Bye Bye Birdie: Rose Grant vs Rose Alvarez- Page 2

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 12:02pm

^ That actually did cross my mind.

[Rinaldo]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 1:39pm

"I'm still trying to figure out why in the song "Spanish Rose" she refers to herself as Rosita HERNANDEZ and not ALVAREZ...or even GRANT. "

As Phyllis Rogers Stone said, throughout the song she's inventing the most preposterously over-the-top Spanish stereotypical scenarios she can, just because that's apparently what Mae expects of her. Taco / enchilada / tequila / "Grenada" / bolero, and on and on, one after the other. If she used her own name, there'd be no joke -- it has to be a new extreme one.

In reality, as she sings at the start of the song, she's just an ordinary Allentown girl. It's like an early dramatization of the "No, but where are you REALLY from?" conversation that so many Asian Americans are still subjected to. (I sometimes wonder if maybe Chita had a little input on the song premise, as it's likely something that she experienced too.)

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 2:10pm

As Phyllis Rogers Stone said, throughout the song she's inventing the most preposterously over-the-top Spanish stereotypical scenarios she can, just because that's apparently what Mae expects of her. Taco / enchilada / tequila / "Grenada" / bolero, and on and on, one after the other. If she used her own name, there'd be no joke -- it has to be a new extreme one.

I "get" why they didn't use Grant. I was referring to the fact that if her characters name was changed to ALVAREZ then why did she use HERNANDEZ?

So ALVAREZ is not considered as over-the-top and extreme as HERNANDEZ?

Who decides these things?

[newintown]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 2:10pm

Exactly; I'd have thought it was pretty clear from context that the "Rosita Hernandez" line (delivered with an over-the-top accent and comic voice) was just a wry joke that Rosie is making.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 2:11pm

I understand that she is making a joke. I was questioning why they used Hernandez and not Alvarez if the name of the character was changed to Alvarez.

Updated On: 2/9/15 at 02:11 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 2:14pm

I "get" why they didn't use Grant. I was referring to the fact that if her characters name was changed to ALVAREZ then why did she use HERNANDEZ?

Because it was changed to Alvarez after the Hernandez line was in the show.

I also think don't think it's that Hernandez is over-the-top or extreme. It's just a common Hispanic name. They could have used Lopez or Garcia and made the same point.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 2:55pm

It would have made more sense when they decided to change the character's last name to change it to Hernandez to reflect the lyric as written. It is what it is.

I don't mean to nit pick or make it a bigger deal than it truly is, these things just cross my mind sometimes. I can be a little guilty of over-analyzing, LOL.