TASK 3: 'How Telenovelas conquered the world"

The telenovelas - Latin American soap dramas - are stereotypical, over the top and melodramatic - but, also, highly successful.
In fact, they are possibly the number-one form of human entertainment on the planet.
The facts are something to be reckoned with. This addictive formula has captivated audiences in Africa, Asia and Europe, and telenovela stars are mobbed at airports in Poland, Indonesia, China and the US.
Hundreds of millions of people watch telenovelas around the globe, everyday. Some go as far as saying two billion people - a third of the human race - are glued to these programmes on a daily basis.
But having been established on the simplest of formulas, they are now expanding their audiences by raising social issues.

'Love and logic'
Traditionally, most telenovelas tend to reproduce the same idea: one couple falls in love and have to fight disapproval and obstacles, until they end up together, usually on the last episode.
"You have the struggle between good and evil, between poor and rich, and this process of trying to finally fulfil your dream of a romantic relationship and live happily ever after," said Antonio La Pastina, professor of communications at Texas A&M University.
One indication of the degree to which they are taken seriously was given when women took to the streets in Venezuela protesting about a plot centring on a husband who cheated on his wife.
The writer was planning for the wife to forgive him in the last episode, but after he was threatened by some of the protesters in a grocery store, he changed the script to allow the wife to get a divorce.
Carla Estrada, one of the foremost telenovela producers in the world, said that a good script is the most important aspect of a successful telenovela.
"You need suspense, emotion, love and logic, in order to carry the story through 190 episodes," she said.
"It's not easy."
Sophisticated
According to some estimates, Mexico alone produces almost 3,000 hours of telenovelas each year, at a total cost of about US $250m - more or less the cost of, for example, the Hollywood film Titanic.
In the end, though, it is the audience who decides what really works.
"The telenovela has managed to create a very loyal market," Ms Estrada explained.
"They're loyal to a market that thinks of them. It's like having a daily date with someone.
"For some people, the telenovela is like their own life - and this is a continuing process that creates a feeling of belonging and identity."
And now, people are beginning to see the telenovela as a tool for social change.
Even the producing countries have now developed styles of their own. Venezuelan telenovelas are designed purely for entertainment.
Meanwhile Mexican ones tend to be the more melodramatic, and are very conservative. Colombian telenovelas tend to show the diversity of the country - with a feeling of more contemporary issues, like corruption, transvestites and greed, and with the use of irony and comedy.
It is worth remembering also that it was the Colombians who broke with the mould of telenovelas by producing the enormously successful Betty the Ugly, where the main character, as the name suggests, wasn't the prettiest girl in town.
The Brazilian soaps, however, are more sophisticated, with different stories, like human cloning or love between Muslims and Christians and more of the social realism.
When one soap - Family Ties - dealt with a character who needed a bone marrow transplant after getting leukaemia, the Brazilian attitude towards organ donation was completely changed.

Cultural influence
And beyond the world of dreams, some telenovelas, it seems, have began to push the envelope a bit further and deal with issues that before were considered taboo.
For decades, the main telenovelas producers in Mexico and Brazil were often criticised for being aligned with the political powers of the moment and not allowing any criticism of the government.

But the opposite is also happening, says Maria Luisa Alves, of Mexico's Television Azteca.
"They have started making more political telenovelas," she says.
"More controversial events are being included in the Mexican telenovela - and that is a new trend. They have featured homosexuality, having a child with special needs, abortion, and sex before marriage. In a very Catholic society, I think that is a lot to say on public television at prime time."
And the more global telenovelas become, the bigger the cultural influence they seem to have.
But regardless of the weakness or the strengths of this very Latin American product, the truth is that millions of people around the globe, love them.
"For an hour, six times a week, we can forget about our sorrows, our fears, our personal little mysteries - and embrace a wonderful love story that works as a balm for our souls," explains Carolina Espada, one of the main writers for Venevision, the main telenovela producer in Venezuela.
"Long live the Telenovelas."

Questions:
1. Did you know how popular were the american telenovelas around the world?
2. What do you think about them? Do you like them?
3. Why are the telenovelas so popular?
4. Write some new words you found in this article.

