A
graphic flies across the screen, and a woman wearing a little less clothing
than she should stands in front of the camera. In a quick Argentine flow, she
tells the viewers of the latest tragic event:
A horrible train crash.
A mother, who killed her son.
A series of cars broken into by men in masks.
An explosion downtown.
This
is the local news in Buenos Aires. When I walked into the kitchen on that first
week I was here, my host mom sat in front of the screen shaking her head. “¡Qué
barbaridad,” she would say as she watched the headline flash across the screen.
“¡Este país!”
Just
by watching the news, you would think I was living in a war zone. I learned
quite quickly though that this was more a signal of the news quality than the
city itself.
This
trend towards dramatization in the news is just one of the many interesting things
I’ve found as I’ve watched the TV in B.A. These news broadcasts, along with the
city’s advertising, movies and entertainment combine to form a uniquely
Argentine popular culture.
Local News:
To
begin, the local news is as I mentioned, way more negative and terrifying. More
than simply the content though, what shocked me the most was the way it was
delivered. In the U.S., tragedy is covered with a reporter on the scene, and a
few quotes from those involved to add color. Meanwhile, in Argentina, this
color is the whole story.
For
example, it is not odd to have a crying woman stand in front of the camera,
sobbing as she speaks, for a full five minutes without break. As the camera
watches her speak through tears, music that easily could be from Die Hard or
the Titanic plays in the background. Clearly, this type of coverage would not
pass in the United States. Here though, it is the norm. They want high ratings,
and people love violence, personal drama and excitement. The content shows
violence, the tears show drama, and the fast-moving cameras and music bring
excitement. And while, the United States has a long history of neutral
impartial coverage, Argentina does not. So this powerful ratings combination
flourishes.
Advertising:
Freshman
year of College, I took a class on American sex scandals. The main thesis I
gathered from the course on governmental scandals from JFK, to Lincoln, to
Clinton was that Americans are terrified of sex. We live in a country where
Michelle Obama get’s critiqued for showing her arms, and sexuality in public
makes you a pariah. This is not the case in Argentina.
I
was shocked when I first got here by the amount of “nudity” in public
advertisements. Obviously, there are no completely naked bodies, but compared
to what is deemed appropriate in the U.S., the content is shocking. Victoria
Secret posters look like ads for a sweater company compared to the ads for even
some of the most innocent of products here in Argentina. I’ve seen commercials
saying that a gum will get you action at a club. I’ve seen gigantic ads posted
along buildings claiming that a perfume will ensure that you get a night with a
shirtless Argentine man in his boxers. And I’ve seen billboards saying Digital
TV, will get you attractive nearly naked girls to come and watch soccer games
with you. Clearly sex is prevalent.
With
this in mind, it seems clear why cat calling is such a phenomenon here. I’m
sure many city dwellers in the United States think that they get these calls a
lot, but compared to Buenos Aires, they’ve seen nothing. My girlfriend is
coming up to Argentina in a less than a month (Whooo! Excited!!), and I’ve
warned her that she might want to wear a full suit of armor if she wants to
avoid the calls. Boyfriend at their side or not, women are always targets for
relentless Argentine men to scream out sexual calls at nearly every passing.
While
this behavior might be reserved for only the most dubious and despicable people
in the U.S., it is commonplace amongst Argentine males. Whether they are
construction workers, teachers or lawyers, the conduct is typically the same: A
whistle, a sexual innuendo and a lingering stare over their shoulder. Oh,
Argentines.
Entertainment:
When
people are not watching the news or goggling over women, they are usually
looking for some sort of entertainment from the TV or movies. Most of the
entertainment is from the U.S. From episodes of House or Law and Order on TV to
Hollywood hits like The Hunger Games or Men in Black III in the theaters, it is
not too hard to stay up to date with U.S. entertainment. More interesting to me
though are the Argentine shows that have a distinct B.A. feel to it.
There’s
no better place to start than with the Soap Operas. A few times a week, my host
mom excitedly gathers herself in front of her TV to watch her shows. During
these occasions, she watches the screen, sometimes yelling through the phone at
her friends about what is happening. “Estúpido,” she’ll sometimes scream at the
TV, as a character does some scandalous action, whether it is a woman betraying
her best friend, a man sleeping with the mistress, or the politician killing
the competition. It is truly spectacular drama, of which I will never
understand.
Then
there are the game shows. My favorite of them all follows a fairly simple
formula. In this show, contestants attempt difficult activities and if they
succeed, they are given a prize. What makes it interesting though is that the
tasks are absolutely absurd.
For
example, in one event contestants are asked to drive a car into a bouncy ball to
try and knock down ten setup bowling ball pins. In another, if a contestant
slides a pitcher of lemonade across a table, without it falling, they get an
LCD TV. It is absolutely ridiculous television, but just as with those Japanese
game shows on SPIKE, people love it, and the viewers keep coming back.
So
there you have it. The key to Argentine popular culture: Violence in the media,
sex everywhere, and human conquest on the television. The combination leads to
a fun and interesting display of B.A. identity.
- Evan Koslof
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