When Netflix’s first Spanish-language reality series, Made in Mexico , was announced in late August, audiences took to the internet to voice their displeasure with what they felt was a gross showcasing of Mexico’s richest families when the country is overcome with poverty. With the trailer’s release a few weeks later, came another internet flare-up with many calling out the program for only featuring light-skinned Mexicans in the cast.
With the premiere date looming near, we wanted to give the cast a chance to respond to the backlash. At a press day for the series, they were asked how the average Mexican citizen, of which over 70 percent live in poverty, might relate to a series about Mexico’s wealthy elite. Roby Checa said, “Because it has nothing to do about whether we’re rich or not.” He continued, “Really, the show is about our own lives, that’s how we hope they will relate, the problems we have every day.” En serio, en un país con más de 30 millones de personas en pobreza extrema, ¿se atreven a esto? #NetflixIdiota The sentiment was echoed by Kitzia Mitre Jimenez-O’Farrill who did admit to having a family that is well off, but stressed that, “When I started my career in fashion, everyone was assuming my father bought me everything, which wasn’t the case. I went out and knocked on doors, got my own financers and I did it all. Did they pay for me to go to college so that I could do this? […]
This story is part of our ‘News from Around the Web’ publication, continue reading the story here: ‘Made in Mexico’ Cast Talks Racism, Colorism & Backlash to Their Reality Show
