April 5, 2022
Peruvian Comedy Show Faces Social Media Wrath For Wearing Blackface, Parodying Will And Jada Pinkett Smith
The shocking blow that Will Smith delivered to Chris Rock for mocking Jada Pinkett-Smith at the 94th Annual Oscar Awards has prompted parodies worldwide.
A Peruvian comedy show, JB on ATV, faces public wrath for its recent segment of actors imitating the acclaimed Smith couple in blackface. Rock was also included in the sketch.
According to reports, Peruvian comedian Carlitos Vilchez, who portrayed Will, posted photos of him and his costar, Dayanita, playing as Jada on Instagram. Social media doesn’t hold back while highlighting the topic of racism within the Latin community. The images are now-deleted, but Twitter users have since then reposted and circulated them for more people to see.
yeah and the latinos laughing it up in the comment section are the same ones who claim there’s no racism in latin america because everyone is “mixed” lol pic.twitter.com/1b636I0I6h
— tony (@catrussy) April 3, 2022
According to some Twitter users, the comedy show has a history of using blackface to portray characters in skits, like Encanto.
Just a few weeks ago in an “Encanto” parody of the same TV show pic.twitter.com/Vma1vo4JMV
— Carlos (@CarlosMaldo96) April 4, 2022
It comes from a local Peruvian tv show almost no one knows it existence outside Peru.
Don’t blame south Americans for its poor choices.
They also made a racist character named “Jacinta” to mock native bolivians and “Mama” to mock afro-american people. pic.twitter.com/h0pGGB6nXc
— 🇾🇪*Fake* Jordan Peterson (Cuenta Parodia) (@ViacomV) April 4, 2022
Other users, who hail from Latin culture, described personal experiences dealing with racism or colorism in their own families.
Racism in Latin and Hispanic culture is alive and well, and no where near the issue it should be. People in my family still say stuff like “esta bonita, pero esta prietita” meaning “she’s pretty, but she’s a little dark”.
— Luis (@Lu_Cetina) April 4, 2022
In 2012 I lived with a family during my Spanish immersion in Oaxaca. There was a stack of Memin Pinguin comics in the living room. I was shocked and appalled at these Jim Crow portrayals of blacks as monkeys an Aunt Jemima’s. I talked to the school, but nothing happened.
— Mamá de dos Perros 💛💚🐘⚾️🥃 (@bureaucrat2023) April 4, 2022
The full video of the sketch can be seen below: