*this blog is my small tribute to Ugly Betty, I loved every second of that show and I will miss it very dearly*
"Betty, you have to believe me when I say this, you are beautiful."
For the past four years Ugly Betty has come into my house each week with the same basic message. Be who you are and be okay with it. It's funny actually that this show came into my life at the exact time I needed something to tell me that being different was special and that being yourself may not always be easy, but it is the right thing.
You see when Ugly Betty aired I was a freshman in high school. I had just turned 14 and was dealing with a bit of an identity crisis. My best friend of six years had suddenly stopped talking to me because I wouldn't change who I was and mold myself into what she wanted me to be. I struggled with deciding whether keeping her as a friend was worth sacrificing myself. During this struggle I turned on the TV one night to see a girl with a smile full of braces, unruly hair, and big red glasses. I'm not really sure what it was about her, but something held me in place. I watched fascinated as she stayed true to herself after going through hardship after hardship, barely ever faltering from her cherry disposition. I was amazed by her. Here was this girl who owned who she was, who dared to be different, and who made no apologies about that fact. I guess if this was one of those cheesy movies now would be the time I'd say, "Ugly Betty had me at hello."
Through four seasons Betty had me captivated and fascinated. But it wasn't just Betty herself that drew me in. Each character was completely unique and all their own, offering something new and different to the table. Ugly Betty was kind of like the TV show equivalent to a buffet, everyone could find something in it they liked. From Betty to Daniel, Marc to Amanda, Hilda to Justin, or Ignacio to Claire, and so many more characters, each of which was an enthralling part of the shows dynamic.
Personally the character that I connected to the most was Betty. Not really because I am as fashionably challenged as her, but more her personality. She is the kind of person who wants what she wants in life and isn't going to take no for an answer. Aside from that she is an honest and loyal friend, daughter, and sister, which I try my hardest to be all the time. Of course she is human too and therefore has faults, which is something I think is essential in a good character on television. Everyone messes up, that doesn't make them bad, it simply makes them human.
The two greatest lessons that Ugly Betty taught me (as well as anyone else who watched it) were 1) love truly does conquer all & 2) being who you truly are is the most important thing of all.
At times Ugly Betty was bold and ahead of it's time I suppose. One of my favorite story lines was the 'coming-out' of Betty's nephew, Justin. I found this such a great storyline because it went along with both of the major messages Ugly Betty tried to display. Justin eventually, with the help of Marc (whom I freaking LOVE) found the courage to be who he was (gay) and his family truly loved him regardless. This storyline was great not only because if you watched the show you had been waiting four years for that to happen, but because it showed that if a family is strong and their love is true than no matter what happens, it will survive. Ugly Betty had a way of making you believe the best in families, friends, and just bonds in general. After all, there is more than one type of family, and only one type requires an actual blood bond.
I guess you could classify me as one of those people who loves happily ever afters, or fairy-tale endings, so naturally I was a Daniel/Betty or Detty fan from the start. Because really what greater way for a show that is supposed to show people that beauty is in the eye of the beholder (and that there are many different types of beautiful) to end than with the once shallow-playboy falling in love with his dumpy-assistant. I was never in favor of a full makeover because in my heart it would negate the entire message of the show. Of course everyone would love her if she turned beautiful by societies standards, but that was never what Ugly Betty was about. I think all of us Detty fans got our happy ending when Daniel chased Betty to London to begin his "new life." Because really let's face it, nobody is going to start a new life across a giant ocean unless you are doing it for love, or something close to it. And if you read the final "Letter from the Editor" on ABC.com that is clear to you as well. I know many people believed it would be too Cinderella-esque. But in my mind, a happily ever after in a world full of happily NEVER afters is a blessing.
I don't know if this blog makes any sense, or if it flows like I wanted it to, my point is that Ugly Betty was an amazing show because it had heart behind it and a lesson. If you can be entertained and walk away from the experience feeling like you learned a little something about being a better person, than maybe, just maybe, it changed you a little bit. It caused you to grow. And you didn't even realize it was happening =)
Like I said, this blog is dedicated to Ugly Betty, a show in my mind, that will loom forever in unconquerable existence. Thanks for entertaining and teaching me. Thanks for helping me to grow <3
