It's What's on the Inside that Counts...and then how it's reflected on the Outside

For all you that endured my incoherent, cold-ridden, congested presentation yesterday, thank you. Although I ran well beyond the suggested amount of presentation time, there were still so many things I had to say about "Betty la Fea" or "La Fea Más Bella." One of those key points I hope I hammered in was the representation of beauty in 'La Fea Más Bella" and the implications of Lety's makeover. 

On the whole, people love transformations. In America, we have Extreme Makeover, ridiculous beauty pageants for Ugly Duckling's turned Swans like Fox's "The Swan," and general makeover features like "What Not to Wear" and "10 Years Younger."

In Mexico, they have "Mexico's Next Top Model" and a slew of telenovelas with a cast of the most impeccable, flawlessly spray-tanned and plastic surgery induced actresses and actors. In general, you're not going to find an ugly tele star, that is, unless the premise of the show is to introduce a ugly character, who without a doubt, will transform into the divine beauty hiding somewher in there all along. 

Enter "La Fea Más Bella."  The Mexican adaptation of "Yo Soy Betty La Fea," presents us with Lety, our homely awkward protagonist, and by the end of the show, presents us yet again with Lety, the transformed stunner whose true self finally shines through with her new look. 

Now, I'm slightly confused. What is exactly is the message of this telenovela? I was moderately, no make that very surprised, that the protagonist Lety went through such a drastic makeover so late into the show. She went through a radical transformation AFTER two gorgeous male suitors fall head over heels in love with the old, plain Lety. They loved Lety for Lety. Mustache, glasses, facial twitches and all. So why was the change necessary?

According to one of the show's character's Luigi, the made-over protagonist represents“ the real Lety that has found her real beauty”. In response, Lety replies “ I was only able to find me after I commanded respect from others.” 

Am I missing something? Could Lety have found herself and commanded respect from others as an Ugly Duckling? What message is this sending to other girls? You have to be beautiful to command respect? You can find yourself and your inner beauty, but once you find that inner beauty it MUST shine on the outside?

Ok, ok. I'm being a tad cyncial. I get it, Lety found her confidence. She found her true beauty. And I won't lie. I wouldn't have been satisfied if she remained the same dorky Lety. I wanted her to be beautiful by the end, so does that make me a brainwashed product of society? Ok, I'm reading too much into it again. 

BUT--the reactions I found on the internet about Lety's appearance were startling. While there were people that loved Lety's makeover, many loathed it. They said she wasn't pretty enough, wasn't thin enough, etc, etc. I got the impression that the viewers were waiting for Salma Hayek to radically appear underneath Lety. As if that would have made the show more spectacular. In some ways, I sensed the main letdown for most viewers of the original was that the second show's protagonist, just wasn't hot enough. Wow. 

Maybe I missed the ball on this one, but I thought "La Fea Más Bella" was supposed to be a show about showcasing your INNER beauty, a show to prod at the outdated ways of thinking and to help girls everywhere gain an insy-teensy ounce of self-confidence. Maybe that was the case. But to countless viewers, I think the real message was, " inner beauty is great and all, but just as long as you can prove you have a little on the outside!"