El Fin (Blog post 3)

First of all, I want to discuss how happy this class made me. It was a joy to sit in class and go to journalism every Wednesday. Dr.  Acosta-Alzuru what you do is amazing. My favorite pastime (watching telenovelas) means the world to people, and to know how significant and important it is to people around the world and you makes me feel united and connected to watchers across the globe. After taking this FYOS, I have realized that just similarly how soccer is important globally, so are telenovelas. The culture of these novelas is what connects and unites people and I love that about it. I know it is odd to say this, but Dr. Acosta-Alzuru  you are an inspiration to me. Seeing how happy and invested you are in what you love is moving. And to see how successful you are shows me the possibility of my future being what I desire. Lastly, I just want to comment on your enthusiasm and smile. It is clear that going to class, your students and teaching is what makes you happy.

Currently in my novela, Teresa is on a her very delayed honeymoon with Arturo. Watching her fall in love with Arturo made me realize that it is possible to fall out of love with one and fall in love with another. Some argue that Teresa falls in love with Arturo because he took her to Europe, but I think watching and seeing how much Arturo really loves her, caused this change.

Learning about the issues in Venezuela was not a surprise to me, but the censorship law was. The worst part was watching the news this week and seeing how Venezuela's situation has negatively progressed was disheartening. The government's treatment of their people was hard for me to watch. The benefit concert was a step that people took for change in Venezuela, but I feel like the government is failing to also make steps to improve their situation. Professor made us fall in love with Monica Spear and later we found out that she was killed. It felt like I was in a telenovela that has a bad ending. However, having that familiarity with the actor helped us see how delicate Venezuela's situation is to their people.

Furthermore, this class made me realize that there are so many amazing telenovelas out there, that I don't have to only watch the ones made by Mexico. Also, I have learned that it is okay to step out of my comfort zone. I've convinced myself that I can enjoy telenovelas that my favorite actors and actresses are not in.

Much Love,
Tiffany Mukundi

The Final Blog Post

Hi everybody! Wow, I can't believe that the class is over. It all went by so fast and we've learned so much. I wish I could say the same thing about my telenovela. This is how things are supposed to be but either way I expected to be introduced slowly into the problems everybody has in El Privilegio de Amar. The complete opposite thing happened. A couple episodes more since we left off and things have gotten incredibly complicated. So far, we have had four people cheat on their spouses, two threats of divorces, five different power struggles and blackmailings, and three murders. Despite all of this, I  have noticed some cultural influences and self-censorship themes pop up. The cultural influences are reminiscent of what Turkey has and, although the censorship has NOTHING compared to what Venezuela has, my amazingly Catholic Mexico shows up every once in a while. They are both related but I'll start with the cultural influences. Mexico has always been a more traditional and conservative country. Especially twenty years ago, most people are devotedly religious. Not only does the theme song remind you to "Above all, never forget about God" and He is a big reason characters act the way they do. Cristina initially refuses to spend the night with Victor Manuel because of her Catholic upbringing, no other reason. Juan de la Cruz reminds everyone that all of God's children are his children at least 5 times per episode and people are constantly praying and donating to charity. Because of this, there is a lot of censorship in the telenovela. For example, one of the characters is a prostitute. But they have never said the word out loud or anything close to it. At most, what they say is that she "does what she has to do to live". Luciana was a prostitute for a while in her youth but that has also been glossed over other than the occasional ashamed comment from Luciana. Another example is that never ever has anyone ever said the word "sex". Everything is alluded to and although the characters are seen in bed together, the most they mention is that they "spent time together". A lot of the time, the characters who are "spending time together" are those who are unmarried. You can see contrast between three couples. The first are two affairs between adult men and 20+ year old women. On the other hand, there is our protagonist couple Cristina and Victor Manuel who are "spending time together" because they are in a (somewhat) consensual relationship (that gets really complicated). The latter gets attacked more because they are unmarried and Cristina is a proper Catholic girl. Like Luciana has said "In the world, it's the woman who ends up losing". This is increasingly true. In Andres Duval's affair, it's Lorenza (his lover) who is constantly being scolded by her friends while Andres' friends just tell him "Make sure your wife doesn't find out". This is unfortunately a theme not only in the novela, but in real life. Mexico, at least 20 years ago was even more conservative and women were expected to always be there for their spouses, above everything. This brings us to another topic that I hope I will have time and space to cover in my essay. This social hierarchy often plays out in the relationships. For example, Lorenza is/was engaged to her neighbor Chema, who may have seen like a romantic man once upon a time but it seems to me like he's obsessive and stubborn. He was the one who decided that he was going to marry Lorenza, proposed and accepted the proposal, and set the wedding date for the two of them. He's often asking about where Lorenza is, reminds her she belongs to him and is often saying that he's a jealous man who angers easily. This is one of the more healthy relationships because at least Lorenza stands up for herself. But another contrast is that of Tamara and Nicolas. Nicolas so far is one of the villains, a friend of Andres who secretly betrays him various times and now has decided that Tamara, a girl about Cristina's age, is his new lover. Tamara is now pregnant and out of all the pregnancies in the series, this is the only one where abortion has even been suggested. The word was obviously not said out-loud but I found it really interesting that the man who is painted to be a main villain is the one who would suggest it. Again, Catholic country. I was talking to my aunt who works in Televisa and she mentioned how different the telenovelas are now. A simple example is that they don't curse in my telenovela. Maybe the worst thing someone has said is "hell" but other than that everyone is surprisingly calm considering all the other awful things people do. I want to stop here because or else I won't have anything else to talk about in my paper but I just think it's super interesting. I'm very excited to better explain this idea in my essay, although you guys won't read it so I'll leave you with some closure. *Do not read if you are considering watching the rest of the telenovela*. Victor Manuel and Cristina marry and they have a child together. The bad people get what was coming to them, specifically Juan de la Cruz's mom. There was a a lot of problems but at the end, everyone learned the privilege of loving (haha). I really enjoyed this class and I wish you all the best!

