It is not often that I have a tremendous emotional reaction to any mainstream media. Tonight was one of those rare times. "Ugly Betty" made my night, my day, my week, my month and my year, maybe my decade.
For those of you non-Latinos who have not been anxiously awaiting this show, here's the scoop. Ugly Betty is based on a Columbian telenovela, a Spanish language soap. The original, Betty la Fea, was wildly popular amongs the novela set. It has been brought to ABC by the fabulosa Salma Hayek.
It is the story of a young woman, Betty Suarez, of Queens. She is hired for her first job at a fashionista glossy mag and now we follow her story. There is ugliness aplenty among the employees who seem to be the cheap superficial types, including a gay man. She is humiliated and tormented but Betty rises above it all and gave me reason to hope.
Tonight I actually I had hope again that I could get a job. Hope for the future in spite of the loss of the American Constitution today. Hope in my own abilities. I felt that side of me, again, that could take on the world which has been missing for months.
All this from an hour of watching tv. Es un milagro, it's a miracle.
Thank you Salma, thank you America Ferrera who plays Betty, thank you for reminding me who I am and what I can be.
