Iris Chacón
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| Iris Chacón | |
| Born | March 7, 1950 Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| Occupation | singer dancer entertainer |
| Years active | 1970's - present |
| Height | 5'5": measurements are 36C-26-42 |
Iris Chacón (born March 7, 1950 in Puerto Rico) is a dancer, singer, and entertainer. Her curvaceous figure (38C-26-42), combined with her alluring looks, scanty costumes, and uninhibited display of raw sexuality (with an emphasis on displaying her g-stringed backside - which she loved to exhibit to her adoring crowds and TV cameras) made her a sensation in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries, as well as in mainland US cities such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.
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[edit] Career
Known by various names such as "La Bomba de Puerto Rico" (The Puerto Rican Bombshell), and "La Vedette de America" (America's Showgirl), Chacón's voice and acting were considered only average by some people, But it was her outrageous and shocking Las Vegas type shows on TV and in live performances that propelled her to enduring fame and controversy. During her heyday in the 1970s and early 1980s, she toured most of Latin America, the USA, Europe and Japan. She also starred in two movies and many soap operas, such as Yo Se Que Mentia. This novela was a hit.She also made a sex tape with well known Alberto Morua El Reatudo De Reynosa back in 1986.
[edit] Amalie Oil Commercial
In 1982, a television commercial she did for Amalie Oil Company, Inc.'s automobile engine coolant products became one of the most famous TV commercials in Puerto Rico's history. The sound of the word "coolant" resembles that of the Spanish word "culo" ("ass"), which is not in common formal use in Puerto Rico since it is considered a vulgarity there (although it is in common use in Spain). The commercial made constant references to Chacón's "coolant", complete with her leaning against the door of an automobile, strategically placed as to flaunt her derriere while picking up a bottle of Amalie Coolant. The controversy surrounding the commercial landed her in a front page article in the Wall Street Journal in June 1983 entitled A Onetime Choirgirl Rules as Sex Goddess On Puerto Rican TV. In that article, while Chacón promised to conquer America, like Carmen Miranda, others thought that her skimpy g-string costumes and full figure would not go over among an American audience. The article also quoted Luis Aponte Martinez, the Roman Catholic Cardinal of Puerto Rico, who spoke negatively of Chacón's influence on the people, due to her sexy and wild performances.
[edit] Mid 1980's & early 1990's
From 1984 through the early 1990s, Iris Chacón appeared on such American TV shows as "America Onstage", "The Merv Griffin Show", "Geraldo Rivera", "Joan Rivers", and "David Letterman." It was on her first appearance on Letterman that she was described as the Dolly Parton and Loni Anderson of Puerto Rico. Letterman even joked about proposing to her. Merv Griffin said of her that "she was the answer to 'where's the beef?'", a reference to the Wendy's commercial of that time period. However, by 1984 Iris Chacón reached her peak, and not being able to reach an "Anglo" market, ended her show in Puerto Rico by mid-1985 at the age of 35. Her show remained in re-runs until the end of the 1980s.
[edit] Recent years
Over the last several years there has been talk about Iris Chacon releasing a DVD of her past shows and performances. One music site, http://www.musicaboricua.com states that a DVD would be released in 2007. To date, nothing has come of this, and the only DVD's available for sale are from people who originally taped her show on VHS, and are now selling them on such places as ebay.com.
[edit] References
- Iris Chacón at the Internet Movie Database
- Iris Chacón at TV.com
