MARIA ELENA WALSH HAS PASSED AWAY

María Elena Walsh has passed away. Her poems, novels, stories, songs, essays and articles were enjoyed beyond the frontiers of her native Argentina.

I assume she never knew this. But, her children's song "Manuelita la tortuga" was a key ingredient in one of the most moving telenovela scenes I've ever encountered in my research.

In "La Vida Entera" written by Leonardo Padrón, Olimpia Duque (Beatriz Valdés), is facing the worst and most lonely night of her life. Unexpectedly, it's her daughter Tata (Marisa Román) who puts her to bed, in an inversion of roles between a mother and daughter, who've had a difficult relationship throughout the telenovela. The scene was touching in the script. But the two actors  moved it up several notches by using their talent and deep knowledge of their characters. And, of course, thanks to María Elena Walsh's Manuelita la tortuga.

VENEZUELAN TELENOVELAS-LA VERDAD

This week Venezuelan daily La Verdad dedicated its anniversary issue to telenovelas. The 50+ pages issue includes interviews with actors and writers. A plus in this publication is the inclusion of the timeline of Venezuelan telenovelas. This issue is a great contribution to the study of this TV genre that has marked my country, and that is going today through its worst crisis.

Following is a list of links to some of the interviews and stories (in Spanish, unfortunately):

Cuando la TV lo era todo por José Gregorio Meza

El espectáculo del sentimiento o la mentira de la realidad por José Gregorio Meza

TIMELINES-VENEZUELAN TELENOVELAS: 1, 2

ACTORS:

Gustavo Rodríguez

Jean Carlo Simancas

Marialejandra Martín

Viviana Gibelli

WRITERS:

Martín Hahn

Mónica Montañés

Iris Dubs

Pilar Romero

Leonardo Padrón

MY INTERVIEW: 1, 2

Other actors interviewed: Raúl Amundaray, Daniel Alvarado, Jonathan Montenegro, Ruddy Rodríguez, Carmen Julia Alvarez y Daniela Alvarado.

Her's the full issue: Edición Aniversario Diario La Verdad

Hope you enjoy it!

WRITER INTERVIEWS ACTOR: RUDDY RODRIGUEZ IN LOS IMPOSIBLES

We met Ruddy Rodríguez in the Miss Venezuela beauty pageant in 1985 where she received the first crown of "Miss World Venezuela". She made it into the final four of the Miss World pageant that year. Soon she was offered a small role in the James Bond film The Living Daylights.

Among the Venezuelan telenovelas in which she has been the protagonist we find Niña Bonita and Amantes de Luna Llena. In Venezuela, she's also remembered as Amores de Fin de Siglo's intriguing Lejana San Miguel.

During the 1990s, Ruddy was in several telenovelas outside Venezuela. In Spain, she was in the series Brigada central II with Imanol Arias and Margarita Rosa De Francisco.

She has also worked in several Colombian telenovelas. Among them, La mujer doble, Flor de oro, La ex and Cómplices. In 2009, she starred in the Venezuelan film Venezzia with Mexican actor Alfonso Herrera.

Here's the video of her conversation with writer Leonardo Padrón in Los Imposibles:

IN MY TELENOVELA CLASS: MARISA ROMAN VISITS US

Last Friday, my students were somewhat nervous while they were getting ready to have a videoconference with Venezuelan actor Marisa Román. They were concerned about their level of Spanish, and whether it would allow them to participate fully in the conversation. Meanwhile, in my office, Marisa Román waited for my signal to come to my classroom and surprise the students. And it happened. We managed to repeat the wonderful experience of two years ago, when Marisa also came to my class as a surprise.

The conversation was fluent and very honest. There were many lessons. Besides deepening their learning about telenovelas, my students were able to appreciate first hand how, beyond the glittering aspects of celebrity, actors are human beings whose craft is centered on feelings and emotions. In addition, my students, who are frequently inhibited from speaking Spanish because they haven't perfected it, watched how Marisa Román privileged her desire to communicate with them over her English level and had no qualms to correct her spoken English as she answered our questions. (You can read some my students' posts about this visit in the class blog: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

Here's a video of the visit. The quality is far from perfect, but the content is representative of what happened in our class during that hour. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

AGAIN: WRITER INTERVIEWS ACTOR

A few days ago I posted here Leonardo Padrón's interview of Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramírez. Today I bring from the same TV interview show, "Los Imposibles", the conversation between Padrón and the Venezuelan actor who became the international symbol of Venezuelan telenovelas: Carlos Mata.

Carlos Mata began his acting career accidentally since his passion was the arts. At the same time he developed a music career that earned him gold records in the United States, Spain, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela. His most recent work in telenovelas was as Facundo Montoya in Leonardo Padrón's "La Vida Entera".

Both Carlos Mata and Leonardo Padrón have a great sense of humor, which gives their conversation a lighthearted tone, amidst the many details it provides on the life and career of Carlos Mata:

TO OVERCOME AND LIVE

Studying telenovelas has allowed me not only to study how these melodramas are produced, but also to get to know well those who work "making" them. I've received a lot from everyone who works behind and in front of the cameras. They have opened their homes, dressing rooms, TV studios and offices to me, so that I could understand how a telenovela is made, a character is constructed, and the way these serials take over the lives of those who work in them. 

Behind the glitter that covers everything on the television screen are real human beings who work their magic so that we believe the stories and characters they're telling us. But, there are occasions in which their real lives teach us important lessons. 

Early in 2007, actor Daniela Bascopé was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma at the age of 24. After months of treatment, Daniela recovered and is back on television as Natalia in telenovela La Vida Entera. And this week, Daniela presented her book Vencer y Vivir (To Overcome and Live), in which she shares her experience with her illness. 

In La Vida Entera we can also see Lourdes Valera, who has taped her character Rosa Coronel as she underwent treatment for cancer.

Here's a video of the morning show Portadas in which telenovela La Vida Entera was promoted. In addition to being an example of how a telenovela is promoted in Venezuela, you will be able to watch Daniela and Lourdes as they explain the characters they play and give us their message of courage. (The video is sort of stretched, I don't know why. At the end of the Portadas' sequence, there is an example of a promotional of La Vida Entera).

TELENOVELA CONVERSATIONS IN MY SEMINAR

A key ingredient of my teaching philosophy is to provide students with opportunities to link what we learn inside the classroom with the "real world" that exists beyond the university's walls. This is the reason why in my telenovela class and seminars I've always included phone conferences with people who work in the telenovela industry. (In previous years, I've had as guests Julie Restifo, Daniela Bascopé, Carlos Cruz, Edgar Ramírez, Marisa Román and Leonardo Padrón).

This week we had two guests that visit my class every time I teach it because they're very generous with their time and insights. And because both of them have taught me a lot as I continue my intellectual journey through the beguiling landscape of telenovela research: Marisa Román and Leonardo Padrón. This time we benefitted from technology since we used video conference thanks to the facilities provided in the Faherty Lab here at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. We enjoyed the experience even more than in previous opportunities because we could see our guests and they could see us. 

Thanks to these conversations, my students were able to hear Leonardo Padrón explain the details of his creative process, describe the everyday life of a telenovela writer, list his major concerns and satisfactions as he tackles the difficult, absorbing and exhausting process of writing a telenovela, which is a product of industrial dimensions. 

The students were also able to ask Marisa Román about the construction of a character, and which have been the most difficult and most satisfying characters she has interpreted. Román explained the differences in the actors craft when she/he faces television, theater and film. 



It was a truly special class in which all involved learned a great deal thanks to a couple of conversations that were enjoyable, sincere and gratifying.

DOÑA BARBARA AND "THE PICTURE IN MY HEAD"

 Doña Bárbara premiered last night in  Telemundo. I write these lines after watching only the first episode. My purpose isn't to analyze the telenovela. Instead, I want to reflect on the distance between what Walter Lippmann called “the pictures in our heads” and what's outside our heads. 

Like many Venezuelans, I grew up reading Rómulo Gallegos. His novels are an essential ingredient of any school curriculum. This is why there's a picture in my head of  “my” Doña Bárbara. She's not María Félix or Marina Baura.


She's “my” "devoradora de hombres", the one I built in my mind throughout the many readings of Doña Bárbara I've done in different stages of my life. 

There's always distance between "the pictures in our head," when these come from reading a book, and the image we see on a movie or tv screen. There's always negotiation between these images, until we either accept or reject the on-screen one. 

Last night I had trouble reconciling “my” Doña Bárbara and Doña Bárbara/Edith González. I should mention that she only appeared in the last 10 minutes, but I acknowledge thatI had difficulty accepting her. This isn't a reflection on González's talent or the way the character is written. It's a product of the strength of that picture I have in my head which doesn't match González physique and Mexican accent. It's also the consequence of the unavoidable conflation between my Venezuelan identity an my reading of this audiovisual text that is written and produced using the so-called "international" telenovela codes, where we're never told the particular country where action takes place, even though the Arauca River is an important element.  I'm sure that I'm not an isolated case. Probably, many Venezuelans will experience the same difficulties, while viewers from other nations won't have this problem. 

Interestingly enough, I walked seamlessly the distance between  “my” Santos Luzardo and Santos Luzardo/Christian Meier. Maybe because the emblematic character is her, not him. The relationship between "the pictures in our head" and the outside world is complex. It's also a fascinating facet of media consumption: the relationship between identity and media reception.   

I will continue watching Doña Bárbara while I observe myself as I negotiate the distance between "the pictures in my head" and the ones I see on the television screen.  

ONE YEAR LATER: AGAIN AT THE ACTOR'S STUDIO

I'm finally back from Caracas and my next blog entries will be dedicated to some of my experiences in the last few weeks. I will do this in inverse chronological order. Hence, I begin with an interesting episode I lived at the beginning of this week:

A year ago I was also in Caracas and I was able to attend an Actor's Studio workshop taught by Lisa Formosa. This week I had again the privilege to coincide with this workshop in Caracas. Once again I was able to observe the wonderful teaching work of Lisa Formosa and the acting strides of the workshop's participants. Good actors, like good writers, are excellent observers who never completely trust their work as perfect. 

In this workshop, observing is a key activity. The environment is one of trust and respect, and the expectation is that participants will give their all with integrity and honesty. This workshop's goal is not performance, but exploration, both of the character and the actor that will personify that character. This simultaneous exploration is done through "the method" created by Stanislavski and established by Lee Strasberg in the Actor's Studio.

One of the central concepts is the "creative if." Creation begins when in the actor's soul and imagination appears this magical and creative "if" that allows the actor to imagine the character's practical truth with sincerity and enthusiasm. To do this, it's important that the actor asks her or himself the following about the character:

• Who is her/him?
  
• What does he/she needs?
  
• What are the obstacles that impede her/him of getting what she/he needs?
  

It's essential to understand what the character feels at every moment and find in the actor's sensorial library something from the actor's own life that gives her/him the same feeling. It's also key to understand the difference between how the actor sees the character, and how the character sees him or herself.

These and other concepts learned are very useful for me and my studies about telenovelas  because they help me understand better the actors' craft as they give life to the characters who give telenovela audiences the mix of reality and dream that these melodramas are. 

WHEN ACTING TALENT ELEVATES THE ANTAGONIST

This entry will be relatively short. I'm finishing Maymester, a semester in three weeks, and preparing a research trip to Caracas. Hence, I don't have a lot of time to write and this entry will be unavoidably superficial. 

Sometimes an actor, playing an antagonist role is so good, that he or she breaks the central  code of the telenovela genre, that protagonists have a happy ending. These are actors who manage to make the audience feel that it's them who should have a happy ending. I refer here to cases in which the actor, using her/his talent goes beyond the nuances that the script may have and garner the audience's preferences. Here are two current cases from Venezuelan telenovelas: 

Nohely Arteaga as Imperio Laya in Toda una Dama

This telenovela is a remake of Señora originally written by José Ignacio Cabrujas. Imperio is, without a doubt, a character that is well conceptualized and written. But, we can't deny either that Nohely Arteaga has elevated this role in such a way that there are audience members who prefer her to the protagonist,  Valeria (Cristina Dieckmann), her own daughter in the telenovela. In this case, the actor manages to elicit justification from the audience's side regarding the character's past behavior.  (See 3:31 and 7:09 in this video)

Iván Tamayo as Bayardo Santa Cruz in Torrente

In this case, the actor rises over an extremely predictable and slow script that is generally weak in character design. Tamayo builds a credible character and establishes a breathtaking "chemistry" with protagonist Ana Julia (Maritza Bustamante) (See the beginning of the video and 5:03).

TELENOVELAS: THE CENTRAL PARADOX

One of the most fascinating aspects of studying telenovelas is the amount of diversity of paradoxes that are part and parcel of this television genre. Some examples:

• Distributors believe that 120 episodes is the magic number to sell telenovelas in the international market. However, when non-Latin American cultures produce their own telenovelas, those are generally longer than 120 installments, as is the case of the many versions of Yo Soy Betty, la Fea.
  
• Telenovela actors are frequently dismissed as second class talent. However, their names are often the ones that attract audiences to theater and movie theaters. 
• Even though there's an increasing number of scholars studying telenovelas, we still have to justify sometimes our interest in one of the most watched (if not the most watched) tv genre in the world.
• Telenovela writers who come from the literary world (theater, film, narrative and poetry) spend a good time of their lives explaining why the write telenovelas. 

I believe that these and other paradoxes have their roots in which I like to call "The Central Paradox":

Telenovelas are products of mass consumption and mass disdain.

And it isn't rare to find people who both watch and scorn telenovelas. This is the source of most of the contradictions and paradoxes associated with telenovelas.

What do you think?

BACK WITH A NEW LOOK

When this blog turned six months old, I made the resolution to change its visual look. It's taken me almost six more months to do it since it isn't easy for me to find time for such a task. Finally, it's done! (Hence my wide smile as I look at my computer's screen). And it was possible thanks to the amazing help of my friend dRAGOONS. If you can read Spanish, I recommend you visit his blog, Utópico Real, where you will get to know this bioanalysis student, who moderates the Internet message board TVVI, and who has a real talent for visual communication.

The change in the blog's look comes at the same time as I arrive back to Athens after two intense weeks of research in Caracas, where I documented the current state of the telenovela industry, ten months after the closing of RCTV and its transformation into RCTV Internacional. I still have much analysis to do, but the panorama isn't particularly sunny for actors, writers and the Venezuelan public. Both RCTV Internacional and Venevisión have shifted gears and now privilege the international market over the local one. This will probably mean more remakes of old telenovelas and more telenovelas that follow the traditional model of the telenovela rosa. It isn't a good time for creativity and talent. In addition, the work sources for actors have significantly dried up.

This trip also included several media interviews about my book Venezuela es una Telenovela. It's always both surreal and fascinating for me to talk about my book. Interviews usually center in either or both aspects of my research: telenovelas and Venezuela.

There was an element of serendipity in my visit to my birth city. Two events coincided with my stay. I've commented already about the first one: the premiere of Caramelo e Chocolate, the first telenovela broadcast by government network TVES.

The second event was the end of the production of Arroz Con Leche, a telenovela that's entering its final broadcast week. In all the years I've been studying telenovelas, I'd never been able to witness that moment in a telenovela's biography. Once again I was reminded of the importance of vantage point for the construction of our perceptions, and the immense distance that exists between what people "know" about a telenovela's production and what actually happens behind the heavy doors of every television studio and inside the network's boardrooms.


While I was in Caracas there was an episode of Arroz Con Leche that garnered 15 points of rating, a true feat...even in the current no-internal-competition environment. In this particular episode the character Tomás Chacón beats his wife Amanda. (We don't see him actually hitting her because such scenes are prohibited by the Venezuelan Ley de Contenidos). What does this peak in the ratings mean under these circumstances? Is it because there's a fascination with violence and/or drama? Or is it that Venezuelans can identify with and/or recognize this issue as one of the country's most pressing sociocultural problems? It's worth analyzing since those numbers and the content of that episode provide us with a trap door through which we can examine the social formation.

A LOSS FOR THE TELENOVELA WORLD: RUBENS DE FALCO

This week the telenovela world lost one of its giants: Brazilian actor Rubens de Falco.

