MICAELA GOES TO W.R. COILE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Yesterday I had a special experience. I was invited to speak to a group of Latino students at  W. R. Coile Middle School. The invitation came from a pilot program organized by the University of Georgia's Institute for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACSI). The program's name is Affirmation of Cultural Identity. Speakers are chosen "for their content knowledge related to bicultural identity and because they served as top-tier Hispanic role models for the children or otherwise had significant interaction with and knowledge of the local Hispanic community."

It was touching for me to return to Coile after many years. You see, my three children went through their middle school grades there. I found a school with changed demographics. In the period of 1996-2002, when Gustavo, Carolina and María Teresa were at Coile, the number of Latino students was exceedingly small. Today, about 20% of the student body is Latino.

The students that participate in this LACSI program had been told that I study telenovelas. Therefore, they wanted to talk about these shows from the beginning. They even told me about the ones they watch (Triunfo del Amor-Univision, and some of them watch La Reina del Sur-Telemundo). I started the session, however, by asking them questions. I wanted to know their origins and personal stories. Most of these students were either born in Mexico or are the children of Mexican parents. (This is one of the explanations of their loyal consumption of Televisa telenovelas in Univision).

I asked them if there is something that they don't like about living in the U.S. They answered "when we're treated bad just because we're different," and proceeded to give me examples of the times they've felt excluded or segregated in their everyday lives. I decided, then, to show them videos of Micaela, the protagonist of the latest telenovela I've studied in-depth, La Mujer Perfecta. Micaela has suffered from exclusion because she has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. In particular, I showed the scene in which Micaela delivers a speech on World Autism Awareness Day:

Día Mundial del Autismo-Micaela-LMP from Carolina Acosta-Alzuru on Vimeo.

Micaela's words had a magical effect on these students. "I'm not inferior, I'm just different" generated a group in-depth reflection about why we exclude those that are different from us. We talked about how exclusion is a two-way street. Sometimes we're the excluded ones, and sometimes we exclude others. To divide the world into "us" and "other" is particularly bad when we assume  that "we" are somehow superior to, or better than, "others," and we don't welcome our differences. This is how intolerance and exclusion begin.

For me, it was certainly a sentimental trip to return to Coile and a great privilege to be chosen to speak to these Latino students. More importantly,  yesterday afternoon showed me, one more time, how the universally melodramatic telenovela can be more than a "simple" love story delivered in daily installments. Telenovelas are entertainment. But, there's an undeniable transcendence in a genre that partly defines many Latin Americans and Latinos who live around the world. Telenovelas are a also a business enterprise. And, even though network executives and other decision makers could care less about what happened yesterday at a middle school in Athens, GA; for those students, these telenovela scenes could be a flashlight illuminating the thorny path of belonging to a social, cultural and ethnic minority.

MARIA ELENA WALSH HAS PASSED AWAY

María Elena Walsh has passed away. Her poems, novels, stories, songs, essays and articles were enjoyed beyond the frontiers of her native Argentina.

I assume she never knew this. But, her children's song "Manuelita la tortuga" was a key ingredient in one of the most moving telenovela scenes I've ever encountered in my research.

In "La Vida Entera" written by Leonardo Padrón, Olimpia Duque (Beatriz Valdés), is facing the worst and most lonely night of her life. Unexpectedly, it's her daughter Tata (Marisa Román) who puts her to bed, in an inversion of roles between a mother and daughter, who've had a difficult relationship throughout the telenovela. The scene was touching in the script. But the two actors  moved it up several notches by using their talent and deep knowledge of their characters. And, of course, thanks to María Elena Walsh's Manuelita la tortuga.

IS THE VENEZUELAN TELENOVELA DEAD? PART 2

There has never been so much time in-between posts in my blog. But, this semester has been particularly tough given my teaching schedule and my current case study, La Mujer Perfecta.

