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It's Selena Tribute Week on MTV Tr3s and we've been sharing videos, an exclusive Q&A with Suzette, contests and more on Blogamole!

In this clip, MTV Tr3s viewer Ricardo shares what he loved most about growing up listening to Selena:

Tr3s Comunidad, what is your favorite Selena moment? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3! Plus, don't miss your chance to participate in our Selena: Artist of the Week Sweepstakes! Good luck!

Tags Selena, Selena Tribute

With the final hour of "Ugly Betty" airing tonight (April 14) at 10:01|9:01c on ABC, Team Blogamole says farewell with a heavy heart.

We take some consolation from the news that Ana Ortiz leaked to Latina that there may be an "Ugly Betty" movie in the works, but still — we're no good at goodbyes.

Beyond being the platform for America Ferrera to win her first Emmy for Outstanding Leading Actress in 2007, her character's struggles and transformation affected us all on many levels. You didn't have to be a poncho wearing college grad to "get" what it feels like to navigate a big city, chasing your dreams and moving up the ranks within an unpredictable work environment.

The show was amazing — not just because it averaged 11 million viewers each week for four years, but because of what Betty represented to many Latinas — a real young woman who was the closest prime time reflection of the Hispanic experience in, well, ever.

Betty, we will miss you. In the spirit of celebrating inspiring Latinas everywhere, here are Team Blogamole's favorite "Ugly Betty" moments:

Remember the first time Betty arrived at Mode? Amanda thought she was just a delivery girl, but that didn't stop Betty from believing she was an “attractive, intelligent and confident businesswoman."

Oh my, how can we forget the time Betty attempted to eat ice cream off geeky Christopher Gorham? That was a hilarious hot mess.

What about when Betty's bro Justin finally came out of the closet? After years of speculation, the truth was revealed in season 4. When Justin and Austin locked lips, audiences let out a collective cheer for the young Suarez.

We have to admit, Betty's love triangle drama was a guilty pleasure. First there was Walter, then Mode accountant Henry, then sandwich man Gio. In the end, Betty went solo but it was so much fun to watch her awkward escapades.

Go to BuddyTV for even more great moments from "Ugly Betty."

Tr3s Comunidad, what were your favorite "Ugly Betty" stories? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags America Ferrera, series finale, Ugly Betty

By Simone Hilliard

Back in January, humanitarian Shakira announced her plans to build a school for Haiti through her Pies Descalzos (Barefoot) Foundation. Last Sunday (April 12), nearly 3 months after an earthquake devastated the island nation, Shaki visited Port-au-Prince to find a suitable site.

                                                                                                Images via Associated Press

The singer waved to onlookers and greeted infants living on a Haitian golf course that has turned into a sprawling makeshift camp for 50,000 quake survivors.

“We came to do all the pre-production work needed to start a school here in Haiti. That’s what we’ve done in Colombia because of the armed conflict and emergency situations.

We came to meet with our partners and get to know the situation on the ground, see what the needs of the Haitian people are now... to understand the situation of the country now, today.”

Shakira's Barefoot Foundation continues to provide nutrition to more than 6,000 children in Colombia, and she is also a member of the ALAS foundation that advocates for children across Latin America.

Awe...we love our hip shaking heroine! She's always thinking of others! Tr3s Comunidad, what will you do to help Haiti? Weigh in below or @MTV3.

Tags Barefoot Foundation, fundacion, Haiti, Shakira

Welcome to the third Suzette's Selena Facts clue in our Selena: Artist of the Week Sweepstakes!

Selena's sister Suzette was kind enough to do a Q&A with Blogamole, revealing touching memories of her sister.

What were some of Selena's favorite things? Here is what we discovered:

• White long-stemmed roses
• "Hey Buffy" and "You go girl" were some of Selena's favorite sayings
• Some of Selena's favorite artists were: Luis Miguel, Janet Jackson, Rocio Durcal
• Double pepperoni thin-crusted pizza
• Faberge Eggs

Tr3s Comunidad, are you participating in our Selena: Artist of the Week Sweepstakes? This post is the third in five chances to win! Here are the official rules. Good luck!

Tags contest, Selena, Suzette's Selena Facts, sweepstakes, tribute

By Daniela Capistrano

Like all fans, I am excitedly anticipating "Glee"'s return to Fox tonight (April 13), directly after "American Idol" (9:28 -10:30 PM ET/PT). A slew of A-list guest stars are in the works for upcoming seasons, among them Jennifer Lopez — who's being asked to play a lunch lady. If you read the title of this post, you can take a stab at guessing how I feel about that.

