Telenovelas Online

Just like telenovelas can carry messages that promote health and the improvement of certain sociocultural problems (see my last post), these shows can also include political topics.

In Brazil, the vanguard of realist telenovelas, realism, politics and telenovelas have frequently walked hand in hand (see Realism and Politics in Brazilian Telenovelas by professor Mauro Porto). In Venezuela we have the cases of Por Estas Calles and Cosita Rica. In all these instances, telenovelas actively participated in the political conversation of their country of origin.

It's interesting to note that the serialized melodramatic format of telenovelas is being used in the U.S. not only to promote health and education in the Hispanic community (again, see my last post), but also for political purposes. In particular, the political campaign of Democrat Barack Obama is using a micro-telenovela consisting of three 4-minute episodes titled a Tu Voz, Tu Voto in an effort to win the primary election in the key state of California. In this way, telenovela-inspired formats have become the media format of choice when the goal is to reach U.S. Latinos:

One of the aspects regarding telenovelas that fascinates me the most is the way these shows can be used to deliver health messages and/or messages related to sociocultural problems and issues, such as domestic violence. In my class we've studied with interest some instances in which telenovelas have presented such topics (see my post FROM MY RESEARCH TO MY CLASSROOM: TELENOVELA RECEPTION)

Recently, the Red & Black, UGA's student newspaper, published an article about doctoral student in Public Health, Leslie Rodríguez, who is focusing on how telenovelas can deliver health messages.

The article underscores the importance of telenovelas for communicating health content to immigrant populations. In particular, it mentions the case of the Telemundo telenovela Amarte Así, which included an overweight male character whose untreated diabetes renders him impotent: Don Pedro personified by Mexican actor Edgar Vivar (Sr. Barriga and Ñoño in famous sit com series El Chavo).


Conscious of the role that telenovelas play in the culture of Latino immigrants, health organizations in the U.S. are using the melodramatic serialized format to educate and promote healthy behavior. For instance, in Boston, the prestigious Joslin Diabetes Center produced Rosa's Story/La Historia de Rosa, an audionovela that teaches basic information about diabetes and its treatment, and dispels myths and misconceptions about this condition that affects Latinos in a disproportionate way.


Another example is Esperanza's Story/La Historia de Esperanza, audionovela that targets Latinas as it delivers empowering anti-domestic violence messages. This novela, recorded in Spanish, was produced by Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication's doctoral student Lenette Golding.


In my next post: The use of telenovelas for political messages .

As many of you can imagine, my research on telenovelas has a presence in my classroom. Sometimes more and sometimes less so, but it's always there. These past two weeks, my scholarship was very present in my Telenovelas, Culture and Society class.

These weeks we've been tackling issues related to telenovela reception or consumption. I divided the topic in several sessions in which we read and discussed the place that telenovelas have in Latin American homes and family routines, the role that Internet message boards, blogs and chatrooms play in telenovela consumption, the reception of telenovelas that include political content (e.g.: Cosita Rica), sociocultural content (e.g.: Ciudad Bendita), how consumption is measured (the omnipresent and powerful ratings and shares), and the representation and reception of health and sociocultural issues in a telenovela.

Regarding the latter, we examined the mise-en-scene and reception of plots that include:

- Domestic abuse


Catalina (Elba Escobar) in El País de las Mujeres

- The obsession with plastic surgery


Pamela (Viviana Gibelli) in El País de las Mujeres


Maru (Jessika Grau) in Ciudad Bendita

We also examined the treatment and reception of health-related storylines that can't have a happy end:


Peregrina (Caridad Canelón) has Alzheimer's Disease in Ciudad Bendita.

The latter merits a few lines. The ratings always showed that the Venezuelan audience had an interest and favored this plot. (The episode in which Peregrina gets lost and is found by her son, Juan Lobo, obtained a share of 47.8% and a rating of 14, establishing a difference of 8.4 points with the telenovela that came in second that night). Those members of the audience who participated in my study of Ciudad Bendita wrote and talked to me about how moved they were by Peregrina's story, and the difficult process that her family and caregivers went through dealing with this illness that Nancy Reagan once defined as "a long good-bye."

