JRLC/LACS 5060 Telenovelas, Culture and Society

I now understand that without romance, passion, and sexual expression, a telenovela can not go on. The phrase "sex sells" is definitely true in the case of telenovelas and if the characters love each other as well, we are even more hooked. The examples of different love cases that we have been watching in class have made me want to find love for myself with a good looking man! Although these telenovelas are not reality, and many actions and words are "cheesy", I am still drawn in and am convinced the feelings are real. These talented actors and actresses make you believe this.

In my telenovela, La Reina del Sur, we immediately see Teresa's love for Raimundo. However, later in the episode we realize he has been killed. We experience many flashbacks of the two of them together and the love they had for each other. For me, I got a kind of "sketchy" vibe from him. He was linked to the drug cartel and this led to his death. We aren't sure how much he has told Teresa about his involvement. But obviously he was heavily involved since it led him to his death. We feel bad for Teresa because she is carrying the grief of the loss, but at the same time, we know she is going to find someone else. We know this first of all because it is episode one only! Of course the beautiful, tough, woman will find someone great. And boy does she...

Santiago swoops into Teresa's life when she moves to Spain and becomes a waitress at a local bar. He walks in and immediately locks eyes with the gorgeous Teresa. She acts uninterested, but how could she be!? He is sooo good looking (typical of telenovelas- everyone is so attractive). Even after she denies him, he continues to pursue her. The pursuit is every girl's desire. Every girl wants to continue to be pursued and continue to get attention even if they aren't particularly interested. So of course to instantly win the love of the audience, Santiago pursues Teresa. He follows her to the beach just so he can talk to her and he even tries his hardest to get her out of jail for a crime she didn't  commit. We as the viewers know the two are going to fall in love (we can feel the sexual tension jumping out at us) but we just don't know when. We know that Teresa's heart is still broken over the loss, and she isn't particularly sure if she can trust men. However, eventually they fall in love and the chemistry is unbearable! One of the best couples Dr. A said she has EVER seen! I can't wait to keep watching!!! LOVE IS IN THE AIR!