Final Blog

Wassup ya'll, so as you guys know I was a black sheep in this class from the start because I'm the only dude but I do not regret being in there with everyone. As we learned today, this class was not just about telenovelas but it also expressed the cultures of different countries and how their production process differs from each other. Even different South American countries have different methods depending on what rules and regulations they have. So I may not have looked very happy the first few classes but I did learn a lot this time period we had together. Well, my last update on Las Munecas de la Mafia is that everything has gone crazy. Braulio's ex wife has been a major problem in everyone's life. The friend group of Pamela and her friends have been running errands for Braulio along with trying to hit on them and trying to get with them. Braulio's ex wife will see them around town and give them an ear full on how they are gold diggers and is becoming very jealous of the attention Braulio has been getting from the young college girls. The captain that was suspended from the airline company has been proven innocent thanks to a healthy bribe from the mafia he was working for.

Braulio also advices the captain to disappear for a while as the case sizzles out but the captain disagrees and says that he needs the work and does not plan on leaving and Braulio agrees and tells him to be careful. One of the girls that are working for Braulio, Brenda Navarette, is working to get enough money to bail her dad out of jail. Her dad owned a farm where cocaine was being produced. A swat team came and raided the property and arrested her father for having the cocaine kitchen on his property. So every character on this show is now involved with the mafia even though Braulio, the mafia leader, does not seem like the antagonists fully yet but things are definitely about to go south and someone is going to snap soon. Anyway, this telenovela's theme is to do anything for family no matter what. Enjoyed it guys, hope you look into Las Munecas de la Mafia and enjoyed my blogs. Eric Posas signing out.

Blog Post: 3

Kamusta klase (Hello class)! I can’t believe that today was our last class for this seminar. I’ve enjoyed bonding with everyone through telenovelas as we’ve gone beyond talking about basic plot points. For this blog post, I would like to discuss about the production side, specifically about the two major media networks that have dominated the Philippines’ market with regards to the revenue generated and the content they produce, of which telenovelas, or teleseryes, are a major part.

As a reference, the show I watched and studied, Bridges of Love, was produced by the mega-network ABS-CBN. Here’s a basic guide comparing the process these networks go through when it comes to developing an entire telenovela:

Similar to what we’ve discussed in class regarding telenovela production throughout the world, these networks undergo a series of revisions that spans from the writers, producers, camera crew, actors, and so on so forth. Also interesting to note that for the audience, the story and romantic markers are what captivates them; however, both networks utilize data and network ratings to determine the time slot these telenovelas will air in the country.

When we were discussing about representation and identity, we talked about how the media can be viewed as a lens that amplifies what is seen in real life. While the events and drama in Bridges of Love are unlikely to occur in real life, the themes of family, betrayal, and forgiveness are ultimately what the audience connects with. Perhaps it is these themes, combined with the epic love story between two lost brothers and a woman who brings them together, that created waves of emotion so immense that Bridges of Love was able to be distributed outside of the Philippines. 

