But Blues Clues & You! is different, he says. which is why the opposite thing is explained," he told CBC News. "The centre is still, for lack of a better term, North American Caucasian kids. The promo for the first episode featuring Fe showcases Dela Cruz greeting Lola with a "mano," a Filipino gesture signifying respect for elders, before sitting down to eat bibingka, a traditional rice cake from the Philippines.Ĭarolyn Fe, centre, with Josh Dela Cruz and Blue on the set of Blue's Clues & You! (Submitted by Carolyn Fe)īustamante recalls a time when kids programming introduced different cultures by explaining them to their young viewers. She moved to Toronto to further her acting career. They immigrated to Canada when she was eight and settled in Montreal. She was born in the Philippines but her family then moved to the U.S looking for a better life. But according to Fe, Blue's Clues & You! pulls back the curtain on the subtleties of what it means to be Filipino and showcases a culture that is rarely noticed.įe can relate. Many Filipinos are immigrants to faraway lands who pride themselves on integrating into new societies and see that as part of who they are. She says Lola will be a recurring character. The Canadian actress, who calls Toronto home but is now in Montreal staying with her parents during the pandemic, says the show will be an upfront "grounded representation" featuring Tagalog language, food, how the young respect their elders, and other aspects of the Filipino culture at home. "But I am very grateful because this representation really takes us away from the stereotype that everybody else has given us as Filipinos." "I don't know when the idea to bring Lola came, when it came and who decided," says Fe. His nationality was a mystery on the show until the preview of an upcoming episode that introduced a new character named Lola, Josh's grandmother, played by Fe. The reboot premiered last year with new host Joshua "Josh" Dela Cruz, a Filipino-American. The Nickelodeon remake of the popular 1996 educational series Blue's Clues is part of the growing trend of inclusive kids programming that is more reflective of its diverse audience. Mondays, 6 pm on KNET Channel 25.Carolyn Fe had no clue her heritage would be under the spotlight after stepping out of her audition for Blue's Clues & You! Rappler is partnering with Jannelle So Productions Inc (JSP), founded by Filipino-American pioneer and Los Angeles-based journalist Jannelle So, to publish video and written stories from SoJannelleTV about the journeys, successes, and challenges of Filipinos living in America.Ĭheck out So Jannelle TV daily for stories that make you pause, reflect, and appreciate who we are and what we are as a people. “Whatever gets the ratings up, I’m here for it because that means more Blue’s Clues,” Dela Cruz said with a laugh. I never thought that I would ever be looked at in that capacity,” said Dela Cruz.ĭela Cruz has already been a hit with the preschool viewers, but are moms watching for a very different reason? Dela Cruz recalled waking up to texts from his sister about the photo going viral, though he now takes it in stride. So Perkins touched on Dela Cruz’s sexier photos from when he portrayed the shirtless Aladdin. Just because he’s a children’s TV icon doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a life outside of the Nickelodeon world. However, as an actor, it can get frustrating that the only roles are that of outsider.” “I love the fact that I get to be Filipino-American, and it has nothing to do with me being an immigrant. “One of my pet peeves is whenever I see representation but they’re just there because they needed an Asian person,” said Dela Cruz. In 2020, Dela Cruz’s character was even given a lola (grandmother), who is played by Carolyn Fe. And a lot of that, I get to put into Blue’s Clues.”ĭela Cruz, who was born in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to parents of Ilocano and Bicolano descent, has also gotten to play a Filipino character on Blue’s Clues, which he credits to the writing team’s openness to create meaningful representation through details. A lot of the time, I’ll be just driving along and I’ll think of something silly and I’ll laugh just to myself and I’ll never tell anybody about it. “All the silliness that I have in real life….
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