"The War Next Door": LGBTQIAI is the same in English and Spanish

 

The War Next Door (Guerra de Vecinos) is a Mexican sitcom about a nouveau riche "hillbilly" family who moves next door to a family of stuffy socialites.  Culture clashes, humorous squabbles, and caring and sharing result.  I watched the episode "Game On."

Scene 1: The hillbilly family is having breakfast and complaining about the stinkiness of their underwear, due to Hillbilly Mom's inability to use a washing machine.  Cata, the maid of the Snob family, appears.  She says that she quit in protest, and needs a job.  Hillbilly Mom doesn't need any help, but Cata can stay with them while looking for a new job.

Scene 2: Snob Mom is screwing up breakfast; she's never actually had to cook before.  Teenage son Diego (Marco Leon) is ordering sushi instead.  They discuss the upcoming football (soccer) game between Dad's company and his rival.  This time Dad plans to use Diego as his secret weapon.

Scene 3: Hillbillies watching tv, while Cata does a great job with the laundry, vacuuming, and preparation of sandwiches.

Scene 4: Snob Dad discovers that Diego actually can't play football, but daughter Crista can.  So she's "hired" and will play at the big game.

Scene 5: Hillbilly Uncle Tomas (Christian Vasquez, top photo) giving young teen Pablito (Armando Said) advice on how to get with Crista, the Snob's daughter, whom he taught to drive in the last episode.  But Pablito is more interested in talking about his social media presence.  He already has a lot of followers, including one who is "big and strong" and sent him a shirtless pic.  Uncle Tomas: "I'm starting to wonder if you are playing for the opposite team."  

Scene 6: Cata demonstrates to Hillbilly Mom how to take out the garbage.  Snob Mom comes out of her house.  They have a "you're looking well" ex-lover conversation.

Scene 7:  Uncle Tomas is demonstrating how Pablito can attract guys by dancing with his butt swaying.  Sister bursts in.  

Uncle Tomas: "Pablito plays for the other team."  

Sister: "Just because Pablito likes his mother and gets scared watching horror movies, doesn't mean he's gay. Pablito, Uncle Tomas is being completely heteronormative (no, he's not, but I'm surprised the writers know that word). There are lots of ways to label yourself.  Let's find the one you're most comfortable with."

Uncle Tomas: "Nonsense!  There are only two labels: top and bottom."

Scene 8: Snob Mom tells Dad her scheme to win Cata back from the hillbilly neighbors.  Dad mentions that he invited Hillbilly Dad to play on his team: "Hillbillies are always good at football.  It's in their blood."

Scene 9: Sister has set up a chalkboard to explain the various terms in the acronym LGBTQAIA.  Uncle Tomas wants to help with a quiz that he found in a magazine: 1. "Who do you prefer, Ricky Martin or Bandas Machos?"; 2. "Do you use facial cream?; 2. "Have you ever been in a gay bar?"  But the quiz identifies Uncle Tomas as gay and Pablito as straight.  

Sister and Uncle Tomas argue.  Finally, fed up, Pablito says "My sexual identity is NOYB: None of Your Business."  

Scene 10: More about the maid.

Scene 11: Hillbilly Dad can't perform in bed: he's too worried about the upcoming football match.  

Scene 12: The Big Game.  

Scene 13: Uncle Tomas apologizes to Pablito: "The quiz we did wasn't cool.  Your problem isn't that you play for the other team...but she does."  He points to Crista, the Girl Next Door.  "Picking up a lesbian is impossible."

Sister rushes up: "Just because a girl is good at soccer doesn't mean she's a lesbian." She turns to Pablito: "You can be whatever you want, except an asshole."

Scene 13: More stuff about the maid.

I went through the other episodes on fast-forward to see if Pablito actually is gay.  Nope -- he has a crush on Girl Next Door Crista, although she thinks of him as "my best friend."   When she kisses him on the cheek, he collapses into a slurry of hetero-horniness.  But at least his family is gay-positive.