So, a couple of weeks ago, a student in my Latin American geography class mentioned a lecture given by Dr. A in one of Dr. Sergio Quesada's classes. Of course this lecture was about telenovelas and how they reflected what was/is happening in Latin American. After this comment, my geography professor proceeded to tell us why he didn't think that anyone should watch telenovelas. Since I've been taking this class, this comment bothered me.
The fact that he didn't like telenovelas is not what struck a nerve because everyone is entitle to his or her likes and dislikes. What bothered me was that he seemed to deny that telenovelas have any cultural importance at all. I think this professor demonstrated to me a kind of close-minded view of the way that culture should be expressed. Now that I think about it, this professor has kind of baffled me. He always talks about the different areas of Latin American culture, but at the same time, ALL aspects of Latin American culture do not seem to be valid to him.
I think what is most intriguing about his stance on telenovelas is that he himself is a Latin American. This has made me realize that it is not necessary to embrace EVERY aspect of your culture. There may be some things that you do not support and that you are not proud of. While on one hand, I think it is important to acknowledge the importance of things that make up your culture; on the other hand, it is good for us to have our own unique points of view.
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I agree with you completely!! I think that people often dismiss "low-culture" as not being part of culture but you can learn a lot more about a society through studying these "low-culture" items. Just look at our culture in America it is sooo dominated by pop music, reality television, and other things that are not considered "high-culture". The only time we study or participate in high culture is during a trip to a museum , a piano lesson, a ballet class, or during a college course. These activities are not what make up the majority of our lives and they are also limited to people who have the means to participate in these activities. I think studying popular culture is really valuable, maybe especially when the items are viewed as "trash" entertainment. I think it is important to understand why the society looks down at these items, like telenovelas or soap operas.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you! I've actual heard some latin american men refer to telenovelas as porn for women because of the unreal expectations it may bring... however it is part of our culture and it does feel a bit silly to try to completely shut it out.
ReplyDeleteI think this professor could be an example of the Latinamericans who are so immersed in the culture, including watching telenovelas as a daily way of life, that they often miss the political changes happening in the industry. They do not realize the social and political messages disseminated through them. Sometimes it is easy to miss what is under your very nose, and it takes analysts and journalists to point it out.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...has this professor read Dr.A's book? Has he seen Cosita Rica? Sin Tetas No Hay Paraiso? El Pais de Las Mujeres?
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if this professors staunch statement against teles derives from the fact that he's only been exposed to the corny storylines of yesteryear. Telenovelas are prevalent in Latin American culture, they're here to stay, and they are unbelievable methods of communication and educational references for millions of people. Writers inject meaninful messages in teles nowadays, like the harmful effects of plastic surgery ( Cuidad Bendita) and drug trafficing (Sin Tetas). And considering some brazilians buy t.v sets over refrigerators, this professor may be overlooking aspects of telenovelas that extend from cheesy love stories. Maybe we should lend him some copies of our DVD's...
So this post had me thinking. Telenovelas are not very similar to Bravo's "Real Housewives of..." series (besides the drama), but lets pretend they are for the sake of comparison. For people from Atlanta or Orange County (my two favorite casts) the series can be extremely embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, it highlights the groups of women as a representation of their community. Some politicians (a candidate for mayor of Atlanta to be specific) are not okay with that. They, like the professor being discussed, don't like the representation being offered to the public.
But are the Bravo series and Telenovelas telling of culture? Heck yes! Just maybe not the segment some people particularly enjoy ;)