Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Will the telenovela ever die?

It's safe to say American soap operas have seen better days. Although far from dead, they aren't getting the ratings they used to. Could the same ever happen to the telenovela industry? With such a gigantic following in Latin America alone, it seems telenovelas may outlive humans, maybe even planet Earth.

Now with new markets opening up all around the world, telenovelas have situated themselves alongside U.S. entertainment giants. But unlike the American TV and film industries, the telenovela world is somewhat unique. American movies are known for their over-the-top special effects (and budgets), and their TV shows are notably catchy with high production values and beautiful actors. But telenovelas don't rely on deep pockets or blow-you-away effects... so what puts them along front runners of the globalization train?

Beautiful people way be one reason, but I think people are suckers for the story. One thing that a housewife in Venezuela and a teenager in Romania can both relate to is a story with as many twists and turns as the highways between them. Sure, some cultural and societal themes may translate perfectly or not at all, but a story line with hooks, cliffs, and train wrecks will leech onto anything and everything in its path.

It takes a strong will to look away. And it's going to take "the big bang" to kill the telenovela.

6 comments:

  1. I think what keeps the telenovela from dying out is the fact that you can always hate one then try another. No telenovela is going to last the same amount of time that some American soap operas have. This allows you to find a new story, get deeply involved for a hundred or so chapters, watch it end and then pick up an entirely new story. With soap operas you follow the same town/family/drama for literal years!

    As you said, they may not have the same budgets and special effects but you have many more choices and many more stories.

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  2. I agree with Sofia. I think with American soap operas, the story becomes monotonous and boring. I mean, there is only so many love triangles you can web and weave out of a set list of protagonists. Sure, you can toss in an extra character here or there, but the story is going to lose its interest eventually. I think that's what keeps telenovelas so hot. Boredom isn't as much as an issue, because the series unfolds more like a movie. There is much more plot development and climatic moments that keep the viewer interested in seeing what will happen next and how the end will turn out. With regular soap operas, there's no motivation to watch every single day because there is no ending...it's an ongoing love triangle that will never fully satisfy its viewers need to know.

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  3. I agree with everyone so far. I think that because the structure of telenovelas leaves room for new ideas and old, there's always going to be something to enjoy. Also, because there are so many, there is just about one for every kind of interest. This is evident in the globalization of the telenovela. Even though telenovelas have been marketed and made all around the world, there are still so many stereotypes about them. I think this class is just one step that will help to uncover the misconceptions about this genre. Once people know what really goes on behind it, there is sure to be something that interests them.

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  4. I think another thing to consider is that the telenovela line of the story will translate from then until for forever.

    As far as the more realistic story lines like Padron, those will morph as society changes. It would be interesting to see how his telenovelas change over time. Because Padron will always be concerned about the marginalized and the oppressed he always will have a pervasive story. But it's always nice to hope that the theme of oppression will die.

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  5. Die, no... Evolve, yes.

    Just like any medium, there must be evolution. TV started out in black and white, and look at what we have now. HD is mind-blowing. Never would I have ever though that I could see nose hair on an basketball player shooting a three point shot.

    I think an important question to ask is what is this evolution going to look like? If I had to guess, I would say that would be an increase in production value. There already seems to be a call for it, so it's exciting to see what can happen in the industry.

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  6. From my perspective, it really comes down to the structure of the telenovela.

    The fact that they're one main storyline that comes in, runs and ends (unlike our soaps or even our prime-time TV) makes them so addictive and easily watchable. You don't have to worry about "oh, what happened five years ago that may be affecting now?"

    Have you watched this one starting a few months ago? Great. You're caught up.

    The relative brevity of the telenovela is refreshing.

    So no, it won't die. It's too effective.

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