Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun series reverses gender roles, has innuendo, swearing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The Manny
What's the Story?
THE MANNY is a Mexican series about a single professional woman who is struggling to keep her work and home responsibilities balanced, and a man who helps her turn it all around. Jimena Lemus (Sandra Echeverría) is a divorced single mother of three living in Guadalajara. She's also a hard working finance executive in her father's firm. Unfortunately, she can't find a replacement for her kids' former nanny, Romina (Maru Bravo), and neither her ex-husband, Joaquín (José Maria Torre), nor her cook, Martha (Sara Isabel Quintero), are very helpful when it comes to watching them. If this wasn't bad enough, Jimena is vying for the position of president of her father's company, but is facing some not-so-subtle sexist and ageist pushback. Things are pretty chaotic, but when Romina's nephew Gabriel (Iván Amozurrutia), a young rancher from Tepatitlán, Jalisco arrives to fill the position, Jimena is reluctant to hire him. But Gabriel is under pressure to help save his father's ranch, and will do what it takes to demonstrate that he's right for the job.
Is It Any Good?
The romantic comedy attempts to defy traditional Mexican gender roles while offering an entertaining narrative filled with family drama and romantic tension. Jimena (Sandra Echeverría) is strong and successful career woman who's willing and able to hire a man to nurture her children in a way that she cannot at this time. Meanwhile, Gabriel (Iván Amozurrutia) is a patient, sensitive, and gentle man who's sometimes objectified by women like Jimena's co-worker and friend Brenda (Diana Bovio).
These characteristics offer obvious (but important) challenges to existing gender and class stereotypes, but they're contextualized within a larger social framework that remains inherently sexist. For example, Jimena is good at her job, but it's ultimately her father who will decide if she'll be promoted. Meanwhile, Gabriel has what are culturally deemed masculine qualities, including handsome looks, a rugged "ranchero" background, and a quiet-but-smoldering heteronormative sexuality, which creates the predictable attraction between him and his new employer. Nonetheless, The Manny is well-written and light-hearted, which allows viewers to look past all of this and enjoy what's being offered.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why childcare providers are usually expected to be women. Where does this expectation come from?
Did you know that The Manny's writer, Caroline Rivera, wrote for Jane the Virgin? Do you notice any similarities between the two TV series?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 22, 2023
- Cast : Sandra Echeverría , Iván Amozurrutia , José Maria Torre
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Character Strengths : Communication , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : January 3, 2024
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