Valeria Vera, Damayanti Quintanar, Erendira Ibarra, Beto Reyes, Jaime Kohen, Tania Angeles, Oscar Olivares

From the creative team who brought us the Mexican melodrama of familia Latina, Las Aparico, comes a new foray into the web series entitled Miércoles.  Miércoles chronicles the sexual and emotional relationships of a group of seven 20-somethings living in Mexico City.  Contemporary issues abound as this urban group comes to task with the consequences of finding their own identities through the complicated translucence of drugs, sex, love, and ambition.  Boundaries are blurred and labels are obsolete as life transcends modest roles of gender.  For this tribe, family by birth is relegated to voices on a phone while true kinship is forged by familiarity.  Not withstanding their independent dare to be different, bonds of the conventional bring them back every week to the same place, at the same time, on the same day…what will you be doing this Wednesday?

After the success and the controversy of the Mexican soap opera, Las Aparacio, the next logical step for this production team is the web series.  According to executive producer and writer, Natassja Ybarra, “With a cast and crew comprised of young up and coming Mexican actors, writers, visual artists and designers, Miércoles defies the traditional definitions of the stories that Mexican television series can and will tell.”

Backed by the experience of Mexico’s first and foremost independent production company, Argos, this series harnesses the energy of a new generation of creative professionals all the while keeping it in the family.  Natassja, along with her sister, Erendira Ibarra, the daughters of Argos CEO Epigmenio Ibarra, are teaming up with filmmaker, Nina Jalife, to form Baby Argos (Boutique Agency By Argos), a boutique agency that will develop smaller alternative projects within Argos starting with Miércoles.

Here is a little insight on what you can expect.  Season 1 of Miércoles will consist of thirteen, ten-minute episodes, divided into two chapters.  As if I would expect anything less, the team from Baby Argos will tackle the controversial and provocative subject matter of our modern times all the while recapturing the age-old stories of love and romance.

As one who can never get enough estrogen in the room, I find it refreshing that the crew consists predominantly of women.  From the Director of Photography to the Art Director to the Production Manager, etc., there seems to be more than a fair compliment of XXtra hard-working individuals.  Equally commendable is the production team’s emphasis on sustainability.  Taking environmental stewardship of their location, strict policies will be set regarding what materials are used in production, taking care to minimize Baby Argos’ footprint.  Season 1 will wrap with tree planting in Mexico City to demonstrate the importance of carbon neutralization in highly urbanized areas.

Sponsorship, regardless of content, has been secured by such international corporations as Samsung, therefore, the episodes will be free to the viewership.  Production begins January 17th and the first episode will air the first Wednesday of March.  All content, including the subtitled series and the website, will be translated into English, French, Portuguese and German.  For this, I say bravo!  For an uni-lingual American whose Spanish consists mainly in the confines of my dinner menu, the subtitles are greatly appreciated.  Natassja revealed that every episode will include at least one, well-known, Latino actor including most of the Las Aparicio cast.  And I automatically break into Joplin, “Oh lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes…” One more opportunity for Aparicio fans to enjoy that classic ride.

Of the new adventure, Natassja proudly announces, “Every aspect a new proposal, from wardrobe to product placement, Miércoles not only entertains and provokes, but also defines an aesthetically geared lifestyle.” Featured and available for purchase on the website, will be the work of twenty Latino fashion designers, as well as ten industrial designers.  Also available for download, will be the series soundtrack featuring many international recording artists.

I gotta say, music downloads are a perk, and the fashion part is pretty exciting to a style junkie like me, but I have to be honest, a good storyline is truly addictive.  Feeding my fix in the form of Miércoles are all variations of the love story, gay, straight, bisexual, and those left to personal interpretation.  I hear on good authority that the main lesbian love story is between Renata (Valeria Vera) and Lorena (Damayanti Quintanar), but “Erendira will also have some girl on girl action.”  I love action films!

So, as a fan of their previous work, I wait for this production with baited anticipation.  As Baby Argos takes its first steps, a new path is forged, and we are all invited along the way.  I look forward for more conversations regarding the journey, but for right now…is it Wednesday yet?

