You, Me, and the TV

I have always thought that the Latin American culture is so rich. As a Latin American Studies major, I have loved learning about all the different facets of Latin American life in both the past and the present. One thing that I have noticed is how the entire Latin American community is bonded. There are such strong cultural ties that bring everyone together. Yes, there is tension but it is easy to overlook that in times of celebration and joy. I love how Latin Americans take in “3 means and 2 telenovelas daily.” To have everyone talking about the telenovelas in the grocery stores, nail salons, and airports must be a really fun experience.
Sometimes when I think of the “American culture,” (which makes me think, “Is there such thing?”) I can’t think of how we are bonded. The United States doesn’t have special dances, foods, etc. Well, maybe line dancing and hot dogs. I would love to be a part of a strong cultural community like Latin America.
It seems that a lot of Americans get tired of things too easily. I’m sure it has to do with our fast-paced lifestyle, which has always had a negative connotation. First sitcoms were popular, and then reality TV was all the rage. As one of the dwindling die-hard Survivor fans, I have never missed a single episode or season (It’s been going on since I was in 7th grade). It’s the only show I watch regularly on TV and everyone knows not to call me between 8-9pm on Thursdays. This show was one of the top-rated shows when it first came out with millions of viewers, but these numbers are dwindling, as well. The American soap opera genre may be deteriorating too, but I love how the telenovelas in Latin America are still strong. I’m not America-bashing but it always seems like “we” (as Americans) can’t decide what we like and don’t like. We are lucky that the media can help make these decisions for us by producing any type of show we could possibly imagine, even if it means remaking shows from…gasp…other countries!