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When ”Yo Soy Betty, La Fea” aired its first and only season in 1999, no one could have imagined the impact a Colombian telenovela that followed Betty Pinzón, a quirky, corporate Latina protagonist navigating her career and love life, would have on millions of people around the world. The show was televised in 180 countries, dubbed in 15 languages, and remade into 28 international adaptations — with one of the most prominent remakes starring America Ferrera as Ugly Betty.
In “Betty La Fea” — and every rendition thereafter — Betty’s long, frizzy dark hair, oversized glasses, mouth full of braces, and bushy eyebrows elicited unwarranted disgust and ire from most of her coworkers. Her looks were the throughline of every episode, which was fitting, given that the Spanish title translates to “I Am betty, the Ugly One.” But for countless Latines who grew up watching the show, Betty was a beacon of hope for those of us raised in beauty-obsessed Latine cultures.
Betty’s perseverance while combating the pressure of society’s beauty standards made her one of the most relatable TV characters of our time and certainly played a role in making ”Betty La Fea” the most prosperous telenovela in history. After more then two decades since the original series’ release, Betty returns to the small screen in the new Prime Video series Betty La Fea, The Story Continues.” It will stream on July 19 with the original cast, including Ana María Orozco as the titular star. She’s now in her 40s, looks elegant, and is considered a successful woman, mother, and wife. But with her return, Betty is back to remind us and those around her that her success was never solely contingent on her appearance. In fact, that’s the first lesson Betty teaches us at the beginning of the 1999 “Betty La Fea” series.
Ahead of the new release, it’s critically important to relive the original. In the very first episode of the telenovela, two jobseekers are interviewed for the same assistant role at the fashion company ecomoda. While the hiring managers ogle the blonde-haired, blue-eyed applicant, Patricia, they gawk and grimace at Betty. Based on their reaction, Betty knows that she made the right decision not attaching her headshot to her resume or that she most likely wouldn’t have made it this far in the hiring process. even after seeing her, Ecomoda pres
