You make an interesting observation that a close friend of mine and I have all the time. Unfortunately there is nothing that we can do about it. My abuelita is a big novela watcher. She watches everything from 1pm till like around 4 (when she takes her cafecito break) and watches the news and picks up again around 7 or 8. And this is in El Salvador. Not only that, but she professes that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the protagonist in the novela. Obviously she does that to joke around, but I’m sure there are others out there like her. I grew up watching “Un Carusel de Niños” and some other novelas my mother watched. I’m not going to lie, at the age of 7 or 8 I knew that Lucia Mendez was Caliente! Although I could care less for the plot, I stayed glued to the t.v. just to get a glimpse of her. OOOH the good old days, where have the’ve gone? But to get back on the topic. It is hard for us to justify so much novelas on t.v., except when we think about the channels we have on cable. I don’t know if the Spanish package on Comcast shows anything but novelas, cause I messed up and got excited when they said, I could have Gol tv and Fox Soccer for only $4 extra a month. After that I totally forgot to get the Spanish package. So, I don’t know? Maybe Direct t.v. has more variety then just novelas on their channel.
But to your other point about only Caucasians in the novelas, well, that’s the way it is around the world. I think of it like this, and I’m not justifying this, so understand where I’m coming from. I have to play devil’s advocate because there is always 16 points of view to a story and I’ll give the 17th. But novelas are fantasy, just like General Hospital, Days of our Lives and Passions. They are there to mystify and make you forget about your every day worries. My cousin Betty use to hate “Betty La Fea”, but when “Betty” became beautiful on the Novela, you couldn’t say anything to my cousin. We all want to be some of those characters, it’s fantasy, no not everyone in Latin America is wealthy, but majority of those that are, are white in complexion. Look at those business owners, Televisa, Citgo, and the big Telephone company out of Mexico (Can’t remember the name right now). Those are the ones who control the media.
My grandma is going to love her boyfriend. Heck I remember (and most women who will read this will probably sigh when they read his name) Andres Garcia, my mom adored. I couldn’t stand that guy, but he was in all of Lucia Mendez’ novelas, so I had to watch him kiss my woman!!!!!! So, it becomes a fantasy. We all want to live like the rich people in the novelas, we all want to have servants, ( I know sometimes I wish someone could just make my bed in the mornings)we all want to drive the nice car and have the Lucia Mendez or Andres Garcia. But reality is, we all can’t, so, we have novelas to polute our minds. A distraction from our debts, our hard times and family issues is what we look for. Lately I have become hooked to this meaningless show called “12 corazones” I don’t know why I watch that show. But I do. I even sit there and pretend I’m one of the contestants. And after I’m done watching it, nothing’s changed, I still have my debt, I still have my militant mindset, I still have to get up in the morning, but for that hour, I forgot about all those social ills.
Now, I’m a writer, poet, stage and on camera performer. I have written sitcoms that depict our community in a good light and focuses on serious issues. But when sent to different Television producers, they’ve mildly even noticed it. Why? Because there isn’t enough urban culture in it to make it attractive to the street audience and there isn’t a luxurious cast that will down play their roles. The only network that might even consider it would be a HBO or Show Time and to knock on their doors you need heavy hitters with you. So, I guess what I’m saying is, we you and I, can write novelas depicting our community as it really is. Perfect example of this is the WIRE on HBO. The best show on Television by far. Nothing comes close to it. Great writing, great acting and as real as the air we breathe. I have no problems sharing ideas with anyone. But in order to change what we see on Spanish Television we have to have alternative programming for them. We can’t expect them to change it on their own. The sponsors dictate that. If the sponsor say to them, “Hey we need something other these novelas”, then the network will change their tune.  We can do like Al Sharpton and start boycotting…Hey, I’m all for a march, some singing and some movement. But after we do that, do we have a replacement?
To your point, just look at B.E.T. African-Americans are livid at what that t.v. station is providing for their young children. Hill Park? The college life reality t.v. show. That shows kids with no direction and just partying and drinking and sex…Sex sells. And although that is a part of college life it is obviously not the only thing that goes on, on a college campus. Not to mention 106 and Park and the other video shows that are shown on B.E.T.  Remember the sponsors are the ones who hold the cards, whether they are bluffing or not, you have to fold cause at the end of the day they pay the bills.