The Influence Of Telenovelas On Latino Culture

Influence of Telenovelas in Latino Culture

Telenovelas(novelas) are a big part of Latino culture. They are the most well-liked genre of television show aired on the prime-time TV throughout the Latin-Americas.1 This style of melodramatic narrative got its start in radio broadcast circa 1960. Popular radio scripts were quickly adapted to meet television standards and distributed to Latin American countries by means of broadcast syndication. The themes of these shows often touched on sensitive issues; concerns shared by Latino cultures around the world. Their immense popularity amplifies the message contained in these shows which sometimes results in social change. This paper will highlight this phenomenon and examine the effects it has

on Latino cultures.
In Mexico the term "telenovela" was an adaption from an old radio term "fotonovela."
Although they are often referred to as the "Spanish soap opera," novelas have certain characteristics that set it apart from its U.S. rival. For one, telenovelas in Latin America run six days a week instead of just five. They are also aired during prime-time hours (8-11PM, Monday through Saturday, and 7-11 PM Sunday). I believe these small things like this make all the difference. As the biggest consumer of telenovelas in Latino America, Mexico produces over 3,000 hours of content and spends more than $250 million dollars(US) each year making telenovelas.2 It's tough to gauge what the exact return on investment for Mexican markets would because we don’t have an international television rating system. However, a recent report issued by Kantar Media stated that, "the four major Spanish-language broadcasters (Azteca America, Telemundo, Univision and sister network TeleFutura) took in $3.7 billion in ad revenue."3 Broad viewership brings in lots of advertising dollars, which in turn makes telenovelas more lucrative and thus drives the production of these shows.
Another important distinction is that telenovela distribution is handled by the people who produce them. The writers and producers negotiate syndication of the shows rather than large studios or television networks. This makes it easier to get content that was initially produced in Mexico out to Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Portugal, and to non-Latino nations. Popular stories, such as "Betty la Fea"("Ugly Betty"), have been adapted for television in English and Asian markets. It’s important to note that when these novelas are sold to other markets they are reproduced from scratch using local talent and venues, instead of dubbing over them or adding captions in a different language. This practice seems to increase the impact of the shows on viewers as more people end up watching them. An article put out by the Rundown, a PBS news blog, tells us that: "Telenovelas in the U.S. averaged 5.7 million viewers a week…[of which] 3.1 million are age 18-49. American soap operas on airing on network television (ABC, CBS and NBC) averaged a combined 2.9 million viewers…[of which] 889,000 are age 18-49." Having a collective group of spectators, or a telenovela viewing culture if you will, gives producers the opportunity to use this medium as a plat form for social change.
Plots lines in telenovelas these days can be riddled with hot button issues. The stories get so scandalous sometimes that they end up calling attention to important present-day social issues. As a first generation descendant of traditional Mexican parents, I was raised under a very strict set of rules. Our family was not only highly traditional but very Christian as well. As in my many traditional Mexican families, my parents just did not care to talk about issues that had to do with relationships, sex, love, race, gender bias, drugs, or alcohol at all in. For my family, these conversations were all too difficult to address. These topics were taboo mainly because my parents couldn't even fathom the idea of me living a life outside of church; hence conversing about these issues was moot. In their mind: A good Christian girl doesn’t have sex before marriage; marry or date outside the Church (which was solely comprised of Mexican immigrants). A good Christian girl would not challenge male authority for the Bible states that all woman should submit to their husbands(Ephesians 5:22), obey their parents (Exodus 20:12), and default authority over their own life to any surviving male relative for, "Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ […amen]."(1 Cor. 11:3). A good Christian girl doesn't need to talk about drugs or alcohol abuse because these substances are banned by the Apostolic faith.
Mexican customs and traditions are deeply rooted in Christianity.

Old world social norms and values that still exist today are heavily influenced by Christian moral code, especially when it comes to sensitive matters. The Bible's is very explicit about certain topics and this attitude, the lack of tolerance by the Church, means that the issues are often completely shut out. I can see how someone outside of my culture might find this way of life a bit strange but the truth is that this is how it is for many Latinas in Mexico and the U.S. There are lots of Hispanic people whose lives are upset by uncompromising religious beliefs and old world cultural standards. To get an idea of approximately how many Latinos are affected by this I reviewed a survey 2011 conducted by Pew Research of religions in the U.S. The study revealed that over than 33% of U.S. Latinos self-identified as Catholic and over 50% reported to be members of some kind of Christian based religion.4 While my family did not belong to the Catholic faith, our religion(Apostolicism) followed many of the same maxims propagated by the Catholic Church. We read the Bible, believed in heaven and feared the immortal damnation of our souls if we lived a life in sin. I had a hard time relating to my peers at school because I was unable to talk about topics that youth discussed openly. This is where the telenovela stepped in to bridged the

