Before I start writing a review of Tina Sloan's book, Changing Shoes, let's get a couple of things out of the way:
1. I'm a life-long fan of soaps
2. Being a life-long fan of soaps, I've watched Tina Sloan and been a fan of hers since her days on
Somerset
3. Having interviewed Tina and interacted with her on a personal level, I find her to be a gracious,
charming, lovely person.
4. None of these things would make me give a book a positive review if it didn't deserve it. Books play way
too much of an important role in my life for me to take a dive, so to speak.
With that out of the way, let's get on to the subject at hand: Changing Shoes. For a year or so friends and fans of Tina Sloan have heard about the book she was working on. Some folks had the advantage of having seen the one-woman show the book is based on, and had an idea what was in store for them. I haven't caught Tina's show. All I knew about Changing Shoes was what Tina had told me when I interviewed her, and what she's shared about it on Facebook and Twitter. I wasn't really sure if I'd be reading a memoir, a self-help book, a tell-all expose'...or what. At various times during the past year, Tina has spoken about her aging parents, her days as a model and young actress, the changes that she has undergone as she's aged, her time on the set of movies and television shows, her relationships with family and friends...and she's talked about them in the context of Changing Shoes. For a while there I found myself thinking, "What in the world is this book going to be about? What can the narrative voice possibly be, if not schizophrenic?" As most of you know, the book was released last week and, if you're anything like me, you devoured it in record time.
Everyone has interesting things in their life. I mean it. Everyone. Every life is full of funny or sad or ironic stories, coincidences, accidents, tragedies, etc. For the most part, this doesn't amount to much. Having a good story and being able to tell a good story - these are two very different things. Tina Sloan not only has a treasure trove of good stories, she's one hell of a storyteller. In answer to my own question - "What can the narrative voice of Changing Shoes be...?" - reading Changing Shoes feels like meeting a good friend at a favorite coffee house, sitting down on a comfy couch, and asking her, "How on earth did you get from where you started to where you are today?"
The book opens with Tina coming to the realization that she's reached a stage in life where all eyes are no longer on her, but on the much younger woman next to her. From here, she takes the reader on a narrative journey through different parts of her life. We make brief stops at her Catholic high school in New York, Paris -where she comes into her own under the guidance of a wise and liberated woman with heaps of finesse, her early days as a model and actress in NYC, marriage, motherhood, career, the steady decline and eventual death of her parents, and a bunch of other places. I'd wondered if Changing Shoes would be a memoir, a self-help book, an expose'....the answer is, it's all of these things. I have to say, though, as an expose', it's very gentle. Long-time soap fans will have fun wondering/trying to figure out who it was that wore a baseball cap to hide the evidence of too many facelifts because, when it comes to this sort of stuff, Tina isn't naming names. This makes Tina's narrative voice more likable - she can tell a great story, but she's not out to smear anyone. Everyone likes a good storyteller, but nobody likes a bitch, and there's not a hint of bitchiness in Changing Shoes. If you're hoping to read the dirty secrets and scandals from behind the scenes at Guiding Light, this isn't the book for you. If, on the other hand, you're interested in how, during a time when most characters over 40 were being shoved asside, Tina not only managed to remain employed, but ended the run of GL with a front-and-center romance, you've come to the right place. You've come to the right place, too, if you want to hear the straight dope from a woman who hasn't had plastic surgery, doesn't plan to have plastic surgery, and isn't afraid to be honest about her age.
The section of Changing Shoes which deals with Tina's parents and their last years was something I found especially moving. It's an important story she tells, of having to cope with the mixed emotions that the failing health of a parent can bring. Most people are afraid to talk about how frustrating it can be to watch our parents get old, or how guilt drives a lot of what we do,when it comes to caring for them. Still fewer people are able to discuss the inevitable feeling of relief that comes when a person who has lived with prolonged illness finally dies. It's something we all experience, but it's something of a taboo. Having recently lost my mother, this section of the book was painful, but also a catharsis. While I miss my mother terribly, I've also experienced a sense of relief since she passed; no longer do I worry that every late-night phone call is THE phone call I've dreaded. Tina discusses this frankly - the fact that loving one's parents and being devoted to them does not make caring for them an absolute joy, and that the range of emotions that comes with this experience is not only natural, but universal.
Tina gets brownie points for managing to tell stories about her interaction with famous people without being a showoff. When she relates a story about Jodie Foster it doesn't feel as if she's bragging about having worked with a major movie star. Quite the opposite - it reminds us that Jodie Foster may be a movie star, but she's also just a woman...a woman Tina Sloan happened to have worked with, once. This, ultimately, is what makes Changing Shoes such an enjoyable read. It's not really about a soap star. It's Everywoman's story. The names and dates and specific details may be different, but the fundimental truths are the same: girls become women, young women become middle-aged women who become older women, parents live and die, kids grow up, people laugh, cry, complain, and make mistakes. It's how each of deals with these parts of life that matters.
I realize this may not be the most interesting book review, as I have nothing but good things to say about Changing Shoes. It's well written. It's touching. It's funny. It's juicy. It's full of homespun wisdom about things you never thought you'd hear homespun wisdom about. Tina Sloan will not tell you how to make a perfect pie crust, but she will give you tips on the best hormonal supplements to take if you want to kick up a sagging libido, but don't want to grow a moustache. You don't get that kind of advice every day.
