Latin, or Gringo Lover?

Post Reply New Topic

A little while ago, I watched the movie Woman on Top

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYlrxM1CUPw[/youtube]

where Penelope Cruz plays a Brazilian woman who leaves her husband and moves to the USA.

The Latin Lover, portrayed in the film as her Brazilian husband, is presented as extremely romantic and passionate, willing to do what it takes to win his woman, and will interpret "No!" as "Just Try Harder!"

(I don't know if the use the term "Gringo" in Brazil--in Spanish-speaking American countries, it simply refers colloquially to White Anglophone North Americans)

The Gringo lover is presented as just the opposite: extremely reserved, "No" means "Hell No!! !" and, even yes is taken as no. When she is practically raping him on a couch, he decides that she doesn't really want it, and leaves.

My summary of the cultural stereotypes may be incomplete, and I don't know the stereotypes of the Gringa (female Gringo) versus the Latina (female Latin).

So, which do you prefer?

To clarify: in Brazil, we speak Portuguese. And we use the term "gringo" to refer to any foreigner. And, although I am Brazilian, judging by your description, I fit the "gringo" stereotype much better: to me, a "no" is always definitive, because I dislike having to repeat myself and I believe it would be hypocrisy to force other people to repeat themselves.

Yes, I know. To start the discussion, I am simply lumping all Latin Americans together.



Okay. I'm pretty sure that Spanish-speakers are more specific.




Well, okay. But, I'm guessing that, in Brazil, if one woman says "No!", then no big deal. Another woman will say "Yes!" Probably few Brazilian men lead sexless lives, compared to American men.

The movie above ends with Miss Cruz's character returning to Brazil with her husband. I'm not sure if the movie would be fully classified as a Feminist Chick Flick. The American men do come off as pasty, unappealing, passionless, and ridiculous. There is one scene in the movie (shown quickly at about 40 seconds into the trailer) where a mob of American men is walking through the city behind Miss Cruz's character, not saying anything, simply entranced by her beauty. Sure, we're pathetic, but we're not that pathetic. We would certainly look, possibly stare, but not follow her around en masse like a large number of ducklings keeping up with their mother.

It is just a stupid romantic comedy. The scourge of Hollywood. You are taking it too seriously. And I am one of those few Brazilian men who lead sexless lives, by the way. You are right about that stereotype, though; it seems that the majority of Brazilian men lose their virginity at around 15. But that does not bother me, actually; my real problem is loneliness and extreme tedium.

I know very well that it is a dumb movie. I've seen Miss Cruz in much better movies. To illustrate cultural differences relevant to Love & Dating, I could have used, for example, a clip from the popular Spanish-language dating show Doce Corazones

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Vvx3biEhE[/youtube]

It is produced and televised in the USA, but is sometimes MUCH too hawt and passionate for an Anglophone audience.




I suspect that sexlessness would be more likely to be a matter of personal choice for a Brazilian than an American. Otherwise, what would prevent you from satisfying your appetite in any brothel?

In Brazil, I suspect that you have very few men who are sexually frustrated and completely disgusted with your nation's women. And, very few Brazilian women would feel the need for Jamaica's Rent-a-Rasta or Rental Dreds program.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfDors7hKcg[/youtube],

You are right. As I said, I am more interested in company than sex, which renders brothels pointless. Many friends suggested and even offered to pay for prostitutes for me, but I am really not interested. In short, my involuntary celibacy is not completely involuntary.

As for male prostitutes, they are also legalized in Brazil, but most of their clients are homosexual men. And even then, they do not make much money.

Our culture makes it much harder to explain people like me. A reasonably attractive man who never had a girlfriend despite being almost 22 years old is an anomaly.

Whereas, in the USA, men in your situation tend to feel embittered towards women. In Brazil, it would be difficult to blame the women for that.

Just wanted to say that "gringo", around here, is used specifically for people in the States. Etymologically though, it used to describe any kind of foreigner back in Spain, if I remember right.

As Magnus_Rex pointed out though, those two are stereotypes. For me, yes is yes, no is no, and "no" is confusing

You also have the term Gabacho, which Spaniards use to refer to Frenchmen, and which Mexicans use to refer to White Anglophone Americans. Penélope uses this word all the time on Doce Corazones. She will occasionally have a Gabacho who can speak a little Spanish on the show.

Gringo isnt a term in Spain anymore(any foreigner is a guiri and theres no need to make a distinction on their procedence)

I heard that gringo still applies mostly to foreigners with plenty of money regardless of their nationality in places like argentina but I could be wrong

Throughout the majority of Latin America, the term gringo can refer to a foreigner of any nationality as a general rule, but is used, in particular, to refer to those from the anglosphere, at least that is my experience with the word.

And it's true about the "no means try harder" bit. To fend off a latino, I have to say no at least a dozen times in different ways before they accept it as an answer.
I don't have the patience to do it any more than that, but I have seen women have to do it well more than 12 times - I simply don't have the patience that they do.
Often the guy will rephrase the question in a different way, or ask for something smaller instead and work is way back up to what he wants.
They certainly are much more direct and persistent than gringos, as a general rule.

So, on the thirteenth time, it's a "yes?"

Here is something that I don't quite understand

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmXJDKUWaC4&feature=related[/youtube]

Some of these guys are going from California to Colombia to find a Latina lover. But, there are plenty of Latinas in California. What is preventing these guys from finding a Latina in California? Are Colombianas supposed to be better?

I know that, for the Colombian ladies, there is a wealth difference, and a chance to migrate to the USA. But, there must be some poverty-stricken Latinas in California who would also like to marry these guys for the money. Or, do the guys consider Latinas in California to be as spoiled as the Gringas?

I would know about that. There is a certain kind of Colombian women who like the thrill of dating a foreigner, they deem them as exotic. A lot of foreigners overspend around here too, and that also attracts another certain kind of women . A guy who for dating purposes is more or less like any other guy over there would experience some success around here, especially if he's foreign-looking too.
Also, women are beautiful around here

An absurdly worded question.

First: you're making an ethnic/racial stereotype.

So you should phrase it " Latin STYLE lover, vs an Anglo STYLE lover). Youd still be stereotyping but its a little nicer way of putting it- admitting thats its culture rather than race or something.

Second: this should be addressed to the lady's only- about men only.

This dichotemy you're setting up doesnt even apply to women from the two cultures. So there is no reason to address men about comparing the women of the two cultures- because its only men who behave differently in the two cultures-not women- or atleast thats what the stereotype applies to- men not women.

You shoulda said "Hey ladies! Do you prefer agressive macho Latino guys, or the uptight retiring anglo males? Something like that.

So they're pretty much a race of rapists then? I thought "no means no" and all that? If a woman says "no", she'd better mean it because she won't get a second chance. Her fault if she acts the prat.