154 | nº 29, pp. 139-159 | doxa.comunicación
July-December of 2019
Portrayal of the journalist in Spanish cinema from 1990 to 2010
ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978
the staircase in front of him is the exalted host, who shouts, “Listen to him, look at him, feel him. Be imbued with his en-lightened presence”. Exclamations of astonishment by the public are steady until they reach a peak, then suddenly, Salva is shot live on camera. If Jesus died on a cross, then Salva dies on a studio set in this film, which is used to satirise the pro-grammes of psychics and televangelists,
In Teresa, Teresa, the successful hostess in charge of the program called ‘Laberintos’ (role played by actress Assumpta Serna), is used in this film to recover the thoughts of Saint Teresa. The sensual diva of the TV program has the mission of giving the answer to the writer, who in this fictional account returns from the past to carry out the interview and respond to spectators who write letters or call live. The hour and a half film takes place on the television set with the two women engaged in a dialogue, which is only occasionally disrupted by the hostess taking a rest. Before the start of the program’s opening song and the words of the female presenter, a voice-over clarifies that the statements have been taken from the biography and testimonies of the Saint. At the end of the film, Saint Teresa can be seen in T-shirt and trousers, not her usual appearance, so it becomes apparent that this is nothing more than a TV show.
Despite the strong emotional imbalance caused by the death of her three-year-old son, who drowned in her pool, she sto-ically endures, and becomes a TV star, cultured and sophisticated.
“Dear audience, do not be alarmed, this program will not become a catechism class. The rules of our program prevent it. Whether you are a believer or a neo-pagan, this program does not endorse the statements of our guests. The night brings us labyrinths...” (TC: 00:11:50).
This is followed by details of the life and work of the Saint, as well as everything she suffered as her body was “cut up” and distributed all over the world. It ends with the requests of Internet users. They ask her to levitate herself, to recite “Muero porque no muero”, and to eat a sardine. She does the latter, and the theatrical, surrealistic film finishes in which the diva-like aspect of the hostess makes the story lean toward the side of the villains.
Radio becomes the channel for a lie on the programme entitled Franky Banderas. He witnesses all of this live with a hostess who does not fail to take advantage of the disparate story to add sentimental content to her program:
Hostess: Ladies and gentlemen... Once again, truth is stranger than fiction. And how many months are you into your pregnancy? Who is the the child’s father?
Mother: He’s a bullfighter. I was a poor village girl, and I didn’t know anything about life. Then I was elected queen of the strawberry festival. So I had to preside over the bullfight. One of the bullfighters dedicated the bull to me, and suddenly it was love at first sight. But unfortunately, the bull killed him before we could get married and have a child (fake cries).
Hostess: And what was the bullfighter’s name?
Mother: Manzanillo.
Hostess: Go ahead, cry… Cry and let it go…(TC: 00:49:20)
Radio news is the first step. Afterward, the story appears on magazine covers. Lastly, television becomes interested in cover-ing the story in a way that is no less morbid. On the television program, the aggressive hostess (Paula Soldevila) begins her interview with a direct question. “You don’t engage in prostitution, do you? I mean, in a professional way.