Monday
Mar172008
Don't Mess With A Latina
Monday, March 17, 2008 at 01:26PM
Michael Arrington was nice enough to cover my Univision news on TechCrunch this morning. As soon as I read his coverage, I knew that the people who post in the TechCrunch forums might be nasty because that is often the very nature of the TechCrunch forums. Having worked for Michael, I know this first hand. I promised myself not to read the forum comments but that proved to be as impossible as trying to drive passed a car accident without looking.
I feel like the people who commented on this post are trying to assert that I am not Latina enough to make videos for Univision. I usually don't respond to that kind of negativity but the Latina in me cannot keep quiet so I am about to prove myself to be a true Puerto Rican woman and have a little fit. I am usually reserved and polite but this is my mother's sangre running through me so please bare with me. Here it goes:
Most of the people posting nasty comments on TechCrunch probably don't even speak Spanish. True, Spanish is my second language, not my first and it skipped a generation. My grandparents opted not to teach my mother Spanish so my sister and I had to teach ourselves. My grammar is solid and the professionals at Univision think my accent is acceptable. This is also my first time in front of a camera speaking Spanish so inevitably it will improve. The point is that I am trying something new and challenging. If I could improve my accent, I would but why is it an issue? You don't see people criticizing Om for his Indian accent in English on The GigaOm Show. It is unfair, rude, unwelcomed, and frankly sexist. When I wrote for TechCrunch in 2006 I was criticized for being a woman. Now I'm not Hispanic enough? Would this audience be more comfortable if I wore an apron and made a video of myself cooking Puerto Rican pasteles and arroz con gandules? Would that be authentic enough? If we were all as lambasted for trying something new, the Web culture that we know and love would cease to exist! I don't think I am perfect and I do think that I have room to improve. But I am proud of my first efforts and so are the Hispanohablantes that I care about, namely my editor at Univision and my brother-in-law Juan. The rest of you should steer clear of me today.
Okay, nice Natali is back. That did feel good though. Chale!
I feel like the people who commented on this post are trying to assert that I am not Latina enough to make videos for Univision. I usually don't respond to that kind of negativity but the Latina in me cannot keep quiet so I am about to prove myself to be a true Puerto Rican woman and have a little fit. I am usually reserved and polite but this is my mother's sangre running through me so please bare with me. Here it goes:
Most of the people posting nasty comments on TechCrunch probably don't even speak Spanish. True, Spanish is my second language, not my first and it skipped a generation. My grandparents opted not to teach my mother Spanish so my sister and I had to teach ourselves. My grammar is solid and the professionals at Univision think my accent is acceptable. This is also my first time in front of a camera speaking Spanish so inevitably it will improve. The point is that I am trying something new and challenging. If I could improve my accent, I would but why is it an issue? You don't see people criticizing Om for his Indian accent in English on The GigaOm Show. It is unfair, rude, unwelcomed, and frankly sexist. When I wrote for TechCrunch in 2006 I was criticized for being a woman. Now I'm not Hispanic enough? Would this audience be more comfortable if I wore an apron and made a video of myself cooking Puerto Rican pasteles and arroz con gandules? Would that be authentic enough? If we were all as lambasted for trying something new, the Web culture that we know and love would cease to exist! I don't think I am perfect and I do think that I have room to improve. But I am proud of my first efforts and so are the Hispanohablantes that I care about, namely my editor at Univision and my brother-in-law Juan. The rest of you should steer clear of me today.
Okay, nice Natali is back. That did feel good though. Chale!
Reader Comments (60)
Well put. If Univision and its audience likes you, who cares what the TC commenters think?
Yes, you are prefect for the job!! But the accent is strange, but if you have some troubles with that there are a lot of people to help you.
I'm from México and I Iunderstood everything.
Buena Suerte y Sigue asi!!
:)
Eche, seguro! Adelante Nats!
If you surf through the Spanish-sepaking web, you will notice it is full of Internet trolls and people that complain about everything when they can't even write in Spanish properly.
So never mind Natali, I am from Spain and I can tell your Spanish is more than acceptable. Although you sound a little nervous in this one, I suppose you're not very used to this speaking to the camera in Spanish, I hope you will gain comfort as you shoot more episodes.
Keep up the good work! And I repeat, you sound really good speaking Spanish! It's nice to hear you in my native language!
Although I'm not Hispanic or Latino, I've been around enough Spanish through good friends, coworkers, and just being a New Yorker all my life to know when Spanish is being spoken well and clearly. You sounded fine to me...
People who post critical ads are way too hateful or harsh at times, failing to see the point of having a tech news broadcast spoken in Spanish well secondary to how it's delivered. There will always be haters and people who find any reason to criticize. Nah, don't listen to TechCrunch posters, listen to your cool fans.
Chin up! You did a great job for your first entirely-Spanish episode.
I agree with Kyle. Don't let the trolls get you down.
-b
Hands down that was the cutest bit of Spanish speaking tech news (or preview of) that I have ever heard.
It takes major ovaries for someone who doesn't speak it as a first language to all of a sudden start reporting in that language.
Gracias bella!
Dust it off.
Most people are reading this in their all male office or upset that they never dated a Hispanic woman before.
They aren't your audience.
Don't feed the trolls.
Natalie,
I have to admit that I became very angry when I heard your report about how some people left unkind comments about you in the TC Forums.
First, as I said in my comment on your announcement of the Univision show, you are to be applauded for your decision to offer a Spanish language tech news. Very few people are presenting the depth, insight, and high production values of the show that you are producing.