Despite winning a diversity award last year, "Glee" execs apparently still feel comfortable with the same tired casting practices that for decades have relegated talented Latino actors to portraying "the help." One could argue "historical accuracy," but consider this question:

If we believe that McKinley High students and faculty can break into song, why can't we believe that their service workers could be anything other than Hispanic?

In 2009, Pop Matters dared to ask, "Is 'Glee' a little bit racist?" At the time (being an unapologetic Gleekster) I dismissed it as white guilt, but now — I'm not so sure. Something stinks, and it sure isn't Mercedes' High C.

"Glee" can't be all things to all people, but it certainly tries to be. Yes, one of the members is Latina — the practically dialogue-less cheerleader Santana Lopez. That's fine, she's not the only supporting character who barely speaks on camera. The show clearly has favorites, and if you're a fan, you put up with it.

Or at least I did, until last March — "Glee" announced a casting call for a Filipina or Hispanic actress to play the recurring role of Amelda, Sue’s maid. I guess they only have brown service workers in the fictional Lima, Ohio — a real metro area that is 88.3% percent Non-Hispanic White.

Do you still think I'm overreacting? Let's run through some of the confirmed guest stars in Season 2:

Neil Patrick Harris will play Mr. Schuester’s rival, Olivia Newton-John gets to perform a duet of "Let's Get Physical" with Jane Lynch, Madonna gets her own themed episode and (if "Glee" execs have their way) Jennifer Lopez will serve everyone lunch.

Granted, it would be hilarious to watch J.Lo pretending to be part of the working class again and yes, sitcoms have a history of placing big stars in unusual situations.

"Glee" — even with a flamboyantly gay character and an overweight African-American teen — isn't obligated to be the next Rainbow Coalition. It's just a TV show, right?

Or maybe (just maybe) popular culture is important. Beyond telling us what to wear or who to listen to, maybe it's also a reflection of our values. After all, doesn't popular culture inspire us to love previously unchartered realities?

Before "Glee," did you ever imagine that you would envy a boy in a wheelchair or stay home to mouth show tunes with your mom?

If this cultural zeitgeist of a show has the power to make a differently-abled kid cool and rebrand the social abyss that is chorus (saving countless real life teens from swirlies), what's stopping "Glee" from dropping Latino stereotypes?

After spending the first season challenging the status quo, why the step back?

Here is an excerpt from NALIP's 2010 open letter to the Federal Communications Commission:

An important area that all networks need to look at is casting. During our meetings this year it became apparent that there is a lack of diversity in the casting teams of each of the networks. Predictably, a diverse casting team will be better at reaching people of color through their networks and relationships. We have identified this as an area that requires greater focus, and we look forward to working with the networks in bringing more diversity into their casting teams.

Latinos can play more than maids, lunch ladies, farm hands, prostitutes, drug dealers and gang members. I can love "Glee" and take issue with the fact that most of what's on TV continues to fail at representing the true diversity of the Hispanic experience.

You can too — just don't expect many people to agree with you. It's so much easier to be sheeple, right?

Despite naysayers, I have faith that "Glee" fans of all stripes will hold the show accountable. The casting process isn't over yet (you can even audition on MySpace) so perhaps there's still time for "Glee" execs to change their tune.

The views expressed in this post by Daniela Capistrano do not necessarily reflect the views of Viacom, MTV Tr3s, Blogamole, MTV Networks or any other subsidiaries.

Tags casting, glee, Jennifer Lopez, Latino, Madonna, stereotypes

By Simone Hilliard

Toronto emcee Drake premiered his new video "Over" yesterday on Vevo, but back in March the Thank Me Later (due out June 15th) rapper caught up with MTV News on set and disclosed how "Over" establishes him as a solo star.

Last week on the opening night of his Away From Home Tour, Drake had this to say about the first video from his upcoming LP:

"It takes the song to another place. It offers up a whole different look for the song. The song (to a lot of people) is ignorant, it's club. This video is what I was really thinking about. The song is like a bad dream... but it's not a bad dream, it's not a terrible dream. It's a little evil.

The video really reflects that. It's a struggle between the purities of my past life and what this new life has to offer. Even in the video, you see me looking back and forth between the two and deciding. At the end of the video I don't necessarily make a decision, but when you get the album, you'll see what choice I make."

Without further ado...

Tr3s Comunidad, what do you think of Drake's "Over"? Does it take the song to a whole new place? Weigh in below or @MTV3.

Tags drake, New Musica, Over

Welcome to the second Suzette's Selena Facts clue in our Selena: Artist of the Week Sweepstakes!

Selena's sister Suzette was kind enough to do a Q&A with Blogamole, revealing touching memories of her sister.

What song was written about Selena's grandparents? Here is what Suzette told MTV Tr3s:

"Amor Prohibido was written by our brother AB Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo, who sang backup to Selena. The song was actually for our great grandparents."