Rubens de Falco (1931-2008) had a long and fruitful career both in TV (La Sucesora, Los Inmigrantes, Gabriela, Pacto de Sangre, etc.) and film (Pixote and the legendary Venezuelan film Macho y Hembra, among others). However, he will always be remembered as Leoncio, the villain in the first version of La Esclava Isaura. Coincidentally, one of de Falco's last roles was that of Comendador Almeida, Leoncio's father in the recente remake of La Esclava Isaura. I'm not sure but this could be the only case in the telenovela world in which the same actor plays son and father in two versions of the same telenovela.

Rubens De Falco will be missed. He was one of the most recognized faces and talents of Brazilian telenovelas throughout the world.

Here is his obituary as it appeared in the International Herald Tribune.

Below a video of episode 21 of the first version of La Esclava Isaura:

TELENOVELA AND THEATRE

The telenovela genre is plagued with paradoxes. Their main paradox is that these shows are both consumed and despised by millions around the world.

One of the consequences of this paradox is that actors who work on telenovelas are sometimes considered second class by those who despise telenovelas. Hence, actors live their own paradox: telenovelas give them a level of recognition that is unsurpassed by film and theater (especially in countries, like Venezuela, in which these cultural industries aren't well developed), but their talent is doubted precisely because they work in telenovelas.

This is one of the reasons why I think it's important to see actors perform in film and theater. I enjoy very much having the opportunity of watching actors who work on television when they perform in the theater. The energy that is established in the triad actor-character-audience is unique. It's a completely different experience to see an actor perform live than to watch him or her in our television screen. It's also different from watching them shoot a telenovela.

Below are a series of links to photographer Nicola Rocco's blog Photomanifiesto, where you will be able to appreciate excellent pictures taken of recent theatrical performances by actors who also work in telenovelas. I hope you will enjoy them, and I wish that, wherever you are, yo get the chance to see your favorite actors perform live.

Julie Restifo and Javier Vidal in Tal Para Cual: 1, 2, 3

Marialejandra Martín and Elsa Stella in Ladrona de Almas: 1, 2

Mimí Lazo, Luis Fernández and Marcos Moreno in Golpes a mi Puerta: 1, 2, 3

Carlos Montilla and Karl Hoffman in Entiendeme tú a mí: 1, 2, 3, 4

Nacho Huett in La Celestina

María Cristina Lozada, Iván Tamayo and Marisa Román in El Día Que Me Quieras

Nohely Arteaga and Andreína Alvarez in Locas, Trasnochadas y Melancólicas.

Elba Escobar and Beatriz Vasquez in La Duda

Caridad Canelón and Carlota Sosa in the reading of Dos Soledades en Buenos Aires

Tania Sarabia in Ay Carmela!

Carlos Cruz and Juan Manuel Montesinos in Todos los Hombres son Mortales

Fabiola Colmenares, Beatriz Valdés, Lourdes Valera and Marisa Román in Y las Mujeres También

TELENOVELAS V. SOAP OPERAS I

Maybe the question that I've answered more times here in the U.S. is about the differences between soap operas and telenovelas. Until recently, it was unavoidable to begin my conference presentations by briefly explaining the similarities and differences between these shows.

In my telenovelas class I've also had to explain the different aspects of telenovelas by comparing them with soap operas, which are well known here in the U.S. I like watching people's faces when I explain that telenovelas have a finite number of episodes and an end. My U.S. interlocutors find this very strange.

Recently, however, I had the opposite experience: to define the soap opera before an audience that only knows telenovelas. For me, a Venezuelan in the U.S. academe who's used to having to "explain" her culture using comparisons and contrasts with the U.S. culture, it was fascinating to go through the inverse process. I discovered that for those who have grown watching and knowing telenovelas, the soap opera, with its unlimited number of episodes, is quite "exotic."

Following is the first of two installments of my version of the similarities and differences between telenovelas and soap operas.

Both telenovelas and soap operas are serial melodramatic genres pitched to popular audiences. In both emotions provide the basis of the spectacle. Also, both are broadcast daily during the week. They aren't governed by the "seasons" system like sitcoms and series are. Both have multiple trade publications, discussion boards, blogs and websites dedicated to them. More importantly, these genres share the paradox of being successful and disdained at the same time.

Nonetheless, there are important differences between them:

- Telenovelas have a finite number of episodes. Therefore, the audience expects a conclusion. The soap opera is designed without an end. For instance, General Hospital has been on the air, without interruption every day at 3 p.m. (ET) since 1963.

- Telenovelas are broadcast both in the afternoon block and in prime time. Soap operas are broadcast in the networks only in the afternoon block. Hence, telenovela audiences are comprised of women and men of all socioeconomic leveles, ages and occupations. While the soap opera audience is still mainly comprised of women who work at home. (For those who want to watch soap operas at night, there is a cabel channel that broadcasts them throughout the night).

-Telenovelas determine the "star system" in Latin America (see a related post). In the U.S. most soap opera actors are perceived as "second class" performers.

-In consequence, most of the Latin American actors that have made it to Hollywood come from the telenovela industry. In contrast, it's a rare event that a soap opera actor transitions well to Hollywood. (A few important exceptions are: Meg Ryan (As the World Turns), Mark Hamill (General Hospital), Demi Moore (General Hospital).





TO BE CONTINUED...

TELENOVELA PRODUCTION: LEARNING ABOUT IT

A few weeks ago the students in my Telenovelas class turned in one of their assignments: to write an introspective essay about any (or several) of the aspects of the production of Venezuelan telenovelas that we have studied in class. In other words, I wanted them to reflect on telenovela production from a very personal perspective.

Their essays were honest and enlightening for me, both as a teacher and as a person who's now very familiar with the process of producing a telenovela. As a researcher I know well that it's always important to be able to see the familiar with unfamiliar eyes, and my students allowed me to do just that.

Below a summary of two of the topics my students focused on (in their own words):

* The industrial rhythm and complexity of the production process:

I have enjoyed going behind the scenes of Venezuelan production as it has given me immense insight into the world of telenovela creation. Each aspect of production holds its appropriate place in the successful execution of the show. I realize that without the careful attention to detail and collaboration of each group, the telenovela would suffer. Each member of production, from the writer to the actors to the production assistants, is essential in the success of the telenovela (Jackie).

When you view an episode of a telenovela, you are witnessing a small miracle. Before taking this class, I never could have fathomed the complexity and rapidity of a single episode’s production (Amanda).

I am so impressed with everyone in this process’ ability to work under pressure, especially with the actors being able to memorize their lines in only a few hours. I loved hearing the stories about the actors hiding their scripts seconds before “Cinco y acción!”. I was astonished to hear how close some novelas are written to their actual air time. I would not be able to work under that kind of stress! (Alli)

Producers are faced with a difficult task that has potential to create tensions with actors as well. They must know where to draw the line between being a compassionate leader and a strong leader. Being a strong leader without any compassion can lead to a power hungry producer who misplaces their priorities and leading skills. However, being overly compassionate can result in the individual being walked all over and underproductive (Megan).

I found it very interesting to learn about the process by which actors are notified of their taping schedule because scenes are so rarely taped in their final order. As a consumer and someone who sees a telenovela only in its final form with scenes placed in their correct order, it was difficult for me to imagine taping them out of order for the sake of convenience. Learning about the roles of the script as well as the importance of the “pauta” also really amazed me. I had no idea that the sheer taping of a show could be so complicated. Prior to this class, I thought that most programs were taped in order on a set, which seemed much easier than the actual process of bringing certain actors together at very specific times to tape an array of varying scenes, all with the same props, make-up and accessories to ensure that the coinciding scenes are cohesive. To be honest, I felt very overwhelmed when learning about all of the necessary actions that are taken to make sure that each scene comes together as it is mapped out by the writing team. (Jessica)

*The writers' limitations regarding the final product:

I understand now that the director’s interpretation is incredibly important. He, or she, has, in some instances, more power than the writer because if he interprets one scene differently than the writer, the whole feeling of the episode could change. (Alli)

There are often times discrepancies in how a character was written to be portrayed and how a character is played out on screen. The ideas held by the writer do not always match up with the actor’s ideas or style of acting. At times ideas can be tossed around without causing tension, but sometimes a party may become defensive about suggestions or criticism (Megan).

From the perspective of the writer, does an understanding of the process trump what he or she wants? Where do you draw the line between the product and the art form? I think it is sad that writers have to tip-toe around what network executives and government regulations want. But I guess that is just one of the prices that a television writer must pay. Making a telenovela requires the work and vision of many people, so it is impossible for the original idea to be untainted. But I think that the writers should try to be as involved as possible in the production process to ensure that their stories and ideas are not watered down and to maintain the integrity of their original ideas. (Tia)

I should mention also that the students' essays touched on other topics such as the importance of music in a telenovela, the production of special effects within a low budget and the importance given to actoral credits in a telenovela. Their writings reflected what I've learned by now: what happens behind the scenes is as interesting and fascinating as what we see happening on the television screen.


(Photos taken during the production of telenovela Ciudad Bendita)

IN MY TELENOVELAS CLASS: JULIE RESTIFO

Yesterday we closed our conversations with people who work in telenovelas in grand style. Talented actress Julie Restifo visited my class via telephone. Julie's CV includes more than 20 telenovelas, several series and unitarios, 36 works on the theatre stage and 13 films.

Two of her most remembered roles in telenovelas are:

Josefa "Pepa" Lunar in Viva la Pepa, written by Valentina Párraga:



and Joaquina Leal "Juaca" in La Mujer de Judas, written by Martín Hahn:



Our conversation with Julie centered on the following topics:

1.- The importance that writers have for actors. For her, a good character is one that is well written, a person who has something to say, one that has nuances and interior life.

2.- How she has been able to balance her roles as mother, spouse and actor.



3.- How wonderful it's been for her that her husband, Javier Vidal, is also an actor (and director, writer, professor). It was touching to hear Julie talk about how they have grown together as they've harmonized their professions and lives.

4.- Her satisfaction regarding the opportunities she's received throughout her career. Julie is sure that if she got to live her life again, she would still be an actress.



5.- The importance of beauty and physical appearance for television actresses. In particular the issue of age. Actresses not only have to look good, but they also must be eternally young. Julie told us that the first time she had to personify an grandmother on television, she was only 29 years old!! She feels that Venezuelan TV has improved a bit regarding this, but also believes that there's a need for more authors who write good characters for women who are 40-50 years old. She mentioned how in Brazil, writers consider actresses in this age range as key to what they're writing. These women are considered stars. Meanwhile in Venezuela, we have in Leonardo Padrón sort of an exception, since he usually writes characters for actors of all ages, and he particularly writes for actresses that are in their 40s and 50s.



The conversation with Julie was deep, sincere and touching. It was a great way to close our series of exchanges with people who work in the telenovela industry. To all of them--Marisa Román, Daniela Bascopé, Leonardo Padrón and Julie Restifo--our genuine gratitude for contributing in a special way to our learning about the fascinating telenovela genre and its insertion in culture and society..