Last June, I wrote a post titled Is the Venezuelan telenovela dead? Today, December 17, we can say that it isn't dead and that it fights tooth and nail amidst an increasingly difficult and complex context:

• La Mujer Perfecta is the only Venezuelan telenovela on air in Venezuela. (Canal i broadcasts two older telenovelas: Abigaíl and Señora).
• La Mujer Perfecta has done an admirable job of recuperating the audience for the Venezuelan telenovela. Even though it competes with telenovelas produced by Telemundo that have a more expensive and sophisticated production. Furthermore, the latter are not subject to the Venezuelan restrictions of exchange controls and media content laws. .
• In addition to La Mujer Perfecta, Venevisión is producing La Viuda Joven written by Martín Hahn.
• According to reports, Televén has bought Que el cielo me explique written by Cristina Policastro, the last telenovela produced by RCTV Internacional. Its broadcast hasn't been announced yet.
• Meanwhile, Televén's program grid is a catalog of telenovelas made outside Venezuela. In some cases, Telemundo telenovelas have premiered first on Televen's screen than in the rest of the world. (Ojo por Ojo is the most recent example).
• The Venezuelan government has prohibited the broadcast of the so-called "narconovelas".
• President Hugo Chávez has requested extraordinary powers that would allow him to bypass the new National Assembly's approval. (He won't enjoy absolute majority in that new NA).
• The government has introduced in the current lame duck, all-chavista National Assembly a revised Media Content Law that would have important consequences for the telenovela industry. (If you read Spanish, you can read the full text here. Note, in particular: Artículo 7, numeral 3. Artículo 29, numeral 3, literal d. Artículo 35, disposiciones transitorias primera y segunda).
• Frequently, the government interrupts telenovelas to impose a cadena (mandatory broadcast of the government's signal on all radio and TV outlets). This makes more difficult the audience's followup of the dramatic structure. It also interferes with one of the most important characteristics of telenovela consumption: its inclusion in everyday life.

The situation is complicated and worrisome. If you understand Spanish, I recommend you listen to the following interview of Leonardo Padrón, author of La Mujer Perfecta. The interview was done by a Colombian radio station and his words explain the current situation:

IN MY TELENOVELA CLASS: Conversations with Leonardo Padrón and Roque Valero

The last class of this semester, in which we lectured and discussed as many aspects of telenovelas as possible, finally arrived. Following the course's tradition, I taught the last class at my house with dinner and a Tres Leches for dessert:

That evening we had our two last "Telenovela Conversations" with writer Leonardo Padrón and actor/singer/musician Roque Valero. Both were generous as they shared with us their experiences in the world of telenovelas. My students learned a lot, enjoyed immensely the opportunity to talk to our guests, and were truly delighted when Roque sang for us a fragment of Las Lágrimas Aprenden a Reír.

Following are the two videos of the conversations, where you will find valuable angles and points of view regarding writing, acting and musical composition.





As I finish this semester of "Telenovelas, Culture and Society", I must thank everyone who has talked to me and allowed me to observe her/him as they write, perform, produce or consume telenovelas. Thanks to them, I continue on my research path about this television genre, whose apparent simplicity hides its fascinating complexity. I also thank my 24 students for everything they taught me and for their interesting reflections in our class blog. Finally, thanks to our guests who shared with us their knowledge and talent. They are the indispensable teachers for my class: Marisa Román, Ruxandra Ciobanu, Alberto Gómez, Leonardo Padrón and Roque Valero.

TELENOVELAS, THE PRESS, MESSAGE BOARDS AND SPECULATION-ONCE MORE

In January 2008, I wrote about how the Venezuelan entertainment press was speculating about the protagonists of Leonardo Padrón's new telenovela. At the time, the author had not written a single line of such telenovela.