She's the pinup queen of the new millenium. NYC's IT girl. Fun and fabulous and always at all the best places because wherever she is BECOMES the best place to be. She's von Hottie. You've spotted her at the slopes in St. Moritz, rocking a fake fur over her bathing suit. You've seen her strolling along the white sands of Miami Beach - how does she do that in heels??? Now, you can see her on Empire, where she's playing - what else? - her fabulous self...and sending the world of the Havens into a tailspin of scandal. How did the web soap score such a casting coup? I learned from none other than von Hottie, herself, who made time between public appearences to fill me in on her latest project. Fun-loving and full of laughter, I can't imagine anyone not being taken with her.
LN: First off, I have to tell you how much I love your work. You're the anti-Paris Hilton. What you do is just so fun and lovable.
vH: Good! Fun and lovable are exactly what von Hottie is supposed to be.
LN: I watched the video clip on your website - the one filmed at Coney Island. I loved it. For one thing, that's one of my favorite places in the world. But I also loved people's reactions to you.
vH: We filmed that for Current TV, and were also shooting pictures for the pinup calendar. It's funny - we were by the Freak Show, and I guess I expected them to be happy to have us there, maybe invite us in. The opposite was true. At first I felt bad, because the people on the boardwalk were all so into von Hottie. Then it occurred to me that they're in the freak business, and we were probably stepping all over their territory.
LN: When Sam (our mutual friend) sent me a message asking if I'd be interested in interviewing von Hottie, I thought for sure he was having me on. I think I told him I was holding out for an interview with Karen Black - I really thought he was joking.
vH: Sam and I were having cocktails and he said he had a friend who'd probably like to interview me. Next thing I knew he was tweeting away, and than taking our picture to send you.
LN: I demanded proof. I think I'll post that photo on my blog, if it's ok with you.
vH: Definitely post it! So many beautiful things happen over margaritas.
LN: So, I just watched the most recent episode of Empire, and it was a riot. How did you get involved with it?
vH: Brian Hewson (Empire's writer, along with Greg Turner) and I lived together a while back. Actually, Brian gave me cable. When we moved in together he couldn't believe I didn't have cable, and he had a whole list of shows that he regularly DVR'd, so he set me up with cable service. Once I got it, it was impossible to stop watching tv. I was also in a play that Greg wrote. Brian and Greg are more invested in their television viewing than anyone I've ever met. They're passionate about the programs they watch.
LN: Without giving anything away to people who haven't seen this episode, I'll just say that you end up in a compromising position at the end of the episode. Something we would never see on network television. How did that come about?
vH: Brian called to say that he was planning an epsisode that would end with a celebrity scandal, and he wondered if von Hottie could be the celebrity caught red-handed. I was definitely into it. There wasn't a script for that section yet, and Brian at first talked about the scandal being a celebrity caught snorting coke. I wasn't into that. Drug abuse isn't what von Hottie is about. So we worked on different ideas. Someone had the idea that von Hottie would be caught giving some guy a blow job, but that seemed like such a cliche'. It's been done to death. And then we realized that we had the perfect opportunity to do whatever we wanted to do. This is the internet - we can do things that won't ever get done on network television. We added the cut-out to make it into a sort of threesome, as a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the narcissism of self-made celebrity, and also an homage to Marilyn Monroe. She said something like, "Men want to go home with Marilyn, but they don't want to wake up next to Norma Jean."
LN: The cut-out is the funniest part of that scene, in my opinion. Was it fun to watch the episode, yourself?
vH: At the wrap party this past weekend they screened all of the episodes. It was bizarre because it went from high drama to bizarre comedy. I loved watching it with a bar full of people. When that last scene was over, this old, French guy at the bar leaned over and said, in a thick accent, "Good for you!" I think he wanted to invite me to the bathroom.
LN: Of course I noticed when you were first mentioned on Empire - I think it was the first episode of the season, and Orlagh Cassidy's character sees your column in a tabloid and refers to you as a hussy.
vH: They put my name on the front cover of the tabloid on the show, and then we actually did get into Soap Opera weekly, which was so exciting.
LN: Will we see more of you on Empire?
vH: I won't be acting in any more episodes this season, but my presense will definitely be felt. Of course, there might be a sort of Betty White effect, where the public demands more von Hottie in season 3.
LN: I may just have to start a Facebook group. How familiar were you with soap operas before getting involved with Empire? Had you ever watched?
vH: When I was in high school, I used to rush home to watch General Hospital with my stepmother. I loved it. That was during the Luke/Laura/ Lucky era. But then my favorite character, Stone, died of HIV, and I was inconsolable. I couldn't watch anymore.
LN: And you say Brian and Greg are the most invested television viewers you know?
vH: It's true, I've been pretty invested, too. The annual nurse's ball on General Hospital has been a great inspiration to me. I remember one birthday party, where I planned costume changes midway through. My stepmother thought it was a bit much, but I got the idea from the nurse's ball and I stuck with it.
LN: I'd almost forgotten the nurse's ball! My partner is a nurse - I'm pretty sure she'd throw up if I told her about the nurse's ball. You know, a hospital set is the one thing Empire doesn't have. Most soaps have some sort of medical story line. Maybe they need a hospital.
vH: Or they could just have a doctor. Maybe the guy who played Stone on General Hospital.
LN: You said before that you were excited when the scene with Orlagh made it into Soap Opera Weekly. I imagine you get recognized a lot on the street.
vH: I'd like to say it happens every day but, in reality, it's happened maybe five times. von Hottie is more about creating the illusion of global fame.
LN: And these days, that's completely possible. So many people who are famous are famous for no reason other than that they've decided to be famous.
vH: Yeah, and bringing it back to Empire, it's the same thing. Sort of like good, old American ingenuity. If someone like Brian and Greg wants to make a soap - they make a soap. I love that.
