Entry 8/16/23-
Heyyy readers! I'm officially in college now, and I could not be more excited. I'm already making so many friends and my classes don't seem that bad. The school requires me to take a First Year Odyssey Seminar, so I chose one about Telenovelas. It definitely wasn't my first choice but I'm sure the class should still be fine since I used to watch the show Jane the Virgin and I'm pretty sure that is a telenovela in English. My only concern is that the class is TWO HOURS LONG. I can barely pay attention in a 50-minute class so I guess we'll see how that goes. I'll come back to update you all on the last week of class. Hasta luego!
Entry 10/3/2023-
Wow, at last, we've reached our final blog post of the semester. The class ends on Wednesday, which is bittersweet. Bitter because I thoroughly enjoyed the class and the content we were taught, but sweet because I mean... c'mon... who doesn't like a lighter class load. Over the course of this class, I learned a lot of things. First and Foremost, Jane the Virgin is not a telenovela... disappointing... I know. I learned that Telenovelas have specific structures that separate them from regular melodramas. For example, in order for a show to be a telenovela it must have:
- Dramatic plot twists
- Intense romantic storylines
- Larger-than-life characters
- A specific main story, along with various subplots involving major and minor characters
- A continuing melodramatic storyline
- A permanent cast
Hey Chichi! I can’t believe this class is almost over! It’s crazy how fast the semester moves…dang. Jane the Virgin not being a telenovela is definitely a letdown, but this class has introduced me to so many other absolutely amazing shows. I feel like I’m seeing so many industries being problematic when it comes to the “-isms”. I feel like I see this in Indian tv shows as well, with most of the cast being light skinned and them not casting a variety of skin tones. I feel like this represents the old thinking of the public. The public used to feel like the lighter the skin, the more attractive one is, and though this thought is slowly, but surely, becoming outdated, network executives and casting agents still tend to make the show with people who are predominantly light skinned. Colorism, racism, etc. still seem to be a part of these industries, but they are slowly changing as people’s thinking is changing. I loved your post on representation and identity in telenovelas too! :)
ReplyDeleteHey Chichi!
ReplyDeleteAlthough Jane the Virgin is not technicallyyyy a telenovela, I feel like it serves as a pathway into the world of telenovelas especially for those of us who are not super familiar with said world. Now that we have been exposed to some of the most iconic (actual) telenovelas we can understand why Jane is different.
I love that you wrote about the different "-isms" in telenovelas because that is a very important issue that unfortunately does not get talked about enough. That post itself was very well written.
Also, I really enjoy reading your blog posts because your personality is so clear from the way you write! It is really entertaining and of course informative as well!
Great job! :))