In the last few days we've seen how the story of speculation around Padrón's supposedly new telenovela repeats itself. This time, the original source of the rumor is an anonymous post in an Internet message board. The post was subsequently embellished, copied in other message boards, and repeated by the press (I apologize to English readers because these texts are in Spanish):

Nov. 5: In the message board NUEVO FORO DE TELENOVELAS DE VENEZUELA, an anonymous writer posts with the title--DUELO DE ROSAS NUEVA TELENOVELA DE LEONARDO PADRON :

LEONARDO PADRÓN YA TITULO A SU NUEVA AVENTURA ESCRITA DUELO DE ROSAS TELENOVELA QUE NO ESCATIMARA GASTOS PARA CONVERTIRLA EN PRODUCCIÓN INTERNACIONAL ANA KARINA Y EL REGRESO DE YANET RODRÍGUEZ Y UN POSIBLE GALÁN PADRÓN PIDIO A WILLIAM LEVY PORQUE EL PRESONAJE MASCULINO ES UN GUERRRO DE LA CIUDAD Y NO LE TEMÉ AL PELIGRO ES UN ALPINISTA.

In the same message board, anonymous posts exaggerate the original one and announce that Ana Karina Manco will be the protagonist:

Nov. 6: DUELO DE ROSAS HARA UN DOBLE PERSONAJE AL NO ACEPTAR JANETH RODRIGUEZ

Nov. 8: CONFIRMADO LA SUPERPRODUCCION DE PADRON SE LLAMARA "DUELO DE ROSAS" CON ANA KARINA MAN

Nov. 9: LA SUPERPRODUCCION DE PADRON DUELO DE ROSAS LA UNICA CONFIRMADA ES ANA KARINA MANKO

The Venezuelan press echoes the "news:"

El Sepulturero (Ultimas Noticias, Nov. 9): "proyecto Padrón, que, presuntamente, ya tiene nombre, el tema femenino como siempre de protagonista y el runrún de que su eterna musa, Ana KarinaManco, estará allí. Ella será Rosa en duelo con otra Rosa que haría de su hija. ¿Galán? Lo buscan como palito `e romero".

Chepa Candela (Diario 2001, Nov. 15): "les bato que parece ser definitivo que ANA KARINA MANCO será la “heroína” de la nueva historia que está armando Leonardo Padrón para VV, la cual verá la luz durante el segundo trimestre del 2010."

Nayib Canán (Diario Panorama, Nov. 25):

"Teclea Padrón, teclea... Así le dicen al escritor en Venevisión. Arriba, en “La Colina” le exigen al poeta que adelante su nueva telenovela, que hasta los momentos se llama Duelo de Rosas.

Como de costumbre, en el canal se maneja todo con el mayor de los misterios. No quieren que se cuele información, pero al final las paredes terminan oyendo, y mejor aún, difundiendo información “confidencial”.

Padrón se inspira nuevamente en la mujer para recrear su historia. Al parecer desempolva su gran obra “El país de las mujeres” para tomar algunos aspectos. Sobrarán personajes que enganchan por su fuerza, muy al estilo de “La Vikinga”, “Patria Mía” y “Chocolate”, hecho que no ocurrió en su última producción “La vida entera”, donde faltaron roles convincentes y originales.

¿Quien será la estrella de este proyecto? Ya suena fuertemente el nombre de Ana Karina Manco, la gran musa de Padrón en los 90.

Ella estaba renuente a regresar a los estudios de televisión, pero ante la propuesta no podría negarse. Los “chivos” de Venevisión están dispuestos a pagar lo que sea con tal de tener nuevamente en sus filas a la actriz.

Manco sería una de las “Rosas”, madre de Anastasia Mazzone, quien también llevará un papel de peso, así como Janette Rodríguez si decide aceptar el jugoso “contratico”.

La novela podría conventirse en una pasarela de ex misses, ya que el reparto estaría integrado por bellezas “cincuentonas” como Elluz Peraza, Judith Castillo y Tatiana Capote.

Otro que tendría un personaje impactante es el primer actor Gustavo Rodríguez, quien dejó muy buen sabor de boca con el “NapoleónDuque” de “La vida entera”.

Por los vientos que soplan, esta vez si habrá dinero para la producción. No se medirán con nada. Hasta piensan en traerse a Lupita Ferrer."

Finally, on November 27, Venevisión publishes a press release denying the "news:"

Venevisión no tiene contemplado la producción, a corto plazo, de una telenovela bajo la rúbrica de Leonardo Padrón, y mucho menos ha realizado casting alguno para integrar este dramático que supuestamente estaría protagonizado por la actriz Ana Karina Manco.

