Even if you don't speak Spanish, you'll understand the glare in the eyes of the women on controversial soap opera Mujeres Asesinas. The series — a hit in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico — features a different story each week. Long-suffering, mild-mannered women are wronged by a man (husband, lover, father, john) and are transformed into "hellions" with nicknames like Patricia "Avenger," Martha "Suffocator" and Margarita "Poisonous." Cue the vengeance! While viewers are gleefully cheering these women on, the press (of course) has a bit of a problem with the show. Writes Reed Johnson for the L.A. Times, "Mujeres Asesinas has stirred talk in the Latin American media about whether it might incite women to commit more acts of revenge-fueled violence. Advertisements for the show have played up that titillating idea with tag lines such as, 'Cuidado! No permitas que tu mujer vea esta nueva serie.' (Take care! Don't let your woman see this new series.)" Oh yes, the poor, poor hombres.You shouldn't be worried about "your woman" murdering you unless you've done something to majorly piss her off, right? So yeah. They're playing into some stereotypes. "Don't let" your woman watch insinuates that she needs permission, etc. Stirring things up! Some wonder if watching this show will turn your average woman into a vigilante. Writes Reed:
Several of the series actresses have dismissed that idea. "I think one of the values of the series is that it speaks not only of the depth of the female psychology, but rather it speaks [of] the human condition, no?" said Cecilia Suárez, the actress who plays Ana "Corrosiva," an acid-wielding anti-heroine who delivers a brutal payback to her control-freak plastic surgeon lover.
In a world where injustices against women (wage discrepancies, rape, objectification and marginalization) go unpunished, surely the series provides a vicarious thrill for viewers. Women aren't going to become man-killing hellcats just from watching this show! Just like watching Dynasty didn't turn rich ladies into hair-pulling brawlers. That said, I suspect this may be my new favorite program. Chances are, an English-language version will arrive in the U.S. next year and be called Stabby. (Chances also are that they'll ruin the concept and dumb it down for American audiences.) The Get-Even Ways Of 'Mujeres Asesinas' [LA Times] P.S. Sometimes the women get revenge on other women, btw:
Here's the blood-soaked trailer: