Reality shows in America have grown in popularity. And what do we like about these shows? The Drama. Shows like Teen Mom, Jersey Shore, and the Real Housewives series are popular for the drama. According to a study made by Psychology Today, “Reality TV allows Americans to fantasize about gaining status through automatic fame. Ordinary people can watch the shows, see people like themselves and imagine that they too could become celebrities by being on television.”
American producer Lauren Volonakis worked on the set of The Real Housewives of New Jersey and The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Volonakis is now the co-producer of Netflix’s Made in Mexico told Refinery29 “Mexico and Mexico City don’t get a fair appearance in the media, from TV shows and also in politics.”
Most of the media covers Mexico’s bad side, the cartels, immigration, and politics. But what about its culture and people. The show highlights one of Mexico City’s wealthy social circle. One episode highlights the Mexican culture, Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
However, not everyone is happy with how the show portrays Mexico. On Twitter, the show was accused of focusing on the wealthy when 42% of Mexico’s population lives in poverty. A comment reads, “Everything wrong with Made in Mexico: Everyone is white, everyone is cisgender, 43.6% of Mexicans are poor, no production in Mexico represents the poor.”
Another person said “This is a disgrace. Half of the country lives in poverty and Netflix is promoting the show.”
The Cast (SPOILERS)
Pepe Diaz- A 35-year-old entrepreneur and owner of some of Mexico luxurious bars and restaurants. Diaz has a bromance with fellow cast member Roby.
Kitzia Mitre- Fashion designer, mother and Roby’s sister-in-law. She is the only mom in the cast, which make her have a caring side for her friends.
Carlos Giron Longoria- Actor, TV host and model. In the first season Carlos will reconnect with his father after eight years of not seeing each other.
Liz Woodburn- The New York native comes from an American dad and a Chilean mother. She moved to Mexico to be with her soon to be husband.
Columba diaz- High-Fashion model “Colu” is involved in a love triangle with Pepe and Roby. In the first episodes, she shows us her philanthropist side by promoting an event to help the people affected by the earthquake in September 2017.
Chantal Trujillo- Even though Trujillo is American, she is Mexican at heart. She left her job at Vogue to be with the love of her life. Her biggest challenge is her friends and family pressuring her into marriage.
Shanik Aspe- TV personality Shanik takes us to her journey of wanting to become a successful singer.
Roby Checa- One of the most controversial characters in the show. Roberto opened up in front of the cameras by exposing his personal life from his struggle with alcohol to his relationship with the mother of his son, who he hasn’t seen in over a year.
Hanna Jaff- Hanna comes from a Catholic and Muslim background which allowed her to learn about different cultures and religions. Her mom is Mexican and her dad is Kurdish. She is a Harvard graduate and has many goals in her life. Jaff’s home is filled with recognitions, inspirational quotes and things that make her feel proud. The Jaff foundation is ran by her, where she showcases immigrants and the importance of acceptance.