El único proyecto dramático que El Canal de la Colina se encuentra desarrollando en este momento, y que está en fase de pre- producción, es “Harina de Otro Costal”, que reúne en los roles protagónicos a la actriz Daniela Bascopé y Christian Mac Gaffney, en una historia original de la exitosa escritora Mónica Montañez.

Asimismo, Venevisión arrancará las grabaciones de “Harina de Otro Costal” en el mes de enero de 2010.

I've said it before, and I must say it again:

The entertainment press can and must be better. To repeat (without confirmation) something that is posted anonymously or using a pseudonym in an Internet message board, is not good journalism. It only reinforces the generalized opinion that the entertainment press is second tier. Journalism is a key and sacred profession for every society, regardless the beat it covers.

WRITER INTERVIEWS ACTOR: RUDDY RODRIGUEZ IN LOS IMPOSIBLES

We met Ruddy Rodríguez in the Miss Venezuela beauty pageant in 1985 where she received the first crown of "Miss World Venezuela". She made it into the final four of the Miss World pageant that year. Soon she was offered a small role in the James Bond film The Living Daylights.

Among the Venezuelan telenovelas in which she has been the protagonist we find Niña Bonita and Amantes de Luna Llena. In Venezuela, she's also remembered as Amores de Fin de Siglo's intriguing Lejana San Miguel.

During the 1990s, Ruddy was in several telenovelas outside Venezuela. In Spain, she was in the series Brigada central II with Imanol Arias and Margarita Rosa De Francisco.

She has also worked in several Colombian telenovelas. Among them, La mujer doble, Flor de oro, La ex and Cómplices. In 2009, she starred in the Venezuelan film Venezzia with Mexican actor Alfonso Herrera.

Here's the video of her conversation with writer Leonardo Padrón in Los Imposibles:

WRITER INTERVIEWS ACTOR: KATE DEL CASTILLO IN LOS IMPOSIBLES

Once again (see Edgar Ramírez, Carlos Mata and Guy Ecker), we have the opportunity to watch a long interview with an actor whose career includes telenovelas as a key ingredient. This time it's Mexican Kate del Castillo in a conversation with Venezuelan writer Leonardo Padrón.

In addition to her work in telenovelas (Imperio de Cristal, Azul, Mágica Juventud, Alguna vez tendremos alas, Ramona, El Derecho de Nacer y La Mentira, among others), Kate del Castillo has participated in U.S. television series like Weeds and in several films: “Nada que ver”, “Reclusorio”, “Amor que mata”, “Aviso de ocasión”, “Por ti”, “Daría tu vida”, “18 Pesos”, “Las Sobrinas del Diablo”, “Peligro en Altamar” and the acclaimed "Bajo la misma luna".

Following is the video of the interview. Among other topics, Kate del Castillo and Padrón talk about the paradox that telenovelas are for actors: acting training like no other and an acting corset of sorts because of how repetitive protagonist roles have become.

TELENOVELAS AND REALITY: PREMIERE OF LIBRES COMO EL VIENTO

Last night RCTV began broadcasting in Venezuela its new telenovela Libres como el viento, written by Pilar Romero (Mi Prima Ciela, Elizabeth, Maite, Toda Mujer), inspired in Rómulo Gallegos' novel "La Brizna de Paja en el Viento".

In the telenovela's synopsis, it is emphasized that this is a love story "marked by the current happenings in university life". This context is a clear reference to the reality of the student movement in Venezuela, which became a political protagonist after the government did not renew RCTV's broadcast concession in May 2007:

It's too early to assess this telenovela. For the moment, I'm interested in its context, which we can see represented in the following promotional:



I can't help but to notice that these days Venezuelan telenovelas are living a moment that is the opposite of the one I studied in the year 2003. At that time, RCTV and Venevisión competed for the first place. Both networks were on the same political side: opposing Hugo Chávez's government. Their novelas, however, offered two very different options. Venevisión represented and editorialized the harsh political reality in successful telenovela Cosita Rica, written by Leonardo Padrón. For his part, José Simón Escalona, RCTV's dramatic chief, believed that at the time Venezuelans didn't want to see more reality on their tv screens (Acosta-Alzuru, 2007, p. 34). Hence, RCTV broadcast La Invasora, written by Iris Dubbs, followed by Estrambótica Anastasia, authored by Martin Hahn.