My students were also moved this week when they watched how Peregrina's Alzheimer Disease advanced relentlessly: Peregrina is confused when she cooks, she misplaces her wedding ring, is suspicious of strangers and friends, forgets how to pray the Our Father, forgets the name of her son, asks La Diabla to tatoo the name of her loved ones in her arm, gets lost, doesn't recognize her family members, etc...

Even though Peregrina's Alzheimer is highly dramatic, it isn't an easy story to tell in a telenovela because it defies the "crime and punishment" logic that so dominates the genre. Peregrina doesn't have a happy end, even though she isn't "evil" or "villanous." This is a storyline with no humor possibilities. Therefore, it must be balanced with lighter, funnier stories. In addition, it must be spiced with lots of love and, if possible, romanticism.

In sum, it is quite a challenge to include a storyline like Peregrina's. Hence, it should be done carefully and responsibly. When this is achieved, the audience responds positively.

It's been a while since I wrote in my blogs. I have an excellent reason for my electronic absence, though: the presentation of my book in Venezuela: Venezuela es una Telenovela.

Last Tuesday, September 18, Editorial Alfa presented its new collection Homo Videns which focuses on the study of television. For me, it is a real privilege that Venezuela es una Telenovela and
Valentina Álvarez's wonderful book, Lágrimas a Pedido, are the inaugural books in this new collection.

The event was quite significant for me. I had the opportunity to share it with people that I love and admire deeply. Family and friends who are the constants and pillars of my life, and some of those who have participated in my research studies. Without them, the book wouldn't exist.

In short, my universes--the personal and the academic--collided for once, and the result was that I saw some colorful and joyful fireworks. It was a very personal celebration for me and for many of those who were able to be there for the presentation. Almost one week later, I still struggle to find the right words to describe it. Therefore, I rather share with you the words and pictures that were written and taken by some of the people who were there. (The writings are in Spanish).

Press:
Olla de Grillos, opinion column written by journalist Marlene Castillo
Cara y Cruz, opinion column written by actor Carlos Cruz

Blogs:
Utópico Real I
Desenterrando Artes y Más...I
Desenterrando Artes y Más...II
Blog TVVI

Pictures:

Telenovelas are a perfect place to study the links between media, culture and society. That is one of the reasons why in the last few years they have been the preferred site of my research.

This week Venezuela saw the premiere of telenovela Arroz con Leche, written by Doris Seguí, who has worked for many years as a writer for Leonardo Padrón and Mónica Montañez, among other authors. I consider Doris Venezuela's best dialoguista (team writer), and it was due time that she authored her own telenovela.

Every time I read the title of a telenovela, I ponder the connections between that name and the society and culture that produced it. Arroz con Leche has brought to mind that Venezuelan women grow up singing and/or listening to two melodies that may be leaving their footprints on who we are or want to be:

The musical theme of the Miss Venezuela beauty pageant:

En una noche tan linda como ésta,
cualquiera de nosotras podría triunfar
Ser coronada Miss Venezuela
y el mundo así conquistar

In an evening as pretty as this one,
anyone of us could triumph
Be crowned as Miss Venezuela
and in that way conquer the world

And...Arroz con Leche:

Arroz con leche
me quiero casar
con una señorita de la capital
Que sepa coser
que sepa bordar
que ponga la mesa en su santo lugar.

Arroz con leche (Rice pudding)
I'd like to get maried
to a young girl from the capital
Who knows how to sew,
who knows how to embroider
who's able to set the table in its rightful place

Two songs that underscore some of the cultural mandates that Venezuelan women face: physical beauty as a requirement, marriage as the goal, and the domestic quality of the parameters that underpin women's sociocultural value.