When it comes to some of the best shows out there that offer authentic Latina representation, I can think of a fair few. There are some great shows on Netflix that do that, some of which are international shows from other countries and others that are made in the United States. There are even movies that do it so well, ones I’ve found myself returning to over and over again as I’ve gotten older. But, recently, there’s a new show that I’ve loved to watch, and it’s called The Most Beautiful Flower.
Based on the life of Mexican comedian Michelle Rodriguez, the story follows Mich, a young Latina girl who knows she’s awesome, and yet, it feels like the world around her doesn’t. In all my years of trying to find good representation, I feel like nothing has come as close as it does in this show – and that’s something I need to talk about. Here are my reasons why.
It’s Not Afraid To Show The Different Body Types In Latinas
Look, I get it. There’s this huge stereotype in Hollywood where the Latina woman is absolutely gorgeous and the bombshell of the movie or television show that she’s a part of. I get it, I know – I’m bisexual so it’s not like I haven’t found myself interested in those women, too. We’ve seen them with Sofía Vergara in the Modern Family cast, Salma Hayek in Desperado – heck, you can even think of Ana de Armas in movies like No Time to Die.
This isn’t to say that these women aren’t beautiful – because they are – but I noticed that at a young age, there was this pressure to try and look as perfect as these beautiful Latina women, because they were always just so beautiful. The reason I like The Most Beautiful Flower is that it’s not afraid to show different Latina body types.
A huge theme of the show is body positivity and learning to love your body for what it is, and Mich is the perfect example of that. She knows she doesn’t look like all the Latina girls you see on television, but she doesn't care, because she understands her worth and wants to show it off to the world. The show does an excellent job of showing what real Latina bodies look like in all shapes and sizes – and that’s something I can really appreciate as someone who struggled with her weight for a long time.
Nor Is It Worried To Have Discussions About Skin Tone Disparity
There’s a lot of people I’ve talked to in the past where when I tell them I’m Puerto Rican, they don’t believe me, specifically because my skin makes people think I'm white. And that’s one of my biggest pet peeves in most shows – that often, we see the Latina woman as darker skinned or tanned or something else.
That’s not a bad thing, but there are so many beautiful shades of Latinas out there, and only having a few colors represent a whole culture is bad not only for teaching purposes, but for representation purposes.
That’s another reason I really like The Most Beautiful Flower. There are people of different skin tones all over the show, from elderly women to young kids, showing off just how different we truly are. Mich herself is of a lighter skin tone than some of her classmates, and the issues of skin tone disparity are real in this show because it’s something that happens in many countries. I really like that they went deep into that.
The Most Beautiful Flower Beautifully Shows The Difference In Priorities Among Latinas Between Generations
I know that as a young girl, I never understood why people were so different between generations, but as I’ve gotten older, it’s started to make more sense. The Most Beautiful Flower does an excellent job of showing just how much values have changed within the typical Latino family, something I can relate to.
Take, for example, Mich and her mother. Her mother is what I would consider the very typical Latina mother – she wants her daughter to look beautiful all the time, to be prim and proper and to dress her up, but Mich just isn’t like that. She’s from a different generation that values our own personality and what we want, not what our parents want.
Their dynamic throughout the show reminded me of so many coming of age movies, where the daughter is trying their hardest to somehow accurately portray their feelings to their mother. It’s something I’ve had to do, and I’m sure so many other Latina girls have had to do. And that’s something I like, where the show details the differences in values more than you would imagine.
It Also Takes A Deep Dive Into Sexuality Among The Mexican Nation
For those who don’t know, this show takes place in Mexico City, Mexico, and focuses on a lot of topics that current-day Mexicans are speaking about. Something that’s really just starting to become more of a conversation there is this idea of sexuality and gender fluidity, something that The Most Beautiful Flower does exceptionally well.
There’s plenty of LGBTQ+ representation out there, but something I don’t see that often in movies/TV shows is when it focuses on specific cultures, and that’s what happens with The Most Beautiful Flower. While it’s not the main focus of the story, the show itself isn’t afraid to have those conversations, where shows of the past would ignore it.
Most Importantly, It Helps Latinas To Learn To Love Themselves
I’m about to get real – I hated the fact that I was Latina for such a long time. I hated that my hair was curly, I hated that my hips were bigger, that my eyes were always so brown, that my skin wasn’t as dark as other Latinas in my area because I would get bullied for it. I hated it.
As I got older and wiser, I learned to love everything about myself, all the good and the bad – and that included my culture. Granted, I do straighten my hair now because it's just easier to deal with, but that doesn't mean I don't rock my curls on a good day.
As a kid, I didn’t have a show like this to really enjoy. Sure, I had maybe Dora, which is still going strong now, but nothing was really as empowering as this. I can only imagine how many young Latina girls could watch this show and finally start to love themselves again thanks to the body positivity that Mich exhibits throughout the show. She makes you want to love yourself, and I think that’s so beautiful.
While the show is certainly under the radar, I think everyone should give The Most Beautiful Flower a try just once – especially if you’re a Latina like me. If nothing else, it’ll be a great dramedy that you’ll love even more as the episodes go on.