LN: Like this blog. I'm amazed when I write something and then find out that like 500 people have read it. I don't even know 500 people - but soap fans and bloggers are, for the most part, really nice and generous. They're cool about posting links to stuff they find on the web.
vH: Oh, that's really sweet, that you all watch out for each other. It seems there's this enormous community of soap fans who are losing the thing they love.
LN: I found out about Empire because Roger Newcomb at We Love Soaps promoted it a lot. Once I watched it, the thing I liked about it right away was that it was clearly written by people who love soap opera. I almost get a sense of that "let's put on a show" spirit from a Judy Garland movie. Network soaps are dying, but guys like Brian and Greg are putting on their own show.
vH: Absolutely. And it's the internet, so they can have as much making out as they want!
LN: I know! I love it that we see Cain and his boyfriend making out just because that's what couples do.
vH: Television has had some stuff like that, shows like The L Word. But usually it's all dramatic and stuff. I love tht the gays on Empire just make out because it's what couples do. I appreciate the making out. Brian and Greg have these online viewer polls to find out what people want, and that's what they want - more making out.
LN: Which, believe it or not, is a big deal. Empire is sort of the little soap-opera-that-could, because they're doing what networks couldn't or wouldn't do. Even in 2010, soaps pretty much always flake out when it comes to showing gay couples. So, yeah, your friends are doing something really significant when they include all of that making out.
vH: Hopefully more people will produce more content like this that does stuff the television people won't do.
LN: I'm not going to take any more of your time, but we've got to have drinks next time I'm in NY.
vH: Definitely.
LN: And I'm going to start that Facebook group. More von Hottie in season 3.
If Dinah and Vanessa's tearful goodbye last week reminded you of something, of some other time when a mother and daughter shed tears as a daughter set out to escape the law after killing someone, it's no accident. We've been here before.
Continuity and History.
If it's beginning to sound like a mantra, it's because a mantra is exactly what it should be to a soap writer. Long-term viewers of Guiding Light know all about the relationship Dinah and her mother have shared over the years, about the guilt Vanessa harbors over having given her baby up for adoption, and the less-than-perfect childhood that baby experienced. We know about Dinah's transformation, over time, from angry, resentful, vindictive youth to a mature - if impulsive - woman who often does the wrong things for the right reasons. We know that Dinah has hurt her mother badly in the past but that, through it all, the bonds of mother and child have only grown stronger. We know that Dinah has killed before and that Vanessa has faced the possibility of her daughter living a life on the run, never to see her family, again. For those of us who have followed Guiding Light over the years, Dinah and Vanessa's recent farewell scene was a little bit of a pay-off. The last time we visited this scenario, Dinah had killed Hart - a murder born out of a sick obsession. The last time we visited this scenario, Vanessa's initial reaction was shock and horror, and her instinct was to contact the authorities. The last time we visited this scenario, it was with an hysterical Dinah, begging her mother to bail her out. Vanessa and Dinah have come full circle. Gone is the rivalry. Gone is Dinah's manipulation of Vanessa's guilt. Gone is Dinah's child-like pleas for help. Gone, too, is Vanessa's judgement. This time, we have a Vanessa who, faced with the possibility of her daughter spending the rest of her life in prison, is glad that Dinah has chosen to run.
Continuity and History
Back in February, after Coop's death scenes, there was a small, but significant, scene that may have been missed by viewers who have adopted the habit of fast-forwarding through episodes of Guiding Light. In the scene, Lillian Raines and Vanessa Chamberlain walk into Company and share a short interaction. Vanessa says something about how, any time someone dies in a car accident, she's reminded of their mutual friend. The scene is a subtle nod not only to the memory of Maureen Bauer, but to long-time fans who know exactly what Vanessa is talking about, and why it's a significant moment for these particular characters to share. Tina Sloan, who plays Lillian Raines, tells me that, after that scene was shot she was approached by a younger member of the film crew. This crew member had no idea who Maureen Bauer was, or why her death was so meaningful. She had no idea why Vanessa and Lillian share in the grief of losing Maureen. Still and all, this crew member approached Tina and told her that, while she had no idea what the scene they'd just shot was about, she could feel it was really significant and powerful, and that it touched her for reasons she couldn't explain.
One need not know about the history a set of characters share in order to benefit from this history being respected. When continuity and history are an integral part of drama, it's a win/win situation.
Continuity and History.
While Dinah and Vanessa's recent emotional scene was a nod to old-school Guiding Light fans who have been on the emotional mother/daughter roller coaster with these characters for many years, the scene was also satisfying to newer viewers. It's a great scene because it's a microcosm of what great soap opera is all about: human emotion, love, struggle, family. The scene has heart. It's all about continuity and history. It's the sort of scene that should be required viewing for anyone thinking about a future in writing this type of drama.
"Go back to your roots. That's going to tell you everything."
In a recent episode of Guiding Light, a distraught Olivia, lost and confused and unable to figure out how to get on with living her life told Blake, "I don't know what to do." Blake's response, "Go back to your roots. That's going to tell you everything."
This bit of advice might have been useful to the writers of GL a year ago, or more. If they'd had that advice, and heeded it, we wouldn't now be sadly saying goodbye to the longest running serial in broadcasting history. If they'd thought to go back to the roots of GL, we wouldn't have wasted so much time on less-than-stellar, inexperienced young actors and/or characters who have no connection to Springfield's core values or history. If the writers had thought to go back to GL's roots - its history, its core characters, and story lines that made us care - we wouldn't now be faced with rushed swan songs by actors and characters who should have been in Springfield, all along.
