Media imperialism beyond the Anglo-Saxon axis,or negotiated hybridity? Neo-Orientalist telenovelas and transnational business in Brazilian television

Abstract

Since the beginning of the millennium, several Brazilian telenovelas have been partially produced abroad, incorporating in their storylines protagonists from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, exotic customs, foreign jargon, and attractive tourist locations in Middle Eastern and south-east Asian countries. This article aims to contribute to the debate regarding the asymmetries in media contents flow from “central” to “developing” countries, through analyzing the production of Brazilian “transnational” telenovelas broadcasted during 2001–2012. Rejecting the media imperialism thesis as formulated in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the more optimistic approaches pointing to the erosion of persistent asymmetries in the production and reception of television contents, this study examines the economic, cultural, and political forces driving the production and consumption of television contents outside the Anglo-Saxon axis, pointing to the cooperation, conflicts, and negotiations between television producers, national audiences, international publics, and private actors.