Addiction at its Finest

Well, I am definitely addicted to my telenovela!

 I didn’t understand the hype about how dramatic and addictive these shows could be, but now, merely 27 episodes in, I can’t stop watching. I trick myself into thinking it is okay to watch 5 episodes without moving from my bed instead of studying for other classes because, after all, this is work for a class, right?

But now the time has come to form my ideas and thoughts about “Rubí” in a paper. I’m struggling to figure out what exactly I want to talk about in the representation and identity paper. We’ve covered such a wide range of topics that, most, happen to appear as a major part of my telenovela.

First, I want to talk about the elements that are in telenovelas and how they appear in Rubí… a lot. Of course there is a love triangle and as the show goes on, the love triangle actually turns into many different love triangles, making the show even more dramatic. First, there is Rubí, Hector, and Maribel. Then, as Alejandro tries to win Rubí back, there is a second love triangle between Alejandro, Rubí, and Hector. Then, there is Paco, Rubí’s friend that is actually in love with Rubí, but Rubí usually doesn’t give him the time of day. Paco, himself is in another love triangle with a woman that he works with along with being in love with Rubí. Then, there is Rubí’s sister, Christina, who ends up with two suitors. She eventually chooses Cayetano, Maribel’s chauffeur. However, Marco is still very much in love with Christina and comes to her house to check on her mother’s health. I know that as I get deeper and deeper into the show, there will be more love triangles that appear, going along with the typical code of a telenovela.

We also spoke about various topics showing up in telenovelas such as diseases and substance abuse. In Rubí, Alejandro’s mother starts to lose her memory and is tested for Alzheimer’s, one of the topics we discussed in class. Although, Alejandro’s mother has not formally been diagnosed at the point of the show that I am at, I could probably accurately predict that it’s going to happen.

Another aspect that I would like to talk about in my paper is the gender roles, specifically with Rubí and Hector’s relationship. Although most people would expect the man to have the power in a typical relationship that develops in a telenovela, it is actually the opposite with them. Specifically in some of the more recent episodes I have watched, Rubí is constantly taking control of the situation and manipulating her way into Hector’s heart. When Rubí wants Hector to think a certain way, it happens. When Rubí wants Hector to be jealous, it happens. When Rubí wants Hector to be sad, it happens. This gender reversal is interesting especially because it is the opposite with Rubí and Alejandro. Although Rubí tries to convince herself she is no longer in love with Alejandro, he is persistent in getting her back. Alejandro has a huge influence on Rubí’s attitude. Although Rubí is manipulating Hector in a malicious way and Alejandro is doing it because he knows what should happen, they are still opposite of what you would expect.

I’m sure I will think of more as time passes between now and when the paper is due, especially because I will be watching more of Rubí and getting even more addicted.