Reality shows are known to be entertaining. They appear to be real, showcase apparent raw emotion, and candid moments. But the intellectual in me always refused to think reality TV like La Casa de los Famosos México brought anything of actual depth, substance or value to its audience. The show has suprisingly proved me wrong.
Season 2 in particular had audiences and myself engaged.
This latest season was controversial in many respects, with members of the house sparking uproar. Ricardo Peralta, who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, said feminism didn’t exist during his time at the house. Consistently, people witnessed how Team Tierra (Team Earth) would attack Team Mar (Team Sea), which consisted of slut shaming and the critique of other’s bodies. And Adrian Marcelo, a Youtuber personality who is known for his “acidic, sarcastic” humor, criticized cast member Briggitte Bozzo for her social media videos and body.
Though this season was heavily involved in heated (and often entertaining) arguments and fights among the members, it surprisingly created a space for open dialogue and vulnerability.
For example, it allowed two grown men to demonstrate their emotional intelligence, which is what we saw from Mario Bezares and Arath De La Torre, who quickly became fan favorites. They are both fathers and throughout the season both demonstrated how they are unafraid of toxic masculinity. De La Torre in particular was criticized and bullied for crying and talking openly about his anxiety by Marcelo. However, he remained in the game, tears and all.
Gala Montes was also another member of the cast that opened up dialogue to have important conversations that can happen to anyone. She spoke about dieting and the harm it can do to women. She mentioned how she’s had her body criticized and how that affected her self esteem and self image. During the show, Montes also openly talked about her depression, something which again was used to bully her. Later on she clarified how tired she was during the intense filming of the series.
Season two also allowed its cast members to express vulnerability and camaraderie between young women and older men like in the conversation between Bezares and Montes. And for Montes in particular, she openly spoke about her issues with her mother with Bozzo also opening up about her family struggles.
Like mentioned earlier, I’ve always thought that reality shows are just for entertainment, especially with multiple personalities in one house. But the conversations within La Casa de los Famosos México, rippled out into audiences’ real lives.
Multiple Mexican feminist outlets spoke against the hateful messaging Marcelo was promoting. Brands decided to stop supporting the show because of the outrage Marcelo was causing through his constant bullying. And as a viewer, personally seeing the brands release statements against the way Marcelo was acting was refreshing, especially because it gives hope that speaking up can create actionable change instead of just disappearing into the ether once the season is done.
It’s important to note that in this second season, a trans woman was not the epicenter. But more conversations around sexuality opened up because of the groundwork laid down in season one. In the first season, trans woman Wendy Guevara gave audiences an opportunity to experience a trans person’s reality, life, laughs, and more. She also highlighted the importance of transparency, by openly talking about her past as a sex worker. And because of season one, audiences are more open to conversations like Karime Pindter and Gala Montes being openly bisexual, something still underrepresented in Mexican media. Together, both seasons allowed Mexican audiences to experience the reality that sexuality is a spectrum, regardless of gender.
Generational trauma, mental health and feminism are topics which are still considered taboo in Mexico. But a mock up of Big Brother with Gen Z members and Generation X contestants, brought these topics to the forefront and created a space for conversation that left audiences feeling seen, acknowledged, or validated for their life experiences. That’s why I think both season one and season two of La Casa de Los Famosos have taught its viewers valuable life lessons. They created a space for dialogue amongst its Mexican audience, leading many like myself to learn more about the real lives of trans people and topics like sexuality, mental health, misogyny, and generational trauma.
Reality TV shows like La Casa de Los Famosos México are a form of representation that can break stereotypes, inform, and educate while being entertaining. And for the Mexican version of this show, season one walked so season two could run. Imagine what season three could bring?
‘ Este Articulo puede contener información publicada por terceros, algunos detalles de este articulo fueron extraídos de la siguiente fuente: remezcla.com ’
