Friday, March 25, 2016

Weekend Discussion: Crimes of Fashion, 4th Edition 3/25/16


There is so much Stürm und Drang among the denizens of the DF upper crust that it seemed appropriate to understand why these emotional conflicts exist. A few of the women in the midst of this conflict might have made their lives better – in their own minds – with better fashion choices. It was only the sudden death of Monserrat Moret that made Nina Perez de Montenegro the main focus of this latest edition. She is no Ann Grenville in money matters and even now still has much to learn of fashion in the world she hopes to stay in.

Thanks to Soledad Romero-Vargas, our fashion critic here at Vanidades, we bring you these fashion felonies. Enjoy.

  • D.D.  

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Friday, February 19, 2016

Weekend Discussion: Crimes of Fashion, 3rd Edition 2/19/16


It's time once again to pause from the scandalous behavior and outrageous fortunes among those with both to look once again at what they often don't see: Fashion Felonies. Many people look in the mirror and don't see the big picture. For the rich and shameless this results in gossip that some choose to ignore at their social peril. Public image once meant something to these people. Don't they care anymore? I suppose only if they have political ambitions does it matter.

Thanks to Soledad Romero-Vargas, our fashion critic here at Vanidades, we bring you these disasters.                        -- D.D. 
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Friday, January 29, 2016

Karmageddon Discussion: Muchacha Italiana Viene a Casarse 11/26/16

Let's make pasta primavera and open some vino for this one because we deserve it.

It's time to figure out what tricks the Televisa writers will pull on us this time. After what happened with Mi Corazón es Tuyo I am seriously concerned that most of the nasties of this series will get off without any relevant punishment, but we can at least vent here about what should happen to them. Let's start with the queen of the lot:
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Friday, December 18, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Yo No Creo en los Hombres -- Karmageddon!


Karmageddon comes to DF this time for the devil's own in Yo No Creo en los Hombres. We've had a very interesting collection of villains and top performances by the actors. Due to the nature and pace of this story, I've delayed this until today and this is updated through last evening's episode. As usual, we ask two questions:
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Friday, December 11, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Recap Authors, What Series Was Your Biggest Challenge?


This is also a forum for recap authors to talk about how we go about what we do.

I'm going into my fifth year of writing for this blog and most of it has been fun and interesting.  My first series was La Fuerza del Destino in 2011 where I caught most of the juicy episodes about the character we called Merry Piece and I felt privileged for that.  There were a few truly great performances in that series and some wooden ones and we all take the good with the bad.

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Friday, November 13, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Crimes of Fashion, 2nd Edition


It is my information from colleagues (including the late Richard Blackwell) that fashion felonies are the cocktail enjoyed prior to the aperitif of society peccadilloes and the entrée of scandal and murder. It is always satisfying to know that the moneyed classes are as human – or inhuman – as anyone else in their roles in their own downfalls. To this end, the paparazzi at Vanidades have provided me with these sometimes hilarious and otherwise frightening examples of questionable taste. My colleague, fashion critic Soledad Romero-Vargas, provides the captions.

Enjoy and provide your comments. And please, if you have any excellent candids for a future edition send me an e-mail with the files attached. I do protect my sources. – D.D.

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Friday, October 23, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Novela Cliche Directory


I decided once upon a time to compile these and here is what I've collected so far.  What can you add to this?

Most are self-explanatory.

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Friday, October 02, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Viva Italia!


Italian Culture, Cinema, and Cuisine

Muchacha Italiana Viene a Casarse is creating such lively discussions lately I thought it appropriate to have a weekend topic devoted to all things Italian. This is such a big topic that detail will be impossible, so I'll just bring up the main points and let the rest of you contribute. What Italian things do you love?
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Friday, September 25, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Your Favorite Movies

What movies do you love?  Classics?  Trendy new?  Epics?  Horror?  Film Noir?  Enquiring minds want to know!

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Friday, September 18, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Unlikely Couples


Who's your favorite unlikely couple from past novelas?

