Qué Cringe! Eugenio Derbez Critiques Selena Gomez’s Spanish and the Internet Isn’t Having It

Eugenio Derbez apologized for the backlash in his comments about Selena Gomez’s Spanish accent in the new movie Emilia Pérez. The film, a musical/thriller, centers on the life of a cartel boss, and Gomez’s character speaks Spanish regularly throughout. Apparently, that was a problem for both the famous actor and Gaby Meza, host of the podcast Hablando de cine, who relentlessly criticized Gomez’s Spanish.

Speaking Spanish as a non-native speaker can be challenging and intimidating. When you are of Latino descent, the pressure to be perfect always creeps in because you know people will have something to say. Derbez and Meza have given all of us a collective ick with their unapologetic takedown of Gomez.

Eugenio Derbez and Gaby Meza are not impressed with Gomez’s Spanish

Derbez and Meza shared their feelings about Gomez’s Spanish during the podcast. Despite Gomez putting in the effort in a limited time frame, the two were ruthless in their takedown of Gomez. Like, it is understandable to want better from stories that represent us. That is valid.

However, what isn’t valid is people taking their time, platform, and fame to relentlessly belittle someone who tries. There are so many Latinos who are not proficient in Spanish. That does not take away their Latino identity.

For many, a lack of knowledge of Spanish is sometimes indicative of people who grew up in communities where speaking Spanish could be harmful. There are also people who grew up in homes where English was pushed because they wanted their children to have the opportunities they came here for, and that requires being able to speak English fluently.

The backlash was swift and resounding

When the podcast episode dropped, people took to social media to call out the behavior. For many commenters, Derbez and Meza’s willingness to punch down at Gomez was inexcusable because how does that help us as a community?

It is clear from the conversations happening on social media that people are not here for this kind of rhetoric. Quite frankly, that kind of rhetoric is divisive and only serves to shame people who are part of our community.

To be frank, Meza’s pronunciation of Only Murders in the Building could be used to make the same argument that having a proper accent is important to be accepted among English speakers.

Gomez stood her ground and defended herself

Gomez was not going to be silent after the kind of attack she faced so publicly. She explained that he had limited time to practice her Spanish and learn the script and songs in Emilia Pérez.

Eugenio Derbez, feeling the heat, apologized publicly to Gomez and said he was taking the time to learn a valuable lesson from the moment.

As of the time of this post, Meza has not made a public apology.

Her fans and others who were just offended by the comments have taken to social media to stand by Gomez and her journey. It is so important that people think before they speak. This kind of catty behavior excludes people who are trying their best to connect to their culture. Struggling with Spanish does not negate your Latino identity.