Angela: it has nothing to do with looks or with talent. Jewish producers in Hollywood only want to portray Spaniards as "exotic", not what they really are. It's good for business. It sells pictures. Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas represent the "Moorish look" and that's why they are sold as a commodity. I personally don't think they are very talented. They only sell their faces. Javier Bardem is more talented but not good looking.
I'm afraid you totally misunderstood the "meaning" of my comment.
He hasn't aged very well, but I personally think Antonio Banderas in his prime was extremely attractive. Some of the reviews of his movie with Salma Hayek, "Desperado", basically said it was difficult to objectively critique the movie because the sheer beauty of those two actors was too distracting.
However, what I individually think, or you individually think, is not terribly relevant to your point.
Madison Avenue and Hollywood are in the sales business: products and movies. I've never worked in Hollywood, but I
have worked on Madison Avenue, and I assure you that before an actor or actress is chosen for an ad they test market the h*** out of them. Hollywood does even more of it because more money is on the line. Leading ladies and leading men are chosen because people score them highly in "attractiveness". Now, in terms of "type of looks", there are certain stereotypes about what people look like in certain countries, stereotypes based on those people's experience, or sometimes lack of very much experience. Those stereotypes are shared by both the consumers of media and the creators of it. There you have a point. So, Americans think all Spaniards look like Hispanics, and all Italians look like southern Italians.
There's nothing nefarious about it even if it's incorrect. I haven't particularly liked being told over and over again here in the U.S. that I don't look Italian, when I look very typical of my area in Italy, but I just chalk it down to lack of experience. I don't think it's a conspiracy. Please peddle your Jewish conspiracy theories elsewhere. If you post them here again you'll get another infraction, or I might even do worse.
What you and your Italian counterparts also fail to understand is that Americans and people around the world think that this type, a "Mediterranean" type, if you will (
among others), is attractive. The fact that you don't want your country of ancestry to be represented by people of brunette coloring, or Mediterranean cast of features, who are, by the way, the
majority, is
your problem, not that of Hollywood or Madison Avenue or anyone else. (You know, this stuff only works with people who have never set foot in these countries; I spent, among other trips, a whole semester in Barcelona. Lots of nice looking, charming guys, but never once did I think I was in Dublin.)
Btw, Penelope Cruz was celebrated in Spain before she was ever celebrated in America. You should read up on Spanish film. It's true, however, that I don't think she's ever been as good in American films as she has been in Spanish films, with the exception of Vicky Cristina Barcelona and perhaps Nine. (For comparison, watch "Volver". I adored the movie and her in it. In fact, I bought it. (Sophia Loren had the same problem. American directors don't know what to do with women like that...they don't quite seem to realize that women can be earthy, sexy, maternal, intelligent and funny all at the same time.)
Her eyes are just pools of sorrow in moments like this.
Some more Spanish actors: