As I am currently watching the telenovela, Ingobernable, I cannot help but examine the role violence plays in telenovelas. We know that to be considered a telenovela, there must be a love triangle, spectacle of emotions, and the storyline needs to become fiction. Violence is nowhere in these qualities, but is surely a way to incorporate strong emotions and a fictional story. In Ingobernable, violence is utilized in the first scene as Emilia and Diego fight over their divorce. This fight becomes physical, bloody, and then ends with the death of Diego, the president of Mexico. This violence definitely grabs the audience and drags them into this storyline in just a few minutes.
The brutality of specifically a murder mystery is an excellent way to achieve the goal of cliffhangers at the end of every episode of a telenovela. Ingobernable itself has done an excellent job in mixing the basic elements of a telenovela with thriller movies. All of the unknown that comes with a violent story certainly works to engulf the audience with the show, keeping them watching week after week. Even with a trailer to promote the telenovela, this storyline leaves viewers' jaw dropped wanting to watch the show because of the strong storyline that will continue to shock them. Here is the trailer of Ingobernable, so you can get an idea of how effective suspense in a trailer can be in enticing an audience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo5nnF2Bk4E
Violence is also a fantastic and effective way of enticing an older and more intense audience, allowing telenovelas to reach an even broader span of people. Distinctively in Ingobernable, the scene escalates with Emilia, the First Lady, on the run while we do not know if the death of her husband was an accident or on purpose. Of course this keeps the audience continuing to watch, how could it not? I know I want to learn more! Additionally, Ingobernable escalated the aspect of violence by adding to the storyline the government and presidential aspect. This adds another level of importance and significance that keeps the telenovela entertained and allured.
One aspect I noticed that could be fatal involving the inclusion of violence in telenovelas is encouragement. With all the attention and adrenaline that is surrounded around these shows including brutality, I can only hope it does not encourage or "give ideas" to an audience that the show may not be aimed towards. Especially children! Also, constant violence causes desensitization in humans and it is important that the frequency and degree of violence is used in a specific way to create a fascinating show but also not be completely inhumane. There is a fine line in violence's role in telenovelas. Incorporating violence into telenovelas in addition to romance is truly genius with attracting a larger audience. It just is critical this audience is the correct audience.
Violence is a very powerful tool to incorporate into telenovelas. It most definitely is enticing and it works wonders in attracting a larger audience. Brutality keeps viewers on their toes, wanting more and more, a goal of telenovelas. The role of violence in telenovelas is compelling and successful.
I really appreciated this post as I hadn't even thought to examine the role of violence overall in the telenovela I chose. I'm watching a show with the central plot point of murder and somehow I didn't even think about that. I think that the violence can absolutely get hooks into an audience, as much as I hate to admit it the majority of the scenes that had me literally shouting at the screen of standing up from my seat were the violent ones. I'm not sure if its just my show, or if its all of them, but I think that graphic scenes of both a sexual and violent nature are used to really drag viewers in more. I'm thinking it may be a sort of fascination with the human body in any context?
ReplyDeleteViolence plays a huge role in La Reina del Sur and I had not even thought about it until I read your post. There is one scene that I think of in particular where a man named Lalo is being tortured for information about his involvement in drug smuggling. I had to fast forward through the scene because it was just a little gruesome. Lalo’s screams as he is tortured are not pleasant to hear and certainly would scare a younger audience. But it is not just torture. There are many intense fights between the women in La Reina del Sur where they are slapping each other and threatening to kill one another. It makes the telenovela as a whole very intense and also make me wonder what parts of these scenes foreshadow future killings.
ReplyDeletePosting on behalf of Haley Whitehead who's having technical difficulties with the blog:
ReplyDeleteViolence plays a vital role in telenovelas. I think you bring up a convincing argument on their effect on the outside world through viewers. Violence is very present in all telenovelas whether they are classical or more modernized. It is a crucial part of the suspense and thrill of the storyline. I think the violence goes deeper than the surface though. In a sense, the violence is kind of representative of reality as well as the inclusion of drugs. Things like this are really going on in society so why hide them and pretend as if they don't exist. I also think violent experiences go deeper into the connection viewers make with telenovelas. The experiences that character go through to build their backstory allow the audience to have a sense of allegiance and alignment with them. Similar experiences may promote a stronger alignment with a character arc. I agree that I think there is an influence of drugs and violence from telenovelas on the audience. However, I don't believe without the presence of it on TV it would make a significant difference. I think you bring up an important and yet sometimes unnoticed aspect of telenovelas. I also agree that they may not be a good way to show thrill and drama, but they are definitely effective.
My telenovela is "La Reina Del Sur" and violence is such as huge part of this telenovela. The first scene, and what starts the plot of "La Reina Del Sur", is the death of Teresa's boyfriend. A helicopter with Teresa's boyfriend is shot up by cartel members, and later he is burned to the ground. This scene sets up the intensity and thrill of the telenovela staring from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI agree that brutality portrayed in telenovelas entices the viewer to keep on watching. A violent moment can also be used as a great plot twist or ending scene. Sometimes when watching something graphic, I can become desensitized to it. I think that it's a good reminder, however, that while violence and brutality on telenovelas can be entertaining, we shouldn't become numb to it as well.