What I've Learned So Far About Telenovelas + My Search for A Telenovela

So far, I have really enjoyed this class about telenovelas! I have learned that telenovelas aren't just a Latin American genre, but that there are also Korean, American, and Brazilian telenovelas. I also now know that there are a variety of differences between telenovelas and soap operas, whereas before I thought of them as being exactly the same. For example, a soap opera has no limit in its number of episodes whereas a telenovela does. Also a soap opera is broadcast only in the afternoon whereas a telenovela is broadcast in primetime and in the afternoon. Soap operas also have their plots on real time whereas telenovelas do not. In a soap opera, actors are usually connected with the character that they play whereas in a telenovela there is not a correlation between the actor and their portrayed character all the time. 

Another thing that I have learned is that there can be telenovelas for a variety of age groups including children. At first I thought that telenovelas were only for adults due to their materialistic content, but I now know that they also make them for kids. I also know that telenovelas have lots of different genres, but before I only thought that there could be one genre, that being romance. Telenovelas come in genres that include thrillers, narconovelas, bionovelas, suspenses, and comedies. Telenovelas often follow similar plots and aspects however, including spin offs of cinderella, transformations, betrayal and revenge, and identical twins. 

One last thing that I learned about telenovelas is that they are starting to become more inclusive towards genders, sexuality, and race. In Latin America, there is a lot of racism that people seem to look past due to the mixing of genes and various skin colors. Telenovelas used to only have stereotypical portrayals of gay men for example for an added comedy effect, but now, they are starting to become more inclusive by having real love stories between gay women and men. 

My search for a telenovela thus far has gone pretty well. I think I want a telenovela off of Netflix because I own that platform and I would like one that isn't too long. I also want to look for something that has a thriller component, along with a deep romance. So far, I think the telenovela called "La Reina Del Sur" sounds good to me because it has thriller aspects such as kidnapping and trafficking, but also includes intense romance, including the loss of some of these partners. It was very successful and won a plentiful amount of awards, so I think it could be a nice contender. I also thought the telenovela called "Enemigo Intimo" sounded good because it also includes some thriller aspect and also a reuniting between two siblings, which sounds sweet to me. 

Overall, this class has made me realize that films can portray deeper meanings through various stylistic techniques that I never knew existed. Telenovelas, in my opinion, show reflections of real life through fantasy situations. They often show the ups and downs of romances, which happen in real life, although maybe in a different way. Some of them also bring about the question of identity, sexuality, gender, and individualism. I think that these are all important aspects to be reached by the film industry because they are very applicable to today's society, and might help to change society to be more inclusive and understanding if included in the film.

The class has spurred my thoughts about telenovelas to be classified as a form of art. The emotions expressed in telenovelas are often deeper and more understandable than in an ordinary movie. Even if you do not understand the language they are in, the deep expressions of the actors and characters creates an immersed feeling that I had never felt before viewing the trailers of the telenovelas in class. I am very much looking forward to watching a telenovela!