By Lida Prypchan
If there is anything objectionable about the channel 9 soap opera, it is the vile impoverishment of the image of women committed by Venezuelan women themselves.
We can see this simply from an analysis of the first actors. Hilda Carrero, who plays the part of Cristina, is a young woman with a physical defect in her leg. However, this physical defect does not mean that her mental structure is also affected. But this is what takes place. Apparently, the defect she suffers from moves upwards to her head, making it impossible for her to think like an intelligent woman. It is outrageous that a woman agreed to play such a denigrating role. Cristina is naive, underestimates herself, does not say she studies or reads or has a university degree, nor that she wishes to progress, improve, develop intellectually. No, none of that is meant for a woman. Their role is passive to an unspeakable extreme. She has two female cousins that she allows to overwhelm her. Cristina is not seen giving an opinion or having an interesting conversation with anyone. She only lives to play with dolls, talk to her grandmother, think about putzing around and build castles that do not exist nor will ever exist.
Eduardo Serrano’s case is quite different: he is shown as an irresistible attorney, who after playing with the feelings of Cristina’s cousin, leaves her to become engaged to Cristina since he is interested in her fortune. He is shown as gallant, made to be a myth without foundation, since he does not possess the qualities to win over a real woman. First of all, you cannot say that this actor is physically handsome because when he smiles it makes you want to cry. Secondly, his role is to deceive women, he is a simple freeloader. His views are absurd for our times. He behaves like a caveman dressed in a modern suit.
He is a veritable disaster!
And finally, I would like to compare this Venezuelan soap opera with a Brazilian one that is on channel 5 on Wednesdays, titled A Woman Named Malú. Although the most recent reviews say that it has let up a bit, this does not prevent me from seeing this soap opera as something to make women proud. Apart from the fact that the actress works very well, she has a progressive role. She is a sociologist who is divorced, suffers from this uncomfortable and unpleasant experience, but moves on. She moves on because she has the strength to do so: she has personality, her own ideas, strength of character, she loves progressing and views life as a sea of new possibilities for her development as a person. And I do not say this to be anti-nationalist. What is quality is quality and that’s all.
