all die-hard about the competition. I didn’t need it. In a way, I didn’t want to win. You didn’t see it in the episode where I left, but I actually kicked myself off. She asked us who should go home and I said that I should, but they never aired that. I think I could have won the whole thing if I’d played the game better.

What can we expect from the show’s reunion special?

It’s hilarious. They bring back a special friend of mine who was a judge on one of the episodes–Chris Applebaum. I kind of didn’t understand why this guy was still pissed off at the reunion. He was still talking all this s***, like, “I’m going to be hard on Natasha.” So I went up to him and said, “You want to fight? We’re gonna fight on camera.” He can’t make me look like a fool!

Could you see yourself going on another reality show, like say, Rock of Love?

I wouldn’t go on Rock of Love because I could see myself meshing with those girls a little too well. And I know Brett [Michaels] too, so that would be weird. I wouldn’t do a show about music either, because I think that’s corny. The only way I would do something else is if it was my own show.

Hear that, MTV?

To check out music from Natasha’s recently released EP and find out about her upcoming shows, visit myspace.com/natashakomisglam.

-Lee

When it comes to TV, I’m not your typical Latino. I genuinely dislike the George Lopez Show, and I don’t find Ugly Betty even remotely funny–in fact, I think it’s pretty annoying. But who cares what I think? I want to know about other people’s TV preferences. So I asked 20 of my Latino friends about their viewing habits, with questions like, “Which shows do you enjoy most?” and, “Who’s your favorite Latin star on television?” Their answers not only surprised me; some of them made me burst into laughter.

For starters, when I asked respondents to name the hottest Latina TV star, more than half of those surveyed answered Eva Mendes! Really? What show is she on again? The answer is no show, because Eva is a movie star. It says something about how popular this month’s Latina cover girl is that fans chose her over other Latinas who are actually on TV, like America Ferrera and Selena Gomez. Or maybe this particular group I surveyed has a thing for the big screen, because they also voted for Andy Garcia as the hottest Latino!?!

Some people chose America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) and Benjamin Bratt (The Cleaner)–two celebs who actually are on TV–as their favorite TV male and female star, which was a relief. It was a sad survey for George Lopez and Niurka Marcos, who were voted LEAST favorite male and female TV star.

Finally, I asked people which star they’d most like to read about on Vivo por TiVo, and unanimously they chose My Name Is Earl’s Nadine Velasquez. So as I type this, I’m working on getting Nadine to pay us a visit in the coming weeks. Check back soon to read the interview and find out about MNIE spoilers!

In the meantime, who’s your favorite Latino TV star? Share in the comments section below.

-Lee

Unless you’ve been living on a remote island lately (I’m talking to you, Jorge Garcia), then you’ve probably heard about Cheetah Girl Adrienne Bailon’s semi-naked pictures surfacing on the web last week. But I bet you haven’t heard about the 25-year-old cantante’s new reality show that’s in the works for MTV. On the day before her scandal broke (talk about crazy timing!), the part-Ecuadorian, part Boricua called me from the road and dished about something far less controversial–her upcoming small screen project.

“I have a lot of cool things in the works,” said Adrienne. “Amazing projects with MTV that are pretty definite. Most likely, I will be moving to New York City to work on my own MTV show, which I am so excited about!” she gushed. Adrienne is already quite comfortable on TV, since she was featured on the VH1 reality show “Keeping up with the Kardashian’s” with her boyfriend, Rob Kardashian, and has starred in three hit Cheetah Girls movies for Disney…and hopefully once this little controversy dies down, she’ll do even more of those: “We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a fourth Disney movie-maybe the Cheetah Girls go to Carnival!” she said at the time.

While I had her on the line, I asked Adrienne what she thinks about fellow Latina, Selena Gomez, becoming Disney’s newest princess. “I was the first Latina to ever be on the Disney channel,” she responded, explaining that Selena isn’t the first chica to be embraced by the kids network. “It was also great to be the first Latina to host Hispanic Heritage Month on The Disney Channel.” Now granted, I am a 25-year-old guy who doesn’t tune into The Disney Channel all that often, but I felt bad for not remembering that Adrienne was, in fact, the first Latina to star in a show on their channel. Props to her for that!

