TELENOVELA BLOCK.pages 24 - 30: - Discop

telenovela block
TELENOVELA AND AUDIENCE
By Dejan Pralica
The phenomenon of popularity of
telenovelas, which are better
known as “Spanish serials” in the countries
generated from former Yugo -
slavia, is not typical only for this
region. However, since in the CEE the -
re was an expansion of Latin-American
serials in a relatively short time, media
theoreticians, sociologists and media
owners have got opposed opinions
about the influence this kind of TV
entertainment has on public.
Because of their easy content, full
of stereotypes about love, jealousy,
infidelity, man-woman relationships,
and family relationships, and cheap
placement of tens, even hundreds of
short episodes, this kind of TV serials,
i.e. telenovelas, is accepted by large
audience. Media say that usually
housewives and retired women are
those who are fond of “Spanish serials”,
but these serials are regularly or
occasionally also watched by pupils,
teenagers, and even students and
educated people. Of course, if you ask
them whether they watch any of these
serials, they will smile vaguely depriving
you of the confirmative answer.
The higher their education, the less
honesty showed. Why are educated
people so ashamed of telenovelas
DOES NOT BURDEN THE
BRAIN
Cultural sociologists may agree on
one thing: the “soaps” are a typical
massive culture representative. They
have all features of massive culture.
They are (Dragan Kokovic, 2004)
“equalizing different cultural levels,
searching and attracting great number
of people, increasing cosmopolitan
characteristics of cultural values,
commercialization...” The fact is that
telenovelas are intended for a relatively
wide and heterogeneous audience,
and since the target group is so dispersive,
hitting the target was easy.
The British culturologist and psychologist
Rob Vederil (Vederil, 2005)
classifies “soaps” into pop culture. He
explains pop culture as wide span of
cultural forms that are easily available
and accessible to everyone. Pop culture
overcomes all class and ethnic
differences. In addition to “soaps”,
there are also commercials. And by
combining these two things, media
owners have reasons to be very satisfied.
The audience will complain about
commercials, but will patiently wait for
the end of the episode.
LET’S WATCH DOMESTIC
Since we live in the era of globalization,
with strong media influence,
“family intrigues” from distant South
America had moved in the Balkans
region, and a great number of commercial
TV stations in Serbia and
Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, as well as Hungary,
Romania, Bulgaria and even Greece
have bought original scripts for
“Spanish serials”, engaged domestic
actors, and the effort was worth their
while. Yet, it looks paradox that a typical
Serbian family, for example, lives in
a big house, has three kids, father,
mother (with unavoidable lovers), and,
of course, a nanny and servants, by
South-American model.
Majority of globalization theoreticians,
according to Italian anthropologist
Christiano Giordano (Giordano,
2001), would like to convince us that
the world is in the middle of the turn in
which all societies, step by step,
become closer to one another, and
become more alike. Famous culturologist
Marshal McLown, could not even
dream about telenovelas when, in the
middle of the 20th century, predicted
that the world will become “a global village”.
Telenovelas have brought the
expansion of South-American cultural
values on our market. Connection of
domestic and foreign, by commercial
TVs, is an interesting undertaking
that, as it has been proved, guarantees
financial success.
THE MORAL CULTURE
When speaking about correct
media usage, with the accent on moderate
consumption of TV contents, TV
broadcasters and individuals from
audience share equal responsibility.
User – spectator has the task to
choose time and topics that are interesting
for him. French culturologist,
Louis Dolo (Dolo, 2000), emphasizes
the man and his mission to be trained
and capable not to bear things that
others have imposed, but to choose
things that are appropriate for his personal
development and to throw away
what is not needed.
Next time when we ask people if
they watch telenovelas or “soaps”, will
we receive the same answer, or the
situation will drastically change, de -
pen ding on the quantity and, of
course, the quality of other content
that is placed on TV. Until on the
majority of the CEE TV channels different
telenovelas are broadcast at the
same time, our audience will be moved
into the fiction of beautiful South-
American landscapes, actors and ac t -
resses, and live in a different world,
with a smile on their face, running
away from everyday problems. Is it OK
to deprive them of such satisfaction
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