Why so Popular?

Girl meets boy.  Girl is poor, doesn't have much money, or friends, or anything for that matter.  However, she is kind and intelligent.  Boy is rich, popular, with a bright future ahead of him, but he's not the brightest crayon in the box.  When girl meets boy, they fall in love, almost immediately, but there's some sort of opposition to their relationship.  At the end of the day, they live happily ever after with not a care in the world.  Most people know this as the Cinderella story, and of course, there are many variations to this story, but it is the premise to many stories, television shows, and movies all over the world.  It is especially prevalent in telenovelas, yet these stories seem to be more popular in telenovelas than in movies, which are considerably shorter.  Both mediums seem to add lots of drama and a strong plot, yet telenovelas are popular with all types of people.  According to many, telenovelas are 'family programs', they are made for watching with loved ones, whereas today many movies are made with a particular demographic in mind.  For example, the recent Disney version of Cinderella, which was released last year, was clearly made for girls at least 13 years of age and younger.  Telenovelas bring the family together; they create an opportunity for the family to bond and have common ground to discuss.  Not only can they bond, they can do so regularly, as telenovelas come on everyday.  With movies, there can be common ground to discuss, but seldom, as many movies today are not made with the sense of bringing family together.  That's ultimately why telenovelas are so popular and will remain popular: they bring people together.  Old and young are able to have something in common and bond with each other over telenovelas.  They are made with everyone in mind, not a sole demographic.  So when Juan finally marries Maria in a large romantic ceremony, it's not just tween girls that are watching, it's their moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and even their grandparents.  The entire family has an opportunity to come together and bond over such an event.