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Im not biting on either of these. If you wantto reword them, perhaps, but I wont answer as they stand.

I'm open to suggestions. What exactly don't you like about them?

"Offensive" as a opposed to "stereotypical" Im no longer offended because its so commonplace that the offense has already lost its edge.

and you cant simply look at the program from an entertainment standpoint. There is nothing new here. This is Dallas with the uniqueness of being Cuban. and that uniqueness is rather shoddily portrayed.

Henry, here's a suggestion, "I did not watch it." Val, thanks for answering my question, indirectly, but you did answer it with luxury of details.

It's a show and therefore it can and should be judged not only by whether it's sterotypical (or offensive) but also as to whether we were entertained. Remember that the show's purpose is ostensibly to entertain whether we see it that way or not. If America is not entertained by this show it will go the way of dodo bird.

Besides sterotypes aren't necessarily negative. The Peñas were a very sterotypical family. But there were a lot of positive sterotypes there. I want to know if people felt offended. If the characters in the show bothered them.

You have essentially already said that it did bother you so whether you vote or not, you have spoken.

[OT] Henry, the blogpoll server(s) seems to be getting clobbered (Not enough bandwidth?) and is taking awhile to load, if at all, just giving you a heads up in case you get complaints about it.

Angel,

This is a self segregating question. I'm not trying to find out what percentage of people saw the show. I want to know from those who did whether they liked it as an entertainment property and whether they felt the depiction of Cubans was offensive to their sensibilities. So far it's a pretty even split among our audience.

Henry, I was being facetious, I should've inserted a smiley to indicate it, my mistake (I was tempted to write ¨my bad,¨ ...upon thoughtful reflection...nah!!!,) please accept my apology for the omission, good thing I've an E&O insurance policy, otherwise I'd be in deep pacotilla :-)

It's a no win situation I think when it comes to stereotypes. Wouldn't we be complaining if the characters on Cane were grilling burgers instead of a lechon asado? It's tough to walk that line.

I didn't see the show, but I understand CBS trying to put the best actors possible. Like it or not Jimmy Smits will get an audience and that is what this is all about. It happens all the time. I have friends still upset that the Mexican mariachi was played by Antonio Banderas.

And by the way, my brother in law who is from Camaguay looks a lot like Smits and my aunt used to scream Ave Maria all the time and you can't get more Cuban than my aunt.

I don't know where people get the impression that "Ave Maria" isn't a Cuban expression. My very Cuban grandparents and great-grandmother used it all the time.

I agree that many Cubans used to say Ave Maria. There was even a very popular ad for Hatuey beer in Cuba B.C that said:"Ave Maria Pelencho, que bien me siento, con Hatuey mi compay, Hatuey bien fria."
Unfortunately, the announcer for Hatuey was Manolo Ortega, who later became a big time communist.

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