Today we're in a completely different situation. RCTV can only broadcast via cable, is dedicated to producing remakes and versions, and places its wagers on a telenovela with a context linked to reality. Venevisión, without a strong competitor in Venezuelan TV, nevertheless is keenly aware of the delicate situation regarding freedom of expression in Venezuela. Therefore, this network prioritizes international sales and asks its writers to author telenovelas that are more "universal", devoid of local flavor, and avoiding any references to the country's controversial reality.

And, even though the telenovela industry always begs the question: "what do audience members want to watch in their telenovelas?", it's impossible for me to think of that, when I'm sure that we're doing much worse in my country. In every sense.

REFERENCE
Acosta-Alzuru, C. (2007). Venezuela es una Telenovela. Caracas: Alfa.

WRITER INTERVIEWS ACTOR: GUY ECKER IN LOS IMPOSIBLES

I'm still in Oxford with little time to write in my blog. Meanwhile, here's another interview between a telenovela writer and an actor. This time writer Leonardo Padrón interviews famous actor Guy Ecker (Sebastian in Café con Aroma de Mujer). It's an interview that illuminates the life and craft of an actor, and the telenovela world:

AGAIN: WRITER INTERVIEWS ACTOR

A few days ago I posted here Leonardo Padrón's interview of Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramírez. Today I bring from the same TV interview show, "Los Imposibles", the conversation between Padrón and the Venezuelan actor who became the international symbol of Venezuelan telenovelas: Carlos Mata.

Carlos Mata began his acting career accidentally since his passion was the arts. At the same time he developed a music career that earned him gold records in the United States, Spain, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela. His most recent work in telenovelas was as Facundo Montoya in Leonardo Padrón's "La Vida Entera".

Both Carlos Mata and Leonardo Padrón have a great sense of humor, which gives their conversation a lighthearted tone, amidst the many details it provides on the life and career of Carlos Mata:

A WRITER INTERVIEWS AN ACTOR

I'm in Oxford. Tomorrow I start teaching my class: "International Mass Communication." For this reason, I'll write (even) less on my blogs.

Today I bring you an interesting interview that affords us the rare opportunity of watching the conversation between two people whose careers are not limited by telenovelas, but who have been definitely marked by these melodramas: writer Leonardo Padrón interviews actor Edgar Ramírez.

Leonardo Padrón is the telenovela writer that I've been studying for a decade. He's a poet, essayist, and film scriptwriter, in addition to being the author of some of the telenovelas most watched in Venezuela, such as: Contra Viento y Marea, El País de las Mujeres, Cosita Rica, Ciudad Bendita and La Vida Entera. Four years ago, Padrón started an interview radio show, "Los Imposibles" where he interviews people who are "imposible to ignore". Last May, "Los Imposibles" jumped to  television, keeping the structure of these conversations that have also become a  literary success, because each season of interviews is published by  Editorial Santillana: Los Imposibles: Conversaciones al Borde de un Micrófono, Los Imposibles 2 and Los Imposibles 3.

Edgar Ramírez began his acting career in Venezuelan films. In the very successful telenovela Cosita Rica, he personified Cacique, whose love story with identical twins Verónica and María Suspiro obsessed the Venezuelan audience to the point of eclipsing  the protagonists' love story. A few months after the end of Cosita Rica, Ramírez broke into Hollywood with Tony Scott's film Dominó with Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke. Afterwards, he participated in The Bourne Ultimatum with Matt Damon, Vantage Point with William Hurt and Ché Part 1 with  Benicio del Toro. He's currently finishing shooting a film with famous French director Olivier Assayas in which he stars as the terrorist that marked the lives of many during the 70s and 90s: Illich Ramírez Sánchez, known as "Carlos, the Jackal".

