George Lopez show enters mainstream late-night TV

Students praise the show, critics offer mixed reviews.

By Brandon Green

George Lopez’s late night show is received positively by students as “the change of late night”, with Lopez becoming the first Latino to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States.

On TBS, Monday to Thursday from 11-12 p.m., Lopez, a Mexican-American comedian known for his stand up in the 90s and a TV sitcom, breaks into late night TV, which has long been overwhelmed by white male hosts.

Lopez said, “I’m proud to be Latino and here at night,” during the premiere of his new show on Nov. 9.

The Lopez Tonight Show is a high energy show that features celebrity guest with an array of comedy monologues. Lopez tries to feature a prominent Latino figures on each show along with entertainers and singers.

Students eager to find a late night show different from the established norm are optimistic of the Lopez Tonight show.

“I’m just happy to see a minority face on TV during the night,” said Evander Duck III, sophomore business major. “When you have a market flooded with only one race of people you get shows that are limiting and not easily relatable by people of different backgrounds.”

Denisha Chase a junior journalism major said, “I like how in this show he really gets the audience involved … The show is fresh and funny. It’s different than any other late night show I’ve seen on T.V. It really is a change to late night.”

Lopez’s stand up, TV series, and films have given Latinos a voice over the years. A prominent activist in breaking barriers in the television industry, Lopez has been forthcoming in revealing racially discriminated experiences he endured while getting to the top of his field.

“He’s been on TV for some time now. With his TV show and stand up programs he has done a lot to break some of the stereotypes in the Latino community,” said junior communications major Amanda Amos.

Lopez’s comedy is mostly based on his childhood experiences. Lopez said that when he was younger he use to watch Richard Pryor, a Black comedian who used racism as a base for most of his comedy. Watching Pryor showed Lopez how to address tough subjects in his stand up, Lopez said.

During a show where he brought on former talk show host Arsenio Hall, a comedian that broke similar African American barriers in late night TV, he explained that when creating his show he shaped it similarly to The Arsenio Hall Show. Later in the show as a tribute, Lopez offered Hall a chance to host the Lopez Tonight show if he was ever absence.

The Lopez Show has featured guests Jessica Alba, Eva Longoria, Carlos Santana, Kobe Bryant and Ellen DeGeneres among others.

“The guests that he gets on his show are amazing. He gets them to tell him things that other host wouldn’t even think of,” said Chase.

The show has nevertheless received some negative reviews from TV critics.

The New York Times said, “Mr. Lopez said he was ‘bringing change to late-night TV,’ but the only significant change was a coarsening of the already crass atmosphere.”

And the Boston Globe said,” Lopez has a full-throated energy and a weakness for sophomoric guy humor that can be grating, especially since his show will air Monday through Thursday nights.”

Although the show’s premiere received some negative reviews, it attracted 1.6 million viewers, according to TBS.

“Even though he pokes fun at a lot of issues he faced and that Latino’s face, the fact that he’s talking about them freely on TV is a big step for America,” Amos said.

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Posted by admin on Dec 7 2009. Filed under Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry