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CHAPTER IV
THE STUDY
Overview
This chapter presents the Brazilian telenovela “O Clone”,
“El Clon” in the Spanish form broadcast in the United
States.The telenovela’s contextual importance in Brazil and
the US is presented. A summary of the telenovela is outlined. This
section is also dedicated to the description of the study methodology
and design. The model of parasocial interaction sub-dimension is
detailed, along with the context of the study. An overview of the
Internet as a research site is given, and The Telenovela-World Forum
website and the forum participants are presented.
“O Clone” - “El Clon”
(The Clone)
“O Clone”/ “El Clon” (The Clone) is an
important telenovela for TV Globo for many reasons. “O Clone”
obtained one of the highest telenovela audience ratings in Brazil
in the last few years. In its final episodes reached 60 points of
audience in the IBOPE (Instituto Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Estatística),
which meant that about three million households were watching the
final episode in the city of São Paulo (Padiglione, 2002).
Each point corresponds to 47, 000 households in the Great São
Paulo area. In its final week it was watched by 75% of households
that had the TV turned on.
In the USA on Telemundo network, “El Clon” reached an
average prime-time share of 37.2%, which was higher than average
for this specific time slot at Telemundo. In June of 2002, “El
Clon” reached first place in audience share in the U.S. Hispanic
market (Globopar, June 2002). The Clone had 221 chapters; it was
broadcast in Brazil Monday through Saturday at 9 pm, from October
2001 to June 2002. In the US Telemundo aired the Spanish-dubbed
version Monday through Friday at 10 pm., from January 2002 to December
2002. In the United States closed captioned in English was also
offered. Many participants in the Telenovela World forum did not
speak Spanish, so this was well utilized by the participants. Currently,
Telemundo is also showing reruns of the novela Monday through Friday
at 10 am.
“O Clone” has been exported to 62 countries, including
Israel, Portugal, Russia, Turkey, and of course Latin American neighbors
such as Peru, Argentina, Venezuela. It won various awards and recognition
such as “Cidadania Brasil de Exportação”
(Brazilian Citizenship Export Award) in the category of “Prêmio
Destaque” (Prominent Award), sponsored by the Arab-Brazilian
Chamber of Commerce, The Brazilian Institute for the Development
of Citizenship (Insitituto Brasileiro de Desenvolvimento da Cidadania),
the Export Promotion Agency (Apex, Agência de Promoção
de Exportações), and the Foreign Relations Ministry
(Ministério das Relações Exteriores). The reason
for the award was the “brilliant novela’s contribution
in bringing together cultures and peoples and valuing Brazilian
products in the international market” (Folha Online, 2002).
In the United States, “El Clon” received the 2003 Inte
Award for best novela, best actress: Giovanna Antoneli (Jade), and
best writer for Glória Perez (Castro, 2003). This annual
award is in recognition of Ibero-American television excellence.
The Rio de Janeiro Anti-Drugs Council and the Brazilian Alcohol
and Drugs Association officially recognized Gloria Perez’
work in “O Clone” dealing with problems related to alcohol
and drugs. As a whole, this theme did not stir the same controversy
as the Muslim theme did. Perez toned down the poetic license when
dealing with drug addiction, preferring to use a more realistic
approach, with scenes where real people, addicts in recovery talked
about their experiences in close-ups that made the scenes more verisimilar.
During the telenovela broadcast, the National Antidrugs Council
(Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas) registered a 570% increase in calls,
from 900 in January 2002, to 6,000 in May 2002. And there are reports
of a 120% increase in calls asking for help to the organizations
specialized in helping drug addicts (Andaló, 2003).
A debate sparked among forum participants when a post called attention
to an award that the telenovela received in the United States for
its anti-drug message. While the drug theme is not explored in this
study, the messages posted show the richness of the exchange, with
divergent opinions, and different contextual situations. Some posts
from the United States were very critical of the way the writer
explored the subject. It was a consensus among the participants
from the United States that the theme was boring and somewhat disconnected
from the reality. While in different countries and contexts, the
posts reflected that the author’s approach to the alcohol
and drug focus seemed pertinent.
Gloria Perez, the author of “O Clone”, is not new to
social merchandising. She also wrote “Explode Coração”
(Explosion of the heart), a telenovela that brings to the small
screen the problem of missing children and child labor, along with
Gypsy culture. For the story of “O Clone”, Perez assembles
three issues in the telenovela’s plot: human cloning, Muslim
culture, and drug addiction. The cultural thematic and cloning,
according to the author and the press have already been established
before the attacks of September 11, 2001. These issues are the result
of surveys and focus groups conducted by Globo that reveal a curiosity
among the population about these subjects. After the attacks, some
actors refuse to participate in the novela, fearing retaliation
(Mattos & Castro, 2002).
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