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MAMASANTA AND PATRIA MIA: TWO GREAT TELENOVELA MOTHERS

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru | Telenovelas | Sunday, 11 May 2008

Today, Mother's Day, I bring to this blog two of the telenovela mothers I know better: Mamasanta and Patria Mía from Cosita Rica. I also bring some excerpts from my book about this telenovela, Venezuela Es Una Telenovela with a video where we can see these two Venezuelan mothers with undeniable universal character.

Mamasanta:

Traditionally, blind characters in telenovela are represented as victims, if they're "good". If they're "evil," then they're faking their blindness for some evil purpose. In any case, blind characters in telenovelas elicit pity and compassion. In Cosita Rica, however, Mamasanta (personified by the marvelous Tania Sarabia), is blind but fends for herself very well. She loves intelligent humor and is a luminous, intuitive and optimistic character whose presence is inspiring. She is a universal mother, more perceptive than anyone who can actually see. 

Patria Mía:

Personified through the credibility of actor Gledys Ibarra and supported by a script plentiful in references to Venezuelan reality, Patria Mía is simultaneously woman and country. 

Unfortunate in love, she has two children from different and absent men. While she struggles to educate, dress and feed her children, she insists that they have a better life than hers. 

Patria Mía is a Venezuelan woman searching for a partner that will love, understand and support her. She's Venezuela in its eternal search for a messiah that will liberate it from the pervasive cycle of economic ups and downs and extricate its poverty. 

TELEFUTURA MOVES MI PRIMA CIELA

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru | Telenovelas | Tuesday, 06 May 2008

Classes have ended and I'm in the midst of the delicate and difficult job of grading. This has kept me away from my blog for a whole week.

One of the recent happenings in the telenovela world that has stirred some commotion is that Telefutura has moved RCTV's telenovela Mi Prima Ciela from 5 p.m. to a half-hour slot at 9 a.m. This is a worse time and it also messes up the one-hour dramatic structure of each episode. In the place of Mi Prima Ciela, Telefutura is now broadcasting the decade-old version of La Usurpadora produced by Televisa. (An abridged version of this telenovela can be bought in DVD format).

In Univisón's message boards there were adverse reactions to this change as participants clamored that Mi Prima Ciela wouldn't be moved in the schedule: 1 y 2. Some bloggers, like Tania Azevedo also mentioned their unhappiness. Meanwhile, both in the message board TVVI and in Recordar es Vivir (1, 2, 3) participants theorized about the reasons behind Telefutura's decision. Some advanced conspiracy theories involving Cisneros, owner of Venevisión, RCTV's direct competitor in Venezuela.

Personally, I dislike both the change in the schedule and the treatment that Mi Prima Ciela has received in Telefutura. But, I'm not surprised at all. I disregard conspiracy theories about Venevisión having part on this, because Venevisión's telenovelas have also been victims of similar abuses in the Spanish-speaking TV here in the United States. The tendency by Univisión and its associated networks, (Telefutura and Galavisión), to treat Venezuelan telenovelas as second-class products is, by now, old. We know that prime time is reserved exclusively for Televisa telenovelas. But, through the years we have witnessed the invisibility of Brazilian telenovelas in their schedules and the rough and disrespectful way in which they have edited Venezuelan telenovelas such as El País de las Mujeres, Sueño con tu amor (Los Querendones), Amor a Palos and Amantes. We've also seen how Amantes de Luna Llena was broadcast in the humiliating 1 a.m. time slot. And, of course, we know they don't provide any space for any Venezuelan telenovela they classify as "localista". This fluid term is now equal to telenovelas made in Venezuela. (The main love story in Mi Prima Ciela is as universal as it gets--death as the antagonist--a plot we've seen and will keep seeing both in film and literature).

Of course, the background of this is the agreement between RCTV and Telefutura that allows the broadcasting in the latter of telenovelas produced by the former, albeit in the terrible conditions I'm discussing here.

Many will argue that if Mi Prima Ciela didn't garner good ratings at 5 p.m, it had to be taken out. However, I've seen my share of telenovelas at 5 p.m. with poor ratings that were never moved from that tiem slot. Of course, none of them were Venezuelan or Colombian. .