What say you, Vivo Por TiVo readers? Will you watch a reality show starring Adrienne Bailon? And now that you know she was the first Latina to be embraced by Disney, who do you prefer: Adrienne or Selena?

–Lee

When it comes to television, we Latinos have really come a long way in recent years. We’ve gotten ugly (America Ferrera in Ugly Betty) and played it gay (Bobby Cannavalle in Will and Grace), and thanks to the clichés and stereotypes of procedural shows like Law and Order, NYPD Blue, and HBO’s Oz, our actors have played criminals and cops more than any other ethnic group on planet Earth!

Okay, maybe that last one’s not such a cultural benchmark. But here’s one thing our actors don’t get to do too often: play themselves on TV. Ever wonder why that’s the case? I mean, everyone else gets to do it. On Curb Your Enthusiasm, for example, comedienne Wanda Sykes and actors Julia Louis Dreyfuss and Ted Danson have all guest starred as Wanda, Julia, and Ted. But whether it’s on major networks or cable, very few Latinos get that same opportunity.

Here’s the good news, people: That’s changing! Entourage now features guest star Jamie-Lynn Sigler (and that show hardly hires females, period), and the CW show Privileged recently hired a fellow Cuban blogger, Perez Hilton, to play himself in November. Perez called his appearance “Short, sexy and sweet,” and the same thing can be said about Sigler’s appearances. And while I give them both props, neither of them were the first to appear on the small screen as themselves. So who was?

I’ll give you two hints: She’s from the Bronx, and she goes by about 10 different nicknames, including Jenny from the Block. Yup, you guessed it: Jennifer Lopez! The Hollywood superstar gave me chills and made us all so proud when she played a money-hungry, overachieving businesswoman who makes her dancers wear her own perfume, “Glow,” on two episodes of Will & Grace…In other words, she played herself!

Press play above to watch a clip from J-Lo’s memorable appearance on the show, in which the star proves that anything’s possible for Latinas in Hollywood–especially when she does it first.

-Lee

This is embarrassing for me to admit, but my name is Lee Hernandez, and I’m a TV-holic–

(All together now: “Hi, Lee!”)

–and welcome to Vivo Por Tivo, your new source for all things Latino on Television. I wont name names, but most professional TV bloggers don’t write enough about nuestros estrellas. I’m here to make up for that. As the TV insider for Latina.com, I will bring you the latest news on stars like Joanna Garcia, Tristan Wilds, America Ferrera, Selena Gomez, Nadine Velasquez, Jimmy Smits, Michael Steger and many, many more. It’s the stuff you can’t read anywhere else, and I’ll bring it to you before anyone else.

Here are some of the shows I’m tuning in to for you: Heroes, Ugly Betty, My Name Is Earl, The Office, 90210, Lost, Chuck, Privileged, Cupid, Desperate Housewives, Wizards of Waverly Place, Entourage, Fringe, and of course, any and every reality show featuring a Latino. Is this list missing your favorite show? Leave me a note in the comments.

Now, if your parents are anything like mine–that is, loud-mouthed Cubans sensible adults looking out for your best interest–then as a kid, you were probably warned about the harmful effects of mirando demasiado televisión . But guess what, mami y papi? I’ve found that sometimes, the best role models are those on the tube.

Take Joanna Garcia, the bubbly, 29-year-old cubana who plays Megan Smith, a writer-turned-nanny on the CW11 dramedy Privileged. Joanna called me last week from the set of her show, and she said that her character can be great role model for young Latinas. “In an age where we’re all inundated with images of unhealthy bodies premarital sex, [Megan] doesn’t shy away from those things,” said the actress. “She’s sexual and she can sometimes hurt people, but at the end of the day, she’s got a strong moral compass.”

Joanna added that she lives her own life in much the same way. And in fact, during our chat, she struck me as one of those girls who couldn’t hurt a fly and was a shoo-in for Prom Queen back in high school. But the actress also revealed a vulnerable side, opening up about her past struggles with an addiction that got out of control.

“I suffered from an eating disorder when I moved out here,” she admitted, her voice dropping a little lower. Though Joanna wouldn’t go into details about the disorder itself, she did share the reason why she thinks it developed: “Not to dive into all of my therapy sessions, but I think it was a control thing. I was a young, normal girl and the girls out here in L.A. are very tiny; subconsciously, I was faced with an ideal.”

