I started out watching these novelas because I was a Spanish major and wanted to become fluent, and now I continue to watch them to keep my fluency but also because they are interesting and engaging.
Thanks to DirecTV and those convenient Season's Passes, I am able to watch the novelas whenever I want to, so some of them are viewed at night before bed upstairs in my bedroom, and whatever I don't view during the week I can pick up on weekends.
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| Christian Bach, Aracely Arámbula in "La Patrona" |
A lot of people assume that Spanish language telenovelas are just like our English language soap operas in that they last forever. Not so. Telenovelas go for a certain number of months and then have a definite end, so that the home viewer can always anticipate a new novela.
Another difference is that whereas the American soap opera has morning and afternoon time slots, the telenovelas (at least the first-run novelas) start at about 4:00 or 5:00 pm and go on through the night. Re-runs of old novelas are during the early day and late late night.
With a few exceptions, telenovelas are not science fiction or adventure, but romance. The main male protagonist is usually a masculine, virile, attractive fellow of good character and the female protagonist can range from sensitive and defenseless to strong and assertive. but the story is always a romance — though coupled with a strong plot aside from the romance.
One thing you will always see in a telenovela is lots and lots of cleavage, and the time of day doesn't matter. All of the main women wear clothes that emphasize their sexuality, and part of watching a telenovela is getting a free fashion show. I'm sure men would find other reasons for watching the women.
"La Patrona" ("The Female Boss") is romance with an overlay of undiluted vengeance, pitting the older shapely blonde Christian Bach against the younger hour-glass-figured Aracely Arámbula. The story has suspense, deceit, murder, adultery, and also a young love in the background. The prevailing ambience: vengeance.
"Porque El Amor Manda" ("Because Love Commands") is a light comedy romance between the appealingly masculine Fernando Colunga and the beautiful Blanca Soto. The story is played for laughs, but the romance is what keeps viewers watching!
Colunga has the part of a secretario (male secretary) working under Blanca Soto, actress, model, and winner of 1997 Miss Mexico World. In this one, the boss lady (Blanca Soto with the never-ending legs) is secretly in love with Jesús, the secretario. even though she is married to Rogelio, the unfaithful adulterous buffoon and CEO of the company they all work at.
"Amores Verdaderos" ("True Loves") has a man-woman love; a mother's love of her grown, alienated son; a mother's love for her daughter, who she has just discovered was NOT born dead, but given away at birth. This telenovela also deals with bulemia, with the young Nicole/Nikki being tall, willowy, blonde, and bulemic. There is enough cleavage, cinched waists, hair, and legs to last you a long time, but do not be deceived: the storyline is terrific and the actors and all good.
"Amor Bravio" ("Valiant Love") stars Silvia Navarro and Cristián De La Fuente as the younger love interests, with Leticia Calderón and César Évora as the more mature, deceitful and criminal couple. The plot is very thick, with the female protagonist Silvia Navarro as the Mexican love interest, and the very tall and handsome Cristián De La Fuente being from Chile. And how did they meet, then? You'll have to watch the novela to find out but it involves murder, an escape from a Chilean prison, and a Mexican cattle ranch with a lot of bulls and a young teenaged girl who is raped by her uncle.
The wonderful thing about the Internet is that all of these novelas can be seen on YouTube if I miss any of the chapters. I can also see novelas that I never saw before — but I find it much easier to view the chapters on a larger tv screen. P.S. How can people watch movies on their iPhones???!!!
If you are interested, go to YouTube and type in the names of the novelas I mentioned above; it can be quite an experience. I watched my very first telenovela years ago. I was a Spanish major in college and wanted to get some vocabulary building and listening comprehension strengthened and chose "Rosa... de Lejos" ("Rosa From Far Away"), an Argentine production with that Argentine pronunciation and verb forms. It starred the dark and striking Leonor Benedetto as a woman who rose from dirt poor to a wealthy and influential fashion designer.
In retrospect I should have chosen a Mexican production but "Rosa... de Lejos" was what was running at prime time at the time, so that is what I watched. One thing that turned out in my favor was that Leonor Benedetto's Rosa spoke slowly like maple syrup in December, so everything she said was clear and that helped me to understand the Spanish better.
I notice that a lot of people say that they do not watch telenovelas, but it always slips out that they know what's going on in the stories, so I know that these novelas are everyone's secret pleasures, not to be admitted to. But why not? Ah, that's another topic for another post.
I think I'll go and catch up now on "Amor Bravío," and also some Fox News and HGTV (Home and Garden Television). Have a wonderful day.
Another difference is that whereas the American soap opera has morning and afternoon time slots, the telenovelas (at least the first-run novelas) start at about 4:00 or 5:00 pm and go on through the night. Re-runs of old novelas are during the early day and late late night.
With a few exceptions, telenovelas are not science fiction or adventure, but romance. The main male protagonist is usually a masculine, virile, attractive fellow of good character and the female protagonist can range from sensitive and defenseless to strong and assertive. but the story is always a romance — though coupled with a strong plot aside from the romance.
 |
| Jorge Luis Pila, Aracely Arámbula, and Christian Bach in "La Patrona" |
One thing you will always see in a telenovela is lots and lots of cleavage, and the time of day doesn't matter. All of the main women wear clothes that emphasize their sexuality, and part of watching a telenovela is getting a free fashion show. I'm sure men would find other reasons for watching the women.
 |
| Blanca Soto, Fernando Colunga in "Porque el Amor Manda |
"Porque El Amor Manda" ("Because Love Commands") is a light comedy romance between the appealingly masculine Fernando Colunga and the beautiful Blanca Soto. The story is played for laughs, but the romance is what keeps viewers watching!
 |
| Eduardo Yáñez and Erica Buenfil in "Amores Verdaderos" |
"Amores Verdaderos" ("True Loves") has a man-woman love; a mother's love of her grown, alienated son; a mother's love for her daughter, who she has just discovered was NOT born dead, but given away at birth. This telenovela also deals with bulemia, with the young Nicole/Nikki being tall, willowy, blonde, and bulemic. There is enough cleavage, cinched waists, hair, and legs to last you a long time, but do not be deceived: the storyline is terrific and the actors and all good.
 |
| Silvia Navarro, Cristian De La Fuente in "Amor Bravío" |
The wonderful thing about the Internet is that all of these novelas can be seen on YouTube if I miss any of the chapters. I can also see novelas that I never saw before — but I find it much easier to view the chapters on a larger tv screen. P.S. How can people watch movies on their iPhones???!!!
If you are interested, go to YouTube and type in the names of the novelas I mentioned above; it can be quite an experience. I watched my very first telenovela years ago. I was a Spanish major in college and wanted to get some vocabulary building and listening comprehension strengthened and chose "Rosa... de Lejos" ("Rosa From Far Away"), an Argentine production with that Argentine pronunciation and verb forms. It starred the dark and striking Leonor Benedetto as a woman who rose from dirt poor to a wealthy and influential fashion designer.
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| Leonor Benedetto in "Rosa...De Lejos" |
In retrospect I should have chosen a Mexican production but "Rosa... de Lejos" was what was running at prime time at the time, so that is what I watched. One thing that turned out in my favor was that Leonor Benedetto's Rosa spoke slowly like maple syrup in December, so everything she said was clear and that helped me to understand the Spanish better.
I notice that a lot of people say that they do not watch telenovelas, but it always slips out that they know what's going on in the stories, so I know that these novelas are everyone's secret pleasures, not to be admitted to. But why not? Ah, that's another topic for another post.
I think I'll go and catch up now on "Amor Bravío," and also some Fox News and HGTV (Home and Garden Television). Have a wonderful day.
