I am Betty, the unique one

Licensed under Creative Commons License BY-2.0-DEED.EN

The American ideal of tall, leggy and blond isn't the Filipino standard of female beauty, but it sure comes close. Except for hair color, it seems that Filipinos also like tall women with fair coloring and aquiline noses, an ideal which goes far back into history, with Philippine epics speaking of “well-kept ones” with “legs untarnished as the insides of banana stalks, thighs like balanak, white, like the inside of split bamboo, unstained and nicely shaped.”

In her book “The Women In Philippine Epics”, Priscelina Palajo speaks of “well-kept ones” being valued for their rarity and skill in household matters. But other pretty women talked about in epics had dark skin and long, dark hair. Epics aren't very specific about female beauty, maybe because their authors thought everyone would know. Epics are, after all, part of Filipino oral tradition.

The “balanak” standard of beauty continued throughout the colonial era, with Jose Rizal's Maria Clara being the poster child for mestiza appeal. These days, models and actors with foreign blood rule the advertisements, shows and films. But there are always exceptions to the norm: Judy Ann Santos and Nora Aunor, for example.

The world of telenovelas has its own deviant: Colombian telenovela “Yo Soy Betty La Fea”. This series features a different kind of heroine. Instead of a stereotypically pretty lead, there's Betty, a girl lacking in physical appeal but making up for it by being intelligent and having a good academic background and a good heart.

It is unclear why “Betty La Fea” became so much of a hit that it spawned over 14 remakes around the world. ABS-CBN-owned magazine Star Studio speculates it could be due to Betty herself. Instead of the usual “beautiful” female lead “overflowing with sex appeal,” Betty is physically unattractive. But underneath the “bangs, glasses and braces”, she is intrinsically good. This makes for an interesting premise, with audiences waiting to see if the rich, gorgeous and shallow male lead Armando will realize that character is more important than looks and fall in love with Betty.

The “unattractive with a heart of gold” character is not new to Philippine entertainment. Previous shows and films have had different kinds of Betty-like characters. But unlike Betty they morph into the stereotypical beauty at some point in the storyline. One of these is ABS-CBN's defunct telefantasya “Kampanerang Kuba” starring Ann Curtis.

In “Kampanerang Kuba”, Curtis played Imang, a hunchback church bell-ringer. She had a magic candle which allowed her to become pretty. She named her attractive self Fatima, and at the end of the series got to keep her second form because of a good deed.

Also from ABS-CBN is “Hiram Na Mukha”, which ran in 2007. It was a remake of a 1992 film starring Nanette Medved, which in turn was an adaptation of a 1952 version starring Rebecca del Rio. The TV version's main character was ugly Carissa, who turned into a beautiful woman via plastic surgery. She was ridiculed by people before her operation, and afterwards sought to use her beauty for revenge. But her naturally good heart made her change her mind before she can do real harm.

GMA-7's version of a Betty-like character was closer to Betty La Fea's because her appearance remained the same throughout the series. Unlike Betty, however, the lead in “Bakekang” was fixated on the typical ideal of beauty. Sunshine Dizon played Bakekang, a woman who so despised her appearance that she sought a Caucasian to father her a beautiful child. She got her wish, but gave birth to two children, one pretty and the other not. She lived through her pretty child for a time, making her become an actress and become famous while ignoring her other daughter. In the end she redeemed herself by accepting herself and her daughters for what they were instead of basing her love on looks.

“Betty La Fea” rises above these other shows by virtue of the fact that Betty will forever be herself. She will not undergo a magical makeover, and neither will she seek revenge. The only time she does something underhanded is when she lies about her job to her family, saying she was able to get a better job than she actually has. She was forced to take a job for which she was overqualified because she wasn't able to get a better one.

Betty is more accessible than the typical telenovela character. While Spanish soaps are usually set in lavish haciendas and mansions with heiresses and macho horse-riding hunks, Betty La Fea and all its remakes are set in places viewers will be able to recognize, and its characters will remind audiences of people they might know. The show doesn't immerse viewers in impossible plots, but instead challenges them to redefine the accepted standards of female beauty and desirability.

“I Love Betty La Fea” will start its run in September. ABS-CBN has not yet given a specific date on when it will air, but the network is stepping up its efforts to hype the program. From an 11-page spread in the August issue of Star Studio magazine to cast guestings on various shows and numerous press releases, the network is making sure nobody misses out on the latest “Betty La Fea” news.

Photo: Bea Alonzo, the Philippine Betty La Fea ("Bea-Utifull" by GiLaRio F. c/o Flickr.). Licensed under Creative Commons License BY-2.0-DEED.EN.

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