gap.
Telenovelas are like fabric that ties all Latinos cultures together. Everyone has their favorite(s). The hour long dramas are usually enjoyed as part of a share experience with members of the immediate family or close friends. This shared experience produces a social bond, much like the one that occurs when you share meal with someone. Telenovelas bring the family together. The writers have nailed their audiences' so even men can be seen sitting down to enjoy a telenovela with their significant other or spouse. In the documentary called, "Soap Life," soap fans and creators spoke about this importance of having this type of connection. Sharing a soap with your mother, grandmother, aunt, or other family members helps keep a family unit strong.5 TV programming is becoming more and more an individual experience and setting families further part.
As I mentioned before, telenovelas use a mix of dramatic tricks to hook viewers. A telenovela's narrative arc is skewed left, having a longer tail in the exposition and rising action, that lead to a dramatic climax and quick resolution. Telenovelas typically run five to six months and come to a close. The grand finale is always the most climatic and is key in keeping viewers addicted to this type of program but it also serves a very specific purpose in the story's timeline. It allows the audience to have closure severs the bonds with the characters at hand. When a protagonist lives happily ever after or a villain dies a bitter, yet much deserved death, the viewer is freed from duty because they no longer have to worry about the character's fate. This feeds the viewers connections with the actors behind the curtain and maybe follow them on to the next show.
On Mexican TV plot lines for telenovelas make national news and stars are major celebrities. These programs give us a temperature on social/political climates and general concerns of the nation at any particular moment in time. For example, in the 1980s Mexico was experiencing a large disparity between the elite and working classes. The response to this was telenovelas like "Los Ricos Tambien Lloran" (The Rich Also Cry) stories like this outline the difficulties of the poorer classes and their struggles to rise above the existing social order. Another telenovela that incorporated social issues of the times was "Muchachitas"(Young Ladies) in 1991, which spoke about the rising concern of HIV and sexual health of young women. In 1997 a Peruvian screen writer sold the rights to another popular telenovela, "Los Hijos de Nadie"(Nobody's Children) that spoke about the increasing number of homeless street kids, their struggled to survive and the importance of investing in the youth of the nation. "Betty la Fea"(Ugly Betty) was an interesting telenovela that originated in Columbia, made its way to Mexico in 2011, then US, and is now airing in China. This telenovela was primarily concerned with image and beauty and the media's influence on young women. Recently the telenovela "Que Pobres Tan Ricos"(How Rich the Poor) featured the first gay relationship between two fully evolved, three-dimensional male characters. This telenovela is part of a new genre that uses the traditional melodramatic arc and satire to tell the story. Recently this telenovela showed the first ever gay kiss on Mexican national television, prompting other Mexican TV networks to have an open(on-air) discussion to address machismo and religious zealotry that exist in Latino culture today.
Telenovelas help Latino society break the "spiral of silence." This term refers to Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann theory that states people's fear of separation or isolation from the majority tend to keep them from speaking up against popular beliefs and attitudes.

The mass appeal of these programs helps society progress and ease into difficult subject matter. People connect to the relationships of the characters they see on TV. Many telenovelas also incorporate into their narratives important women's issues from domestic abuse to racism to abortion and homosexuality and more. One of the longest running telenovela series is called "Mujer: Casos de la Vida Real," which roughly translates to "Women: Cases of Real Life." This series has been running since 1985 on Mexican television and was first aired after a major earthquake shook up Mexico City. The show was produced by Televisa and was meant to assist victims of the natural disaster but it didn’t exactly fulfill its purpose. Nevertheless, after witnessing the overwhelming response from the Mexican public, executives at Televisa decided to continue the programming to use the influence of mass media to raise awareness of various women's issues. It took about five years for the themes to mature since Mexican society in the 1980s was not ready to discuss such topics as domestic violence yet. By the early 1990s, though, themes took a sore serious tone and included cases of rape, incest, child abuse, prostitution, LGBT

discrimination and domestic violence. The show became a theater for public reform, a beacon for change, champion of women's rights. The series was usually led the discussion on topics that were systematically left out of the public forum.
In the TV documentary series, "Telenovelas: 50 Años de Lágrimas"6 Mexican producers mentioned another major impact telenovelas had on Mexican society. They called it the "malinche" effect. La Malinche was the indigenous woman from the Mexican Gulf Coast who played a role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. She was believed to be Hernán Cortés' interpreter, advisor, lover, and intermediary. In the early days if Mexican television, the ad industry was controlled by American executives who had tremendous authority over who or what was attractive and could therefore sell their products. American ad agencies had a huge role in casting for commercials that aired during telenovelas. The American version of beauty leaked into Mexican media; pretty soon every female protagonist role in telenovelas was filled by blonde hair and blue eyes women that did not represent the authentic image of Mexican women - this was the "Malinche" effect. It suggests that the glamorization of Americana, specifically the obsession with Caucasian female image, in Mexican TV has shaped the design of beauty in Mexico.
The telenovela model works in Mexico because this is an established method of programming. The success of telenovelas is partly due to the catharsis it provides the average viewer; the average viewer being one who wants to buy in to the fairy tale, rags to riches, Cinderella story. In the US we are taught that we can grow up to be whatever we want so the society doesn’t need this kind of programming to keep hope alive or the desire to escape their our own reality. Selective exposure and perception are at the helm of television production. Telenovelas are the impetus of Mexican television programming and thus will continue to rule the air because the model works really well. Thought the main characters and format of the telenovela will remain steady and true the messages conveyed in this unique program will continue to present what is culturally relative to the population because that will increase ratings and boost ad sales. In this model the product is the consumer, the advertisers the client and the media the catalyst.

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