Unfortunately, the interview is in Spanish and without sub-titles. I still hope you can enjoy some of it:

Option 1 (Megavideo):


Option 2 (Viddler):

TELENOVELAS-VISITING A LOCATION WITH THE WRITERS

I've had many experiencies while studying telenovelas. And, even though I'm equally interested in all aspects: production, consumption, regulation and the different representations we see in those daily episodes, I've learned that most people are particularly interested in production. In short, how is a telenovela produced? is the overarching question in many of the conversations I participate in, and is the most commented chapter of my book "Venezuela es una Telenovela."

Today I share with you a recent experience while studying the production of Venezuelan telenovela La Vida Entera.

The plot: In La Vida Entera, the Duque family owns a media conglomerate that includes fashion magazine Exquisita, which provides one of the main contexts for the telenovela's storylines. The male protagonist, Salvador Duque (Jorge Reyes), is part of this family, also constituted by his father, Napoleón (Gustavo Rodríguez), his stepmother, Olimpia (Beatriz Valdés) and his younger sister Carlota, "Tata" (Marisa Román). The Duque family "lives" in a beautiful house with a breathtaking view of the city of Caracas.

Following is a brief excerpt from Episode 6, where you can get a glimpse of these characters and their house.

Research experience--Visiting the location: I had the privilege of visiting the house with Leonardo Padrón and his team of writers the first time they went to this location. It was extremely interesting for me to be able to observe first hand how each of the house's rooms sparked ideas in these writers: "Here, Olimpia should...", "Maybe we could place Tata there...", "What about sitting Napoléon here and...," etc. Padrón and his writers also noticed interesting angles that the location provides for shots that will contribute to the telenovela's storytelling and its visual vocabulary. Meanwhile, two members of the production team took copious notes.

The experience was fascinating to me. I'm still figuring out its full importance to my research. For instance, I immediately started noticing the influence of the visit in the telenovela scripts. I would have never noticed this, if I hadn't been in the house with the writers.

Writing a telenovela requires much creativity and strategy. And even though telenovelas always have that mix of dream (the love story we all wish we could have) and reality, for these stories to work they must ring true. And I learned that these visits help immensely in writing a script that sounds true.

Here's a short video I prepared of our visit. Don't expect Spielberg, please. But, I think it will give you a good idea of my experience that afternoon:

A TELENOVELA PREMIERES TO THE PRESS

Last week I attended the premiere for the press of my new object of study: telenovela LA VIDA ENTERA. This isn't my first time in these events that, along with the promotional spots, constitute the publicity engine for the new telenovela. 

To be sure, this is a public relations event. The centerpiece is watching the first episode before it airs. In the event, information about the new telenovela is disseminated via a press kit. LA VIDA ENTERA's press kit consisted of a glossy brochure in magazine format and a CD-ROM with photos and interviews with cast members. Additionally, the premiere allows reporters to interview writers and actors. The main outcome of this event is media coverage of the telenovela which creates expectation in the audience.

 

For a scholar, this is a fascinating event to observe. I enjoy watching the telenovela's first episode before it actually airs. Most importantly, I'm able to observe first hand the reactions of the entertainment press and actors. Later, it's truly interesting to read news stories and gossip columns about the premiere. These media stories vary immensely in quality and accuracy. (For instance, the next day a television  gossip show commented how beautiful was the "fuchsia" evening gown that actor Marlene De Andrade was wearing...when she actually wore a black dress!). 

Here's a video I prepared with images from the event. The quality is low. It was hard for me to record from where I was sitting and the resolution isn't too good. But, it will give you a taste of the event and the characters of  LA VIDA ENTERA.

TELENOVELA CONVERSATIONS IN MY SEMINAR

A key ingredient of my teaching philosophy is to provide students with opportunities to link what we learn inside the classroom with the "real world" that exists beyond the university's walls. This is the reason why in my telenovela class and seminars I've always included phone conferences with people who work in the telenovela industry. (In previous years, I've had as guests Julie Restifo, Daniela Bascopé, Carlos Cruz, Edgar Ramírez, Marisa Román and Leonardo Padrón).