It’s been years since Joanna conquered her struggle with body image, and now the beautiful actress is determined to help prevent other young girls from going through the same experience. How? Simply by being herself. “Being a strong role model for young women and standing up for personal health is a huge and important part of my life,” she said.

In How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls, the book that inspired Privileged, Joanna’s character Megan is more full-figured. “She’s a size 10, but that’s beautiful to me. The way you see Megan on TV is still in step with the book’s description of her,” Joanna asserts. “I’m a curvy girl; I’m a real girl.”

-Lee

Season 4, Episode 12

Well, the challenges are over and this week’s project runway was the reunion episode, when all the losers come back and share couch space with our four finalists: Christian Siriano, Jillian Lewis, Rami Kashou and Chris Marsh. The contestants dish about the season past and what to expect for the finale.

Too bad, for the most part, it was a snoozefest. Heidi Klum (with her fierce bangs) and Tim Gunn kick off the show by commenting that the designers look “much more relaxed” than they did during filming. Um, no duh Heidi. After some general catching up with the designers, we get into the first of many mildly funny montages—one I like to call, “Kevin is Not Gay.” To his credit, Kevin seems totally cool with people assuming he is gay and takes the jabs in stride.

Other montages include “Elisa Jimenez is F*cking Crazy,” “Chris Marsh Laughs Like a Hyena,” and “Christian Siriano OD’s on the Word ‘Fierce’.”

And, my personal favorite, “Ricky Elizalde Cries Like a Girl.” Unlike Kevin, Ricky did not take this little joke well. There was eye-rolling, huffing, but—shockingly—no crying. After America had a great laugh watching clips of him cry like Scarlett O’Hara on a bad hair day, Ricky told the judges that the show was a “very emotional experience” for him. Again, no duh.

Let me just say, Christian is by far my favorite contestant on the show. Even when he’s being catty and egotistical, it’s endearing. The look of genuine surprise and glee on his face when Heidi told him he won the “fan favorite” contest actually made me go, ‘aww.’ It does seem a little unfair, though, since he is totally gonna win the competition. Sorry, Jillian and Rami/Chris.

Other highlights from the show:

Carmen (remember her, the girl with chopsticks sticking out of her bun?) sassing Heidi when she reminds the world about her pathetic shirtless menswear design. WTF were you thinking, Carmen? You don’t sass Heidi Klum. Ever.

The clip of Michael Kors laughing uncontrollably—and like a little girl—all throughout the judging of the WWE Divas challenge.

Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum chatting about how “uptight” Victorya is—as she sits watching them from ten feet away.

The season finale is almost upon us, and we’ll find out who made it to Fashion Week, and who is out. I, for one, can’t wait.

Owf Weederzane.

-VPT

America’s Next Top Model: Cycle 10, Episode 1

The bitches are back, my friends. And by bitches, I mean Jay Manuel, Jay Alexander, and the most beautiful tranny of them all, Mizz Tyra Banks. Cycle 10 of America’s Next Top Model kicked off with thirty-five catwalk wannabes whittled down to the thirteen semifinalists that we’ll follow for the next dozen-or-so weeks. But not before Tyra managed to humiliate the thirty-five by enrolling them in “Top Model Prep” and having them dress up in ill-fitting private school uniforms. 

Episode 1 also brings us our first catfight, between Fatima, an Iman look-a-like from Somalia, and Shaya, Mohammed Ali’s niece. Yes, you read that right: skinny, cheek-boney Fatima got all up in the grill of a girl who likely has been taught to float like a butterfly, sting like a bee by the King of the Ring himself. The fight erupts when Fatima calls Shaya and some of the other girls “ghetto.” And I’m not talking ghetto fabulous, more like hood rat. Shaya, naturally, pounces but before she can rearrange Fatima’s face on national television, Fatima pulls the genital mutilation card and tells the gathered models about having had her labia sewn together when she was a child. Okay, she got me with that one. This girl has clearly been through enough without having to deal with Shaya, re-enacting a scene from Flavor of Love in her face. The models agree, and group-hug it out.

Finally, down to the thirteen semifinalists. We tearfully say goodbye to Shaya (side note: I’m a little shocked she didn’t make it and [this girl] did). Then, Tyra gives us our first Dramatic Shock of the season: this cycle, there will be fourteen semifinalists, not thirteen! Woot! Top Model history has been made to accommodate Dominique, the tough-as-nails tranny with a heart of gold. You better not turn out to be another Coryn, Dominique. Just saying.