As I have been promoting in my blog, the telenovela, Las Aparicio, premiered Tuesday in its entirety on Telemundo.com.  Well, not in its entirety, but that is another blog.   I arrived home Tuesday evening with anticipated intent to watch the complete storylines of the Aparicio women of which I had become so fond.   Instead, I turned on my computer to a litany of lambasting emails and tweets.  Irate readers were venting their frustrations that the fan-site YouTube channels, that got us interested in the drama in the first place, were slowly being removed for copyright infringement.  To say that I was shocked would be to put it mildly, and I hardly ever put things mildly.  I find it difficult to understand a decision to block access, at episode 86 of 120, to a committed fan-base that was so instrumental in getting the series noticed outside of the Spanish-speaking world.

I began blogging on the excellent content, acting, and writing that is Las Aparicio’s same -sex Mariana/Julia story when I was alerted to the series by an international ‘Schmootz reader.  My Venezuelan web pal directed me to a couple of YouTube channels with fan produced English subtitles.  It is not often that quality, dramatic, LGBT content is present in our society, and believe me, if you make it, we will find it…but not without a little help sometimes.  Hence, the fans and the web.  For low budget productions and their limited or uninformed PR staff, the devoted and dedicated fan is the mother-load of free publicity.  Hours upon hours of work go into making these clips, with little want in return other than an occasional shout out and a sporadic thank you.  The commitment of Las Aparicio fans in promoting this series is truly commendable.  Once you get a loud mouth blogger like me to notice, your reach is exponentially broadened as I was contacted by new Las Aparicio fans in the US, Australia, Philippines, Europe, China, the Arabian Peninsula, and the list goes on and on.  With appreciation to your dedicated Las Aparicio fans, my interest was piqued.  My only complaint was that I just didn’t get enough of the other storylines.  I mean, up until this point I have always been a BMW woman, but since I began watching, never have I wanted more to drive a Mercedes.  (Watch, and you will get what I mean.)

Enter Telemundo.com.  In my previous interviews with members of the Las Aparicio cast and writing team, it was revealed that Telemundo.com, the web portion of the American television network that broadcasts in Spanish, contracted to air the series over the web as part of its international internet programming.  Fantastic!  With some of my other favorite programming on hiatus, this will fill the void quite nicely.  At this point, I am invested up to episode 86 of the Mariana/Julia part of the story.  I find it fortunate that I can keep up real-time with the Mariana/Julia YouTube fan channels and watch the whole thing again in context with the other storylines.  ‘Cause you know real-life lesbians, we will watch fantasy lesbians over and over and over again.  I found that the real fantasy, or should I say fallacy, is in my thought process.  I have always touted this show as a drama and not a fairy tale, but perhaps I am wrong.  The clock struck midnight on the YouTube Las Aparicio fansites Tuesday, and the lovely vehicle that carried the magical message of this modern-day love story is no more.

Now, on Friday, we are supposed to hear from the producer, Epigmenio Ibarra, via twitcam, an explanation of the drastic steps unfortunately taken as a result of international distribution.  Hmmm, I wonder if the broadcast will be uploaded to YouTube with English subtitles, because after all, isn’t that really who should be addressed?  Ok, that was a little snarky.  [Edited:  Natassja Ybarra will release an English version twitcam after the producer.  I will let my readers know what time to look for it.] Look, I get it.  As one who appreciates Las Aparicio for the true art form that it is, I want to see the entire series prosper nationally and internationally, via broadcast, and on the net.  I want to see more original content from this talented production team, and that requires a broad based buy-in and money.  I am, however, disappointed that this inevitable evolution from the grassroots has become some semblance of survival of the fittest with the YouTubers lost through a disruptive selection.

I would like to take this time to say thank you to all those fans dedicated enough to be part of the clip capture underground.  It is my hope in Ibarra’s twitcam appearance that he explains, at times, there is also an unfortunate collateral damage incurred to the justice side of this Las Aparicio media revolution.  And in doing so, it is also my hope that he acknowledges the fan’s part in advancing the front line of the battle.  In today’s electronic age, a revolution many times begins with a single shot heard round the world wide web…lock…upload…click.

Las Aparicio fans will be happy to know that writer, Natassja Ybarra, is very forthcoming about the endgame of the Mariana/Julia story of the very popular telenovela.  Will there be a wedding?  Yes.  Are the gay nuptials the last we will see of the couple?  Not at all.  Marriage maybe be the declared victory of this revolution, but life is just beginning for these two characters.  No denying, this is evolution.

Natassja and I talk about the entirety of Las Aparicio and its highly anticipated journey to Telemundo.com, the collaboration of writers as it pertains to all the characters, and what the future holds for other programming.  And of course, we talk about Mariana/Julia/Armando and “polyamor”.  Enjoy.

