COLOMBIA:
Measuring the Cost of Paradise by Cup Size
Helda Martínez

BOGOTA,  (IPS) - Setting a telenovela ratings record in Colombia, more than six million viewers recently tuned in to an episode of "Sin tetas no hay paraíso", (Without Tits There's no Paradise), barely two weeks into the show's run. The record means a lot to this country, which has become one of the world's leading exporters of soap operas.

The series is adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Colombian author and screenwriter Gustavo Bolívar, which has printed four editions in just over a year.

The producer chose well in keeping the word "tetas" (tits) in the name of the soap opera; traditionally considered a vulgar term for breasts, through use it has become accepted by all audiences.

The drama portrays young, pretty and poor women who, seduced by the illusory world of easy-money, become prostitutes to be able to pay for the large breasts favoured by drug dealers.

Bolívar based his work on the realities he observed in a poor neighbourhood of Pereira, traditionally a coffee town and, as of a few years ago, the operations hub for a regional cocaine-trafficking cartel.

"It broke my heart to see two girls dedicating their lives to getting a pair of silicone breasts. I wanted to raise awareness of the issue when they told me thousands of stories of people looking to break into the drug-trafficking world which, for these girls, represented paradise," added Bolívar in an interview with the private Caracol channel, which produces the show.

"I decided to write the book when the girl, who is the inspiration for the main character, told me that the doctor who did her breast operation for free in return for sex used a pair of used silicone implants, which caused allergic reactions and infections," he added.

"The plot tries to draw society's attention to two phenomena that are more and more common," Andrea Arce, a journalist with Caracol, told IPS. "First, the proliferation of breast implants without the required medical precautions and, second, the plight of 'pre-paid girls', that is, when lack of education, ignorance and desire for money leads young women to sell their bodies."

The station broadcasts the show Monday to Friday, between 10 and 10:30 p.m., with a repeat of the highlights from the week's five episodes at 11 p.m. on Sunday. The series will last 26 episodes.

The concept of "pre-paid girls" involves a form of prostitution that varies according to the woman's socio-economic level. In the poorest classes, the difference from a traditional sex worker is that the around-the-clock sale of the woman's body yields a much higher income.

At higher social levels, such as that of famous models or TV hostesses, the concept of "pre-pay" means a woman's company is purchased for a set period, such as a weekend, in exchange for 100,000 dollars or more.

The series was launched to a flurry of controversy, providing fodder for interviews, forums, debates and accusations. The beauty and youth of the young characters, as well as the ease and grace with which they played their parts evoked sympathy and approval from the audience, which analysts interpreted as naïve and dubious.

"It may be because we work hard to do our job well and develop our parts. We are spontaneous and natural, like the girls that fall into this, which they do innocently, believing it will be good for them and their families," Sandra Beltrán, whose character, Yéssica, procures girls for the drug traffickers or "traquetos", told IPS.

In the interview, Bolívar added that "some people who have not read the book say the show defends drug traffickers. Of course it doesn't. Those who read the book and pay attention to the series will realise that I am clearly against the drug cartels."

The controversy has spurred interviews and clarifications. "The message is directed towards young girls, to help them realise they should love themselves and appreciate what is natural. Or, if they decide to go for the operation, not to do it so young, without becoming adequately informed about what they are doing," added Beltrán.

The main character is 13-year-old Catalina. She comes from a single-parent family headed by her seamstress mother, struggling to raise her two children. The oldest, Bayron, becomes a "sicario" (assassin) for the drug traffickers.

Catalina is a high school student who longs to be like her classmates who leave in luxurious SUVs with tinted windows and come back the following day with bags of money.

But the "traquetos" are only interested in girls with bra sizes of at least 38 or 40, not girls like her, who barely fill a 32. To earn money for breast surgery, Catalina decides to sell her body in the sex trade.

Yéssica takes on the task of "selling her" with such disastrous results that the "buyer", who has promised her the operation, clothes, money and even the possibility of a car and apartment, makes a hasty exit, faced with the persecution of incorruptible officials.

So Catalina turns to prostitution, which she refuses to give up even for the true love of her boyfriend Albeiro, an independent, honest but poor worker.

The TV series is generally a good adaptation of the novel. Catalina, after five operations that take her to a size 40, with serious impacts on her physical and psychological health, loses the will to live. Unable to kill herself, she successfully engineers a plot to die at the age of 15.

Bolívar has written 1,400 screenplays for journalistic programmes, TV series, documentaries and films.

Some of his stand-out work includes the 320-episode "Pandillas, guerra y paz" (Gangs, War and Peace); "Unidad investigativa" (Investigative Unit), which looks at real-life cases, including the attacks on three justice ministers in the 1990s; and the dramatisation of the assassination of three presidential candidates and football player Andrés Escobar.

"Without Tits There's no Paradise" may hit the big screen, pending negotiations between the author and producers, currently under way.

With the channel considering the idea of a sequel, several people have already asked that the message content be reinforced, to make the role of economic interests clearer.