A.K.A Pablo, a comedy TV

On ABC, Norman Lear’s comedy series A.K.A. Pablo with Paul Rodriguez as the lead premiered. Pablo, a Mexican-American who appears in the show, is trying to break into the stand-up comedy community while living with his family in California. The stereotypes Pablo uses to appeal to the Anglo-Saxon audience cause problems for his family, despite the fact that he is highly successful, and Pablo must find a way to strike a balance. Joe Santos, who played Domingo’s father, was in the cast, along with Katy Jurado, who played Rosa Maria, Hector Elizondo, who played Jose, and Alma Cuervo, who played Sylvia, among others. AKA Pablo sets off with ‘Pilot’ aired on Tuesday March 6 1984 at 8.30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times when the Mexican community in America was struggling for their rights. Among the many immigrants into America are the Mexicans ever since the mid-1800s. Until the 1980s the Mexicans had become an integral part of the American society with a majority being laborers with their children in the schools. However, their rights were highly infringed especially after the 1980 Republican victory under which previous legislative gains are reversed like farmworkers’ rights and bilingual education and a decade of the Hispanic declared. Later on there’s an attempt to deny children of the immigrant parents admission to schools by the Texas authority only to the rescue of the U. S. Supreme Court.

The show mainly addressed the Mexican American family plight and conflicts in the United States. At this time, the immigrant Mexicans were despised and were fighting for opportunities and say. Organized in the whole basic unit of a family in the cast, the show sheds light on the structure, the functions and codes in the family. The cast has a father, mother, sons, daughters and further extends to grandkids. The father is positioned as the head of the family with the mother being very caring and prepares Pablo’s lunch. On the codes the mother does not

like the children raising their voice to their father and if the table is not big enough, the adults always eat first before children. The tables are well kept with a clothing on top. The show also clearly mirrored the challenges that could arise with this kind of a background when caught in between the Mexican and American lines. The only opportunity available to Pablo is comedy which he still struggles in and has to use his family to keep his place.

It is clear that Paul’s family love their Mexican culture and background which is clearly evident as the family still call him ‘Pablo’. The whole family is also against Thomas’ wish of being Americanized as his uncle Pablo. It takes Pablo’s lady visitor who has come for supper, aiming to convince him change his name from ‘Rivera’ to ‘Rivers’ to convince young Thomas instead to accept and embrace his Mexican background. Pablo’s parents especially Domingo, the father, is weary of his future and is not happy with Pablo using their family and the Mexicans in general in his comedy from which he makes an income. At some point Pablo makes fun of his family on national TV, upsetting his family, he apologizes later on but still keeps making little jokes again as to keep the crowd going.

Another joke is that Mexicans use a knife as an express card implying that they easily assault people using a knife. These kind of activities were associated with the Hispanic, a new middle class of Latino professionals and merchants that emerged in the 1980s and advocated for a less confronting style of leadership in the U. S. Pablo is seeking to intervene and address his fellow Mexicans in appeal for peace. He is advocating for abandonment of the violent mechanisms used by his fellow Mexicans against their oppressors in this case use of knives and endorsing other peaceful mechanisms like dialogue and so on. However not all were Mexican

hence all those delinquents are not just from Mexico, a reason his father doesn’t like the joke despite its worth course and still feels offended by the referral made to Mexicans generally.

The father’s agitation is well served as the truth hurts. Pablo doesn’t spare the Mexicans and his family, cutting through their flesh in his jokes. Among these are that Mexicans love video games while they can’t even afford the cords. This hurts his father so much as he is a reserved hard working man wanting the best for his family hence his dislike of Pablo’s career path. Another joke is that Mexicans love Chevy trucks in which they fit their large families and that old Mexican men drive so slow on the freeway. These are truth checks on Domingo’s family which comprises sixteen members including grandkids. AKA Pablo set the trend right in addressing all issues equally whether they favor or tint your image or that of your family or society. In this cases he addresses the low economic power of the Mexican family and the disadvantages of large families and therefore birth control measures.

Pablo in one of the scenes tells his father that he is not ashamed of making jokes regarding the Mexican folks. He tells his father that he wants to make him happy but through what he loves and enjoys which was comedy. However, his father still insists he brought him for better opportunities. This is to show that parents and society should let artists communicate.

The show was however faced with controversies like using ‘Latin slang’ and offending many members of the Latin and Hispanic community. This led to its cancellation after just six broadcasts. It was ranked at number 45 on “50 Worst Shows of All Time” by TV Guide in 2002 but still AKA Pablo was worth more time on the ABC for its great content and the unwavering spirit of Pablo. For sure just like Pablo in family and society should let and support artists in their endeavors to illuminate the society always without causing inconveniences.

Works Cited

Acuña, Rudy. ”A Brief Guide to Chicano/Mexican American History.” chicanodigital,

https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/home/a-brief-guide-to-chicano-mexican-american-history. Accessed 17 November 2017.

Edgerton, Gary. (2009). The Columbia History of American Television. Columbia University Press

Lear, Norman. ”AKA Pablo opening credits 80s sitcom” YouTube, uploaded by Gilmore Box, 18 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G--m0JFgG0.