A ffective I dentifications : T elenovelas and audience interpretation

Abstract

This article summarizes reflections on the interactions of audiences with telenovelas, seeking to understand both the power of media —particularly in terms of promoting consumption— as well as the complex negotiation of meanings that takes place throughout reception. Through ethnographic research that considered the telenovela “The Cattle King” (O rei do gado, aired by Globo network in 1996-97) as a starting point, I studied the everyday lives of people from middle and lower classes in a mid-sized city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.I analyze issues of gender and the promotion of consumption considering a process of affective identificationthat takes place in this everyday relationship with narratives.