The Mo Bauer Effect
Few plot lines have made as deep an impact on GL in the last 20 years as the death of Maureen Bauer. The major players in that story line, though - Ed Bauer, Lillian Raines, Vanessa Chamberlain - have been all but dead for the last few years, as far as the writers of GL have been concerned. On 7/28, we were treated to a reunion of sorts, when the scene opened with Ed, newly returned to Springfield, having lunch with Lillian, only to have Vanessa walk in to Towers. For those of us who know the history these characters share, their roles in GL's greatest tragedy, and how each of them has suffered guilt or sadness (or both) since Maureen's death, it was a charged moment.
Anyone who knows this this story knows that Ed Bauer's heart has never truly healed, and that his work in epidemiology is fueled, in part, by his guilt - if he couldn't prevent Maureen's death, he's sure as hell going to save anyone else he can.
Anyone who knows this story knows that Lillian has lived with insurmountable guilt, as well...that she blames herself for creating a situation that led to the death of her dear friend, deprived Ed of a wife and Michelle of a mother. We know that Lillian has not allowed herself to love or be loved for all these many years and that it is only now, with Buzz, that she has begun to let her guard down, forgive herself, and believe herself worthy of love.
Anyone who knows this story knows that, in Maureen, Vanessa lost a soulmate of sorts, and that the friendship these two women shared was closer than that of sisters. It's a rare thing on television or in film for platonic friendship to be honored in the way GL honored the friendship of Vanessa and Maureen. From the get-go, it was made clear that there were two primary grievers - Ed and Vanessa. Vanessa has suffered a sort of widowhood all these years. And, no, I don't mean to imply that there was any sort of sexual energy between these two characters, but that the bond between them was so strong, their friendship so pure and full of love and admiration, that the spot left empty in Vanessa's heart has never since been filled. And, while Vanessa has great love for both Ed and Lillian, it is also true that she knows about their long-ago indiscretion, and hasn't gone completely without feeling anger over it.
When these three are in the same scene, something happens.
This is strong stuff. It's the stuff good soap opera is made of: characters who we know well reacting to the events in their lives, living with the consequences of their actions over the long term, never forgetting where they've come from, or what they've been through. When Vanessa walked in and saw Ed and Lillian eating together, I felt something. How could I not? Just as Proust's Madeleine dipped into a weak cup of tea conjured up a lifetime of memories, the sight of Vanessa, Ed and Lillian sharing space brought me right back to a time and place when characters, history and continuity really mattered on Guiding Light:
Soap opera is, by definition, all about continuity - the story lines are on-going, characters are established and grow over time, and viewers become invested. Guiding Light - in fact, soap opera as a genre - would not exist if not for a core of long-term, heavily invested viewers who have followed the characters over time. Why, then, has it taken the cancelation of this show to bring these three actors and their characters together on screen? As an ensemble, they pack a wallop. They're all strong actors, who work really well together, and whose characters share rich, significant history. Isn't this exactly what a truly invested soap opera audience tunes in for?
Cheekbones and Pecs
In the future, when students of pop culture, screen writing,and broadcasting look back at this genre (and make no mistake about this - they will) and try to figure out what went wrong, one of the issues they'll undoubtedly bat around is casting. Somewhere along the line, Central Casting decided that the main requirements for landing a role on a soap opera were aesthetic: if someone looked the part, they got it. At some point in time, acting ability took a back seat to great hair, a strong jaw line, and looking great in a tight t-shirt. Combine this with America's cult of youth, and it's a wonder any soap continues to thrive.
This is not to say that there are no talented young actors - E. J. Bonilla has done some excellent work on GL, especially in the last two months. And I'm certainly not saying that no one over 40 can be attractive - GL's present cast is fairly teeming with incredibly talented actors who also happen to be over 40, and great-looking: Maeve Kinkead and Tina Sloan are two of them. What I am saying is that too much of an emphasis has been placed, over the last few years, on youth and beauty, and not enough on good acting and meaty content that actually goes somewhere. Whereas Vanessa and Lillian were once the center of incredibly popular, front-burner story lines, they've been virtually invisible for the last few years. It would be a logical assumption of any new GL viewer to come to that Lillian is pretty much around to help Beth get ready for parties, or that Vanessa is just Dinah's mother, whose main job is to keep Billy from eating too much pie. And Ed? Ed Bauer, who used to be the backbone of the show? He was evicted from Springfield, long ago. A new GL viewer would have no reason to know who Ed Bauer even is. Are you listening, Irna? The Bauers haven't much mattered for a long time, now.
In the last few weeks GL has given us little glimpses of what once made it so great. While I welcome this - I can't imagine having this show go off the air without one last glimpse of Ed or Holly, and I'm glad Lillian finally, finally has an involvement in something other than helping Beth decide what to wear - it makes me sad. Revisiting past greatness is always a mixed bag. In this case, it makes me wonder: what took them so long? Why did TPTB wait until it was too late for any of this to make a difference? I know there have been serious budgetary constraints, but I also know that there exists a group of strong, talented actors who have been associated with GL, all of whom play/played characters who actually have history in and strong connections to Springfield. In the past few years, these actors have been either dropped from contract status, or pitifully underused. I'm talking about:
Tina Sloan
Maeve Kinkead
Liz Keifer
Justin Deas
Michael O'Leary
Peter Simon
Maureen Garrett
Ron Raines
Lisa Brown
Marj Dusay
I'm sure I've missed a few, and I'm sure I'll get emails about who they are.
What About Otalia?
Was it worth it? Did stomping all over what once made this show great, and treating both actors and characters the viewers love as disposable pay off in any way? Has anything been gained by ignoring the importance of continuity in this genre? And, what about Otalia?