Mi Prima Ciela's schedule change is symptomatic of some of the worrisome trends I see in the market. In the U.S. there's a sort of re-education of the spectator in which audiences are only exposed to a particular type of telenovela. I know well that the Latinos of Mexican descent make up the majority of the Hispanic market. But, similarly to what happens in Mexico, these audiences only watch the same type of telenovela (and their remakes). Telenovelas deemed "different" are either stigmatized as "localistas", edited to the point of destroying their essence, or moved to terrible time slots, as in the case of Mi Prima Ciela.

This is not a good situation or a desirable one.

TELENOVELAS: ONE YEAR IN THE BLOGSPHERE

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru | Telenovelas | Monday, 28 April 2008

TELENOVELAS WATCHED IN THE AMERICAS AND SPAIN…WHERE ARE THEY FROM?

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru | Telenovelas | Thursday, 24 April 2008


Frequently,  Produ.com publishes an  Excel file that is a database of all the telenovelas on the air in Spain and the Americas. The data in this file allows us to get a clear idea of which are the dominant producing countries in the international telenovela market. You can download the file by clicking the button NOVELAS AL AIRE, located in the left-hand column of Produ's webpage. 

As a visual communication's person, I believe that a chart can say more than 1,000 words. Hence, here are two charts I prepared with Produ's data. (If you want to see the charts more clearly, please click on them. Also, please forgive that their titles are in Spanish).

Consider the following when you look at the charts:

1.- The data file includes telenovelas broadcast in the Americas an Spain during the week of March1-7,  2008.

2.- I tallied the data from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela because these are the countries that produce and sell more telenovelas. I didn't add Chile and/or other countries because according to Produ, their participation in the international telenovela market doesn't reach the levels of the countries I included. I decided to add network Telemundo (even though it isn't a country), because of its undeniable presence and influence in the market.

3.- The pie chart is organized by countries. 

4.- The second chart lists the most important telenovela producers in the countries mentioned in the pie chart.   

5.- If you would like to examine the data more in depth, I recommend you download the file from the Produ website.

The instant photograph that these charts give us is pretty clear. It's one more reason why I believe (and fear) that the globalization of telenovelas means their mexicanization. And, if we consider the undeniable dominance of Televisa in the international arena, and the fact that it has been producing only remakes...you can understand my concern. (See my post about remakes)

It would be very interesting to access the data for the rest of the world and see if it follows the same pattern as Spain and the Americas.





VIVA HOLLYWOOD!: VIVA STEREOTYPES

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru | Telenovelas | Saturday, 19 April 2008

Last Sunday, April 13,  VH1 premiered its new reality show Viva Hollywood, where 12 aspiring actors compete for a role in one of  Telemundo's telenovelas. María Conchita Alonso is "la diva de la casa de los locos" "the diva in the house of the crazies" and the main judge. She's accompanied by Carlos Ponce and Walter Mercado.

To assume this show as a positive sign of the increasing Latino presence in U.S. English-speaking TV, or to perceive it as good news for the future of telenovelas in U.S. mainstream networks would be irresponsible optimism. Viva Hollywood, just like the defunct MyNetwork TV  telenovelas,  is a catalog of the worst stereotypes regarding telenovelas ...and the Latino culture. Just read the text in the VH1 website that recruits participants for the show: 

"Latin telenovela stars are so hot, so sexy, so emotional, so extreme...don't you wish you knew what the hell they were saying?"

And here are the first two segments of the first episode, which are plagued with simplistic and stereotypical depictions of Latinos, Latinas and telenovelas. Look at them carefully...from the toast with tequila, to the dress wore by María Conchita Alonso in her introduction to the contestants, Viva Hollywood drips a dangerous mix of the elements that perpetuate Latino stereotypes: 


video.vh1.com

video.vh1.com

Judge for yourselves. Personally, I think this is very damaging for telenovelas and for the emergente concept of Latinidad in the United States. 

TELENOVELAS: THE CENTRAL PARADOX

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru | Telenovelas | Monday, 14 April 2008


One of the most fascinating aspects of studying telenovelas is the amount of diversity of paradoxes that are part and parcel of this television genre. Some examples:
  • Distributors believe that 120 episodes is the magic number to sell telenovelas in the international market. However, when non-Latin American cultures produce their own telenovelas, those are generally longer than 120 installments, as is the case of the many versions of Yo Soy Betty, la Fea.
  • Telenovela actors are frequently dismissed as second class talent. However, their names are often the ones that attract audiences to theater and movie theaters. 
  • Even though there's an increasing number of scholars studying telenovelas, we still have to justify sometimes our interest in one of the most watched (if not the most watched) tv genre in the world.
  • Telenovela writers who come from the literary world (theater, film, narrative and poetry) spend a good time of their lives explaining why the write telenovelas. 
I believe that these and other paradoxes have their roots in which I like to call "The Central Paradox":

Telenovelas are products of mass consumption and mass disdain.

