A question about soap operas on Univision.

[mlawson]

Yes, this is trivial, but it's Friday evening, and there is something I really am wondering about: We recently got Univision on our cable. It's all in Spanish, a language I do not speak. Anyway I was looking at their soaps this week just out of curiosity, and noticed quickly that most actors, ESPECIALLY the women, CRY just about all the time!! Seriously, most every scene shows some woman tearing up, or just boohooing away. Now, these characters are not impoverished, but live in very nice houses, so it's not over economic conditions. In several cases, the women (or girls) are sitting on a bed, three of them, and cry through several consectutive scenes.

I don't get it. Is this a cultural thing? Bad directing?? What???? :shrug:

[kixot]

1. Drama.

Pur and simple, the issues are usually with a relationship, some kind of scandalous dealing, or any other dramatic situation you can imagine. The tearing up for scene after scene simply prolongs the suspense. Not too unlike American daytime soap operas, only the Spanish ones tend to actually end after about 18 months rather than drag on and on for 30 years or so. In other words, there is a point and conclusion to the stories.

[mlawson]

2. So it is the directing?

Hmmmm. Well, I didn't think it was cultural -- no society could operate with half the people walking around sobbing all the time. But the directors can't think of anything else for the actors to do???

[tsipple]

3. Just Proves Crappy TV Comes in Any Language

The futbol (soccer) coverage is sometimes watchable, though.