When I first signed up for this FYOS course, I admit that I was intrigued. An entire course dedicated to the study of telenovelas? Personally, I've always been a fan of stories, tv shows, and movies, and a class about telenovelas sounded like fun.
Over the years, I've definitely indulged in my fair share of binge watching (and reading!) Many of the popular shows that I have watched and been a fan of for years aired weekly episodes, and usually incorporated dramatic plotlines that kept me hooked. I've always thought that these aspects were reminiscent of soap operas, and since I'd never had much exposure to telenovelas, I also related those shows with telenovelas. Later on, I did watch Jane the Virgin, (which was very entertaining!) and that ended up being my only experience with telenovelas.
Through this class, I have learned not only a lot about telenovelas, but storytelling in general. In delving into the complexities and history of telenovelas, it's fascinating to see how people get attached to different stories, even if they are fantastical and unrealistic, and how people come back hooked to the same classic stories, no matter where in the world or how often they've been done. I think these past few classes have really taught me not only about the genre, but a little bit about people in general.
One of the things we've learned is how there are "classic" or "traditional" telenovelas, that follow a stereotypical "Cinderella" type protagonist, more realistic telenovelas that tackle more current issues, and telenovelas that encompass aspects of both genres and fall somewhere in between. Telenovelas often reflect the ideals and society of the country in which they are produced (such as Latin America traditional telenovelas having a protagonist with a same somewhere along the lines of "Maria"), and their popularity certainly attests to that. It's fascinating how both genres are able to incorporate these ideas in completely different approaches, while still getting people hooked. It makes me wonder what people look for in a show, and what the common threads between telenovelas can tell us.
At the beginning of this blog post, I mentioned how I've always been a big fan of fiction. It's also always been a life long dream of mine to become a writer, and learning about the massive success of these telenovelas has taught me a little bit about what people look for in fiction, whether it's a comforting story or something reflective of the real world. I think studying telenovelas has also taught me a little bit about what I myself find in different works of fiction. Nonetheless, I am eager to learn about the topics next week and dive deeper into different telenovelas.
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