Second, yes, even though I speak very little Spanish, I could tell that you were nervous. That is to be expected when you are doing something about which you obviously care a great deal. Just as you were nervous in the early episodes of TeXtra and quickly improved, I have no doubt that you will gain more confidence as you produce more episodes. You will make an already strong product even better.
Third, as an African American working in the predominately white Information Technology industry, I understand how it feels to have your ethnicity questioned. I sometimes want to throw a "Yo, wussup, youknowwhatImsayin" every now and then, but I know that is pandering to the lowest common denominator. Don't let these trolls bring you down to their level. You are too much of a lady for that. The best response to sass is class, and the best revenge is success.
Keep your head up,
Anjuan
Natali,
So one must speak perfect Spanish if one is to speak Spanish at all...is that their point?
You also speak english as well, is there a "perfect" way to speak english? You would speak it differently from me as we are from different parts of the world, so who speaks it "better"? Maybe the English speak it better?
I am sure anyone could go after the "Spanish Critics" for the way they speak English as not being perfect, but they seem to think they can criticise you for your "accent".
I think the whole thing is sad and pathetic and I don't understand how people can be that way. Who doesn't speak any language without some sort of accent?
Anyway, I love your work and thoroughly "Loaded" four times a week. Keep up the great work and don't stop doing what you do.
Michael
I think theres not much left to say than... Keep up the god work! :) As i have mentioned earlier in previous post's... You are a Pro and you do your job with absolute perfection! (not to say looking ubber gorgeous ;) )
Keep it up!
I'm from Macedonia so I didn't understand a word from the show. I can't tell you if your accent is good, but the decision of making Loaded on another language you know well is great no matter what people say, keep it up, you'll become better.
Continua adelante Natali-
Hi Natali,
As an Italian American I am only jealous at the effort and great skill you seem to have put into learning Spanish. I checked out the univision (gringo here says unee-vision ;-)) posting and thought it was excellent admittedly I only understood a handful of words. Great work on the Loaded C|Net TV program, its a staple on my iPhone.
Have you considered microblogging (Twitter) or other viral video work too such as Qik.com? It might seem low tech to the high-production quality of Loaded but theses venues are my only tech-web 2.0 experiences these days.
--Trifster
No hagas caso de los comentarios negativos. Hay que ser una persona muy inteligente para poder hablar dos idiomas. Felicidades por tu show Loaded el cual soy fiel seguidor. Bye... :-)
Buen trabajo, el acento puede mejorar con el tiempo y practica, en general me gusto verte hablando español.
Saludos.
Keep up the good work.
Natali on Univision: ¡Del Uno!
Natali for free on Univision: ¡Una Ganga!
I ought to try gandules.
I think what you are doing for the Latino Community is great. As someone who was raised like you and learned Spanish on their own, I find what was said on TechCrunch insulting. You're doing a great job. Keep it up!
Hey, Natalie.
I'm your big fan from Korea.
I didn't know you can speak Spanish.
Wow, so can I expect Korean version too.
I don't mind North or South Korean but I wish it's one of it.
Anyway, You look so beautiful. Thanks for good news all the time.
Haters will always hate. That's what they do. You're branching out and trying new things, and you should certainly be proud of that. Needless to say, don't mind these idiots. Always remember that you are Natali Del Conte: Bad Ass Boricua!
I know that sites like Reddit and Jyte give people a thrashing over bad grammar and spelling, unless English isn't the person's native language. Then I'm amazed they can communicate at all since I'm hopeless outside of English.
Natali dont listen to what those people in the TechCrunch forums say about you. You do an amazing job in everything that you do. You dont need to defend your latinaness. You are you and thats all you can be. If they dont like you or "accept" you that is their problem not yours. You didnt need to defend yourself but you did a great job of it. Keep up the great work and keep trying new things, its the only way we grow as people.
Natali,
There will be always be haters. Whether you're a man or woman, or black/white/brown. I give you major props for doing something that has never been done before. It introduces a whole new group of people information that they probably wouldn't have received before. I do agree with your comment towards the TC forum people. No one should mess with someones passion and livelihood.
You should still continue to read the comments on the TC forums. It will give you more fuel to do an even better job, because at the end of the day it's what we think of ourselves not what people think of us.
Though my opinions of heavy forum users (with constant negative undertones in their posts) is a bit generalized and probably not polite to express, I suppose it coincides with their opinions toward your Technologia video so... I suppose it's warranted.
I feel that the internet is the cold fusion to power people's passions, when all we had before was a non-rechargeable battery. It provides the creatives out there with a blank canvas, the entrepreneurs with low-overhead opportunity, the performers with a 24/7 stage, and the haters with a mask to hide behind. It is so easy to be a hater, especially when you don't need to meet the bully you're harassing on the basketball courts at 4 pm after you say your ridiculous piece. Natali, we all know you look sweet but have that latina fuego inside you! With online forums, the haters don't need to show up to face the fire and say it to your face. It's so easy for them and yet so sad they relish in it.
I say it's tough for you since you're on-camera, showing your face when negative people watch you from behind their firewalls and screen-names. What they write is stuff they wouldn't have the cojones to say to your face, so I think it's safe for you to always discount any negative forum comments you happen to stumble upon (or seek in your case, ha).
I think you have enough people that adore you to let a few whiny losers slide. I've been a fan at CNET for a long time and work at CNET with you (in SF), and was really happy to hear that you joined a couple months ago. I watch Loaded everyday -- keep up the good work! =)