Wednesday, February 24, 2016

"No One is Immune to the Telenovela"

One night as I was watching La Reina Del Sur, my roommate was sitting on the futon working on an assignment. I had the show playing on my laptop. At first she was making fun of me because she only saw the over exaggerated movements but understood nothing because it was all in Spanish. She then kept watching irregularly between study breaks and following the show and not even 14 minutes later, she made me pause the show and catch her up, asking me so many questions after every cliff-hanger. It amazed me how she picked up the story line in the middle of an episode in the middle of a series and still was drawn to the show. That reminded me of what Dr. A said during one of the first classes-- you can start a telenovela in the middle of an episode and still know what's going on. I now cannot watch the show without her, and she texts me with questions or comments regarding how she can't wait to finish the episode. She would have been probably one of the last people I would guess would be hooked on a telenovela.

3 comments:

  1. I honestly had the same feeling of not being addicted to telenovelas before watching Rebelde. I thought I may get bored after the first or second episode but I was proven VERY wrong. I just went on a marathon of episodes and saw at least ten one day. What really made me hooked on my telenovela was the large magnitude of sub-plots that connected well with the main plot. A lot of television shows in general attempt to use sub-plots to keep the viewer engaged but instead fail in its effectiveness. Rebelde on the other hand uses sub-plots effectively to add onto the main plot while having a sense of independence from the main story. Even after submitting my report, I hope to watch more telenovelas in the future!

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  2. I think that fact, that anyone can jump into a telenovella at any given moment, is what has helped contribute to their rise in global popularity. My mom, lived in Russia for most of her life, was talking to me about how every night everyone would rush to the TV at night to catch the newest episode! Truly they have influenced cultures around the world, and their easy-to-jump-into, addictive, and relatable plot lines have definitely contributed to this.

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  3. I had a similar experience while watching my telenovela. As a first time telenovela watcher I was very skeptical about the ability of these "melodramatic" shows to be able to capture my attention, but within five minutes I was hooked and the next thing I knew I was binge watching the show. My friend saw me watching it one day and the next thing I know she is also hooked and watching it in her spare time, within a couple of days she was even farther ahead than me. I think that the power of the telenovela to capture all audiences lies in its intriguing story lines and captivating twists and turns that always keep you guessing. The telenovela truly appeals to all audiences. Telenovelas have aspects of romance, intrigue, suspense, action, and mystery, a combination that is sure to captivate even the most skeptical watcher.

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