And it isn't rare to find people who both watch and scorn telenovelas. This is the source of most of the contradictions and paradoxes associated with telenovelas.

What do you think?

TORRENTE: THE EVOLUTION OF PRODUCTION AND THE INVOLUTION OF THE TEXT

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru | Telenovelas | Wednesday, 09 April 2008


On April 2,  Venevisión premiered its new telenovela, Torrente, written by Benilde Alvarez and Neida Padilla. The press wrote extensively about the first episode (El Universal, El Nacional, Ultimas Noticias, El Mundo), highlighting the beauty and proliferation of exterior shots in Venezuela's Gran Sabana region, and the central plot of surrogate motherhood.

Torrente is a change from the style of telenovelas broadcast in Venevisión. Some press reports have defined it as a return to the rosa style (see, for example,  El Nacional). Personally, I believe that we're facing an involution of the text (script+incidental music), that contrasts with the undeniable technical and directorial advances that allow the extraordinary display of natural beauty that we see in Torrente:



and the mise-en-scene of sequences like the airplane accident depicted in the following videos (10:30 in the first video and the beginning seconds of the second video):






To be specific, when I say there's an involution of the text, I'm not talking about the theme that underpins the central conflict: surrogate motherhood. This is a contemporary and controversial topic that is perfect for a telenovela. (The topic is so current that Newsweek recently dedicated  its cover story  to the topic. When I say involution, I refer to:
  • The flat depiction of important characters (and their stereotypical interpretation). For instance, villain Cayo Gabaldón, interpreted by actor Félix Loreto.
  • The inclusion of predictable and trite dialogues.
  • The backwardness of certain dialogues:  "I'm an incomplete woman who was born with a useless womb", "We, women, need to have children. We were born for that", says the protagonist,  Ana Julia. Those words construct a woman that, even though she has a stable and loving relationship, professional success and beauty, has a microscopic self-esteem exclusively based on her ability to bear children.  It's an outdated depiction of women that denies our struggle for an identity that goes beyond being "so and so's mom" or "the wife of..."
  • There are problems in the connection among scenes and in the handling of the mini-time elipses. The consequence is an irregular rhythm in the storytelling, and sequences that don't make sense. The source of the problem could be in the edition process. But, I think it's in the script's outline. Both the director and editor are trying to minimize this issue, without much success so far.
  • The incidental music consists of excessively dramatic scores, utilized only to exaggerate the melodrama. The result reeks of telenovelas from decades past. 

All of these, coupled with the almost total absence of humor (the only semi-humorous element is the tone of the character Juancho Gabaldón, played by Eduardo Orozco), underpin my perception of  Torrente as an involution.

Having said this, it's still early in the game. The telenovela has the potential of building on many interesting dramatic knots.

I must say, however, that this isn't a good moment for the Venezuelan telenovela industry. With the forced transformation of RCTV into RCTV Internacional, and the changes in priorities of  Venevisión's top management (priority to the international market over the local one), we're beginning to see telenovelas whose best attributes lie on the technical aspects of production (much like the telenovelas produced in Miami). I think this is a loss for the genre because telenovelas are losing their ability to connect with the public not only through the love story, but also through well designed characters and situations that we both recognize and recognize ourselves in since they're ingredients or our dreams and realities. 

Las Tontas no van al cielo.

andcarga | Jacqueline Bracamontes, Las Tontas no van al cielo, Telenovelas, Valentino Lanus, jaime camil, rosy ocampo | Tuesday, 08 April 2008

Televisa, apuesta con una novela ORIGINAL, y de corte humorístico.

No se ha equivocado Rosy Ocampos con el elenco elegido para Las Tontas no van al cielo.

santiago100×100.jpg    Jaime Camil da frescura y originalidad en su papel de Santiago, quién es un cirujano plástico, que es abandonado por su esposa, y toma la responsabilidad de criar solo a su hija Rocío. No sólo hace el papel de un padre amoroso y dedicado a su hija, sino que se hace cargo también de su sobrina, hija de su hermano, quien junto a su esposa mueren y dejan sola a Lucía, por lo que Santiago decide irse a vivir a Guadalajara, y criar a sus hijas: Rocío y Lucía, con ayuda de su madre Isabel.

