15 Reality Shows We’d Create Around Latinxs
Reality shows are everywhere
Photo: Unsplash/@jakobowens1
Reality shows are everywhere. It seems like slices of life programs are more popular than ever, with a show for practically every situation. However, we are seriously lacking in Latinx reality shows. This made us think, what reality shows would be like to see that focus on our community and the Latino experience?
We did some brainstorming and came up with 15 Latinx reality shows that would totally rule and that we’d want to see on a regular basis. Hopefully, some producers are reading this right now and can get the ball rolling! Because, as annoying, scripted, and outrageous as a lot of reality shows can be, we need more representation on television — including in the real world. And these show ideas highlight our culture, instead of perpetuating stereotypes and tearing us down. We would definitely tune into uplifting Latinx TV!
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Real Restaurants of…
Vanderpump Rules is a reality show that centers around a group of employees at several of Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurants. I watch this show, and it’s one of my guilty pleasures. Its stars make for good TV, but it would be so awesome to see what goes on in the lives of their Latinx staff (aside from the funny Tom Sandoval), especially the chefs and other Latinx workers who make all the food and keep the restaurants successful. What’s going on in their lives? In fact, a show like this could center around a Latinx restaurant with Latinx owners, managers, servers, and chefs, so you can see how each piece of a restaurant’s puzzle works, along with who’s behind it.
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Living La Vida Ricky
Another reality show we’d love to see would follow the fabulous Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin and his family. We would love to see his behind the scenes life as a singer and actor, but also his personal life, as a husband and father, along with his work as a humanitarian!
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Love & Reggaeton
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bdba5Luh2Gm/
Love & Hip Hop has shared the lives of many Latinx stars with us: Cardi B, Amara La Negra, and Trina, to name a few. But we would love to see an all-Latinx cast on a new show that focuses on reggaeton. It would show us the behind-the-scenes life of our favorite artists, like Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, and Ivy Queen. This would show them working on their music, how they balance their success with their family lives, and how they give back to the community. It could also highlight up and coming artists who are just breaking into the genre.
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Belleza Latinx
We are in the middle of a major shift in the beauty industry. Established brands are finally waking up to inclusivity issues, and so many amazing new POC brands are blazing new trails and creating incredible products. A reality show focusing on these brands, and the entrepreneurs who run them would be so cool! We would meet the jefas who run the show, the latest products they’re working on, why they wanted to fill a vacant space in the beauty industry, and how they are inspiring the next wave of Latinx bosses.
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Afro-Latinidad
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzvtZjKlyCu/
Afro-Latinx history, culture, and identity are finally getting a spotlight shined on it, where we are learning about, acknowledging, respecting, and celebrating it. But there are so many important conversations being had, questions being asked, educational information being shared, and leaders and educators emerging on Afro-Latinidad that we feel this would make for such an essential reality show.
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Latino Actor
It is so hard for Latinx actors to break into Hollywood and then get roles that aren’t that of maids, janitors, gardeners, criminals, and other Latino stereotypes. A reality show highlighting Latinx talent and following their acting dreams would give us a sneak peek into a journey we aren’t usually privy to. This would include auditions, pilot season, canceled shows, stories of discrimination, disappointments, successes, family life, and more.
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Fotos y Recuerdos: The Quintanilla Family, Yesterday and Today
We’ve seen how Selena’s sister Suzette and the rest of the Quintanilla family have dedicated their lives to keeping Selena’s legacy alive. We’d love to get a behind the scenes look at all the latest Selena projects and drops, catch a glimpse of Quintanilla family’s lives, while also seeing why and how they’ve made certain decisions to keep the rights to Selena’s image exclusive. Another interesting show idea would be dedicated to the fans and artists who have created work inspired by one of their favorite singers and how Selena continues to influence Latinx culture.
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Undocumented and Unafraid
We want to know the personal stories of undocumented immigrants (while protecting their identities, of course), their families, and the stories of those who are using their voices to stand up for immigrant rights. It’s important to humanize the issue, and show that immigration isn’t a political issue, it’s a human one. What better way to do this than with a reality show?
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Jefas
Jefas make the world go ’round. We want to see a reality show of the same name highlight Latina women making jefa moves in all sorts of arenas: politics, sports, fashion, acting, writing, STEM, music, and more. These stories aren’t highlighted as much as they deserve to be, and these narratives are exactly what fuel the next generation of Latinxs to also win.
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The Real World: Latinx
Reality shows like The Real World bring together strangers from different backgrounds, hometowns, races, ethnicities, beliefs, and more to live together under one roof. While drama usually ensues (which let’s face it, makes for good television), it also makes for eye-opening lessons. We think a Real World-type show with all Latinxs, each from a different Latin American country, would give us an insight into what unites us and what sets us apart.
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Musica Oscura
We love learning about music, and many of us also love it when that music is so obscure that we haven’t heard about it before. That’s why we think a cool show about rare and newly-rediscovered Latin music would make for great TV. It would feature musicians, DJs, producers, and other Latinx music fans talking about their favorite obscure records, songs, tapes, artists, etc. and sharing that invaluable info with viewers.
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Miralas: The Guzman Family
We’d love to see a reality show around Mexican singer Alejandra Guzman, but could you imagine a show following the entire Guzman clan?! Fame, talent, success, and drama has been a part of the family mix forever, and it would be awesome to see how everyone from icon mom Silvia Pinal, to the younger generations of the fam like Michelle Salas, live everyday life, see their latest projects, and learn more about the family dynasty.
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La Nueva Generacion
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzzSgT5HFvj/
This reality show would take a look at the second and third generations of Latinx stars who are continuing in the footsteps of their famous parents or blazing their own celeb path (Fernandez, Aguilar, Montaner, and other fams). We would see what projects they are working on, how their parents feel about their fame, and how they are similar to their folks, but also uniquely them.
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Latina Educada
More and more Latinxs are pursuing higher education. We would love to see an inspiring and true account of how several Latinxs navigate a space not usually designed for them, how they might be the first in their families to accomplish this, how they balance life, and how they succeed, no matter what.
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Taquerias, Trucks, and Tia’s Food
The last reality show we want to see made is just a working title for now, but it’s similar to Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. However, it would exclusively showcase the best Latinx food in the nation and beyond. From random taco trucks, to taquerias, to family restaurants, to homemade food that has mass appeal, and more, it would highlight the very best Latin cooking there is.