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Saturday, September 12, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Your Favorite Classic Novelas

  
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Friday, August 07, 2015

Weekend Discussion: First Annual Televisa Perversity Pageant (Men's Division)


We're getting into some seriously poisonous stuff with our latest round of Televisa villains. Lately it seems that the growing influence of male writers is resulting in more perverse male villains than we used to know 10 years ago. Therefore we are now in the finals of our first-annual Perversity Pageant (Men's Division).  Who should get the Crown of Fire?
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Thursday, July 30, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Karmageddon Comes to Santa Lucia (La Sombra del Pasado)


We're coming close to the end and the crap is flying so here is the all-important discussion of the Karmageddons awaiting the evil ones in our story. As usual we will ask the following two questions:

What do you think the writers will do to them?
What do you think they really deserve?

Contrary to my usual practice I am posting my thoughts in this article because of my current computer issues.
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Friday, July 10, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Novela Stars in English!

Before we knew them as novela characters -- stereotyped or otherwise -- some were in English-language movies and TV.   Just to mention two here:
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Friday, July 03, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Life Imitates Art Imitates Life? Revisited


Note:  This is a re-publishing of an August 2013 discussion that I think is relevant because I wonder to what degree the outdated attitudes get revived in remake after remake.  Inspired by a line of dialogue in last night's episode of LSdP.


Do you think that telenovelas reflect or influence human behavior?  A good friend of long standing is under the bizarre impression that in order to have a massively passionate relationship one must also have insane conflict.  I had so many conversations with him during fights and estrangements with various girlfriends from college until his marriage and after his divorce that sounded like novela fights and reconciliations (and he not only isn't Hispanic, he doesn't even watch them).

Last weekend I watched The Godfather, Part III and found an article by a British journalist that discussed the difficulties the studio had with the real mob during production of the original film. Once they settled their issues and the film debuted something interesting allegedly happened:  Real mobsters began addressing their leaders as "Don" and "Dons" became "Godfathers."  The characters on HBO's hit series The Sopranos regarded these films as the bible of Mafia etiquette.

BTW, as an aside, I know that the original Godfather film was a hit in Mexico; in a 2001 novela it was named by a series protagonist as his favorite film.  And El Padrino of QBA looks like he has something of a Vito Corleone complex.

Added:  Do you think outdated attitudes are revived or reviled?  Do you think that the PSA tendencies of novela writers can influence future behavior?

Have it it, amigos.

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Saturday, June 13, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Love -- Reality or Poetic Delusion?




I actually know a few people who don't think love exists at all.  Some of them had highly toxic parents and a couple of them have had disappointing love lives (one I suspect never had one).  A few other people I know are so confounded by differences between men and women they refuse to believe it is possible to understand the other at all.  It's possible that they are too lazy to try.

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Friday, May 29, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Have the Writers Declared a Competition on Perversity?






I had to post this right after this evening's episode of La Sombra del Pasado because I was ready to explode at Severiano slobbering all over Aldonza. I was actually screaming at the screen and I never do that. I've seen a lot of nasty horror movies and was beginning to become immune to some of the evil and gore in them. However, rape trauma is still something that makes my blood boil.
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Friday, May 08, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Do Humans Need Love?


Poets, dramatists, composers, and artists have all made careers of glorifying Love. We glue ourselves to our screens night after night watching novela characters trying to make sense of this emotion that other characters either know less about than they do or.... intentionally attempt to deceive them about. However while writers, composers, singers, and actors do their best to promote Love – in all its forms – as the grandest thing in life nobody ever seriously addresses the big fundamental question: Do humans need love to live and be happy?
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Friday, April 24, 2015

Weekend Discussion: Misogyny and Sexism Need an Executioner



I'm in step with those who are watching Amores Con Trampa but still catching up to La Sombra del Pasado (cap 25) and Que Te Perdone Dios (cap 34), but the sexism is getting to me.  I totally get that rural environments are often more sexist than urban ones and what's going on in ACT makes a certain amount of sense.  However in the 21st century are the other two even close to reality anymore?

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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Weekend Discussion Your Favorite Actors' Best Performances


This was suggested two weeks ago.  Pick your favorite actor and his best performance.  All character types are fair game; you can choose one of each.  I'll start.  I might add photos later from your entries in between catching up on the two big dramas currently airing.

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