Go Jets Ho!

I spent a considerable number of weeks this semester discussing convivencia Spain with students.  The marvel of the Moorish heyday has left no small impression on the class, and has tempted me to put down my numerous Arabic tomes to consider the pursuit of Spanish fluency.  After all, what polished academic dares complete her course of studies without attaining proficiency in at least one Romantic language?

It should come as no surprise that all and sundry have turned me to the most recommended program for the acquisition of this Romance language: the hyper-romantic telenovela.

I have been told that if I wish to learn Spanish, I should put myself on a strict diet of these syrupy Spanish confections. Having been raised on a steady consumption of Bollywood, I should find this a particularly easy transition to make.

 The telenovela should not be confused with the American soap opera, in which the same series and the same heroine can be counted upon to reign supreme for decades on end.  There is no analogue for Susan Lucci in the telenovela realm.  Instead, the telenovela provides its audience with the pleasure of viewership for the indefinite and unknowable future.  There is no way of predicting when an escalating story arc may suddenly come to an abrupt finish.  The story unfolding before the viewer’s eyes may continue to blossom for months on end, or may come to sudden completion in a couple of dazzling, heady weeks.  The true devotee of the telenovela understands to appreciate the run, no matter how long, and to taste the sweetness of whatever successes the favored characters are able to find.

 

It is not especially difficult to imagine Mark Sanchez as the buff male lead of a particularly addictive Mexican production.  Recently spurned by his own fans during the Bills match, Sanchez has managed to woo his way back into New Yorkers’ good graces with the dramatic turnaround delivered in last week’s episode against the Redskins. 

The most engrossing serial productions leave the audience begging for more. Let's see what Mr. GQ can do!