North Texas Daily

“Jane the Virgin” gave the world Gina Rodriguez. Need I say more?

She is a much-needed fresh face for Latina women in the media industry, filling a spot arguably left vacant since America Ferrera — excluding Sofia Vergara, of course. American television has come a long way since “Ugly Betty.” Now, there are many more TV shows featuring minority leads and supporting characters.

“Jane the Virgin” first premiered in 2014, and I must admit I was not interested in the premise. I mean, how interesting could a glorified soap opera about the daily life of a religious virgin be?

Although hesitant, I did feel the need to watch the premiere. It was a CW TV show after all, and the CW had never steered me wrong before.

I cannot completely remember exactly what I thought of it after that first night, but I clearly didn’t hate it. It must’ve been love because I was hooked. I instantly chose a side in the ever-confusing love triangle: whatever side Brett Dier was on. Michael became that character I would root for until the very end. And after every episode, I was more in love with this show. I came for the curiosity, but I definitely stayed for the substance.

This show is not just an Americanized telenovela, comedy, romantic-comedy-like drama attempting to tackle big social issues using satire. Somehow, they flawlessly make it about so much more than a girl accidentally artificially inseminated with a stranger’s baby, who also happens to be a virgin.

They tackle gender inequalities, race and class issues without you even realizing they’re doing it. Did you even realize that all of the people in Jane’s writing group in “Chapter Seventy-Seven” are people of color and women possess the majority of the speaking roles? Xiomara brought the taboo topic of abortion to light, miraculously, without offending anyone. Alba learned at the tender age of 60-something how to actually enjoy sex for herself instead of with the sole purpose to conceive. This show even gives the world a prime example of what co-parenting looks like, with mandatory family lunches every week.

Jane, while described as a virgin, is also an every-day woman afraid to be brave and constantly worrying about what will happen tomorrow. She’s fulfilled a dream a lot of us have to publish a novel. She wrote an epic love story, went on a book tour, got a bad review and now has writer’s block. She has a kid who gets in trouble at school and sometimes acts out. Her grandmother lived for over 20 years illegally before attaining a Green Card. And she falls in love more often than she receives a paycheck. Jane is all of us. But, it is not Jane we can give all the credit to.

Gina Rodriguez is the person who brings this character to life. She worked hard to become the role model she is now. Since March 2015, she has served on the Board of Directors for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund providing support for Hispanic-Americans and their educational endeavors. She also partnered with Naja Lingerie in October 2015, due to their relations with helping women and protecting the environment, along with their production of lingerie for all different body types. Rodriguez uses her celebrity to represent causes she believes in and that is definitely something Jane would do.

While Jane is a fictional character, I believe that watching this show benefits everyone who allows it. It is something the world needs to embrace in this socially confusing time in order to keep a foothold on what should be important and effective ways to handle it. Next time you’re facing a critical life issue, go to cwtv.com for your How To Life: Guide AKA, “Jane the Virgin” for advice.

Featured Image: Illustration by Austin Banzon