The most recent episode of The Great British Bake Off has been branded a “mistake” by some viewers as they accused the Channel 4 show of resorting to “racist tropes”.
Tuesday’s episode saw the bakers compete in Mexican Week, in which they attempted to cook so-called popular Mexican dishes such as tacos, pan dulce and a tres leches cake. But several aspects of the programme left some viewers uncomfortable as they said it resorted to “Mexican stereotypes”.
The start of the episode saw presenters Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas appear dressed up in sombreros and sarapes, while they later played the maracas in the Bake Off tent. The pair also made puns about Mexico that angered some people watching at home, The Mirror reports .
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Noel said: “I don't feel like we should make Mexican jokes, because people will get upset,” to which Matt asked: “Not even Juan?”
Other moments that came under fire included judge Prue Leith saying that a batch of freshly baked cakes “look Mexican” because they had “lots of bright colours”. Noel mispronounced besos as “bezos” while one contestant called guacamole “glocky-molo”.
Some viewers were quick to criticise the Bake Off’s portrayal of Mexican culture on social media. Academics also weighed in on the subject - Professor Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado, a professor of Mexican cultural studies at Washington University, broke down some of the problems present in the episode.
He said: "The fundamental issue is that the episode and its campaign follow a script on Mexican culture that us Mexicans, from either side of the US-Mexico border, see very frequently. The use of cartoonish sarapes and sombreros as props and disguises, the misidentification of Mexican food with the stuff sold in Taco Bell, the borrowing of beloved dishes like tres leches to make versions that have little recognisability to Mexicans, this is something that we see every Cinco de Mayo and every Hispanic Heritage Month.”
Dr Gabriela Ramos, associate Professor of Latin American History at Cambridge, added that she didn't want to make a scandal out of the show, but said that it showed a “problem of education”. The professor said that the episode signified “a lack of interest and poor information in this country about other parts and people of the world”.
Meanwhile, fans took to Twitter to share their disappointment in the way Mexico was depicted on the Bake Off. “Honestly the most British thing the Great British Bake Off has done is butcher things from other cultures for their own enjoyment,” one viewer Tweeted.
“I love Bake Off, but Mexican week was a mistake,” another added. “Tacky jokes about Mexican stereotypes and no attempt to properly pronounce the language. Hopefully it's a one-off.”
A third fan responded: “You could have honoured an amazing culture instead of stupid racist jokes and tropes.” The Mirror has contacted Channel 4 and Noel and Matt's reps for comment.
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