"Crying in Spanish": Telenovela Memes in Latine Social Media

Since the 1960s, telenovelas have been recognized as a uniquely Latin American melodramatic televisual form. Many have achieved cult status--Cuna de lobos, Los ricos también lloran, Yo soy Betty la fea--and, as such, have become known beyond their origin countries as they are viewed not just within Latin America but around the globe. The internet age opened up telenovelas to entirely new audiences, and the democratization of media editing tools has made clips, gifs, and video production more readily available both to makers and consumers. In this talk, I'll be sharing some of my favorite telenovela memes in order to think about how these short-form interactions with telenovelas reveal an ongoing nostalgia for and engagement with the genre. I'll also be arguing that telenovelas prove particularly useful for young Latine audiences who use them as a way to access a wealth of cultural memories that reinforce the power and knowledge that Latinidad offers.

Adriana Estill grew up mostly in Richmond, California with some formative years spent in Guadalajara, Mexico, the home of her mother. She studied comparative literature, earning a BA (Stanford) and PhD (Cornell). She is presently, professor of English and M.A. and A.D. Hulings Professor of American Studies at Carleton College in Northfield, MN . Her publications include: “Latinx melodrama: Telenovela legacies in twenty-first century audiovisual narratives,” "Telenovelas and Melodrama in Latin America," "Closing the telenovela's borders: Vivo por Elena's tidy nation" and "Telenovela Spectres on U.S. Television: Constructing Latinidad on the Small Screen."

This lecture recording can be found on the Available Recordings page approximately two business days after the event and will remain accessible for three weeks.