But regardless of Melber’s logic, the interview delivered a moment in which the actress was bound to get dragged by her over-processed roots.
With one sentence, she managed to erase the impact that Black women had on the presidential election.
That level of verbal gymnastics is, if nothing else, impressive — albeit for all the wrong reasons.
Naturally, the resultant level of dragging — the blood, filth, bone, and slander — forced her to backtrack in a weak-sauce apology.
But I’m here for every last ounce of it.
Just look at how Eva Longoria credits Latina women for putting President-elect Joe Biden in the video below.
Eva Longoria to @AriMelber on the impact of Latina women: “That spirit and perseverance that Latinas use in their daily life, the struggle to pay their bills and the struggle to show up to their jobs … that’s the same perseverance and spirit they used to show up to the polls,” pic.twitter.com/BiATbXbaeG
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 9, 2020
I’m sorry, but where did she get her information?
According to the Americas-Society Council of the Americas (AS/COA), which dedicates its studies to the Hispanic diaspora in the United States, the Caribbean, and Canada, more Latinos — not less — voted for Trump in 2020 than they did in 2016. This is mostly due to the overwhelming Cuban-American support that Trump received.
While it’s true that more Latina women than Latino men voted for Biden, these figures are in stark contrast to the Black vote, which went overwhelmingly in favor of Biden, and which helped deliver the necessary electoral votes to the President-elect in key states.
Indeed, it’s almost universally accepted that Black women, led by such activists as Stacey Abrams — not Latina women, delivered the election to Joe Biden.
So, where does Eva Longoria get her information?
It took almost no time for social media — specifically, Twitter — to jump on Eva Longoria and set the record straight. Many people compared Longoria to Dascha Polanco and Gina Rodriguez, two Latina women who made very prominent racist and anti-Black statements in the past.
And while Eva Longoria subsequently issued a well-scripted apology, it’s far too little and far too late.
As an entertainment writer, I often marvel at how seamlessly the worlds of entertainment and politics collide. It’s a testament to how ingrained pop culture is in our society. However, it’s also time to draw a clear line in the sand. After four years of having a game show host in the White House — and after a ridiculous presidential run by a once-talented rapper — it’s high time we stop thinking that entertainers can run the country.
And until celebrities like Eva Longoria get their anti-Blackness in check, it’s time to stop giving a platform.