IN MY TELENOVELAS CLASS: DANIELA BASCOPE

The semester's end is fast approaching and there are only two weeks left in my Telenovelas class. Yesterday we had a special guest via phone: talented actor, director and writer, Daniela Bascopé, who shared with us her time and experiences.

A few weeks ago, Daniela received the Best Actress Award in the Venezuelan Film Festival in Mérida for her role in film Al Borde de la Línea:



Below, a list of the telenovelas in which she has appeared and the names of her characters:

Ciudad Bendita (2007)- Fedora
El Amor las vuelve Locas (2006)- Rosaura
Engañada (2003)-Gabriela
La Soberana (2002)- Cherry
Toda Mujer (1999)- Elízabeth
Samantha (1998)-Anabella

Daniela talked to us about the hardest character she ever played (was in film), how her acting experience is a great asset for her work as director, and the way real life inspires the films she writes and directs.

When we asked her if, as an actress, she felt any difference between working in a telenovela "rosa" (most of the telenovelas she's worked in are "rosa") or in a more "verista" telenovela (like Ciudad Bendita), Daniela explained that in the traditional telenovela rosa, a character's lines are more farfetched and less realist than in telenovelas like the ones Leonardo Padrón writes. She also mentioned that in the traditional telenovela, actors must handle situations that are even contradictory,  where their characters don't follow a logic line. In contrast, in telenovelas "veristas" or "de ruptura", the words and actions of the characters tend to be more realistic.

Daniela's words resonated with me and echoed those of the many actors I've interviewed during my research. In particular, throughout Ciudad Bendita, many actors told me that their character was a "pleasure" because it was "served" to them.

In sum, it was a special class thanks to our special guest. My students and I sendour sincere gratitude to Daniela.

TELENOVELAS IN THE CLASSROOM: MY STUDENTS' TIME TO PRESENT IV

Continuing with my students’ presentations, today I bring two that focus on two telenovelas that are considered landmarks in the industry: Los Ricos También Lloran y Corazón Salvaje.


Presenter: Jenny Reid

Topic: The impact of Los Ricos También Lloran

Objective: Although Los Ricos También Lloran were broadcast before the Internet boom, what traces can we find today in the Internet regarding how this telenovela was received?

Sources: Internet blogs and message boards

Findings and conclusions:
- This telenovela had immense success in post-communist Russia. From members of the working class to the political elite, Los Ricos También Lloran was watched by almost everyone.
- By today standards Los Ricos También Lloran has modest production values. In addition, its plot is pretty predictable. However, Internet messages suggest that this telenovela is still one of the all-time favorites.
- There have been several remakes of this story, and they have also been successful.

My thoughts: Among the many questions that I’m constantly asking and trying to answer regarding telenovelas is: How do these stories “work” within a specific historic moment of consumption? For instance, in Venezuela Cosita Rica’s success was linked to the country’s polarized and hiper-politicized reality during 2003 and 2004. The success of Los Ricos También Lloran in post-communist Russia begs the question: What were the characteristics of this sociocultural formation that determined, at least in part, the audience’s attention? In addition, why do its remakes work so well time after time? Why is it that these cinderella-stories work most of the times? Is this related to the global phenomenon of the feminization of poverty? Or is it that the dream of socioeconomic ascent is universal?








Presenter: Amanda Young

Topic: The consumption of Corazón Salvaje

Objective: Understand why Corazón Salvaje is considered by the public “unforgettable”

Sources: Internet Blogs and message boards

Findings and conclusions:
- Two main reasons determined Corazón Salvaje’s success: The work of actor Eduardo Palomo and the chemistry between his character, Juan del Diablo and Mónica (Edith González).
- Eduardo Palomo was, at first, considered an unattractive protagonist. However, his character hooked the audience. There are messages that extoll his performance, the nuances of his character, and, above all, his powerful gaze.
- Many consider that the chemistry between these protagonists hasn’t been surpassed yet.
- Juan del Diablo was the defining character in Eduardo Palomo’s career.

My thoughts: There are characters that become unforgettable for the audience. These characters also leave their mark on the actor's career. This is the case of Eduardo Palomo and Juan del Diablo. By the same token, there are telenovela couples that captivate the public. They penetrate the audience's imaginary. This also happened in Corazón Salvaje, in which the love triangles not only rotated (Juan del Diablo begins in love with Aimee, and ends up falling in love with Mónica), but also permutated (Triangle 1: Andrés-Aimée-Mónica . Triangle 2: Juan-Mónica-Aimée). What factors determine a perfect engagemente between actor, character and audience? There are actors who've been marked by a particular character. Case in point is Eduardo Palomo and Juan del Diablo. There are others who have the ability to leave their mark and be marked by several of the characters they have interpreted. Moreover, these characters also remain in the public's mind. For example Venezuelan Gledys Ibarra has given us Eloina Rangel, Luna Camacho, Patria Mia and La Diabla. All of them women from a popular socioeconomic level, all different, all unforgettable.

A REFRESHING MAGAZINE ARTICLE

In general, Venezuela--my country--is obsessed with beauty and physical appearance. The Miss Venezuela beauty pageant is one of the emblems of our national fixation. International beauty pageants are also significant in Venezuela. Particularly because they are a yearly opportunity to show that ours is "the country of beautiful women."

It isn't suprising then, that in Venezuelan telenovelas beauty is often privileged over talent when casts are selected. To be sure, this isn't exclusive of Venezuela. Beauty over talent is common in almost all telenovela producing countries, with the exception of Brazil.