Although Philippines is not a major player in the telenovela industry amongst other countries like Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, and other parts of Asia, I do think they are on the rise of becoming more well known. This past month, I have been subscribed to the pinoy entertainment distributor, TFC, and I have noticed that the quality and content of some of the movies and TV shows have improved since the last time I watched pinoy entertainment several months and years ago. This experience has not only allowed me to improve my tagalog vocabulary, but has also introduced me to new shows I now have on my list to watch.

A special thanks to Dr. A - I never really thought about the behind-the-scenes of my favorite telenovelas and have enjoyed seeing and listening to your passion about the subject through the semester. I look forward to watching more telenovelas and using the knowledge and perspective I have gained throughout this odyssey seminar moving forward.

Blog Post 3

We've done for this class and I felt sad. I think this class is the most interest for me in this semester. But I am so sorry about that I missed today's class, because I thought the class on last Wed. was the last class, I hope that won't make me lose too much credits. :(
I want to talk about music of telenovelas. Dr.A talked about that last week. By the way, I love music so much. And expect telenovelas, musical is also my favorite. Music in telenovelas are all amazing I think! Music is very important in a telenovela. The reason is that music can make people immersed in this telenovela. For an example, cheerful songs can make me know this is a happy plot, even if I don't know Spanish. In last week class, I remember a song named Santa Diabla. I love this song and I download it from Apple music!
I am still working on my report, and I also have about ten percent of the telenovela I choosed do not finish watching. I decided to finish all of this telenovela, because my friend who watched before told me that the ending of this telenovela was very wonderful. To tell the truth, I like spoiler. I do not need to worry about that if there is someone will die or other things.
Finally, hope you guys all have a good semester and good luck for your report! :)

El Fin

El Fin

Celia has touched a different place in my heart than any other show I have ever watched in my lifetime. It touches on topics that were relevant during her time and along with ours today. The show showed me how a black woman, who may not be the prettiest person, can overcome any obstacle set in their path. Being a black woman in any time period can prove to be difficult. Black people are viewed beneath any race and all race, but the black woman is beneath the black man. Making black women have to fight harder to make a place for themselves in their futures. However, Celia showed me how she's overcoming her obstacles and how my own mother is similar to her.

My mother is black and my father is white, so I have viewed their different cultures in my life as one. I never knew them to be separate until others, teachers, family, and friends, taught me that they were. Celia and my mother both showed me that color does not define us. It represents a culture we may have grown up with and that all of them are similar despite these differences. However, there are always individuals who do not agree with this ideology. Celia combats this in ways I never could. She's civil and takes every blow at her one at a time and never let them know that they have affected her.

This scene is my favorite way she takes the discrimination against her respectfully: https://youtu.be/fATRFPaYk5Y?t=221

On to a more fun tone, the music in my episode is everywhere, because Celia is a singer. The music behind all of her actions set the stage for the story. From how she feels for Pedro (her lover), her family, friends, and her career as a singer. The Celia intro uses one of the famous singers hit songs Azucar. I grew up listening to this song without realizing that Celia Cruz was the singer of it until I heard it in the intro. The theme song is not the exact song but I remember growing up to hearing AZUCRE from my father while I was in my room. There is a ton of music throughout the show, but I will give you some of my favorites.

Celia intro is upbeat and enticing:
https://youtu.be/vaIXxk0-r3Y?t=17

The Betrayal Celia felt from Pedro's lies and how she chose to show her anger. Listen not only to her song choice but the piano and violin music they play between it to show how she felt:
https://youtu.be/eQ4pAZhUTfs?t=80

Here is where we meet two important characters in the story. We meet Lola and her evil stepfather. The music upon his entrance signifies that he's not a good man, but Lola's with Celia is:
https://youtu.be/E9TM2jvq9Gc?t=2634

All good things come to an end, and I am sad that I have to say that this is my last blog post for my FYOS Telenovela class. This class has been one of the best experiences I have had at UGA. It broadened my awareness of the different cultures of telenovelas and how impactful they can be to people. In more ways than one, I have noticed that I truly learned about different Hispanic cultures, along with other countries, about their values, traditions, goals, and sacrifices. I saw this from the overly dramatic clips that I watched in class to my very own show that I am analyzing for my project. Even though this is the end of my class, it's the beginning of a new appreciation for all that is out there.

Thanks For Blogging with me,
Ciara S.

Blog Post #3 Kill Me, Heal Me

Hello!