So far, the girls seem to be a pretty fugly group. Early money is on Fatima to take the title.

-VPT

After a hella-long pause, our favorite Bravo show is back. This week is a fun one for the designers—they’re charged with using items from the Hershey’s store to create their designs in just 13 hours. Yup, yet another crazy-blatant product placement challenge. But I have to admit that it worked—I caught a crazy craving for Twizzlers watching them dash around the store. While working on a dress that she described as “Macabre Gretel,” Elisa revealed a possible source of her nuttiness: She was hit by a Porsche a few years ago and sustained severe head injuries. That sincere revelation didn’t stop Christian (or me, apparently) from being catty: “Her dress was just a hot mess,” he said. Jillian picked licorice as her material and had a hell of a time keeping it from falling apart, while Sweet P had a difficult time finishing on time, per her usual. She actually changed her design partway through. Why? Think about it this way—her first garment was so crazy that Chris (he of the costumes and parade floats) even questioned her taste. Meanwhile, we got the random Christian quote of the week: “I tried to count, but I got dizzy. My table’s so dirty. Ah, I’m gonna cry.” Back on the runway, Zac Posen was the guest judge. Ricky, Christian, Kit and Kevin were the safe ones. Left on the runway:Rami created a gorgeous dress out of

York peppermint patty wrapping paper and a vinyl Twizzlers pillow. It was very pop and very well constructed. MK said, “His girl came out and I smiled. He used the materials in an interesting way, and it fit beautifully.” Posen loved it, “He did excellent!” he said. Elisa used a Hershey’s pillow to create an ugly, sad dress. It was so bad it made MK ask, “Where’s the joy?” and call the sleeves “silver shower caps.” Nina said, “This was very disappointing, this dress.” MK agreed, “If she wants to be avant garde, then don’t send a sad, brown dress out that’s boring. I don’t think that dress was avant garde.” Jillian’s red licorice dress, complete with a bustier and short flapper-inspired skirt, went over well. After a lot of difficultly keeping it together in the workroom, it held up and the judges thought the design was sexy and playful. Nina said, “The hard work shows. It was really well done.” MK summed it up best, “It’s deliciously chic.” He appreciated that she was the only one who actually created an edible garment. Victorya’s ruffled dress was made of a York pillowcase. It was more catwalk than mall, and the judges picked up on it immediately—and the odd “Ice Queen” pose she made her model strike didn’t help. MK came right out with it: “I didn’t think it was wearable or fanciful.” He then said the model looks like she works at Dairy Queen. Ouch. Zac put the nail in the coffin, “I don’t’ think she really worked with the material or the assignment.” Oh, but did they love Chris’s chocolate wrapper tube dress. MK was ecstatic, “We got nervous that you were going to go totally berserk! I think that this is a really smart editing choice it’s also made well, and she looks great in it.” Zac wanted to see him do more, but MK made him slow his roll, “Sometimes we question his taste level,” he said, “but Chris’s was very sophisticated.” Nina said the model was set to stroll right into the studio for an Elle photo shoot. Sweet P’s silver bodice was attached to a simple circle skirt (one that Tim had previously cautioned her looked like a maxi pad, eesh). Heidi immediately called it boring. Nina concurred, “It looks like it was very easy. It just looks sad.” MK took it a step further, “It has no sense of smile or joy to it to me. Talk about yet another look that had no effort, no imagination.” Nina wondered aloud if Sweet P’s original garment was better. No, Nina, not really. My boy Rami won, though I wonder how long it will be before the judges tire of his beautiful little dresses. I’d love to see him challenge himself and apply his considerable skills to some different pieces. It came down to Sweet P and Elisa standing in the twin spotlights. Elisa was aufed. But, seriously, I think she was the most gracious loser this show—or any other reality show—has ever seen. She simply gave a beatific smile, blessed Sweet P with an “Ahshe” and thanked everyone before she left the stage. She actually had me beaming like an idiot over here. Elisa, you will be missed. So, no tears this episode, but the preview of next week’s show showed Ricky spouting—I can’t wait! But I guess I have to. Until then, I am… —Kenrya M. Rankin