Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz: Mad At J-Lo?

During last Wednesday American idol show, the Bronx received a battered portrayal during the show’s second two-night premiere event. The New York City Borough was portrayed as being a garbage-filled badland and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is not happy with the portrayal of the Borough he is elected to represent especially the lack of defense coming from Bronx native and Idol judge, Jennifer Lopez.

When watching the gritty portrayal of the borough, Diaz couldn’t believe how Lopez remained silent during the negative depiction of the Bronx and how, “There wasn’t even a peep from her defending the Boogie Down,” Diaz goes on with how baffled he was that, “We have a young lady sitting at the panel, someone brought up in Castle Hill, someone to whom the Bronx offered plenty of opportunities, and she did not say a word. Not a peep. Not even a peep!”

The segment of the show that portrayed the Bronx in a negative light came before contestant Travis Orlando, 16, belted out Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours and The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby which enabled the Bronx native to advance to the next round. During Orlando’s segment he talked about his upbringing and having to live three years in a homeless shelter.

When asked by A.I Host Ryan Seacrest to tell him about his upbringing, Orlando describes it being, “tough. Gangs, drugs, violence…You have robberies, you have killings, anything you can possibly imagine goes on here.” Along with Orlando description, the show then displays several unpleasant shots consisting of a plastic bag being blown down the street, a dangling receiver of a payphone, a makeshift memorial on a sidewalk, and a flashing police car with blaring sirens.

Although the depiction of his borough and the lack of Lopez’s defense was not pleasing for him to watch, Diaz did suggest that Idol fans should continue to vote for Orlando like he will be doing. “I’m going to be dialing in as much as I can. Unlike a Democratic election, you can vote as many times as you like.” Well, maybe if Travis takes home the A.I title the Bronx has a newer representative for the image-beleaguered borough.