I pretty much coughed up my lunch when I saw that Laura León (of Mexican telenovela “Dos Mujeres, un Camino” fame) was hosting a trashy talk show almost identical to Laura Bozzo’s (the only talk show host in the history of TV to broadcast while under house arrest) “Laura”, cumbia and all. What was even more shocking is that Laura (Leon) has up and moved to Lima to do the show.

How does a Mexican telenovela actress conquer the Peruvian daytime talk show market? Will she know what a pollada is?

I remember thinking “Damn, I bet Laura Bozzo is pissed that La Tesorito is biting her style — in her own country!” I guess I’m a psychic (or just too in tune with the thinking of Peruvian talk show abogadas) because I was right. Throw down, ladies!

Peruvian TV hostess Laura Bozzo asked Mexican actress Laura Leon, to show documents stating the success with her show “Señora Laura” in Telemundo.

“Let her show the numbers (ratings) and prove she has a success,” Bozzo stated. She has a talk-show in Lima for the same network.

She said that “documents are proofs, and if Laura Leon says she has been successful, she’ll have to show it. I think it’s pathetic that she is competing with me.

“As long as she (Leon) works in my network (Telemundo) in consider he as part of my family. The rest (the comparisons made by the media) is shameful.”

Them there’s fighting words. It gets worse:

A few weeks ago, Bozzo told the Mexican actress not to be a “fool” and try to imitate her.

I guess 36 months of living her in her TV studio has made her a little feisty. Or maybe the fact that there’s a lot more at stake here than just her Peruvian audience: the show is broadcast on Telemundo for all of the American audience to see as well, an audience that Laura Bozzo sends a special greeting to on each and every show.

Is the show a copy? Um, absolutely. But why is that controversial? There are tons of programs with the exact same format with different names. What makes Laura Leon’s show a bit different is that while Bozzo was a member of Peru’s upper echelon even before becoming famous, Laura L is one of those people that the public — be it Mexican or Peruvian — sees as being “del pueblo”.

What’s truly disgusting about both of these programs is that they allegedly bribe the poor with food and other commodities in exchange for being in the audience. And anyone who’s seen Bozzo’s show knows that the “carrito sanwichero” they give out is considered a major windfall for some of the more desolate guests.

Via / Que Pasa and MorenaEscribe