Picture from: http://hilarious-pictures.blogspot.com
This is an old article from 2009 but I couldn't resist talking about it. Apparently Globo Novelas (soap operas) are teaching the Brazilian public about a variety of things. At first I really wanted to laugh at this. I mean, who the hell takes anything from a novela except drama drama drama?! Then I remembered how Mexico changed it's visa requirements after Brazilians started copying a character on the novela 'America' (I think it was anyway). They were entering the US via Mexico because at the time there were no visa requirements for Brazilians to enter into Mexico. And I thought I hated the line at the US consulate.
And look at this:
"Globo executive Luis Erlanger says that one episode, which featured a young girl in tears as her head is shaved in preparation for chemotherapy, prompted 23,000 bone marrow donations in the month after it first aired."
All I can say to that is Wow! I have also experienced this TV phenomenon first hand.
I carried both my boys in slings as babies. When I would walk around with my oldest in it people would stop me and exclaim that I was suffocating my child. They would tell me I was hurting him or that he was going to fall out. It got to be quite annoying as my walks would last about 5 and a half steps before I had to stop and explain how a sling works all over again.
Fast forward 2 and a half years to the birth of my second child. Shortly after his birth the sling was shown on an extremely popular Brazilian show: Fantastico. Talk about a change of heart! After that aired I was stopped just so people could look at in amazement.
They'd say things like: 'Wow! I just saw this on Fantastico!" or "That is very good for your baby, they said so on Fantastico." or "Where did you get that? My Daughters is pregnant and she saw it on Fantastico and now wants one for her baby." etc etc.
People, we have the key to Brazil here! Let's sit down all Brazilian politicians and have them watch a special novela episode where the main character cries because corruption is ruining the country she loves. They will need to make it good and heartfelt. And if this study is correct then we should be good.
While they're at it maybe Fantastico should do a piece on how Maracana won't ever be finished if there aren't any workers. The show could suggest that maybe they should raise the bar a bit when it comes to work conditions. I don't know about you but I'm guessing that if stuff is blowing up than things could improve. Just saying...
Do you watch any of the novelas or Fantastico? What have you learned from them?
