Movie Song of the Week: "Cuban Pete"

I've never been quite sure what to make of this song except to note that (1.) Jim Carrey seems to be having fun and (2.) if the song was good enough for Desi Arnaz...

Then again, I'm not Cuban so maybe I'm better off taking the Fifth.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Cristina Saralegui!

AKA Cristina Maria Saralegui de Ávila.

Born January 29, 1948.

She is a Cuban-born journalist and talk show host of Spanish descent who is most famous for her Spanish-language talk show El Show de Cristina. She is also known as the "Hispanic Oprah", the "Spanish Oprah" or la Oprah Latina.

If you watched Spanish language television during the 1990s or the 2000s, you are probably very familiar with her face, even if you do not want to be. If you didn't, well, them's the breaks.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Daisy Fuentes!

Born November 17, 1966.

She is the Cuban-born daughter of a Cuban father and a Spanish mother. She is best known as a model, actress and television personality but she is also famous for being MTV's first Latina VJ and Revlon's first Latina spokesperson to be signed to a worldwide contract. She was also a co-host of the TV show America's Funniest Home Videos from 1998 to 1999 and has appeared on such TV shows as Dream On and Cybill.

However, she has changed a bit over the years as the above two photos will show. (The top one was taken in 2009; the other was taken in 2013. Of course, the one at the very top of this post was taken in 1997.)

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, María Conchita Alonzo!

Born June 29, 1957.

She is everyone's favorite Cuban-born and Venezuelan-raised actress and singer/songwriter. Well, at least she's my favorite.

I hope she enjoys her day.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Loreta Janeta Velázquez!

Born June 26, 1842. Died c.1897.

She was a Cuban-born woman who claimed to have fought in the American Civil War while she was disguised as a male Confederate soldier named Harry Buford. According to her memoirs, she enlisted without the knowledge or permission of her soldier-husband. She allegedly fought at Bull's Run and other battles but was then arrested and discharged when her true gender was uncovered while she was in New Orleans and she was suspected of being a female Union spy in disguise. She then re-enlisted and fought at Shiloh before she was revealed once more to be a woman. She then became a spy who posed as both men and women depending on the assignment. Eventually she became a widow and remarried, only to become a widow again. She remarried two more times and became a widow each time. Eventually she became a member of the U.S. Secret Service and a double agent for the Confederacy. The circumstances of her death are unknown though she did give birth to a baby boy.

Everything known about her comes from her book, The Woman in Battle: A Narrative of the Exploits, Adventures, and travels of Madame Loreta Janeta Velázquez, Otherwise Known as Lieutenant Harry T Buford, Confederate States Army. She claimed in the book's preface to have written the book in order to earn money to support her child. The accuracy of said book is still disputed by historians so it could be that Ms. Velázquez was little more than a very imaginative woman. Then again maybe she was more than that.

Stranger things have happened in history. Until additional evidence comes in, Ms. Velázquez is perhaps best ranked with such legendary figures as Lady Godiva, figures whose stories seem too interesting to be true and yet not fictional enough to be entirely dismissed. Then again if her life story were totally made up, I doubt she would deliberately choose to mention fighting for the losing side of one of the U.S.'s most hard-fought wars. As it stands, her story is so paradoxical that part of me wishes that it were true. Then again I am no fan of the Confederacy so part of me also hopes that it is untrue. Time will tell.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Cristina Saralegui!

AKA Cristina Maria Saralegui de Ávila.

Born January 29, 1948.

She is a Cuban-born journalist and talk show host of Spanish descent who is most famous for her Spanish-language talk show El Show de Cristina. She is also known as the "Hispanic Oprah", the "Spanish Oprah" or la Oprah Latina.

If you watched Spanish language television during the 1990s or the 2000s, you are probably very familiar with her face, even if you do not want to be. If you didn't, well, them's the breaks.

Yo Amo a Maria Conchita Alonso*

Just saying.

Por supuesto, certain recent events have made me love her even more. Thus ever to tyrantophiles.

* Spanish for "I ♥ Maria Conchita Alonso."

That's Funny. She Doesn't Look Latina: Parte XX

Joanna Leanna García (1979 - ). Daughter of a Spanish-American homemaker and a Cuban-born gynecologist. Best known for a starring role in the CW sitcom Reba and a recurring role in the TV show Freaks and Geeks, she is currently appearing in the TV show Better with You.

That's Funny. She Doesn't Look Latina: Parte XIV

Daisy Fuentes (1966 - ). Cuban-born daughter of a Cuban father and a Spanish mother. She is best known as a model, actress and television personality but she is also famous for being MTV's first Latina VJ and Revlon's first Latina spokesperson to be signed to a worldwide contract. Normally I would have posted her photo later in the year but it's her birthday tomorrow.

That's Funny. She Doesn't Look Latina: Parte XIII

Cristina Saralegui (1948 - ). Cuban-born journalist of Spanish origin who is most famous for hosting the Spanish-language talk show El Show de Cristina, a hit series on Univision since the late 1980s. She attempted to do an English-language version of that show in 1992 but it failed. She's often referred to as "the Spanish Oprah." Her show allegedly ended on Univision this year but the jury's still out as to whether Ms. Saralegui is off the air for good.

Hey, I Remember This Show: I Love Lucy

Hey, who didn't watch this show growing up? True, most of us are way too young to remember seeing it in prime time but it always seemed to be around in reruns. And I remember being particularly obsessed with it because the Desi Arnaz character reminded me so much of my father. (No, my father wasn't Cuban nor did he sing for a living but otherwise, he had a lot in common personalitywise with Mr. Arnaz.)

Anyway, I suspect poor Desi might never have gotten as many laughs on this show as his co-star Lucille Ball. However, after Arnaz built up Desilu Studios (the studio he started with Ms. Ball) into a major power in the TV business, he undoubtedly laughed all the way to the bank.