Thinking Out Loud about Telenovelas/ Pensando en voz alta sobre las telenovelas

Carolina Acosta-Alzuru (2025, May) was an invited participant on “Thinking Out Loud about Telenovelas/ Pensando en voz alta sobre las telenovelas,” Scholars Convening: Telenovela. Americas Society/Council of the Americas. New York, NY. The Scholars Convening consists of four meetings held in advance of Telenovela, an exhibition planned by the Americas Society for 2026. The proceedings from these meetings will provide the groundwork for the development of the general concept and themes for the exhibition, which examines how telenovelas—as a mode of popular entertainment and a global commodity—have conveyed Latin American social, political, and economic values with inter-American and international audiences. The Convening invited twenty participants—scholars, writers, artists and curators— to do presentations and participate in discussions focused on telenovelas. Abstract: Has the coexistence of linear television and streaming modified telenovelas? Has the imperative to succeed in the global content market changed the elements that define these shows? Are the serialized dramas coming from Turkey and South Korea also telenovelas? Why are Latin American production executives avoiding the word “telenovela?” This presentation delved into these questions reflecting on the evolution and future of telenovelas.