There is no doubt that telenovelas have a much larger following than soap operas made in the U.S. I believe that this is due to the fact that telenovelas have the ability to captivate a wide variety of audiences. Not only do telenovelas attract people of different nationalities, cultures, and economic classes, but they are most importantly able to attract audiences of varying ages. Telenovela audiences never die. Mothers watch with their children, their children watch with their children, and their children’s children watch with their children.
So the question then, is why are younger audiences unreceptive of soap operas? As the years have gone by, the soap opera audience has aged with it. Today, we live in a time where the world around us is constantly changing. The moment we buy one technology, the second edition is already being sent to production. In an age where we demand innovation to keep our minds from being bored, soap operas have failed to keep up.
When people watch a soap opera they are watching a specific story, when people watch a telenovela they are watching a genre. It may be easier to Americans to understand this idea by comparing a soap opera to vanilla ice cream-It’s a nice and enjoyable classic that has been around forever. There is some variation to vanilla ice cream, whether it’s vanilla bean or home churned, but in the end it’s all the same. Telenovelas are like an ice cream shop. New flavors are always being created and you have a choice of ordering ice cream, a milkshake, or an ice cream cake. With so much variation it keeps people from getting bored, and in the end all of these treats have the same basic ingredients that keep people coming back for more.
Perhaps if soap operas didn’t last for decades upon decades those who weren’t around for the beginning of the show would be more likely to watch them. Personally, I know I am less inclined to watch a soap opera because I feel like too much history has passed for me to catch up. Soap operas have failed to evolve with time and now they are suffering for it. It’s hard to imagine life without soap operas and hopefully we won’t have to, but in order for them to be successful they must learn from telenovelas and find a way to communicate with audiences no matter what the generation.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the soap operas and older generations. In our soap opera discussion last week, we brought up points I had never though of before that add to the argument that young people are not your typical soap watchers.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I feel like the recycling of the story lines serves as a deterrent. Whenever I think of a soap opera, I think of the same story lines over and over again. Young people want excitement that's new and innovative. Like you said, the telenovelas are always coming out with new "flavors" and that's what keeps people interested.
Secondly I think that young people look for recognition in their shows, they like to watch the actors they can relate to, the ones they have grown up with. Because most soaps are 30 or more years old, they just prove to be less appealing to the people who are less than 30. It seems to be a continuing cycle because when we are older, we will most likely watch shows with our favorite actors, which will most assuredly not be the same shows our children will watch.
Finally, I agree with you that most of us feel like we are too far behind to try and watch a soap. When I start to watch a soap opera, I am immediately confused and I think of how many years I have missed and how much background there is for me to catch up on. It's too much, way too much! So I give up and flip it to something else.
I hope that soap operas are not a dying industry for the sake of the older generation, but as far as our generation goes, there are too many barriers that keep us from having a strong bond with a soap opera.
August 30, 2009 9:17 AM
I'm in the same mindset with soap operas. I feel like I'm too far behind and that the characters are outdated. Every episode has the same dreary set and backstabbing characters. Soap Operas will have to undergo major renovations and shake the stigma of being melodramatic, mindless and static.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I would spend summer afternoons with my neighbor. Every day I plopped down to watch Days of Our Lives and got to know the characters pretty well. Now, a decade later, I have no desire to follow the show simply because it hasn't changed a bit. After a scene with each of the main characters, I can rest assured that it offers no innovations whatsoever.
If soaps want to enjoy the same degree of public interest (or headline gossip) that telenovelas do it's going to have to look outside of its (exponentially dwindling) comfort niche.
I believe that the reason soap operas are dying is simply that soap operas don't end. People get sick of them. The drama is too intense to stretch out forever. They are not plausible and it can be frustrating never seeing your favorite characters happy.
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