Pippa Corbett answered
This is a rather interesting phenomenon with no real explanation.
The cartoon character Betty Boop is unusually popular in Puerto Rico, and there are a number of theories as to why this is the case.
Why Puerto Ricans like Betty Boop
One theory is that Betty Boop closely resembles the average Puerto Rican woman. Her curvaceous figure and dark hair make her much easier for Latino women to identify with than other female cartoon icons.
However, this theory doesn't really explain why Betty Boop has maintained her popularity in the island nation of Puerto Rico, and yet hasn't enjoyed the same adoration in other central and south American countries.
Another theory is that Puerto Rican culture is simply nostalgic. The Betty Boop character was originally created as a caricature of the singing star Helen Kane.
Betty Boop's image then developed to become that of a 'flapper-style' dancer, a concept that was popular during the 1920s and '30s.
Whilst American culture has only recently rediscovered the era of golden jazz (as demonstrated by the popularity of TV shows like Boardwalk Empire), Puerto Rico may have always held on to this time-period and adapted aspects of it into the local culture.
The cartoon character Betty Boop is unusually popular in Puerto Rico, and there are a number of theories as to why this is the case.
Why Puerto Ricans like Betty Boop
One theory is that Betty Boop closely resembles the average Puerto Rican woman. Her curvaceous figure and dark hair make her much easier for Latino women to identify with than other female cartoon icons.
However, this theory doesn't really explain why Betty Boop has maintained her popularity in the island nation of Puerto Rico, and yet hasn't enjoyed the same adoration in other central and south American countries.
Another theory is that Puerto Rican culture is simply nostalgic. The Betty Boop character was originally created as a caricature of the singing star Helen Kane.
Betty Boop's image then developed to become that of a 'flapper-style' dancer, a concept that was popular during the 1920s and '30s.
Whilst American culture has only recently rediscovered the era of golden jazz (as demonstrated by the popularity of TV shows like Boardwalk Empire), Puerto Rico may have always held on to this time-period and adapted aspects of it into the local culture.