I'm not against progress and growth. Nor do I have anything against developing fresh, new story lines and introducing new characters...but they can't stand alone. Not on a soap opera. There have to be connections. When Maureen Bauer died, every single character in Springfield, every single story line on GL, felt the impact. When Holly was raped by Roger, it touched everyone. When 5th Street burned down, no one was left untouched. Continuity. Connection. These things are vital to the success of a soap opera, but the writers of GL seem to have missed this point, time and again. Even in the strongest story line the show has boasted in years - Otalia - writers dropped the continuity ball long ago. In early May, Patrick Erwin finally said what he'd undoubtedly been holding in for a long time: Olivia and Natalia desperately need a one-way ticket out of the storyline island they’ve been stuck on.
And where do we find ourselves with Otalia now, as the show gets closer and closer to winding down for good? Watching a disjointed mess due, in part, to the fact that, without Natalia, there is no Otalia story line. If the writers had taken heed of Patrick Erwin's words, Crystal Chappell might actually have had something interesting and logical to do during Jessica Leccia's maternity leave. Instead, we have this:
Olivia: I just feel like I'm dealing with everything on my own.
Philip: I don't think that's true. You're a huge part of this town. You're connected to everybody.
Olivia: Why do I feel so alone?
Why do you feel so alone, Olivia? It might just be because, when they could have been developing your story line in such a way that made it an integral part of the Guiding Light/Springfield saga, as a whole, the writers were busy with Disneyworld, pretty boys using stolen diamonds no one cares about as an excuse to show off their sculpted bodies, and the inconsequential nonsense of Remy/Christina's marital status. None of that was good or interesting or relevant....but it sure did bring the young and pretty.
Limited Licensing: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the Creative Commons Attribution license, granting distribution of my copyrighted work without making changes, with mandatory attribution to Lana M. Nieves and for non-commercial purposes only. - Lana M. Nieves
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: happily, ever after is the worst thing that can happen to a soap couple. It means there's nowhere left to go, No conflict means no drama, which means who gives a damn? I stand by this. The mightiest soap super couple of them all, Luke and Laura, thrived on conflict. The minute everything seemed calm and sane in their world, they'd find themselves involved in a stolen diamond caper, or a plan to control the planet by manipulating the weather (I kid you not), or a long-buried secret would surface and rock the boat. The point is, Luke and Laura were only interesting as long as there was something for them to do, some foe for them to battle, some way to illustrate that their relationship was truly a you-and-me-against-the-world proposition. If there were some bible for soap opera writers, this would definitely be listed as one of the tenets.
One would think, then, that I'd be behind the decision to have Guiding Light's Natalia discover she's pregnant and suddenly run off and go into hiding, leaving Olivia in the lurch. I mean, it doesn't get much more angsty than standing in a church yard, clenching your fists and yelling at the top of your lungs, "Nataliaaaaaaa! I Love you!!!!" But there's angst, and there's angst, and this particular dose of angst doesn't sit well with me, at all. I think it's not so much angst, as total bullshit.
Bearing in mind that there is, in fact, no official bible for soap writers, and annoyed as allhell at recent developments, I've decided to make things easy for the writers of GL by making up my own:
Soap Writer's Ten Commandments
1. Thou Shall Know Thy Characters
Know them. Know how they think, how they act, how they react. Know their histories because, I promise you, gentle writer, your audience does. Know that Natalia "would die" for Emma and that she would never just not show up when she was expected, let alone abandon her. Know that Natalia "knows what it means when you tell somebody you love them." I don't think you know any of these things, and you really should.
2. Thou Shall Do The Fucking Math
Human pregnancies last for 9 months, and pregnant women usually start showing towards the end of the first trimester. A pregnant woman starts having symptoms of pregnancy long before it's obvious to the public that she's pregnant. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: a halt in menstruation, weight gain, morning sickness, increased appetite, and odd cravings. Frank and Natalia's no-go wedding was in April, which is three months ago in real life time. In soap opera time, Rafe recently referred to the no-go wedding as having happened "a long time ago." Frank and Natalia had sex only once, and this was before the no-go wedding which, according to your own words, occurred "a long time ago." Do the fucking math. The only way Natalia would or could be unaware of having missed her period for four or more months would be if she were brain dead. If she were pregnant all this time, she'd have experienced other symptoms...possibly even felt the baby move. Do the fucking math. Again, you can bet the viewers have.
3. Thou Shalt Not Lie
We understand there are secrets that must be kept, in order to keep us, the audience, engaged, but don't lie to us. We heard - over and over again - that Jessica Leccia's pregnancy would not be incorporated into the Otalia story line. This was clearly a lie. Not cool, and not a good way to treat loyal viewers. Better to say that you're undecided or that there are elements of the story that have not yet been decided upon. But don't look us in the eye and feed us a load of crap. It's just not the right thing to do to people who have put a lot of energy into supporting what you do, which brings us to....
4. Thou Shall Honor The Hand That Feeds You
I'm not talking about kissing butt, but let's call a spade a spade: soap operas are products. Soap viewers are customers. The customer is always right. In this case, we, the customers, made it perfectly clear that we did not, under any circumstances, want the next dose of angst for Otalia to be a pregnancy. Some fans/customers felt so strongly about this that they posted comments such as, "Die, baby, die." Now, I think that's sort of insane, and definitely disconcerting, but I digress. The point is, there has to be some give and take. We expected angst. Some of us even welcomed it - just not in this form. We made it clear. We expected hoops and hurdles that made sense, maintained the integrity of the story, and had some basis in common sense. Having Natalia suddenly realize she's four months pregnant, and then run away without so much as a word to Olivia or Emma that she's ok? It's an insult to us.
