09.17.2024 | By Jack Rico |
In a year when the economy has had many of us on edge, Selena Gomez, 32, recently became the first Latina self-made billionaire in America. This monumental achievement, largely due to her beauty brand Rare Beauty, should have been a major celebration. But if you look at the headlines from major outlets like Bloomberg and even Latino media, you’ll notice something missing: her Mexican-American identity. Read More
01.5.2024 | By Jack Rico |
2023 was a landmark year for Latino cinema. It saw the release of DC’s ‘Blue Beetle,’ the first major superhero film with a Latino lead, marking a historic milestone. Meanwhile, films such as Gael García Bernal’s lucha libre drama ‘Cassandro,’ and Pablo Larrain’s ‘El Conde,’ a fantastical Chilean political satire, also achieved critical acclaim on the festival circuit. These Top 3 Latino Films of 2023 demonstrated the broad appeal of Latino stories, resonating with both indie and mainstream audiences. Read More
12.21.2023 | By Jack Rico |
Netflix, in a move that surprised many, recently released its comprehensive global streaming numbers to the public in a report titled “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report,” offering an unprecedented glimpse into the viewing habits of global audiences from January to June 2023. The most surprising revelation? The global popularity of Latino and Latino-led content. Read More
09.17.2023 | By Jack Rico |
I once met Gustavo Santaolalla around 2012 at a PR office in Manhattan where I had the chance to speak with him briefly about music and a potential Broadway musical run for Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. Flash forward 11 years later, and I am having a one-on-one with a musical legend who, as you will hear in my podcast interview, had a tremendous influence on my youth. Read More
04.30.2023 | By Jack Rico |
America is currently experiencing a Latino renaissance. Music festivals like Coachella are prominently featuring Latino artists. Groundbreaking Latino-led superhero films like “Blue Beetle” are hitting theaters. Actors like Pedro Pascal, Jenna Ortega, and Aubrey Plaza are hosting Saturday Night Live, while Mexican Regional music occupies the top three spots in global music. However, despite this influx of Latino talent, mainstream news outlets like The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal conspicuously overlook this cultural movement. Read More
04.17.2023 | By Jack Rico |
“I need to unplug.” This familiar phrase often escapes our lips when we feel stressed or overwhelmed after a mentally taxing day. A considerable number of the 176 million employed or self-employed Americans find solace in zoning out in front of their TV or digital screens. Entire industries have emerged and evolved to satisfy this craving for escapism. Intriguingly, instead of choosing intellectually stimulating dramas like AppleTV+’s ‘Severance’ or classics like HBO’s ‘The Wire,’ many gravitate towards “bad” television shows such as ‘Emily in Paris’ or the panned and now-canceled ‘Sex/Life’. What compels us to intentionally seek out “bad” TV shows, and why does watching them feel as comforting as snuggling by a warm fireplace on a chilly day? Read More
03.4.2023 | By Jack Rico |
Fifteen years – that’s how long it has been since Julio Iglesias Jr. released a new album. In an industry where artists are expected to constantly produce new music, this long hiatus could suggest a falling out of love with the art form. However, in today’s episode of ‘Highly Relevant,’ Julio shares a different story with me. He discusses his disappointment with his last record in 2008, his love for his father’s music, and his refusal to follow sonic trends evidenced by his new album ‘Under The Covers’ – a big band album with covers of hit songs. He also opens up about race and identity and how he defines himself: as a Spaniard, Filipino, or Latino. Listen below for the full interview. Read More
02.10.2023 | By Jack Rico |
The New York Times Bestseller “Olga Dies Dreaming” by Xochitl Gonzalez has been making a huge impact on the Latino community since its release in January 2022. Despite its success, Hulu has passed on the highly anticipated book adaptation starring Aubrey Plaza and Ramón Rodriguez, as confirmed by the author in a recent podcast interview.
02.9.2023 | By Jack Rico |
In today’s episode of ‘Highly Relevant,’ Xochitl Gonzalez, Puerto Rican-Mexican American author of “Olga Dies Dreaming,” and staff writer for The Atlantic Magazine, joins the show as we have an in-depth discussion about her latest article, The New Case for Social Climbing, and explore the meaning of meritocracy and its impact on Latinos. Gonzalez extensively researched the topic and shared her insights in our first episode of 2023.
01.27.2023 | By Jack Rico |
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival highlighted the amazing Latino talent in the film industry through its diverse selection of films. From heart-touching stories to thought-provoking dramas, viewers were able to watch films directed and written by Latino filmmakers. Read on to see who are the Latino winners at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Read More
