Okay, a lot of people will not admit to watching soap operas. They're not quality, the viewers are dumb, they have no redeeming values. To this I say HHMMPH! I disagree. Soap operas are some of the most progressive shows on television, which in turn, says a lot about their viewers.
I watch "All My Children" regularly (Thank you Soapnet!). So, my entire theory is based around this show. There are other shows I drop in on and they too are progressive. But, as a frequent viewer, who started watching the show in utero. I will comment specifically on AMC.
America, not counting New York and California, is supposedly this conservative and prudish place filled with right wingers and racists who want to blow up abortion clinics. Now, if this was the case, and if many of these people were women, what can explain soap operas?
Interracial couples featuring both black men/white women and vice versa were first seen on soaps, abortions have been performed on soap operas without anyone dying or being punished, AMC had TV's first lesbian in the 80's and OLTL (one life to live) had TV's first gay character face homophobia. On these shows people will share controversial opinions that are discussed in a way that primetime would never touch.
A recent example followed the character of Bianca Montgomery facing an unwanted pregnancy. AMC had two characters give long speeches about choice. The character did not have an abortion but had the baby. Other characters have chosen to terminate pregnancies. Now, think about primetime. There is lots of talk about choice, but the character usually has a miscarriage before any sticky issues can be looked at.
So, either America as a whole is more liberal in personal issues or soap operas only appeal to the educated class. Which is it?
Birthday Sluts
4 years ago
4 comments:
Wait, that doesn't make any sense.
Soap operas don't have interracial couples because it's "the right thing to do"; they do it because they know it will get them ratings. They're parading taboos for the purpose of bolstering their ad revenue.
If this country wasn't so sexually inhibited, all the steamy soap opera scenes wouldn't titilate. If this country wasn't racist, the race mixing wouldn't stand out. Essentially, soap operas take the greatest failings of our society, turn them on their ear, and then collect fat paychecks for doing us the favor. These shows are only progressive for the viewer who isn't.
Do we need All My Children, Guiding Light, and The Young and the Restless to tell us racism, homophobia, and sleeping with your ex-husband's twin brother is a bad idea? No. Do we watch these shows to reaffirm our moral superiority? God, I hope not.
Drama gives life flavor. Humans create drama in their own lives to give them something to do. If we didn't, there would be no such thing as temptation. For those who lack dramatic outlets, there's soap operas, every day, at the same times. These low-dose stimulants enhance an otherwise dreary day by combining all the best elements of gossip and voyeurism. No one gets hurt, and it becomes a conversation piece.
If we have to point to the virtues of soap operas, let it be their unyielding devotion to their fans. I've never heard of a day where soap operas weren't available, if you wanted them. No other medium is as prolific, and no other medium can boast the legacy that soap opera has created.
Also, it teaches teenage boys how to kiss. Or so I've been told.
I would disagree that the folks Middle America are more liberal because of their consumption of soap operas. I would say that it is just forced tolerance on their part. They are forced to put up with the gay man or the interracial couple to get their fix of demon ridden Deidre Hall! The real test would be to track how long these “issues” stay on the air. If I remember correctly, the gay male character from OLTL got yank after the issue was over. And please don’t bring up Susan Lucci’s daughter – lesbians are hot!
I'm not sure the length of a story arc can be used as any kind of benchmark in this case. Traditionally, soap opera story arcs are short and constantly changing. New supporting characters are brought in to facilitate the story, but once the central issue has been resolved or shelved for a comeback, those character almost always get pushed aside.
It doesn't matter if they're gay, murderers, aliens, or talking boy-puppets. The only time supporting characters get bumped up to the big leagues is when the fan base makes such an uproar that the producers have no choice.
It used to be that story arcs would last anywhere from six months to a year, if it was especially well written. But now, with the ever shortening American attention span, the arcs are sometimes burned through in a month. It would be nice to see this trend reversed.
It's been so quiet here.
Post a Comment