Why I Picked a Narconovela as my Telenovela

 Why I Picked a Narconovela as my Telenovela

Ever since we learned about narconovelas the second time we met for class, I have been interested in them the most.  Narconovelas are a subgenre of telenovelas that focuses on narcotraffic and drug lords.  Since that second class, I have done my own research on narconovelas. What I have found has made it easier for me to follow along when watching my telenovela of choice, “La Monarca.” 

The main piece of research I wanted to dig deeper into was how narconovelas came to be. Narconovelas started becoming popular when violence, both political and social, became more prevalent. The first “official” narconovela was produced in 2006 and was called “Sin tetas no hay paraíso.” My research into how narconovelas came to be unfolded a commonality. The further I researched, the more I discovered a glorification issue. Multiple articles I read kept bringing up the subject of how narconovelas “glorified” drugs. Narconovelas possess a survival of the fittest and richest. They often portray extremely rich families with very nice belongings, something a lot of people long for… being rich with nice things. This causes viewers to draw to the main characters, of course, leading to them almost idolizing the drug lord culture. I’m sure most of you are familiar with El Chapo. Why? Because is arguably the biggest drug lord there ever was. Not only are people familiar with his famous drug dealing reputation, but his name is in multiple rap songs, movies, and of course telenovelas. 2 Chains, the rapper, has a song titled “El Chapo Jr” that literally glorifies the drug dealer the whole entire song.  He says, “I’m the king of the trap, El Chapo Jr.” This is not the only instance where drug dealers are referred to as kings. Many would argue that narconovelas do exactly this. One source writes, “Clearly, the media has an obsession with crime and violence” (Alejandro Lara). I would say that this is a true statement considering how entertaining it is. After all, I chose a narconovela for this very reason: it’s entertaining.

The telenovela I chose is called “La Monarca.” The show focuses on the tequila industry and the rich family that leads it. The rich Carranza family’s brand of tequila is called “Monarca.” The show follows the family through dealing with murder, blackmail, threats, and even fires. The violence and crime is exactly what entices the viewer, including myself. Personally, I do think that drugs and crime are glorified and glamorized in telenovelas, as well as in American movies and shows, too. However I don’t believe that it influences the viewers opinion on drugs and violence, but is just solely entertaining. 

Brynn Wacter