Through Tuco Salamanca, Better Call Saul others the community of Mexican people. From the very second episode, Tuco is characterized as a violent, unpredictable, illogical man who displays little to no morals as he holds Jimmy McGill at gunpoint.
Tuco threatens Jimmy in Season 1, Episode 2
The selection of this character excludes any sign of goals or future plans within his life, aside from being a vicious drug dealer. Tuco is constructed through the use of colorful, floral clothing creating a link between him and Mexican culture. Tuco's character also follows widespread stereotypes of Mexican people, as established in the media over time. These include being generally louder and more outgoing, and valuing his family, specifically his "Abuelita" and "tío", above all else. Therefore, this specific construction, and close following of stereotypes makes it clear that Tuco is the series' representation of the majority of Mexican culture. Unfortunately, the exclusive selection of the character depicts him as an unpredictable, immoral, evil drug dealer with the inability of releasing anything positive into the environment around him. This may cause the audience to subconsciously other and overgeneralize the Mexican population, creating a nonexistent perceived divide between the two.
Tuco and his tío, Hector Salamanca
Lalo Salamanca
Through the introduction of Lalo Salamanca, Better Call Saul further others the Mexican population, yet manages to add a unique aspect to its representation. Lalo is constructed with cleanly parted hair, visually appealing and colorful clothing, and is always dressed with a certain level of formality. Furthermore, Lalo frequently seems to be eating or cooking while on screen, which creates a sense of vulnerability, familiarity, and emotional relationship between the character and the audience.
Despite the selection characterizing Lalo as a sociopathic psycho at times, at others he is portrayed as an intelligent, charismatic, witty man who evokes a feeling of warmth and even comes across as likeable. Lalo additionally follows many Mexican cultural stereotypes, such as his passion for cooking and his apparent hospitality. Therefore, the combination of Lalo's well put-together construction, dualistic selection, and following of cultural stereotypes, while still othering the Mexican population, adds a unique aspect to the series' formerly one-sided representation of the community.
A few examples of Lalo's charisma
Chuck Mcgill
Chuck and his "space blanket"
A major aspect of Chuck Mcgill's character is his mental disorder, severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD). Throughout the series, Chuck is portrayed as an obstacle for his brother Jimmy, the protagonist of the series, and at certain points it feels as if Chuck assumes the role of an antagonist. Chuck is constructed with perhaps the most important prop in the entire series, his "space blanket." This blanket is used as a shield to combat his self-diagnosed condition, electromagnetic hypersensitivity, or being allergic to electricity, which ultimately ends up being a facade. This misdiagnosis came as a result of Chuck lacking understanding of his own developing mental disorder, which contributed to a decrease in his social ability. The selection portrays him as a genius, as well as an incredible lawyer, while also being a jealousy-fueled, insecure brother who does not wish to see his brother succeed. He also follows certain stereotypes of the elderly, as he is portrayed as an unwelcoming, uninviting, grumpy man, and relies solely on the newspaper to obtain his daily news. Overall, Chuck's depiction as an inconvenience and an obstacle throughout the series could result in the audience subconsciously developing a misunderstanding of those with mental illnesses and a neglection of the elderly. These two groups are historically underrepresented in media as is, and the representation in this series fails to promote progress in either direction.
Chuck hesitantly runs outside in his "space blanket" to collect the newspaper
No comments:
Post a Comment