Tr3s Comunidad, are you participating in our Selena: Artist of the Week Sweepstakes? This post is the second in five chances to win! Here are the official rules. Good luck!

Tags Selena, Suzette's Selena Facts, tribute

By Daniela Capistrano

Mel Gibson can't seem to get enough of life south of the border! After shooting the 2006 Mayan-language movie Apocalypto in Veracruz, the actor returned to the gulf state last week to begin production on his latest action thriller, tentatively titled How I Spent My Summer Vacation.

Shockingly, 1,500 inmates were relocated out of Ignacio Allende prison to make room for Gibson. The film is tentatively scheduled for release in 2011 and stars the actor (who also directs) as a criminal whose survival skills are put to the test when he winds up in a Mexican prison.

Mel Gibson in Los Angeles in March with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, left,
and Veracruz Governor Fidel Herrera Beltran (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

This forced mass exodus sparked controversy, according to CBC News; constant shuffling put constraints on families' efforts to visit prisoners. Governer Fidel Herrera Beltran says Mel Gibson will donate sets from the movie to a future museum.

Not surprisingly, Mexican officials have rallied to Gibson's defense, pointing to his pledged donations and the fact that Gibson's movie has stimulated the local economy. CBS News also shared that this isn't the first time Gibson has made friends in Mexico. In 2007, an archbishop in Hermosillo, Mexico consecrated Gibson's private church.

Gibson may have a disturbingly large amount of influence in Mexico, but at least he seems to want to use his powers for good. While filming Apocalypto in 2006, the actor donated $1 million for a project building houses for people who lost their homes to flooding.

Even so, Mel Gibson's documented disregard for historical accuracy makes me wonder how residents truly feel about his presence. The actor may be working in Mexico, but the location will serve more as a backdrop than a plot point. He shared these details about the film with MTV:

“It’s in Mexico… it’s about a lot things, not necessarily that [country], but it is set in Mexico.”

The actor always intended to make more films throughout South America. Back in 2007, the International Herald Tribune reported Gibson and his son Edward met and dined with Panama Tourism Bureau spokesman and singer Ruben Blades. During that time, Panamanian filmmaker Jose Severino was also in negotiations with Gibson to produce a movie about Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from its eastern shore.

Tr3s Comunidad, what do you think about Mel Gibson's return to Mexico? Tell us in the comments or at @MTV3!

Tags How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Mel Gibson

Team Blogamole's open letter to Conan O'Brien:

Dear Conan,

You 'member how it felt when Jay Leno messed with your show? You 'member. And now you're doing the same thing to George Lopez, after he personally called you to join TBS' late-night lineup? That's shady, man.

Yes, we'll welcome back your chuckles-inducing orange visage when you return to us in November, but we don't approve of Lopez Tonight being bumped to midnight. Some of us have to work in the morning, bro!

We were getting real heated, until we read George's statement:

“I can’t think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as my lead-in,” Lopez said. “It’s the beginning of a new era in late-night comedy.”

And, well, at least you're humble, Conan. You didn't take yourself too seriously in your official response:

“In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly.”

OK, fine! We guess it makes sense to put your shows back to back — you and Lopez do have a lot in common. You both grew up in a large family and your love of comedy began at an early age.

On top of that, you wrote for The Simpsons and are currently touring — those things make it hard not to love you.

Alright pues We take it back. Team Blogamole is totally psyched about the new lineup and can't wait to see the show! Who needs sleep — that's what café is for, right?

Go, Coco!

XOXO,

Team Blogamole

Conan O’Brien will host his hour-long, yet-to-be-titled show Mondays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS.

Tags Conan O'Brien, George Lopez, TBS

By Daniela Capistrano

image via Getty Images

This Thursday (April 14th) may be the series finale of Ugly Betty, but Team Blogamole has decided to take this in stride. It's better to end on a strong note than fizzle out as a meh-fest, right?

Thankfully, this isn't the last we've seen of American Ferrera — the talented starlette is co-producing an interactive telenovela for MTV, based on 'Romeo & Juliet'!

Announced this (Monday) morning, The Wrap has reported that Ferrera will serve as executive producer of "Pedro & Maria," which will be a multicultural, interactive telenovela for MTV television and various Web platforms. The show will give its audience the ability to vote via Facebook and Twitter on the direction the characters and story lines take.

Ferrera is developing the series alongside Tony winner Quiara Alegria Hudes ('In the Heights'). According to AOL Television, no casting decisions or premiere dates have been released just yet.

Tr3s Comunidad, what do you think about an interactive telenovela? Will the format work? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags American Ferrera, Pedro & Maria