Given these industry standards, we shouldn't be surprised with the actors' generalized use of plastic surgery and other drastic beautifying procedures. As someone who's had the privilege to interview many actors, I must say that they are trying to survive in an industry that, with very few exceptions, discards those who aren't "pretty," thin and young. Producers and network decision makers say that THIS is what the public wants to see on their TV screens: beautiful, thin, young (and light-skinned...but, that's a topic for another day) characters. In other words, the responsibility for such excessive use of plastic surgery belongs to the public.

With this scenario in which causes and consequences blur, mix and become very confused in a vicious cycle that perpetuates a specific beauty standard, it was very refreshing for me to find in magazine Todo en Domingo inside Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional the following news story and pictures of five young and talented actresses who haven't gone under the knife, who want to be recognized because of their talent, and who have achieved success: Daniela Alvarado (Juana la Virgen, La Invasora, Voltea pa' que te enamores), Chantal Baudaux (La Mujer de Judas, Negra Consentida, Amantes), Ambar Díaz (Por todo lo Alto, El Dr. G y sus mujeres), Estefanía López (Mujer con Pantalones, Te tengo en Salsa) and Marisa Román (Trapos Intimos, Cosita Rica, Ciudad Bendita).

The article is in Spanish. I apologize for not translating it. However, I believe you will enjoy the pictures, and you will be able to get the gist of it. The title is Authentic Beauty on the Screen.















Belleza auténtica en pantalla

Daniela Alvarado, Estefanía López, Chantal Baudaux, Ámbar Díaz y Marisa Román han demostrado que el talento en pantalla no se mide en centímetros ni se pesa en una báscula. Ninguna está en contra de la cirugía plástica, pero sí de sus excesos. Orgullosas de sus volúmenes y estaturas, han confirmado que no sólo los cuerpos perfectos consiguen roles estelares en la televisión

Author: JOSÉ ROBERTO COPPOLA jcoppola@el-nacional.com
Photos: ANÍBAL MESTRE ameswo2@yahoo.com

E l helado terminó derritiéndose en el asfalto. La tinita había saltado furiosa de la ventana del carro en movimiento. Daniela Alvarado iba, manos al volante, un pie en el acelerador y llevaba la tristeza mojándole las mejillas. Unos minutos antes, cuando salía de una heladería, un tipo en la calle le había lanzado una frase estrepitosa: "Por eso es que estás así, por comer tanta porquería, por eso es que no rebajas". En un país de reinas de belleza es difícil rebelarse contra los estándares y mantenerse fiel a un cuerpo con formas naturales. Aquí, tener unos kilos de más pareciera no ser una opción. "Ya yo estoy aburrida de los comentarios de si engordé unos kilos o adelgacé unos cuantos. Yo me siento feliz así, estoy contenta conmigo misma", señala Alvarado. Ante las críticas poco piadosas se debe tener una personalidad muy fuerte para que la autoestima no se descalabre. Su colega Ámbar Díaz también lo sabe: "El venezolano te saluda y te pesa; te dice: `estás más gorda’ o `estás más flaca’.

Y como actriz esa presión es diaria. Yo me siento bien con mi figura, para lograrlo tienes que quererte y aceptarte".

Aquí los cánones de belleza tienen acepciones muy estrechas y están regidos por los parámetros que abundan en pantalla. "Estamos muy estereotipadas. La televisión se ha manejado a través de 90-60-90. Pero antes la protagonista tenía que ser la típica mujer alta, rubia y esbelta, pero eso ha ido cambiando", apunta Estefanía López, quien con su 1.59 de estatura logró protagonizar la telenovela Te tengo en salsa. Ella es un ejemplo de que los centímetros no impiden conseguir un rol principal; es el talento el que se impone. "Hay gente que me dice en la calle `qué chiquita eres’. Yo me siento súper orgullosa de ser bajita. El tamaño no es una limitación: las limitaciones están en la cabeza".

En este país que fabrica misses y en el que los consultorios de los cirujanos están repletos, no es de extrañar que se esté exportando un concepto artificial de la belleza. Chantal Baudaux lo confirmó en España, donde se dio cuenta de que afuera el prototipo de las venezolanas es de mujeres que se operan como quien se maquilla. "Allá me preguntaron: `y tú ¿qué te operaste?’ Si dices que eres de Venezuela piensan que tienes algo operado. A lo mejor si para mí fuese un problema tener los senos pequeños me operaría, pero no es mi caso. Yo siento que para ser una bomba sexy, ya hay demasiada competencia".






















PANTALLA OPERADA 
Pareciera que hay poca aceptación a las siluetas imperfectas en la televisión local en donde escasean las medidas reales y las curvas auténticas. "A mí me preocupa el exceso, el hecho de que intervenirse quirúrgicamente, buscando alcanzar la perfección física, se convierta en una adicción", cuenta Marisa Román quien piensa que el problema es cuando las mujeres empiezan a buscarse detalles en todas partes y se obsesionan con verse en el espejo. Daniela Alvarado coincide porque lo ha visto de cerca: "Hay mujeres que son enfermas de verse bien y yo les digo: `pero si eres bellísima, no te jurungues’. Aquí existe una creencia de que si no te operas no eres bello ¿Cómo se puede ser tan escaso de mente?" "Cuando empecé no era igual a como es ahora. No sé si el problema es de los directivos, de las personas encargadas de seleccionar al talento o es un problema del talento en sí", comenta Chantal Baudaux, quien reconoce que nunca le han sugerido que se agrande los senos para algún personaje. "Yo lo que sí he escuchado es que un manager le ha dicho a una actriz: `Tú deberías operarte los senos porque así te van a llamar más." Ante la plusvalía de los senos de silicón, estas actrices han demostrado que, aun siendo bajitas, con caderas anchas, senos pequeños o piernas gruesas, pueden llegar a ser protagonistas. Como antes, cuando en las telenovelas las mujeres tenían cuerpos ajenos a las prótesis.