• Kill Me, Heal Me certainly didn't disappoint. At times it did feel like it was being dragged out from the characters almost discovering something important but being interrupted by a phone call or someone walking in on them. Ri Jin being the victim of child abuse and Do Hyun being the only friend she had as a child and always tried to take blame for what she did so he could get hit instead of her. 
• Ri Jin was the daughter of Do Hyun's wife, from an affair, which is why Do Hyun's father despised Ri Jin and wanted nothing to do with her. Yet, Do Hyun is also the product of an affair, which makes Ri Jin and Do Hyun not blood related. 
•  Ri Jin and Do Hyun did have their happy ending, where both of them remembered their forgotten childhood memories. They come to accept their dark past together and no longer dwell on what was their childhood, but decide to live in the current. Do Hyun especially is starting a new life, free from all the voices and personalities in his head. 
• Like the name of this drama insinuates, their not so happy past and demons have been killed and they've been healed.

This is Ri Jin and Do Hyun as children in the basement. Ri Jin was locked in the basement the whole day and Do Hyun would come and visit her every night at 10pm. 

• Do Hyun is able to get rid of personalities, by taking over of his own mind and becoming a stronger person and coping with his own traumas without the need of his personalities to that for him. His personalities were a way of coping and masking himself from remembering his own memories, because he wasn't ready to face them. 

This drama really pulled heart strings, with the very good acting of Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-eum. I always caught myself being so intrigued and moved by their acting. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyYRLzyZP_w

• This is a link to one of my favorite scenes, where Ri Jin goes to visit the house she was abused in as a child and her memories are triggered. She realizes that her nightmares actually her child hood and that she knew Do Hyun as a child. (The two children you see are Ri Jin and Do Hyun, and the man is Do Hyun's father.) 
• Here you see how she is overwhelmed with fear and emotion of her traumatic childhood and even gets afraid of Do Hyun, confusing him to be his father. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVAZ1alE80k

• This scene is where you see one of Do Hyun's personalities, which is supposed to be Ri Jin as a child. Here you see Ri Jin, essentially, talking to herself as a child. She tells her that it's not her fault that she got abused and that she goes on to live a life surrounded with people she loves, and works as someone who helps people. 

Enough with the emotional talk!

Is Kill Me, Heal a good example of an epic love story?

1. Physical appearance? Yes, Hwang Jung-eum and Ji sung are very beautiful people. 
2. Male protagonist smile? Yes, he looks like a puppy when she smiles.
3. Female protagonist sad/nostalgic beauty? Yes, the actress was very good at conveying sadness through her characters memories. 
4. Talent? YES, especially from Ji sung, who probably has does the best job at crying that I've seen. 
5. Romantic elements of the story? Yes, they started as personal doctor and patient, but the romance developed very naturally. 
6. The size of the obstacles? This whole show from episode one was full of obstacles. His disorder and the uncovering of dark memories between both Ri Jin and Do Hyun. 
7. What they make the audience feel? I did not expect to be so emotionally invested into this show, it was a very emotional show with very touchy topics.

I would give Kill Me, Heal Me a 100% on the epic love story scale. 

In class we talked about how music plays a key roles in telenovelas. One of the things that can make or break a Korean drama is having a good theme song, also called OST (original soundtrack). These songs are made specifically for the series and if you translate the lyrics, it goes with the theme of the plot. I personally fell in love with the OST of Kill Me, Heal Me.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7LeFyNmJxc

The link above is the link to the main song of Kill Me, Heal Me (with English translations). It is described that the rapping part is the "killing" part while the women singing is the "healing" part, which does make sense if you read the translations of the song. 

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJ8KpD0Q-Y

This song is called " I am Cha Do Hyun", which by the title you can get an idea of what moments this song would be put in the background.  

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXV4ZEnpxbY

This song is called " I am Shin Se Gi". Se Gi was his evil and brutal personality. The whole tone of the song is suspenseful and drastically different than that of Do Hyun's song. 

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2-ft3Btu-c

This song is called "Childhood". This song would be put whenever Ri Jin's or Do Hyun's childhood memories would be shown or thought about. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2-ft3Btu-c

(This is the link to a playlist of the soundtrack) 

I'm so sad this class is over, I'm really interesting in taking the longer class Spring 2020. I hope it fits in my schedule. I enjoyed my time learning about just how complex these shows that I grew up with are. I will probably never look at a telenovela the same, but in a very good way. I'm more keen on analyzing them now and seeing how the story's play out. 

Thank you, 
Suley Rostro