This week we had two guests that visit my class every time I teach it because they're very generous with their time and insights. And because both of them have taught me a lot as I continue my intellectual journey through the beguiling landscape of telenovela research: Marisa Román and Leonardo Padrón. This time we benefitted from technology since we used video conference thanks to the facilities provided in the Faherty Lab here at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. We enjoyed the experience even more than in previous opportunities because we could see our guests and they could see us. 

Thanks to these conversations, my students were able to hear Leonardo Padrón explain the details of his creative process, describe the everyday life of a telenovela writer, list his major concerns and satisfactions as he tackles the difficult, absorbing and exhausting process of writing a telenovela, which is a product of industrial dimensions. 

The students were also able to ask Marisa Román about the construction of a character, and which have been the most difficult and most satisfying characters she has interpreted. Román explained the differences in the actors craft when she/he faces television, theater and film. 



It was a truly special class in which all involved learned a great deal thanks to a couple of conversations that were enjoyable, sincere and gratifying.

HUGO CHAVEZ AND TELENOVELAS

Todotnv is one of my favorite telenovela blogs. Today there's a  post about how easy it is to blame telenovelas for all sorts of things. This post, of course, brings about the eternal controversy of whether media reflect reality, or reality is influenced by media content.

In Latin America, where telenovelas were born, we also blame telenovelas in a variety of ways...even if we watch them religiously. But, last week President Hugo Chávez attacked telenovelas in his weekly speech to the nation (he also attacked the Internet):

"Be careful with those capitalist telenovelas: they poison (...) They have an ideological intention: to destroy a child's potential, to induce the youth to a life that is plastic, and to induce them to violence, prostitution and a loss of values."

Here's the video:

Chavez y las Telenovelas
by noticias24

President Chávez seems to have forgotten that the origin of telenovelas can be found in the feulleton literature (Dumas, Balzac, etc.), and that the cradle of telenovelas is Cuba. He seems to have forgotten also that his own network  TVES purchases and produces telenovelas.

These and other arguments were aptly expressed by Venezuelan telenovela writers in an article in daily El Universal on August 26:

Leonardo Padrón: Telenovelas Cosita Rica and Ciudad Bendita "were entirely Venezuelan. They constitute  400 hours of television that speak of the people who habit Caricuao or La Bombilla in Petare and how fragile are their living conditions, those hours aren't about the natives of Texas or Arizona.  "In my telenovelas, I've spoken about domestic violence, teen pregnancy and irresponsible fatherhood. Tell me how is it that I'm inculcating there capitalist values!"

Pilar Romero: "A telenovela is a love story. The only one that had a different slant, but wasn't 'capitalist' at all, was POR ESTAS CALLES. The rest are love stories with a moralizing intention. Evil is punished and good is rewarded."

Martín Hahn: "I've never thought about writing a telenovela that is capitalist or socialist. I only think of writing an entertaining telenovela with a positive message. The struggle to keep families together, forgiveness, reconciliation and personal betterment are the themes I like to touch on my telenovelas."

Benilde Avila: "I don't understand why Chávez said that. He must not watch telenovelas. It's a contradiction to say that telenovelas are poison when TVEs, his social television network, produces and broadcast them."

Personally, I'm quite surprised about this attack on telenovelas by President Chávez. Up until now he has been a shrewd communicator who knows how to respect and use the Venezuelan people's popular culture tastes and consumption. At times, he has even use that knowledge to manipulate Venezuelans. To attack telenovelas with empty arguments in a country in which people consume on a daily basis the same number of telenovelas as meals is a foolish mistake. 

We can criticize many things about telenovelas. But, we can also say positive things about them regarding the health messages they can transmit, etc. And, we'll never know for sure if Hugo Chávez would be president if there hadn't been a telenovela called Por Estas Calles. 

IAMCR-Stockholm-POPULAR CULTURE

My third and final presentation at IAMCR in Stockholm was in the Popular Culture Working Group. In this presentation I focused on one of the subplots of telenovela Ciudad Bendita: Maru's story, a character that was addicted to plastic surgery. In this paper, a section of my work on Ciudad Bendita, I analyzed the writing, production and reception of this storyline in a country in which plastic surgery is naturalized as "normal."

