The Ugly Betty Effect

Many people have regarded the "Ugly Betty" series as a "Golden Oldie" but, the lessons learnt and timelessness of it all will never go out of style. The show originally aired in September 2006 and ended in April 2010. The series follows Betty Suarez (played by the ICONIC America Ferrera) a very awkward and quirky young woman from Queens, New York, who navigates her way through New York and ends up working for a very notorious high-end fashion magazine by the name of "Mode". Even though her fashion choices are questionable and she's not really in the "know" regarding the industry she still manages to succeed, gain the respect of her colleagues and make her own choices. There were some major A-list names behind this series including Hollywood legend Salma Hayek as one of the Producers of the show.

I don't usually talk about series on here but I recently binged it and couldn't help express myself in the only way I know how... writing it down. For some reason, since finishing the show I couldn't shake the lasting impression it had on me- it must be the fact that I have related to many of the characters America played in some of the films I've seen. Since watching the the first episode, I latched onto her character because I am a young professional myself and I always had this dream of working in media whether it is at a magazine or a publishing house, because books and words have always been a constant in my life but, I think the thing I admired most about Betty is that despite her lack of fashion knowledge and the world, she knew who she was and what she wanted even when people around her tried to deter her- she was living my dream. Many people in my walk with life have tried to break my spirit and put roadblocks in my journey towards success ( I still have my own Wilhelmina Slater I need to face) and while I may still be fighting my battles Betty's ended on a high which made me feel like there was a possibility that my story will also have a happy ending.

What I loved about the writers and producers of the show is that when Betty had gotten her braces taken off and had a little bit of a wardrobe improvement- she didn't loose the essence of who she was- her clothing didn't change or add to her value or make her feel better about herself but instead the elements of her old wardrobe was paired with more mature pieces to mark her confidence, ambition and growth in the fashion industry.

Also, what would a successful television show be without romance.... Betty knew her worth and I have to commend the show for not making this a main focal point in the series but, they left the ending of the show very ambiguous and to this day, no one is quite sure if her and Daniel (played by Eric Mabius) even got together but, for the hopeless romantics I'm sure they are living happily ever after.

There is no doubt that there were many people who shaped Betty into who she was and became- her growth has inspired me to keep going and write whatever makes you happy. To me Betty is a representation of dreams, aspirations, hard work and ambition- this series will always have a place in my heart and the effect it has on my life is way too big to fit into this post.