Latin America is a diverse medley of European, African, and Native American people. The culture is so colorful, but why have telenovelas been produced with predominantly light skinned actors? Over seventy percent of Latin America is of mixed descent. Shouldn’t the people see themselves being represented on the television? The thing about classic telenovelas is that the people are not realistic. Not every woman is skinny and beautiful and not every man is built with a six pack and perfect teeth. Portraying all of these characters to the general public puts a damper on a growing child’s own self perception and self confidence. I know that growing up with a mother who was obsessed with fashion and magazines, I was exposed early on to supermodels and their unique beauty. My name, Karolina, was also heavily inspired by the Czech supermodel Karolina Kurkova, who was very popular around the time when I was born. It’s impossible for me to fill those shoes when it comes to beauty and popularity, but that’s the exact mindset that young people and the media need to stay away from. What is put out on television and pop culture news sources heavily impacts the mindset of a young person. Models and actors have increased in diversity, and body positivity movements have expanded a lot in the United States. Telenovelas, however, are lacking behind in this field historically. Light skin has dominated the main roles, with people of darker color playing stereotypical and sometimes racist roles. Even light skinned actresses, such as the woman who portrayed Betty in Yo soy Betty, La Fea, Ana Maria Orozco, was not thought of as beautiful in Latin America. This woman was the definition of pretty. High beauty standards make for even more beautiful actresses.