Dr. A mentioned something really interesting, really just in passing, but something that made me think...
I've been considering how this telenovelas phenomenon is so different than my culture- the American culture- and how I really can't relate to it. Soap operas come pretty close to the whole telenovelas experience, but that's such a far-away experience to me. I don't follow soap operas. It's similar to how frequently I watch some TV shows (LOST, Friends, Food Network Challenge), with the help of my Tivo, but the idea of sitting around EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and religiously watching a love story is just not something I'm familiar with.
Then Dr. A challenged this thought.
She mentioned how in some people's countries, telenovelas really are engrained in the culture. Pointing to some other students with Latin American backgrounds, I wasn't phased- we are, after all, talking about telenovelas and their affect on Latin American culture. She then pointed at me.
What? Me? How could MY culture be affected by telenovelas?
And then I realized it IS affected by telenovelas. And not my culture as in my American culture, but my Singaporean culture, something I don't consciously relate to every day. Singaporean culture is very westernized, and they too follow "telenovelas" religiously.
Everything Dr. A has mentioned happens in Singapore, but for Chinese "telenovelas." These TV shows gain wide viewership amongst residents of Singapore, and with a mix of the characteristics of telenovelas and soap operas, I don't find the concept so foreign anymore.
I can't remember specifics- it's been so long since I've lived in Singapore and my immediate family didn't participate. But I do remember people (my cousins) revolving their evenings around these Chinese telenovelas. And mind you, there were subtitles in English for those who didn't read Chinese, so viewership wasn't solely among those Chinese speakers. All of these shows were aired during prime time, and I remember it being such a family affair to follow the melodramatics of the TV shows.
Anyway, I don't know much else about these Chinese telenovelas, but I'll definitely have to research it a bit and maybe ask my cousins about their experience with the shows. Enough of my antics for now. Just an epiphany I thought I'd share with you all :)
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ReplyDeleteTelenovelas really aren't just a Latin American thing. I don't really watch American soap operas that much, but being of Taiwanese descent, I definitely follow Taiwanese dramas. When I was in Taiwan last year, I remember how my cousin and I scheduled our nights around the new episode of the drama that was to be broadcasted that night.
ReplyDeleteDr. A's extensive research has challenged me to think about the telenovelas in my culture. What makes me so hooked on these Taiwanese dramas? What kind of elements make the Taiwanese drama successful? How do the dramas affect the Taiwanese and Taiwanese-American society? How have they affected neighboring countries such as Japan, Korea, and China? How does Taiwanese dramas differ from the Latin American telenovela and American soap operas? Do they have similar dramatic structures?
I'm posing a lot of questions that I do not know the answers to. These are questions that I want to research myself and find out. I have urges to interview actors, talk to producers and directors, and gain a better understanding of my Taiwanese friends' perspective about the dramas that the Taiwanese society holds so dear. I'm not saying I'll be the next Dr. A or anything, but my interest has definitely been piqued...