DEADLINE: Friday 7, April, 2006

25 comments:

Teacher Michael Rossel said...

Questions:
1. Did you know how popular were the american telenovelas around the world?
2. What do you think about them? Do you like them?
3. Why are the telenovelas so popular?
4. Write some new words you found in this article.

DEADLINE: Friday 7, April, 2006

Marcelo Valverde said...

I hate to "la esclava isaura" mi grandma' see that telenovela all days and its so much long ( two hours!!!).
About th questions, I think which the telenovelas are so famous because are a mirrow of how is the country or the world. the presente world or the world of the past, like in the epic telenovelas.
In this moment I'm not watching telenovelas, nut y watch so times "complices" because is in the "once" time y a watch it with my family...

a pleasure. peace and love

bye!

marcelo valverde 3ºe

Anonymous said...

1. Did you know how popular were the american telenovelas around the world?
nonwise I who the teleseries of use they were so popular so that I never see them
2. What do you think about them? Do you like them?
I think that it is possible to have to the good performance that is due to present/display in novels, I who not them veo(ja ja ja)
3. Why are the telenovelas so popular?
I believe that they are so popular by the cost that takes, actuacione and the Seth
4. Write some new words you found in this article.
I do not understand the question!


bye bye francisco 3°a

Anonymous said...

about the first question , no I don´t know "how"the american telenovelas are very watched in all the world.

I hate all centroamerican telenovelas because the histories
are for years the same(the directors of they don`t have imagination).

telenovelas are very famous because the people feels identified
with his hitories.

Bye !Bye !

Anonymous said...

hi teacher.
i think wich the telenovelas are fun and sometimes i learnd somethings wich them, maybe that is the reason of why are so popular... =)

marión valiz 3º1/2 E

Anonymous said...

The article is very interesting and comunicative, but i don't like to watch them so much...

I don't know anything about the "american telenovelas" but i'll waiting to see one someday.
The telenovelas were popular because the people want to watch a different type of telenovela each time.
I Found the following NEW WORDS: regardless, threatened, balm

Anonymous said...

I think that telenovelas are very popular because all people want to see them. watchers feel identifiction with them.I hate all the soap operas because they express many false feelings.the words that I can't to understand are:successful, issues, prettiest,
marrow, beyond ,regardless ,bals.. good bye

Anonymous said...

Hello teacher:
-First: I don't know that american telenovelas are so popular, but I imagined it, beacuse a time I saw in the a magazine from Spain where they talked of a colombian telenovela that It was very famous in this country and many others.
-Second: I think that is very good that the american telenovelas are very popular beacuse so these country make more telenovelas y win more. I like more or less because ever is the same story.
-Third: I believe that is because of to the stories that are very easy for to understand and these represent the problems of the real life and enjoy.
-Finally: The words that I don't know are: successful-mobbed-struggle-between-though-daily-sorrows-bone-govemment-towards.
Ok, Goodbye...
María de los Ángeles Leiva, 3°"D".

Anonymous said...

Claudia Berríos:
1-If, if the wise person since I am following faithful of the teleseries.
2-Good I think that all novel based on the daily vada one is good, since it serves us to give us account of which it is lived nowadays in the world and if, if I like the teleseries "some" are entertained
3-Good I believe that she must be so that they teach to give us account to us like or of which she forms we are acting nowadays.
4-Venevision-leukaemia-fulfil = These words never had listened to them.
good-bye... teacher

Anonymous said...

1)nonwise that some channels that are seen here be able to see in other country of the world, that the television was single national
2)in the first place I do not like many novels and the second before to see novels but no longer by the beginning Dee classes
3)in fact it but I do not imagine that it can be by the drama, the development or conclucion that presents/displays the novel, capturing the attention of the viewer
4)marriage,threatened

Anonymous said...

expeimentos that they have done they have demonstrated that the foetaI believe that according to the l movements now from big cause algun uncle of reccion in the brain is because it(he) is to be true, since it is necessary to to him(you,them) that they are absolutely pro fesionales and credible though it(he) is a bit strange of being thinking or thinking

Anonymous said...

