‘Yo Soy Betty, La Fea’ Made Me Feel Seen Then and Now

Telenovelas were a staple in my household for as long as I can remember. I don’t think there’s ever been a time where at least one of us wasn’t sitting in the living room at the same time Monday through Friday waiting for the novela of the time to start. This daily routine cemented my preferred method of escapism and my love for the quirks of Latin American novela tropes. While I thought I had grown out of telenovela-watching, here I am at 22 years old seeking comfort once again in the genre that got me through my formative years. The quintessential telenovela of all-time is none other than the iconic Yo Soy Betty, La Fea. It goes without saying that after airing in 180 countries, being dubbed into 15 languages, and multiple adaptations (including Ugly Betty with America Ferrera), Yo Soy Betty, La Fea has touched many hearts and is considered by Guinness World Records as the most successful telenovela in history.

This story is set to make its return to our screens in the series, Betty La Fea, The Story Continues, coming to Prime Video July 19th. This continuation of the beloved telenovela marks the return of the iconic titular character along with the original cast—including Ana María Orozco, Jorge Enrique Abello, Julián Arango, Natalia Ramírez and Lorna Cepeda—20 years after the conclusion of the telenovela. In the series we follow Betty struggle with connecting with her daughter, Mila and her relationship with Armando. With this reintroduction of Betty upon us, I’ve thought back to being a viewer of the original telenovela and how much Betty’s story has resonated with me over the years.

My first exposure to Betty started with the novela’s Mexican adaptation La Fea Mas Bella starring Angelica Vale and Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin). I recall vividly watching the finale at five years old; one of the earliest memories I have of being a novelera. A few years later, I stumbled upon Canal RCN while skipping through channels one day and noticed a title that brought me back: Yo Soy Betty, La Fea. I realized that this was the original Colombian telenovela of the story I loved. While memories of my early childhood are fuzzy, I can distinctly remember the lively theme song at the top of every episode, Lorna Cepeda, as Patricia, who I had watched in other Colombian series and of course, tan divino, Don Armando—who quickly turned me into a Jorge Enrique Abello fan girl. While I grew up primarily watching Mexican telenovelas, I’ve come to realize the nostalgia that Colombian novelas, especially Betty La Fea, make me feel. This novela in particular not only brings me back to such an early part of my childhood, but it also takes me back to one of the first times I felt seen as a young girl.

You can’t talk about Yo Soy Betty, La Fea, without talking about its titular character and the heart of the telenovela—Beatriz “Betty” Pinzón Solano, played by Ana Maria Orozco. Betty is the effervescent, kind, and incredibly intelligent protagonist who is viewed as “ugly” due to society’s perceptions of beauty. She stands as a woman donning glasses, braces, facial hair and not “adequately” dressed for the standards of Eco Moda, the clothing company she works for as a secretary to the handsome yet questionable Don Armando. Her workplace is the hub for out-of-pocket, mean comments in regards to her appearance and while she finds community with el cuartel de las feas—her work friend group—her perspective always spoke to me as a girl who also felt like an ugly duckling. 

It was in the first grade that while walking back to class after recess, my friend said to me, “I am the pretty one, you are the smart one.” I accepted it at the time but whenever I think back to it, I realize how that brief of a comment altered my perception of myself. By declaring herself as the pretty one I was by default, the ugly one. I felt myself reflected in Betty, a girl who was lauded more so for her intelligence than her appearance. A sentiment I still struggle with today coupled with the added complications of navigating love and relationships as an adult. Finding myself in a rough place with my self-esteem, I revisited Betty’s character.

One part of the novela that I consider one of the most unforgettable is Betty discovering that what she believed was a real, loving relationship with Armando was a farce after all. It was all a lie that Armando was dragging her around to believe. In her heartbreak she vents saying, “¡De mi se burlan, a mi me rechazan, a mí utilizan!” A statement and feeling so deeply heartbreaking and familiar that stayed with me for some time. While I haven’t been in her exact position, I felt every word and understood more than ever in that moment. There are ideas that five-year-old or eight-year-old me watching her novela couldn’t wrap her head around. Now as an adult, having experienced similar circumstances and felt like an ugly duckling I was right there with her. Being plus-size as a Latina and also having navigated predominantly white spaces, I had had my fair share of feeling less than or not feeling beautiful because of beauty standards that I didn’t meet. What I once heard as a first grader unfolded before me as I navigated life experiences that told me I wasn’t beautiful. 

However, what followed Betty’s heartbreak was her journey stepping into her own power and loving herself. Through makeovers and a regained sense of self, Betty began to love who she is, the girl that was there all along. Watching this happen, gives a sense of optimism of where I could be. While I’m not there yet, seeing her resilience take form as pouring back into herself and taking up space in her job was motivating to explore how I can potentially do that for myself.

The story of Betty is one that transcends generations, her journey of self-actualization and transformation into a confident woman is a story that resonates with countless people, especially Latinas. As I continue to make efforts to gain that sense of confidence, I will always carry Betty as a nostalgic figure in my formative years and now as an adult looking back.