Following are some of the slides I used in the presentation, including a short clip from Maru's story. At the end there's the video of my presentation. For those readers who have never been to an academic conference, it will be interesting to experience the perils of presenting first in a session: the comings and goings of latecomers and even the placement of extra chairs in a room that ended up being too small for the session. As presenters, we have to be immune to those distractions.

















The session also included a fascinating study of the different versions of Betty, la fea around the world:

Session 3 Appearances and Perceptions
Thursday 24th July 14.00-15.30
Chair: Milly Williamson
In the country of beautiful women: A telenovela’s critique of plastic surgery obsession
Carolina Acosta-Alzuru
Travelling style: Aesthetic difference in national adaptations of "Ugly Betty"
Lothar Mikos & Marta Perotta
Queer gazing and the popular: a study on the representational strategies of queer
representations in popular television fiction.
Sofie Van Bauwel, Frederik Dhaenens & Daniel Biltereyst
Circuits of the Real: Authenticity Work in Reality TV
Minna Aslama & Mervi Pantti

IAMCR-Stockholm-AUDIENCE

My second presentation at IAMCR this year was in the Audience section. In it, I focused on the audience's readings of the love story and physical aspect of the protagonists of Venezuelan telenovela Ciudad Bendita, written by Leonardo Padrón. At the end of this entry is the presentation's video. It doesn't have good quality, nor does it show the screen with the PowerPoint supporting slides. Therefore, following are some o those slides with a brief explanation.

In general, telenovelas have some basic codes. Among them are that protagonists follow a beauty code: they are usually beautiful women and handsome men. A second basic code is that the main love story consists of love at first (or almost-first) sight, a long sequence of misunderstandings and obstaces, and the happy end:



Ciudad Bendita's main love story was a transgression of these two codes. Handsome Juan Carlos García was the antagonist. Solid actor, but generally not considered particularly handsome, Roque Valero was the male protagonist, while female protagonist Bendita (played by Marisa Román) had a noticeable limp, the product of a childhood accident.


Thes storyline was also a transgression: Bendita is in love with the antagonist during the first 70 episodes.



In a country like Venezuela, used to telenovelas that are "within the code" and obsessed with physical beauty, how did the audience read this double code transgression?

At the beginning, they didn't like it:



The audience was certainly surprised by the choice of protagonists, and disoriented by this unusual love story. But, as the plot advanced, and Bendita and Juan finally fell in love, audience members accepted and embraced them:


And even though, the public ended up accepting Roque Valero as the protagonist:



There were many who wanted Bendita to be healed (as in a traditional telenovela) of her physical impairment:



In conclusion:



This overview is extremely superficial. Conference presentations already are horribly superficial: a 10-15 minute summary of the work that has taken years and research papers of many pages. But, sharing is my goal, and keeping the conversation going.

Following is the video of the presentation:



And the program of the session in which I presented:

14.00‐ 15.30 Room B497
Session 9: AUDIENCES AND TV GENRES
Chair: Virginia Nightingale, University of Western Sydney, Australia
ANNETTE HILL, University of Westminster, United Kingdom
Spirit Media: Ghosts, Audiences and Digital Culture
GEORGETTE WANG, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
Glocalization Backfired: Cross‐cultural Viewing of The Weakest Link and The Apprentice
CAROLINA ACOSTA‐ALZURU, University of Georgia, USA
No Cinderella and no Prince Charming?: Audience reception when the telenovela codes are broken
MONICA HERRERO, Universidad de Navarra. Pamplona (Navarra) Spain
The relationship with the audience in family fiction series: the long‐term success and the extension to
other windows
MIAO‐JU JIAN, National Chung‐Cheng University, Taiwan
Passion for “the More Real”: The co‐constitutive relationship between audience and media
technology in the case of global reality TV reception in Taiwan
SARA PEREIRA, University of Minho, Portugal
Television for Children: the Child’s View