5. Remember The Story Arc, To Keep It Holy
Do you even remember how this story developed? Because we sure do. And here's one thing we remember: Olivia trying hard to suppress her feelings because she was sure that nothing good would come from opening her heart to Natalia. We remember Olivia saying "there is no 'us'". And we remember Natalia chasing after her, being the strong one - hell, I even called her a power bottom! - and forcing the inescapable issue: that they were in love and meant to be together. We remember how satisfying it was that, to everyone's surprise (sort of, but not really) Olivia seemed afraid, while Natalia seemed fearless. Hell, just two weeks ago she declared, "I'm tired of waiting!" How, then, did Natalia overnight become a woman who would run with her tail between her legs at the first sign of - what? An inconvenience? Because, really - for two women who love kids and love one another, and want to raise Emma together, a baby wouldn't be a tragedy, at all! (see Commandment 1)
6. Disbelief Shall Be Suspended Only So Far
You asked us to pretend not to notice Jessica Leccia's ample bosom, large belly and glowing moon face for months, months. And we did. We suspended disbelief and ignored the fact that Jessica was pregnant, even when it became ridiculous. We did this because the character, Natalia, was not pregnant. Or so we had been led to believe. Now that Jessica has given birth and is, I assume, getting back to her pre-pregnancy shape and weight, you ask us to believe she's pregnant? Seriously? No. Just no.
7. Angst Is Necessary, and Shall Be So - In a Proper Context
In storytelling, conflict is good. Hurdles and obstacles are good. Angst is very good. Angst and conflict that make no sense, have no bearing on the story at hand, or are caused by outside forces that seem to drop out of the sky? Not so good. Rafe being a holier-than-thou idiot about his mother's declaration of love for Olivia? Good angst! It's been painful to watch. It makes me hate Rafe. It makes me want to punch the tv. But it makes sense, and I can believe it would have a bearing on what Natalia chooses to do. A freakish, unexpected pregnancy leading to a total personality change in Natalia? Not so good. In fact, pretty freaking lousy. I repeat: that's not angst, it's bullshit.
8. Thou Shalt Not Lose Track Of Time
We'd probably have more patience if you, the writers, hadn't lost track of the fact that Guiding Light's final episode will air on September 18th, and we haven't even had a peck on the cheek between these two women. I'm all for taking it slow, and building up to a crescendo, but let's be realistic: the show has been cancelled, a pick-up is unlikely, and Crystal Chappell has already signed on with another show. Otalia is coming to a close, and you haven't delivered the goods. It's almost as if you'd lost your watches and calendars, thrown caution to the wind, and decided, "Hey....let's throw another wrench in the works and let them wait an extra six months before the girls kiss.' Well, guess what? We don't have another six months, so you've screwed up, big time. What can you have been thinking?
9. Thou Shalt Not Perpetuate Negative Stereotypes
Ok, this may not be set in stone, but it's my set of rules, after all: let's not have you writers rely on or perpetuate negative stereotypes, ok? Liz and Dani of Pancakes and a Valium made an excellent observation: Olivia's heartbreak over Natalia taking a runner was visually presented alongside the almost ridiculous level of happiness being experienced by every straight couple and heterosexual person in Springfield. Even Philip, who's dying, was having a big, old, jolly, hetero time that day. We don't want this. We've already seen every movie and tv show where the tragic faggot dies or ends up alone or loses everything, while his/her straight counterparts go for the gold. Some of us have even known that tragic faggot in real life. What we haven't seen a hell of a lot of are stories where there's parity, where couples are just couples. Why is the Bauer BBQ a festive occasion for everyone except the two women in love, and why were you so intent on sending that message out to the world? Why juxtapose the glee of heterosexual normalcy with the tragic, pathetic sadness of same-sex love in such a way? It's a cheap, obvious, insulting thing to do, and it doesn't even ring true for most of us. We don't want Springfield's Hispanics to all be street thugs, blacks to all be wife-beaters, or queers to all be miserable, unloved sad sacks.
10. Remember, Always, The Power of Revision
When it's broken, fix it. Take a cue from the top-rated daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Last year on Y&R, they introduced a new character and immediately married her off to Victor Newman. No one liked her. The two actors had no chemistry. Their love affair was not even remotely believable. Fans revolted. The show became unwatchable. What did the writers at Y&R do? They paid attention to the feedback they were getting from viewers. They looked at Victor - an established character - and remembered who he was and what his history was. They pretty much followed Commandments 1-9, and then they fixed the problem by way of revision. Victor's marriage story line wasn't working on any level and, so, his young bride was immediately killed off -in a believable, plausible way. Victor acted in a way that was in keeping with his character. Within a month, Y&R went from being unwatchable to being must-see-tv
A storyline needs to be looked at as a living, breathing thing. If certain elements aren't working, they need to be revisited, retooled and, maybe, completely revised or rewritten. Hopefully, it's not too late to fix what you have so badly broken. Listen to your audience, and don't insult their intelligence. Know your characters. Remember where you've taken us with them, thus far, and keep it in mind as you plan to take us further. Pay attention to and use wisely the time you have left with these characters. Make choices that make some sense not just for the moment, but for the characters and plot, overall. Don't make the cheap, easy choices that send out negative messages and perpetuate stereotypes. If it's broken, roll up your sleeves and fix it.
Limited Licensing: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the Creative Commons Attribution license, granting distribution of my copyrighted work without making changes, with mandatory attribution to Lana M. Nieves and for non-commercial purposes only. - Lana M. Nieves
My friend, Robert, and I have been soap fans for many years and, as such, I consider us to be sort of experts on the subject. We don't just know a lot about the characters, the plot lines, the family histories in Springfield, Genoa City, Oakdale, etc....but we know about how soap opera works, as a genre. We know the shape and structure of daily soap. We know how it differs from, say, the structure of a novel or a weekly series. We know how the pacing works, how important character development is and, mostly important, we know that soap is a genre that can't afford to ignore the needs, demands, and memory of its audience.