Cada quien decide
Si bien es cierto que muchas veces la televisión demanda unos patrones de belleza de concurso, no toda la responsabilidad es de la industria. "A las actrices no nos ponen una pistola en la cabeza para que nos operemos, podemos decidir no hacerlo", comenta Chantal Baudaux quien cree que muchas veces la inseguridad y la competitividad en el trabajo son detonantes de la reproducción de prótesis mamarias. "El autoestima no lo maneja el medio sino las personas que se dejan influenciar por él", sentencia Baudaux.

En la pantalla no todo es el cuerpo. Ámbar Díaz demostró que su figura sinuosa no le impidió protagonizar la serie Doctor G y sus mujeres . Ella está convencida de que las operaciones están sobreutilizadas. "Hay muchachitas que de regalo de 15 años piden una operación de senos. Hay que crear conciencia porque son niñas que están en crecimiento", apunta. En un medio en el que se profana el culto a una estética correcta, Marisa Román apoya la certeza de que es vital no compararse, ni cumplir ambiciones ajenas. "No hay que tratar de llenar ni complacer las expectativas de nadie, ni querer ser lo que los demás quieren que seas. Cuando eres adulto, sabes lo que haces, no puedes culpar al ejecutivo de un canal que te dijo que te verías mejor con tu nariz perfilada o que estás un poco gorda".



MARISA ROMÁN 
¿Se siente bella? Sí. Tengo días en los que no me veo tan bien, estoy trasnochada o tengo un barrito, pero igual con mi barrito salgo a la calle.

¿Está contenta con su cuerpo? Sí, me siento contenta con mi cuerpo.

¿Por qué no se ha operado? Me gustaría que el tiempo pase de verdad en mi cuerpo y que cuando me opere lo haga con más conciencia de mí, de quién soy y estando más clara también.

¿Se operaría algún día? Sí, y trataría de buscar al mejor especialista.


DANIELA ALVARADO 
¿Se siente bella? Me siento bellísima, me siento bien. Pero hay días en que tengo mis altibajos.

¿Está contenta con su cuerpo? Sí, pero a mi barriga la odio.

¿Por qué no se ha operado? No lo sé, hasta ahora no lo he necesitado.

¿Se operaría algún día? A lo mejor algún día, después de haber tenido hijos, me opero los senos para no tenerlos tan caídos.


ESTEFANÍA LÓPEZ 
¿Se siente bella? Me siento súper bella, aunque hay días que me levanto hinchada o me miro al espejo y estoy ojerosa y no me siento tan bella.

¿Está contenta con su cuerpo? Sí, pero no me gusta mi barriga.

¿Por qué no se ha operado? No estoy operada porque apenas tengo 23 años.

¿Se operaría algún día? Sí, me haría la liposucción.


ÁMBAR DÍAZ 
¿Se siente bella? Me siento bella, pero no todo el tiempo. Hay días en los que el cabello o el cutis no están como los quiero o no tengo el peso que deseo.

¿Está contenta con su cuerpo? Sí, pero la parte de mi cuerpo con la cual estoy descontenta son mis caderas.

¿Por qué no se ha operado? Tengo un busto normal de 34-B, podría ponerme silicón y no lo he hecho porque me siento bien con mis senos.

¿Se operaría algún día? Si algún día me opero, me operaría las piernas.


CHANTAL BAUDAUX 
¿Se siente bella? Me siento bella todos los días, pero no las 24 horas.

¿Está contenta con su cuerpo? Sí, pero te diría que me quitaría dos kilos, que me gustaría estar más tonificada y que cuando me tocaras una nalga tocaras una piedra.

¿Por qué no se ha operado? No he sentido la necesidad, quizás tengo mente antigua, pero pienso que el ejercicio, el trabajo duro y las dietas te ayudan.

¿Se operaría algún día? Quizás cuando tenga mis hijos me haga un refrescamiento o me levante los senos.





EL PESO DEL TALENTO 
"Es muy raro escuchar a algún compañero decir que está en un curso de algo; la mayoría habla de que está a dieta o que está yendo al gimnasio", suelta Chantal Baudaux. El medio es riguroso con los numeritos que se leen en la báscula e implacable con la figura aunque un cuerpo escultural no es una garantía de rating. Ámbar Díaz admite que para todos los personajes que ha interpretado la han mandado a hacer dieta y a veces ha terminado llorando. "Esta es una industria en la que tienes que estar bien y si estás pasada de peso empiezan a llamar la atención". Las veces que a Estefanía López le han dicho que tiene que adelgazar lo asume como parte del show. Ella lo ha vivido desde pequeña cuando era parte del Club de los Tigritos. "Teníamos un productor que nos decía: `niñas, tienen que estar flaquísimas’ y éramos flaquísimas".

Por su parte, Daniela Alvarado revela que cuando a ella la mandan a adelgazar, lo hacen porque se dejan llevar por la sociedad. "El peso nunca ha tenido que ver con mi trabajo, yo he protagonizado, y perdóname la expresión, teniendo el culo más grande de lo que lo tengo ahora". Pero el medio valora también el histrionismo y el talento.

"No es indispensable tener grandes lolas o tener una cintura operada, hay otras cosas que se toman en cuenta", reconoce Estefanía López.