Fridge Brilliance
- Many of the female-identified characters are revealed to have longer first names. Eddie is Edwina, Rocky is Roxanna, and Nico is Nicole. Considering these characters are openly queer, it's understandable that they would prefer to go by shorter, gender neutral nicknames in lieu of their very feminine-sounding birth names.
- Emma's very polished and buttoned-up style look a little too old-fashioned, considering she's only around 30 years old. In an interview
with her actress Mishel Prada, she stated that Emma's fashion sense was greatly influenced from what was presented to her on the TV as a result of growing up in a single parent household. Since most of her early childhood took place in the 90s, the issue of lack of proper minority representation comes to mind. It's possible that Emma's TV screen was bombarded with images of minority women in stereotypical roles while white women were presented as the "default". Latinas in the media were—and still are—portrayed as maids/nannies, spicy Latinas, or illegal immigrants. When Emma had finally gained the financial means to afford better attire, she based her appearance on that of a preppy white woman so that she wouldn't resemble a stereotype. This was especially vital in her job as a marketing consultant, considering women of color in corporate settings are frequently judged for their style. - In season 1, Cruz jokingly calls Emma a "new mestiza" in reference to Gloria E. Anzaldúa's Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. Cruz meant this as a jab to Emma's cultural in-between status as a Mexican American woman living in high-end Chicago. However, the autobiography also touches on the racial composition of most modern Mexicans. Emma, as white-passing as she is, is mixed European and Indigenous via her parents, so the comment could also refer to the fact that she is quite literally a mestiza.
- Marisol's harsh claim that Emma, in her teenage years, used to walk around the neighborhood "acting all bougie" note makes more sense if one interprets this as Emma having developed a subconscious fear from a young age of not fitting into a Eurocentric mainstream society. Since she was already facing rejection for her sexuality, and didn't want to face more of it for her ethnicity on top of that, she assimilated herself early on as a survival tactic, rather than finding any actual appeal in trying to look superior or "act white".
- Lyn being portrayed as whitewashed for her limited Spanish and her hipster sense of style (ie. flashy earrings) becomes ironic when you think about it: Spanish is a colonial language imposed onto the Indigenous populations by white Spaniards, and her earrings are of a Native American and Aztec tribal designs that were now considered "boho chic" and trendy due to them being culturally appropriated by mostly white hipsters. There's also Lyn wanting to start an Aztec-inspired scented candle business, indicating how she's trying to stay in touch with her own Indigenous roots. With all these in mind, one could very well say that Lyn is the least whitewashed out of the main cast.
- Marisol's racist and deeming "white-ina" rant towards the Emma and Lyn, at first glance, just looks like she's resentful at the sisters for leaving the neighborhood. However, her rant can also be taken in a literal context. While the show doesn't quite go into detail about it, it's somewhat obvious that the sisters were able to advance in society because of their ability to pass for white note . Marisol, with her darker skin and prominent Indigenous features, doesn't have this luxury, so she vents her frustrations by calling them literal White Latinas. However, the show also shows that the privileges experienced by white-passing Latinos is conditional: Lyn is allowed to join a white frat party in Silver Lake, as long as she's eye candy for the white tech bros. Emma works in corporate, but her boss uses her as his personal sex toy, and tried to screw her over when she attempts to quit her job. Oh, and she gets the cops called on her by a white woman. Marisol lampshades this.Marisol: You saw how fast that gringa called the cops on us? She didn't care about your fancy shoes or muy muy hair cut. You and I are the same to them.
Fridge Horror
- Emma stated once that her mother sent her to live with relatives in Texas after catching her in bed with a girl. Considering that Texas, being predominantly conservative Republican, is not exactly the friendliest state for minorities, one has to wonder what kind of abuse the brown, queer Emma received during her stay?
- Mr. Sanchez's death is meant to be heartbreaking for the fact that he will never get to see his granddaughter Elenita. However, considering the traditional Mexican patriarchal views he had imposed on his own daughter, and Johnny's inability to stand up to him, perhaps this was for the best.
