Although I have only watched a few episodes of the Colombian telenovela, Yo Soy Betty, La Fea I am so eager to watch more. Yo Soy Betty, La Fea is not only the most reproduced telenovela of all time, but also a quintessential ugly duckling, Cinderella story.
From what we have learned in class and what I have discovered through watching, so far Betty is a very well versed in mathematics and is trying to help Armando run the company Eco Moda. Even though I just started watching I can already tell I will love Betty as a character. She is a sweet and naive underdog in the story. Betty being an underdog has definitely contributed to the shows success. Everyone loves to root for an underdog or an ugly duckling in Betty’s case and when you watch the show you cannot help but want Betty to accomplish her goals and succeed in life.
The way the writers of Yo Soy Betty, La Fea wrote Betty’s character make her representative of not only the Columbian viewers, but also anybody that watches. As of right now in the show Betty is still in her “ugly phase” and to many viewers, particularly women, Betty represents our insecurities. We all have aspects of ourselves that was dislike and through Betty we can live them out and hopefully as I continue watching my insecurities will become more normalized and I can grow to be more confident. Betty’s character provides a sense of hope for the viewers.
Betty's character is definitely overused but still very necessary. In a world where beauty determines your life path, it is refreshing to watch someone who is stereotypically unattractive navigate her life in society. I definitely agree with your take that Betty represents women's insecurities. Women are set to way higher standards than men are in the world of beauty, and society profits off of women's insecurities. In a way, I can also see how Betty La Fea can also be problematic, because it is essentially profiting off of insecurities than women experience. Besides that, Betty La Fea will always be my guilty pleasure.
ReplyDeleteI feel like it's so crucial that Betty represents the everyday person. That's what makes us invested in her story. Especially, as you mentioned, because it's a Cinderella story. Everyone watching wants to believe that they too can have a princess transformation and have all their dreams come true. I also think it's necessary to make Betty like-able because I feel like when it comes to TV shows sometimes audiences don't want to watch a show if they feel like the characters aren't visually satisfying to them. I've had people tell me they won't watch a show because they don't think the main characters are pretty enough and so they can't force themselves to care about the story. Establishing Betty as a sweet girl that people want to root for right away, helps the show to combat that prejudice of people only wanting to watch shows with pretty people.
ReplyDeleteI love your take on the necessity of Bettys in our world, as it is inspiring to see someone who is in most senses normal and average, but has certain qualities and characteristics that make them special. It makes us feel empowered and able to achieve great things, regardless of our looks and conditions. I do agree however that the character overall is overused and continues to beat the same bush of attracting audiences by having them sympathize for someone that is seen as lesser due to their looks, but it nonetheless has proven to be very effective and enables audiences to connect with them.
ReplyDeleteI think that your writing on the beginning of "Yo Soy Betty, La Fea" is a perfect representation of the fact that telenovelas are so jam-packed with information and content. This understanding comes from what you wrote because you said you had only just begun watching the show, and you already seem to have a pretty clear view of Betty's character and the general plot of the show. You are able to tell that you like the character a lot, and your description of her personality already appears to go way below the surface. Telenovelas are such fast-paced television that this summary is able to be so effective despite you having only watched a few episodes of it. I also think it is important how you noted the success of the show, and its general plot line. "Yo Soy Betty, La Fea" has been reproduced many times because of its success, and that is a crucial detail when looking into this show.
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