Jaime es mujeriego, pero es un buen hombre que tiene miedo de volverse a enamorar.

candy100×100.jpg  Jaqueline Bracamonetes es Candy quien luego de abandonar a Patricio, luego de encontrarlo besándose con su hermana Alicia, el día de su boda, decide fingir su muerte y empezar una nueva vida en Guadalajara, lejos de su familia quienes sufren su falsa muerte. La vida de cambia y vuelve a surgir la felicidad, al enterarse que esta embarazada de Patricio, y tiene a Chava, a quien dedica su vida.

patricio100×1001.jpg    Valentino Lanús es Patricio, quien luego de perder a Candy, sufre por la culpabilidad que siente creyendo que Candy murió por culpa de él. Patricio se casa con Alicia en un viaje a Las Vegas, pero los dos saben que Patricio sigue amando a Candy aunque este muerta.

Las vidas de estos personajes se ven enfrentadas, cuando se conocen Candy y Santiago, y surge un sentimiento que ninguno de los dos quieren aceptar, mientras que Patricio se muda a vivir a Guadalajara y cada vez esta más cerca de descubrir que su amada Candy esta viva. Mientras que Candy evita que la descubra pensando que le quitará a Chava.

Definitivamente es una novela amena, que deja todas las noches un deseo de saber que pasará mañana,  y en el mañana del 8 de abril,

Candy se ha presentado ante Patricio, pidiendo ayuda para que salve a su hijo Chava quien tiene Leucemia y urge de un trasplante.

La actuación de Jacqueline y Valentino es tan buena que uno se siente parte de la historia.
Veánla es lo mejor….

Resumen Lunes 7 abril: Al diablo con los guapos

andcarga | Al diablo con los guapos | Tuesday, 08 April 2008

cap_luciana370×270.jpg  Todos se encuentran en el vestíbulo viendo el cuadro de Mili destrozado, cada quien tiene un sospechoso, pero Alejandro y Valeria culpan a Luciana.

Luciana llega al vestíbulo con Néstor y es acusada, ella se queda impactada.

Luciana empieza a llorar y dice que ella no hizo nada, se va a su cuarto.

Alejandro va a la iglesia, él le pide al ‘cuatacho’ que por favor regrese a Mili a su lado, Mili escucha todo sin que Alejandro se dé cuenta.

Alejandro termina de rezar, ya a apunto de irse ve a Mili, se acerca y le pregunta si cree que el ‘cuatacho’ le pueda conceder el milagro, Mili responde con la cabeza y se quedan mirándose apasionados.

Resumen Lunes 7 abril: Las Tontas no van al cielo.

andcarga | Jacqueline Bracamontes, Las Tontas no van al cielo, Telenovelas, Valentino Lanus, jaime camil | Tuesday, 08 April 2008

7 de abril de 2008

patricio100×100.jpg

Patricio reclama a Candy que se haya hecho pasar por muerta y le pide que lo lleve cuanto antes al hospital, pues quiere ser el donante.

Patricio está muy molesto con Candy y le dice que ahora lo importante es salvar a Chava, pero para él sigue muerta.

Candy dice a Patricio que no tiene derecho a reclamarle nada, pues él también la engañó.

Santiago le dice a Candy que muy valiente al pensar en Chava y confesarle toda la verdad a Patricio.

Patricio es histocompatible con Chava, por lo que se prepara para ser donante.

Santiago se enfurece cuando Jaime le dice que quiere casarse con su madre.

Patricio le advierte a Alicia que va a estar en el hospital, al pendiente de su hijo y no quiere escenas de celos.

Candy le dice a Meño que lé de tiempo a su hijo para que acepte que es gay.

Santiago va por Candy para llevarla al hospital, pues Chava está a punto de ser operado.

Alicia, por recomendaciones de una bruja, quema las fotos de Candy y Patricio, quiere que su hermana se muera.

Patricio se da cuenta de que Santiago y Candy están tomados de la mano.

Santiago dice a Patricio que si quiere pensar que lo traicionó puede hacerlo, pero Candy es su amiga desde antes de conocerlo y tuvo que guardar su secreto.

El doctor Romano le dice a Candy que aún hay que esperar unos días, pero al parecer la intervención fue un éxito.

esmas.com

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