I agree with that exist the soap operas since they help us with some form to see partly the reality in which we live and to see the life of a form mas apasional and every you see the people are stimulated mas in the teleseries

Anonymous said...

1_ no , I not know how popular were the amirican telenovelas.belive moreover not see one of its.
2_the tem is for analize,but equal what the text have type all of telenovelas whit theme distiinct and others equals,but tru not like this theme because not is some of my personal interest.

3_ the telenovelas so popular because touch theme what near reality.

4_ : issues: foremost: sorrows : styles : punely :balm: muslims : allowing.

Anonymous said...

hello professor, my answer are:
I didn't know as popular the telenovelas

I think that the novels are interesting because it tries many times of the real life, to my I like it, and this topic was very interesting.

they are popular because he likes to see drama, conflicts, love, is what passes in the real life.

the new words for my are: stereotypical, leukaemia and no more.
bye

Anonymous said...

1.-mmm nonwise that was so popular, although in Chile occurs fed up importance thus him seems to me logico, this popularity.
2-I find that the soap operas are a little while of distraction, of histories that represent the daily life of a person, and in the personnel to my I like to see them.
3-I believe that she is because they show a history that represents the people in the daily life.
4.-reckoned, threatened, beginning, urther, issues

p.d it needs an icono of "porky te amo" to you
jajaja XD

bye

Anonymous said...

hello teacherr:

*well about the first question i had thougth that were popular but i dont knew that was so much.
*i think that some tenelovelas are funnies but in general i dont like them.
*i think that are so popular because are based in the real life and i dont like it so much but even though i watch them.
*some NEW WORDS for me are:
- fact
- glued
- ocuple
- struggle
- fulfil
- script
and others more

byee teacherr see yaa!!
Daniel Albornoz 3D

Anonymous said...

first,I thought that the telenovelas single were famous in america, but after of reading the text change my opinion.
second, I think that them are very interesting , I like much the telenovelas of T.V.N.
third, the telenovelas are popular,because them are very amused and surrounding by the people in general.

the fourth step I do not understand it .

Anonymous said...

1.-I didn't than the telenovelas american were populars
2.-I think than is article is very interesting, I like the telenovelas as "esclava Isaura", I liked "whitches", The Pincheiras, Pampa Ilusion, Romané and more.
3.-Because they show the reality sometimes, are of love before a difficulty , are entertainment and fantastic sometimes or with vision of future.
4.-SOAP-FACT- RECKONED MOBBED-STRUGGLE-BETWEEN-FULFIL-FOREMOST.

Anonymous said...

1 -. if I knew how popular were the novels that even some have arrived to export al exterior as Spain. 2 -. if they are good pair a distrccion but I do not see novels although there are some that call me the atencion. 3 -. because distracts to the people offers them to see the reality of otyras people the same as they.

Anonymous said...

4-.reckoned with
between
disapproval
featured

Anonymous said...

1st. I didn't knowed that so populars were the "telenovelas". I thougth that the american telenovelas only were conoced here in america.
2nd.I think that are entertainment,but I don't see much it.
3st.because here the persons can see much things that they pass.
4th. soap,struggle,plot.

Anonymous said...

1st If it wise overcoat for the reputation that pipe since I export other contries
2nd this telenovelas i dont like me
3st For that speaks about something about the daily life
4th reckoned, According, allowing
this are the most important

bye bye

Anonymous said...

i think that the telenovelas are so popular because they show the reality of a lot of families, and also the telenovelas show a lot of gadgets and to people it like to see that.

new words: threatened, foremost, loyal, meanwhile

Anonymous said...

i think that the telenovelas are bad and arent interestin because only girls see the telenovelas,i not like the telenovelas the americas, the telenovelas of chile are relly bad and not like see because some times are romantic and i not like.
i think that the telenovelas are not popular.
the four step i do not understand it
bye bye (the telenovales are bad)

Anonymous said...

Andres Opazo 3ºD : i don´t now how popular or famous are the american telenovelas in another parts of the world. i think that are very interesting,in really like me a little. maybe are famous because for that are very interesting.some new words for me are :mould,struggle,fulfil,plot,balm and another more. well teacher GOOD BYE.