Here’s How Fans Feel About The CW’s ‘Charmed’ Reboot, Which Was Billed As Latina
If you grew up in the 90’s, you were stoked that “Charmed” would be getting a reboot. At first, we thought we’d be seeing the original cast make a comeback, but when word got out that the modern-day brujas would be Latina, we got hechizado.
Turns out that while all three actresses are women of color, only one of them is Latina irl. Here’s what fans on social media had to say about the casting.
Afro-Latinas are too rare and hard to come by on the screen, which is why people were pumped for the “Charmed” reboot.
Why? Because Afro-Latinas are often cast as African Americans or not at all. When we see Latinas on screen, rarely are they dark-skinned. They truly are the minority within a minority, so when we heard we were about to witness modern day Afro-Latina brujeria, it seemed like a huge step in the right direction.
Many viewers were totally duped into thinking that we’re witnessing Latina representation.
I both don’t want to break it to her and also am screaming that anyone even has to. The CW is the primary source of all the Latinx hype and has also remained excruciatingly quiet, essentially continuing to corroborate their claim that this is a Latina centered show.
Also, their mother is white.
I mean, look, we are totally here for bi-racial diversity in Hollywood. Yet, every Latinx’s mami is the ultimate bruja in our lives. It’s a major missed opportunity to cast a Latina to play the role of the wise, protective mother witch.
Meet Melonie Diaz, la única Latina.
Diaz was born and raised in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. You might remember her as Blanca from “Lords of Dogtown.” She is an award winning actress and we are shipping la Boricua’s place on the show.
Sarah Jeffrey identifies as African-American.
Again, we are not faulting the actresses. Sarah Jeffery has been straightforward to the press, clearing up any claims that she is Latina. She’s actually half African-American and half indigenous Canadian.
Madeleine Mantock is the one who broke the spell The CW cast on the Latinx community.
At a New York Comic Con, Mantock came forward to say, “Playing the Afro-Latina character I think for me I’m just trying to be open. I’m open with the writers and trying to be respectful because I’m Afro-Caribbean. I’m not actually Afro-Latina and I want to make that inquiry because Melonie [Diaz] is actually the only person in her real life who is Latina.”
Some folks are mad that people are even mad.
The real loss is that The CW exploited the Latinx community for publicity gains, only to reveal their idea of representation is colorist and not cultural.
Even the old cast of “Charmed” is not happy about this reboot.
Back then Alyssa Milano being Italian was “ethnic.” We’re seeing the cast liking tweets about how the original premiered in 1998 with 7.7 million views vs 2018’s mere 1.54 million views.
Holly Marie Combs, who played Piper, is bitter as hell to not be on the show.
She tweeted, “I will never understand what is fierce, funny, or feminist in creating a show that basically says the original actresses are too old to do a job they did 12 years ago.” All the fury from a cast we loved so much couldn’t even taint our deep-seeded craving for representation.
Life is just full of disappointments.
That said, having Mantock on the show is still schooling the general public about Afro-Latinidad.
It would be way less confusing if The CW had cast real life Afro-Latinas as further proof of their important existence in our culture.
Here are some Latinas who would have slayed the role:
The CW does get credit for integrating consent education and LGBTQ inclusive feminism in each episode.
Tessa Thompson
If you know Thompson and her work, you know she would have been the perfect magical addition to the reboot. She’s captured fans hearts on HBO’s “Westworld,” dazzled in Janelle Monae’s “Dirty Computer” and stunned on “Thor: Ragnarok.”
Tatyana Ali
We know her best as Will Smith’s cousin, Ashley Banks, from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” but Tatyana Ali has rarely been cast for her Afro-Latinidad. She would have brought some serious star power and representation. #AliVeraPorFavor
Naya Rivera
She already has a teen following from “Glee.” She’s an established Afro-Latina actress! Forget everything I said. The CW should have cast new Afro-Latina actresses. Let’s not pretend that they had no options, folks.
The only response we’ve seen The CW take is to put up a Puerto Rican flag in Mel’s room.
The CW should own up already instead of continuing the charade. Yes, Melonie Diaz is Puerto Rican. No, nobody else on the show is and that still hasn’t changed.
The bottom line is that we need Latinxs to tell our stories.
From the writers room to the stage. If we’re being told that brujería is about to go down, then we had better feel like it is. Where are all the velas with Saint Anthony on them? Where are the bowls of water at their bedside? Do they even know what a ghost is?
OK, the upside is in the gay:
Diaz plays Mel, a hella feminist lesbian Latina bruja. So, yes, I 100 percent saw myself on screen and I am so here for that.
Mel’s girlfriend is Asian-American and her character just keeps developing.
She plays a cop, and after she accidentally drank some Truth Serum, she confessed that she only wears fake glasses to make people take her seriously and that she knows she’s hot and is going to start owning it.
Here for acknowledging the double standard on women to be either sexy or smart and smashing that stereotype. Not here for yet one more fan who thinks that the Power of Three is Latina.
The CW had so many options to give us the Latinx reboot they alluded to.
Either let Afro-Latinas in on this huge opportunity or allow the women you’ve casted to represent their actual culture. You can’t say that you’re going to represent Latinas, fail to follow through, and stick a Puerto Rican flag on a wall and call it even.
Some fans are already asking for different Latinx shows to start being made.
The fans have spoken. All the magic happening so far is heavily European influenced. Give us a show that actually represents our culture and honors our abuelas’ brujeria. J-Lo’s Nuyorican Productions, I’m looking at you.
