New web series features increased presence of Latinos

by Marisa Treviño of Latina Lista

Her name is spelled Ylse and she says to think of it as a combination of "illegal" and "sexy," and no, she's not an undocumented immigrant. She's a Latina entertainment journalist who aspires to do some serious reporting.

Or as serious as she can seeing that she's a fictional character.

Ylse is the brainchild of Latina actress Ruth Livier (remember Yolanda in HBO's Resurrection Blvd?) and is the latest series developed especially for the web, and starring a Latina.

Launched last Friday, Ylse is a bilingual, bi-cultural cross between Ally McBeal and Larry Sanders: "A not so politically correct comedy about a young woman's climb up the journalistic ladder and the colorful characters that make up her life. Ylse struggles with her professional life, while navigating the unique circumstances of those living a dual existence; being an American woman of Mexican descent working in the male dominated entertainment news industry. This is no easy ride as Ylse has her own notions as to how things should get done."

Being a web-based series, Ylse is free to watch and can be seen either at the website, on iTunes or YouTube. The first episode is up at the site and while it plays to some Latino stereotypes for comic relief, the show moves well without any over-the-top drama.

Reminding me more of Bridget Jones, Livier's character shares with the audience her innermost thoughts while dealing with the absurd requirements of her job doing fluff interviews. An amusing touch is how "Ylse" wears a locket around her neck with her idol's picture in it — Oprah!

It's good to see that the web has opened up the playing field for more actors and actresses of color to showcase their talents to wider audiences — and Latinas are leading the way.