Today's talk with Alberto Gomez really showed me how different the telenovela industry is from Hollywood. Its amazing to me that people from the telenovela industry are so willing to talk to the class. I feel like it would take so much more money and time and effort just to have an actor or actress from Hollywood talk to the class. I think telenovela writers and actors are so much more open to the idea of being studied and observed. I wonder if this could be evidence of the difference in the two cultures. While Americans are so much more private and individualistic, Latin Americans are much more open about their culture and their lives.
Alberto's happy demeanor made it easy to relax and ask questions. This is how it was when Marisa came to visit the class. What I also enjoyed much more is that he was so willing to give potential writers a chance. The fact that he asked about writers in the class at the end of the talk made me realize how open the industry is. Although being in this industry does not guarantee success, it is open to new writers and ideas.
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I definitely agree and think it has everything to do with the differences in cultures. Dr. A's connections to the telenovela industry have allowed us to meet and talk to celebrities and writers, many of whom Latin Americans would DIE to be able to talk to. They say that Kate del Castillo is like Jennifer Aniston in the American movie industry, but I doubt Jennifer Aniston would ever take time out of her day to talk to a class of students, especially if they were half way across the world. I know that we didn't actually get to talk to Kate del Castillo, but I'm sure that if she had the opportunity, she would love to talk to us.
ReplyDeleteJust like Marisa Roman, the generosity of telenovela actors and writers springs from their desire to teach others about their culture, which is a very unique aspect. It shows that the telenovela actors are much more down to earth than many Hollywood actors. It seems like they do it for the true passion of acting--not just for fame and money.
I too, am continually impressed by Dr.A's connections to the industry. We might take it for granted, because as Americans we assume that if it's not from Hollywood, it's not important. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. We've met MARISA ROMAN, talked to ALBERTO GOMEZ and hopefully will talk to LEONARDO PADRON and ROQUE VALERO! This people are enormous celebrities in Latin American culture...talking to each of this people would be the equivalent of perhaps talking to the stars of Grey's Anatomy or the writers and actresses of Sex in the City in America.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I've been a little starstruck already. And I can't WAIT for the conversations with Padron and Roque this Sunday.
ME TOO! This class was really an amazing opportunity. I love the fact that we're in probably the only telenovela class in the country! We now know things that most people don't, and I love that I can share this knowledge with my friends and my family. I also love that I will be living (hopefully) in South America in the near future, and I will be able to apply all that I've learned about culture, society and telenovelas to grasp a better understanding of the region.
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