I
never considered how big of a role regulation played in the production of
telenovelas. In my Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) classes I have
learned about the oppression of society by the government in different countries.
Therefore, it does not surprise me that the government has some type of extreme power over telenovelas, even though I did not initially consider it.
However, it did surprise me how much the production team restricted themselves.
After the Media Content Law in Venezuela, production
companies like Venevisión began to restrict themselves by creating rules and
regulations that the law did not even cover. For Venevisión, writers like Leonardo
Padron contradicted with their over-regulation. Padron wanted to express
himself through his writing and the production company stifled that expression.
I could not imagine being a writer with so many restrictions. I love to write.
As a person who deals with anxiety, writing helps me make sense of my feelings
and connect with others regarding those feelings. If I ever had to deal with the restriction of those thoughts and emotions, I do not know how I would handle it.
This is especially if I was put in a similar position as Leonardo Padron. I
could not even begin to imagine not being able to return to the country I am
from due to my feelings not being accepted.
Restrictions such as a Media Content Law amaze me when it
comes to content such as telenovelas. I think of telenovelas as a world where the
audience can relate to the characters and their problems and where the writers
and producers can express themselves however they want to. The fact that
something as simple as the word “beer” cannot be mentioned does not match up to
those expectations. I have noticed, through the content taught in my LACS
classes and my own experience with the United States government, that the
government can be extremely sensitive especially when it comes to opposition.
This sensitivity is valid, but it is concerning when it begins to impact the
expression and rights of citizens and entertainment media outlets. I cannot imagine major production
companies in the U.S. that are equivalent to RCTV being shut down or companies
equivalent to Globovisión being bought-out by the government. For me, that is like Freeform or the CW being shut down or bought out by the government - in terms of teenage dramas as opposed to telenovelas. Although I
appreciate the freedoms that I do have and that the media has when it comes to expression, I am not naïve
enough to ignore how easily they can be taken away.
Nikki --
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you in terms of how shocking it was to hear about how the networks themselves restricted their content. Coming from the United States, especially in this day and age, we often see the government being criticized in a wide variety of ways. However, the very core of our democracy and our society lay in respecting other people's points of view and realizing that our government is not perfect. I cannot imagine the reaction from people if our leaders suddenly decided to restrict the content that we consumed or if the government slowly started shutting down any networks that it didn't agree with. We as Americans often forget that the very freedoms we take for granted (such as openly disagreeing with our government or its leaders) are not the same as those enjoyed by others around the world.
I love how you address these issues in your post. These are things we could never fathom in the United States, but seeing how these things really do happen in countries like Venezuela opened my eyes. I think it's incredible that many of the newer telenovelas are beginning to stand up for some of these issues. In Al Otro Lado del Muro, they discuss immigration and the simple humanistic freedoms that everyone deserves. I thought it was really interesting to watch how Cosita Rica had an influence on the people in Venezuela. I have learned a lot through watching these shows that stand for something and that address these issues that need to be discussed more openly to avoid consequences such as those you address.
ReplyDeleteNikki, thank you for this post! I remember the class that we discussed the Media Content Law and other restrictions in Venezuela. That class, to me, was one (if not the most!) important and timely classes because of the place that the United States is in right now. In that class, we discussed the steps that were taken in order to shut down a network and make television government-controlled. It was important to see what happened in other countries and see the similarities between that and the things that are happening in our country. Thank you Dr. A for opening our eyes to history that should not be so easily forgotten.
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