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The exporting of novelas

12:00 H | Topics: TV

You know novelas are getting bigger than everyone ever imagined when mainstream media starts writing about them. I mean, novelas? These Latin American works of art are in a class all by themselves. They are the opposite of Hollywood. They are unpretentious. They don't pretend to have the greatest actors, the best scripts or even sets that look real. As non-Hollywood as they are, the Hollywood Reporter is reporting on them today:

Four decades ago, who would have imagined that Mexican novelas would be seen in such far-flung places as Russia, Indonesia and Slovenia? But today, more than 100 countries import Mexico's steamy soaps, Spanish broadcasters say.

Hollywood is only just now realizing the novela's international appeal and ability to create addiction outside of Spanish-speaking countries. The rest of us know that Veronica Castro has been HUGE in Russia for over 20 years, and Thalia is, and will always be, the honorary daughter and darling of the Philippines, where "Maria Mercedes" and the rest of her novelas are dubbed into Pilipino. International appeal, because the storylines are international. A rise to the top by someone down in the dumps, some bitch that wants to steal your boyfriend and will stop at nothing to eliminate you, a child you were forced to leave behind but are determined to get back once you finally make it big. Stories as old as storytelling itself, and drama in the true sense of the word.

We love to hate the acting, we laugh when we should cry at them, we think they are trashy but deep down or shamelessly, we love them. The novela has a strange appeal. Someone who is a self-proclaimed film snob or claims to never watch TV can be hooked in just one episode. Even people who don't speak a word of Spanish get hooked. So predictable, I think that's where the novela's appeal lies: in how comfortable we feel when we are watching them. We know Thalia from the barrio is going to marry rich Fernando Colunga at the end, and that after that she'll still have to fight for her rightful place in a society that still sees her as scum. She'll lose little baby Nandito but don't worry, she'll get him back. Along the way she'll also gain some respect. Always pulling for the underdog, we are, comforted in knowing she'll triumph and knowing that no matter how high she rises she won't forget her roots. Isn't that what we all wish for ourselves?

Via / The Hollywood Reporter

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