Shark Bytes

pharmacy;

pharmacy;

Since Norman Lear's production company had hits with Sanford and Son, Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life and Hello Larry on NBC as well as the CBS fare with The Jeffersons, All In The Family/Archie Bunker's Place, Maude, Good Times and One Day At A Time, Mr. Lear felt obligated to produce a show for ABC about Hispanic-Americans. The unfunny humor of AKA Pablo reflects this in the worst way possible. It certainly turns Hello, Larry into Shakespeare!

Several years after this fiasco aired, Lear's production company would have one more hit--Married...with Children, which went to the fledgling FOX Network.

Being neither American nor Latino-American nor Latino (or whatever the proper term is, please forgive me), I though this was quite well done.

Paul Rodriguez could have done so much more with this show. It just plain sucked! He did become a very funny comedian in later years, but this was way before then. That opening joke was horrible. I don't remember the exact line, but I do remember it was bad, because I remember thinking, "Yea, come thru for us my latino brother", and then he didn't. Oh well, maybe someday we will have a decent show, which we still have yet to have on totally English-Speaking television. I say totally english. because we did have "Que Pasa USA?", which was a great show, but was bilingual and of course was not on any of the mainstream channels. Not sure if any of you remember that show, but please look up some clips, if you don't. Also, the George Lopez show is decent, but not as funny as it could be, plus his daughter, for some reason, never dates a latino. At least she hadn't done so before I stopped watching the show. Makes you wonder, right?

Oh God, Unfortunately, I remember this show! This stinker jumped the shark from day one, and continued jumping it until it was mercifully yanked! Bad acting, predictable plotlines, remarkably unfunny. This was a dog from day one! I read the comments on this page, most of which regard this show as being a racial stereotype, which of course, it was. People, AKA Pablo was SUPPOSED to be a racial stereotype! That was the whole POINT! I remember when this show was on, I had a neighbor who was Hispanic, and he talked about how the Latino actors on the show were being exploited by the white 'establishment' (meaning the writers, directors, etc). I have to say, I have never understood, nor have I bought into, the idea that actors are 'exploited', regardless of race, sex or anything else. Until I learn that Paul Rodriguez and the other cast members had guns to their heads and were FORCED to act out these racial stereotypes, I refuse to believe they were 'exploited.' I'll bet they didn't feel too exploited on payday! I'll bet they were only too happy to be a part of the cast, even AFTER knowing what type of show it was. I didn't bother saying any of this to my Hispanic neighbor, because I didn't want to start a fight with him, but that whole 'exploitation' argument that people like him use is garbage. They were no more 'exploited' than I am! Anyway, AKA Pablo JTS from day one. That's a no brainer. Peace.

I don't remember this actor being funny at all. His jokes always seemed to be about being hispanic with the rest of the show revolving around his family telling him how he should be proud of his hispanic roots. B-OOOOOOO-RRRING!

The first episode, this show was horribly unfunny. I was insulted on behalf of Latinos and I'm as white as wonder-bread. This show was just embarrassing in its embrace of stereotypes (unfunny ones).

The man simply isn't funny...he's the Latin equivalent of Sinbad! The show was bad but it did make some points. To the overwhelmingly intellectual poster who believes Reagan didn't like minorities, you're right. He would first have to acknowledge their existence before taking a dislike and as he asserted, "There was no racism where I lived." gee, imagine that!! So, the show was making a valid point but it was just too lousy to be taken seriously. And yes, as a person who has dated and has many hispanic friends, they do have a tendency to overreact passionately...so what? Ever watched "Friends?" Do dorky whites in their thirties overreact as well?

'AKA Pablo' to Hispanics was the equivalent of 'Amos n' Andy' to African-Americans! Insults told in a 4th rate Speedy Gonzales accent combined with mawkish dialogue and situations do not a good sitcom make in any language. BTW, Katy Jurado played his mother and she was quite a hot enchillada in her day (one of Borgnine's wives). Still,it was beyond sad to see her in such a state appearing in this caca as an attempted comeback vehicle.

as a kid i knew this show was awful. i was a fan of the Lear shows and thought maybe, before seeing it, that it'd be good. but it wasn't. and it was really bad that every episode began with Pablo doing the (as before mentioned) joke about the Mexican Express Card (just because Reagan doesn't lie to ethnic people like Clinton, promising them a free ride that they never get, or, like Gore, giving them free cigarettes for votes, doesn't mean he didnt like them). and Pablo's mother - oh boy! - she was the worst part of the show. is it me or do spanish people usually overact?

This show sucked big tamales! The worst was the episode where Pablo gets arrested on his way to do his act for the *President of the United States*...He brings his prop 'Mexican Express Card', which is a knife! I don't know which is more unbelievable, Pablo's incredible stupidity or the President wanting to see such a hack comic! (It gets even weirder when you think Reagan would want to see anyone ethnic anyway)

WHEN HE WAS ON MERV GRIFFIN AND OFFENDED EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY.. I DONT KNOW WHICH SHOW WAS WORST THIS ONE OR THE HOWIE MANDEL AND THE LITTLE KID SHOW

Isn't this the show that had a "retrospective" at Episode SIX??!! If so, they didn't bother to jump; they just climbed into the shark tank with a sea lion costume and a bag of chum.

When I discovered that Pablo's jokes weren't funny when re-told by a fat eight year-old white boy. When I was a fat, dorky eight year-old, I thought some of Paul Rodriguez's jokes were funny-- I don't know why, it wasn't like I knew any Mexican-Americans. I told some of his jokes on the playground and nobody laughed. I think a group of kids even tried to give me a wedgy. Lucky I was fat and could sit on them.