Discussing the sad demise of Guiding Light, and what seems to be the inevitable demise of As The World Turns, Robert and I got to talking about the missed opportunities, and what could have been - should have been - done to save these shows. We both came to the conclusion that, among other problems, soap writers have failed to make use of some of the resources at their disposal: the well-established, strong female characters that fans like us have loved so much for so long. A few years ago, All My Children took a stab at establishing a woman-centered world (via Fusion) that has never looked like anything more than a failed attempt at bringing the chick-lit vibe to daytime. Instead of making the most of strong, established characters such as Erica Kane, Brooke English, and Dixie Martin, Fusion revolved around a new generation of Pine Valley women, and has never amounted to more than four chicks sitting in an office, arguing about their love lives, working out on a stripper pole, and entertaining the occasional transgender rock star. (Can we erase Zarf from daytime history? Please?) And what was their big business venture? Cosmetics. That was the big endeavor for a woman-run business empire? Way to push the gender role envelope, AMC!
If only TPTB at GL and ATWT had given me and Robert a call! As actual soap fans (Robert and I are convinced that few people writing soaps these days are actually fans - and it shows) we're pretty confident that we have what it takes to put together a pretty, little package that other soap fans would by into.
It's All About The Women
Picture it: Springfield, 2009. Dinah Marler, no longer satisfied with being a big fish in a small pond (did any of us believe she could be happy as such, for so long? The woman was married to Roger Thorpe, for heaven's sake.) decides that being owner and general manager of a local tv station just won't do. She wants something bigger. She wants everything. And she wants to do it on her own terms. No old boys club for her. And nothing so limiting as television production...not when there's a whole world of ever-emerging new media out there for the taking. But Dinah Marler doesn't want a website. She's not talking about just setting up a chatroom or hosting a podcast. True to form, Dinah Marler wants to play with the big boys. She wants to get rich and be powerful. The Dinah Marler that GL fans love will build a new media empire. A woman-centered new media empire that covers all the bases and knocks any competition out of the running. The four-woman office that is Fusion? That's for sissies who don't even know how to wipe their own asses, yet, and for whom developing a new shade of lipstick constitutes a giant challenge. How boring.
Now, Dinah is nobody's fool. She doesn't have what it takes to launch such an empire on her own. She knows that a project of this scope requires two vital components if it's ever going to get off the ground, let alone succeed: investors and expertise. Dinah has some money, and some knowledge about successfully managing a local tv station, but that 's about it. She needs start-up money - a lot of it - and she needs real know-how accross a broad business spectrum. She knows exactly where to get both, because Springfield and Oakdale are teeming with talent, and wealth just waiting to be invested. Here's the team she puts together (queue up Goodfellas soundtrack):
Holly Lindsay - Who knows media better than Holly? Holly has about 30 years' experience in radio, print media and television - not just as a journalist, but as an owner, manager, producer, editor, etc. And her experience isn't just local, but on an international level. I suspect she's already got her hand in new media. She's been on an extended stay overseas, after all, and we know Holly can't stand to be idle. A woman of substantial means, among this group of financial heavy hitters, she's the closest thing this dream team has to a pauper.
Vanessa Lewis - Vanessa has all kinds of experience running huge conglomerates such as Spaulding Enterprises. She stepped in as CEO of Lewis Oil when Billy's drinking made him a liability. She ran WSPR for years. And she has a conscience.
Alexandra Spaulding and Lucinda Walsh - Soap royalty. These two feisty broads could teach Donald Trump a thing or two about the art of the deal. Both of these powerhouses have had to fight the old boys club tooth and nail to get their due, and both have emerged triumphant. They're both tough as iron, and neither one of them is happy unless she's trying to take over a little bit more of the world. Lucinda has all sorts of PR nous, and few people have Alexandra's experience managing a diverse multi-national business empire.
Olivia Spencer - Liv knows all about making something out of nothing. If you're looking for someone with the know-how and momentum to get a start-up off the ground, it's Olivia. Challenges make her happy, and she's not afraid to roll up her sleeves and get dirty, if it means getting the job done. She also gives great face, and can talk anyone into anything with nothing but a martini and a couple of olives. And, yes, tokenism is bad...but it exists, and having one of the women in charge be a woman sharing her life with another woman would be pretty damned awesome.
No, seriously...picture it
Imagine the possibilities for a show that brought forth the best and the brightest women of Springfield and Oakdale, and placed them front and center of the action. Not a bunch of 20-somethings with little if any background, and not an ounce of business acumen...but seasoned, mature women who know their way around a board room, don't have time or interest in installing a stripper pole in the work place, and are interested in bigger things than creating the next shade of eye shadow. I'm not suggesting a world where men don't exist - just a soap that focuses on women whose lives don't revolve around men. They'd have men in their lives, and men working under them...but business decisions will not be settled over "who does Ryan Lavery really love this week?" Nor am I painting a picture of hard-assed business women who have been neutered - does anyone believe Olivia or Dinah would be here if I were? When she's in the zone, Lucinda can be sexy as all hell. Alexandra is an attractive woman. And don't even get me started on Vanessa.
