TV Review: Alternatino Is The Funniest Show On TV
Created by Arturo Castro, Alternatino promised to be both a hilarious sketch-comedy and a reflection of Latino-Americans’ lives in the US. It perfectly delivers on both ends. Not only does it feel like a show for Latin-US youth to laugh at even our oppressive experiences, it is a prime example that our community is FREAKIN CREATIVE!
Yes, there are sketches poking fun at Latinx’s culture and also the prejudices we must suffer at gringos that swear Guatemala, Peru, Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and whatever Latin American locale they traveled to once is all the same. Still, there are so many funny, outlandish sketches in this show that I was left floored. From semen that comes to life to perform an “orquesta” while a couple makes out to a sketch of West Side Story versus White Supremacists, I was floored by the imagination of Arturo Castro. I could not even think of thinking like him, but it leads to hilariously real and surreal moments like, Broken Home Hunters (a tragically funny spin on House Hunters) or a revamping of Mr. Grey as a man that loves “tiny little kisses.”
Alternatino – Respect Your Mother
I genuinely feel like Alternatino Is the Key & Peele or Chappelle Show for Latinos; representing our cultures’ humor to the masses while revealing how our community must be treated better #migrantchildren #PuertoRico. Leave it to an entertainment show to call out how Latinx can be defined by White America or how racists can see us, solely, as entertainment fodder; meant to keep gringos fed, dancing, or terrified by stereotypes of criminality. Either way, we feel unreal of which, technically, Alternatino is a show within a show meant to show viewers our humanity and feelings. Hence, in between sketches, is a storyline of a young, Latino man trying to find love, an acting job, and some pride.
Alternatino – Season 1 Premiere – Full Episode
Alternatino feels like two shows I would watch separately have decided to become a super-program. On one hand, Arturo’s adventures as a Latin actor in NYC are hilarious because they lead him to strange mishaps like, dating a Trump-Supporter or auditioning with Oscar Isaac to play a flea superhero called La Pulga. In typical, “comedic lead” fashion, Arturo has no luck, which lead to some sincere laughs. He is such a warm-hearted person; even poking fun at stars like, Macklemore and Pitbull, with no malice. Moreover, similar to Chappelle or KP, Castro has made sketch characters that I can watch on repeat such as, Jecka, the wedding guest that can never hold her liquor. All in all, Alternatino is a must-see for both Latinx and people that LOVE TO LAUGH! Alternatino premieres June 18 at 10:30 pm on Comefy Central.
