Sin Tetas No Hay Paraiso is a Spanish-language telenova produced by US-based television network Telemundo, a 2006 serial hit in Colombia. The story is also based on investigative journalist Gustavo Bolivar's debut novel, of the same title, about a pretty young hooker who seeks breast implants to win the heart of a cocaine smuggler. NBC Universal commissioned both the English and Spanish versions of this serial and expects to debut it late in the 2007-08 season. It will be along the lines of "Ugly Betty." The US rights to the book are owned by Random House Spanish, which plans to use the series to promote the American edition (Wikipedia, July 11, 2007)
In the story, 17-year-old Catalina, a gorgeous young girl, comes from a poor single-parent family. She has a brother who works as a hired killer for drug traffickers. Catalina dreams of a life of luxury, but is not busomy enough "to attract a wealthy drug pusher whom she can seduce into making her a pampered paramour." Catalina becomes obsessed with getting breast implants to overcome poverty. She sells her body to raise money for breast augmentation. After five operations, she loses the will to live and considers suicide.
The premise of this story is heartbreaking. Sure, it's a soap opera, but all of us have known someone in our lives with desperately low self-esteem. We cringe when our patients think that surgery will change their life circumstances, and we try to refocus them. In this issue of Plastic Surgical Nursing, several of the articles point out, once again, how our society is very appearance-oriented, and how there has always been an emphasis (value) on large female breasts. The title of this NBC series translates to "without breasts there is no paradise." How sad that anyone would feel this way. I think that as plastic surgery nurses, if we had a patient come to us who truly felt this way, then a mental health referral would be a priority.
A woman with small breasts may be made to feel inferior or the butt of jokes. I remember when I was a freshman in college, my then-boyfriend and his buddy went to the mall in our college town to pick out a birthday present for me. I can picture the two lanky guys poking around in a gift shop. They came across a wooden plaque that had a cartoon character of a small busted milkmaid painted on it, and she had an oversized red heart. The plaque had large letters across the top that said, "Small busted women have big hearts." Because the two guys were together, I bet they each egged the other on. Guess what I got for my 18th birthday? When I opened the gift, I wanted to DIE. I felt like everyone was laughing at me, and I was crying inside. I displayed that thing in my dorm room all year because that is what I felt I was expected to do, then relegated it to the bottom of my dresser drawer. When I heard about Sin Tetas, some of that hurt and embarrassment flooded back.
Sin Tetas No Hay Paraiso has become famous because of the controversy it has caused. The title of the series may be changed, since many consider the word tetas vulgar. Also, many are upset over the negative image of Colombian culture it portrays. Critics also say that it fails to address the obsession with breast surgery and instead feeds the fantasies of males (wikipedia, July 11, 2007). I have not come across any comment or concern in the media regarding how plastic surgeons or other healthcare professionals are portrayed. Apparently, Bolivar's book (which I have not yet read) is based on conditions in Pereira, where Bolivar met two girls who were desperate for silicone breasts. One told him she got her operation for free in exchange for sex. According to the story, the doctor used a pair of used implants, which led to allergic reactions and infection. Obviously, this reflects poorly on the plastic surgeon.
I was able to view several minutes of the show on the Internet. My Spanish is not great, so my impressions were more from the video than the dialogue. What I did note was that there was a lot of sex (kissing and bare chests) and drinking of alcohol.
If NBC broadcasts the show as planned, it should start appearing soon after this issue is in print. I would encourage plastic surgery nurses to view the show, since it is important to be aware of what our potential patients are watching. After formulating your opinion about the show, express those opinions to NBC and the advertisers. We already know that such shows as "Nip Tuck," "Extreme Makeover," and "Plastic Surgery 90210" do not offer the public a realistic view of the plastic surgery procedures or the professionals who care for the patients. My guess is that Sin Tetas will be the same. It continues to be a priority that we educate our patients so that they are knowledgeable about their procedures and that they have realistic expectations. Our advocacy for our patients reaches beyond the doors of our clinics.
Stay tuned[horizontal ellipsis]Retrieved July 11, 2007, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_Tetas_No_Hay_Parasio_(Telemundo_series). For a short video, see http://video.google.com/videoplay?doad=8969253677130547664&q=Tetas.