Las Aparicio will be subtitled in it’s entirety on Telemundo.com beginning August 17th.  Until then, I have listed links to the YouTube channels with subtitles:  love2angel12, nixawme, and scootgirl100.

Thanks to Jeryl for our Schmootzcast intro music “Stay Away From You” from her Radio Friendly CD . Check out all of Jeryl’s music on her MySpace page.

Last week I was lucky enough to engage in conversation with the lovely Eréndira Ibarra who portrays Mariana, half of the smoldering same-sex super-couple of Julia and Mariana on the telenovela, Las Aparicio.  Take a look:

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As you will hear, Erendira is extremely gracious to this uni-lingual, English-only, American blogger.  We chat about the Mexican soap opera, the truthful, yet controversial storyline of “Juliana”, and the extreme commitment of bilingual fans who take it upon themselves to subtitle the LGBT themed love story.

I blogged about the fact you should be watching, and now it’s verbalized.  This is no fairy tale, this is a soap opera, and there is plenty of drama.  There is no platitude of patronizing head bumping or finger caressing; there is honest passion…and a love triangle that is agonizingly frustrating.  But I can’t stop watching over and over again.

Click the heels. listen, and enjoy.  I know I did.

Las Aparicio will be coming in it’s entirety to Telemundo.com.  Until then, I have listed links to the YouTube channels with subtitles:  love2angel12, nixawme, and scootgirl100

Rafaela (María del Carmen Farías) is the maternal and moral mainstay of the familia.  This “tent-pole” character, along with nanny, Aurelia (Lourdes Villarreal), provide the voice-over narration of wisdom and experience, offering guidance to the foreshadowed emotional turmoil told of the beautiful Aparicio daughters.  I have to stop here and mention the gorgeous scenery of this production.  No, I am not talking about the lovely grounds of the Mexican countryside, I am referring to the Aparicio sisters.  Distractingly resplendent, I find myself rewinding entire time frames as I am lost in the allure.

Central to the storyline, and most of what you will find translated on the web, is the love triangle between the smoldering Julia Aparicio (Liz Gallardo), her sex addicted football-star boyfriend, Armando (Mario Perez de Alba), and her best and childhood friend, Mariana (Erendira Ibarra).  The drama ensues as Julia must decide which intersection is the right one for her.   Mariana, a lesbian with a homophobic and hurtful past, has been quietly in love with Julia most of her life.  Armando enjoys a national celebrity for his sports prowess, but it is his affinity for ball work off the field that gives Julia pause.  It becomes quite evident to the viewer that although Julia’s body belongs to Armando, her heart belongs to Mariana.  Much to this viewer’s delight, Julia’s complete anatomy soon paces up to her full heart when faced with a move with Armando and a life without her best friend.   Two hearts emotionally intertwined are lovely, yes, but the emotional impact of consummated love makes a much more profound and honest statement.  It is true, a soap opera with a same sex relationship that dares to move beyond a little hand-holding and amorous forehead bumping in its telling…a new concept for American audiences.

Hold on Cinderella, as this is an episodic drama and not a fairy tale.  There is no happy ending promised.  A triangle is a load bearing architectural device capable of enduring much weight, and this novella is only half constructed.  Armando follows Julia home and becomes the antagonist to win back her body and her heart.  I say bring it on!  Test this same sex pairing as a soap format would test any relationship.  Pile it high and see what holds.  Julia says she is now a lesbian, but dear god, she can’t even decide what to eat most of the time.  Confusion is her middle name.  As thoughts of Mariana ravage her mind, dreams of Armando ravage her body.  How will she decide?  Who knows, but as I have said time and time again about soap-like dramas and potential partnering, it doesn’t have to be gay, but it damn well better be good.  And this is good.  Muy bien!

As I grew up in the southern United States, my second language is English, so I have to thank all those Las Aparicio fans who have translated most of the episodes, or at least the Julia and Mariana parts.  I appreciate your dedication to get this wonderful series to the masses.  There are rumors that Las Aparicio will be moving to Telemundo.  I can only begin to speculate what controversy that could bring airing on an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish, with sponsors such as WalMart.

I can’t wait for the revolution…

Edited to add links to YouTube sites with English subtitles:  love2angel12, nixawme, and scootgirl100