Saturday, March 14, 2009

Spanish Soaps

This week’s blog is about a topic that I’ve always found interesting but slightly trashy. Join me in my journey into the Telenovela Zone.

Before researching about telenovelas, I assumed that they were simply the Spanish equivalent to American soap operas. While that assumption is partly true, there are major differences between the two styles. Primarily, a telenovela is a limited-run television serial melodrama that usually consists of approximately 120 episodes while an American soap opera can continue to run for years and years to come…can anyone say Susan Lucci?

This style of television program consistently attracts millions of viewers across Latin America and has become an essential piece of entertainment culture in these countries. The first telenovelas were produced in Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba in the 1950s. A common theme found within the plot of these first telenovelas was the separation of two lovers for a majority of the series, but somehow in the end they wind up together. Other major themes revolve around class distinctions/interactions and forbidden love. Enjoy this clip from the telenovela "La Fea Mas Bella."



While telenovelas are wildly popular in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Portugal a common complaint is that they are not representative of the actual racial composition of the countries where they are produced. Most telenovelas tend to have white, blond, blue-eyed stars. When "ethnic-looking" people appear, they are usually of lower-class origins and hold menial jobs such as janitors, while all the higher-class jobs are reserved for the white characters.

The popularity of telenovelas has infiltrated American culture and the effects can be seen in television here. The successful primetime show “Ugly Betty” is based upon the telenovela “La Fea Mas Bella.” Many fans of these shows have set up online blogs and forums to discuss the plots of their favorites. Telenovela World and Alma Latina are two of the most popular. There is even a YouTube channel specifically for telenovela scenes. Some of them are dubbed with English captions, so check it out.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief journey into the world of telenovelas.

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