A coalition of Hispanic organizations have asked Latino citizens to boycott the new NBC drama "Kingpin" for perpetuating accurate cultural stereotypes about the Latino community in general and Mexican drug lords in particular, noting that the show "unfortunately depicts a world that is entirely familiar to too many of us."
"Kingpin" portrays the criminal underworld of a Mexican narcotics kingpin who has a white, blonde-haired wife, kids and small patience with underlings who disobey him. It has come under fire from some Hispanic rights organizations for the negative light in which it casts the Latino community.
"We will not rest until this painfully realistic show is off the air," vows Ernesto "Ernie" Zaragoza, president of the Latino rights group Tracking Accuracy in Chicano Outlining (TACO).
"The problem, as most any of my Latino brothers and sisters knows, if that this is EXACTLY how it really is among well-connected drugrunners -- the heavy violence, the intolerance for disloyalty and especially the blonde gringo wife. Speaking for myself as well as my fellow Hispanics, that's something that we all aspire to."
In fact, said Zaragoza, he suspects that those who have criticized the short-run NBC series have done so out of a sense of discomfort at the show's hitting a tad too close to home. "Every drug lord I know tells me, 'Oh my God, they've nailed me! We are SO screwed'," he says. "And you know what? Every last one of 'em has a blonde white wife. It's a badge of honor in my culture to get a white blonde babe."
Adds Efrem "Chico" Escuela, a narcotics mover from Mazatlan, Mexico: "We have to get these people off the air before they blow our cover. It's like they're living with us! In fact, we've already told (NBC Entertainment President) Jeff Zucker that if he doesn't dump this show, he may wind up with the head of one of his favorite family members sharing his bed. It's like he infiltrated our organization. We sure can't be having that. It's very, very bad for business."