Perspectives in Health Magazine
The Magazine of the Pan American Health Organization
Volume 8, Number 2, 2003

Breaking the pattern
As health themes have gained ground on the soap scene, two types of programs have emerged: telenovelas produced specifically to promote a particular message and those that include health themes in the context of a larger plot. Both types have been growing in number as well as shifting their focus as awareness of social and public health issues has increased. Many early telenovelas followed a "good vs. bad" model: the bad guys were the ones infected with HIV (for example, in the Argentine program Celeste, starring Andrea del Boca), and unwanted pregnancy was punishment for a night of sex out of wedlock—an error the heroine paid for over the course of the next 300 episodes.

A new generation of screenwriters is now producing what they call "breaking-thepattern telenovelas." Pushing the messageplacement envelope, they have tackled such high-impact issues as urban violence, political corruption, AIDS and even trafficking in human organs in series such as Colombia’s La mujer del presidente (The President’s Wife) in 1998 and Amores perros (Love’s a Bitch) in 1999, Brazil’s Nada personal (Nothing Personal) in 1997 and Argentina’s Resistiré (I Will Resist) in 2003.

Telenovelas still have their retrograde moments, with lines such as: "Look how you treat your husband; no wonder he beats you," spoken by a female character in Venezuela’s Telefutura production Angélica pecado (Angelica Sin). But positive treatments of these issues are now much more the rule. For example, Brazil's Mujeres apasionadas (Passionate Women) deals with the issue of domestic violence in a very different way: It is no longer stigmatized, and its treatment mirrors real life. This, coupled with evening airing hours, has helped the show capture a growing male audience along with the usual females.

The key to success for health messages in telenovelas is to preserve the centrality of the fictional narrative, according to Argentine expert Nora Mazziotti.

"When the story gets lost and the message is not interwoven with the narrative, people don’t like it," she says. "The message has to be attractive and easy to understand." She favors an unobtrusive approach akin to for-profit product placement.

"Episodes involving health issues always attract audiences," Mazziotti continues. "Telenovelas definitely educate without trying to, and it’s important to take advantage of this potential."

The program Beck heads, which is supported by the CDC, provides information and consultants to television screenwriters and producers and suggests important health issues that can be included in future episodes. To encourage the practice, the CDC awards an annual Sentinel for Health Award to daily soap operas that "inform, educate and motivate viewers to make choices for healthier and safer lives."

In April in Miami, the First World Summit of the Telenovela Industry, sponsored by TV Más magazine, included health message placement in its agenda. (Since 1995, annual Soap Summits have been held to encourage social and health messages in the U.S. daytime shows.)

"What is really new and positive is the interest that big writers, producers and distributors have in working with health specialists," says Amanda Ospina, editor of TV Más and organizer of the summit. "For these messages to achieve their goal, you have to have joint efforts between all those involved in a show’s creation."

Participants in the gathering, which included producers, screenwriters, actors and researchers, were enthusiastic about incorporating salient social themes into their shows. Televisa’s Miguel Sabido noted that the number of Hispanics in the U.S. viewing audience is growing and said that they must be better informed about their rights and responsibilities to become a healthier population.

Nearly 35 years have passed since the heroine of Simply Maria arrived alone in the big city with little more than her own hopes. She gave birth to unwanted children, was betrayed by lovers, turned out to have a rich biological father, became an heiress and lived the life of a lover, wife, mother and perpetual victim of those who envied her goodness and beauty. Thirty- five years ago, Maria dared to get an education to improve her lot. Today’s telenovela heroines fight for gender equality, for the right to use birth control and to overcome addiction or stigma. While telenovelas’ tried-and-true formula may not have changed in more than three decades, their messages about health and life have changed—and continue to change for the better.

Paula Andaló is a journalist in the Public Information Area of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, DC.

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