Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Betty La Fea (Ugly Betty) Mas Bella Update XXVII

Well, in case you missed it, "Ugly Betty" won Best Comedy/Musical/Whatever last night at the Golden Globes, and star America Ferrera took the Best Actress in a, you know. I don't watch awards shows (God help us if the signals from these shows make it first to a more advanced civilization off in space somewhere), but I was in another room with a tv so my wife yelled to me when the winners were announced. I got to see Salma (!!!) and her crew accept the show award and then little (she really is little if you look close) America give that really authentic thanks, including words for her mom, whom I've heard her praise before. Time and the Lindsay Factor may eventually get America, but she's not there yet. She seems to take seriously the responsibility that the show and her role have placed on her, at least a little like what happened in Colombia with "Betty La Fea." Maybe I've already imbibed the notion of "real beauty is inside" so much that I remain more impressed with the sibling/friend chemistry and relationship between Betty and Daniel on the show. It was a good way to take it and I hope they resist screwing with it, even if/when Betty starts her American transformation (pun, get it??).

OTOH, if you're waiting for insightful commentary on the Televisa remake of the "Betty" original, "La Fea Mas Fea," you must have missed my last couple of comments. Acceptable as a typical telenovela (unlike that idiot thing they've put on just in front of it now or that debacle that follows it, even with Cesar Evora and Laura Flores), it's just a telenovela now. Draw ratings but lost the art, the novelty, the anticipation, the contribution, just like "Friends," "That 70s Show," "MASH," etc. "Ugly Betty" deserves the awards for being true to the vision if not the plot. "La Fea" is just a tv show.