CBS should have called me. I would have told them to lose the dead weight. I know there are zones on the internet where speaking ill of an actor or character's shortcomings is verboten. This is not one of them. If CBS had given me a call (I'm in the book, dammit!) I would have told them to get rid of Reva, Josh and Jefferey (boring, played out)...ditch Remy and Christina (lame characters and really, really bad acting) ...play down the whole Bill and Lizzie thing (entertaining to some but, ultimately, it has nowhere to go)...kill off most of the Coopers (they serve no purpose and, seriously, does anyone not find them annoying?)...and blow up Oakdale, killing off most of the its residents (I like the idea of keeping Barbara, Paul, Kim, Tom, Margo and maybe Craig...but everyone else is expendable.) And then I would have told them to read the above and invent a whole new soap opera, centering on a woman-run new media empire, using the best talent they already had at their disposal. A whole new soap based on tried and true soap elements: strong characters, history, power struggles, relationships, good vs. evil, work world vs home life. And, yes, attractive women....at least one of them being a woman who shares her life with another woman.
Limited Licensing: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the Creative Commons Attribution license, granting distribution of my copyrighted work without making changes, with mandatory attribution to Lana M. Nieves and for non-commercial purposes only. - Lana M. Nieves
There's no denying it: the exploration of same-sex attraction is soap opera's new black. All My Children, As The World Turns, and Passions have all gone there. Ratings leader The Young and the Restless is slated to launch a same-sex triangle (more about the casting/politics of this in a later blog - it's too big a story to tuck in here) involving a major character and a well-loved blast-from-the-past. And, of course, there's Otalia which, in my opinion, is the most adult and realistic portrayal of same-sex attraction and love on television to date.
The fact that Ellen Wheeler has chosen to go the "no labels" route with Otalia has been discussed and written about ad infinitum. It's not a lesbian story, or a bisexual story. It's not even a story about sexuality, which is not to say that our heroines' chemistry isn't sexually charged, or that Olivia and Natalia will never have a sexual relationship, but that, in the spirit of classic soap story-telling (which is an endangered species) , theirs is a story about love, pure and true. When I use those words I am not implying that there is anything impure or untrue about same-sex attraction, or about a sexual relationship. What I mean by pure and true is this: Olivia and Natalia have made an organic - if unlikely - transition from being adversaries and rivals, to friends and confidantes, to lovers. Their journey is based on getting to know and understand one another, each discovering that the other has strengths that complement her own, Olivia learning that Natalia has a strong, solid inner core, and Natalia learning that, at heart, Olivia is a fragile and guarded woman who longs for simple pleasures. If they've learned to appreciate their differences, they've come to love and respect one another for that which they share: strong, protective maternal instincts. Both Natalia and Olivia would do anything to protect their children, and heaven help anyone who poses a threat to Emma, Ava or Rafe. The evolution of their relationship is pure and true because it is, quite simply, a case of two people coming together, getting to know one another, and finding love without ever having looked for it. If Otalia has its own mantra, its: "The heart wants what the heart wants." The human heart doesn't necessarily want a man or a woman, a penis or a vagina. It wants love and happiness, which can come in any variety of packages. No labels.
It's true that Otalia has been presented as a label-free story line as far as sexual identity is concerned. However, there's another area where there have been no labels, an area that has received little if any attention: ethnicity and race. For all intents and purposes, Natalia and Olivia are involved in what used to regularly be referred to as a "mixed" relationship. Lots of attention has been paid to the fact that they're both women. A fair amount of attention has been paid to the fact that there are marked differences in their social/socio-economic status: Olivia is a wealthy business woman of independent means, Natalia is a working class woman who, until recently, made her living at "unskilled" labor: waiting tables, cleaning up other people's messes. Almost no attention has been paid to the fact that Olivia is a white woman, while Natalia is Hispanic.
Some viewers may be less than pleased about the lack of attention being paid to the ethnic diversity angle of the Otalia story line. Personally, I'm thrilled.
Some Background History
It wasn't all that long ago that the very idea of two people from different ethnic groups - even religions - pairing up as a couple on film or television was considered controversial or cutting edge. I'm old enough to remember the furor surrounding a harmless, little sitcom called Bridget Loves Bernie, which starred Meredith Baxter and David Birney playing an Irish-American-Catholic woman and Jewish-American man who fall in love and marry. If you're under 30 years old, you're probably waiting for the punchline....and wondering when I'll explain the reason for the controversy. Believe it or not, I already have.
In 1972, the idea of a Catholic and a Jew getting married was so over-the-top, so outrageous, so edgy that the sitcom was pulled after one season, in part because of the flood of hate mail the network received in response to their "mixed marriage"-themed show. If the viewing audience wasn't ready for this all-American-looking couple on account of how controversial their pairing up was, did a truly inter-racial couple stand a
chance?
Of course, American television audiences had, by 1972, already proven that they could, in fact, accept a sitcom couple of different ethnicities. When the concept for I Love Lucy was first pitched to television executives, there were serious reservations around casting Desi Arnaz as Ricky - even though Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball were real-life husband and wife. Network brass was unsure the American viewing audience would be able to accept such a controversial pairing. That obstacle was overcome via reliance on Arnaz' character to provide comic relief in the way of ethnic stereotyping. Since Lucille Ball refused to do the show without Desi Arnaz, I Love Lucy became a sweeping success about a lovable redhead and her husband: a Cuban bandleader with a hot temper and a penchant for butchering the English language. Those wacky Hispanics! They're apt to break into that ridiculous little Spanish "language" of theirs at any time, they can't pronounce even the simplest of English words, and they lose their Latin tempers on a dime. They're so dumb and goofy - in Spanish, Ricky is actually short for Ricardo, which means his name is Ricardo Ricardo...silly Latinos! They're not terribly bright, are they? And the fact that they're so musical is so quaint!Just hearing the first few bars of that silly BabaLu is enough to crack me up!
Here is where I confess: I do love Lucy, but hearing the first few bars of Babalu has always been enough to make me want to stick knitting needles in my eardrums. Ricky Ricardo isn't like any Hispanic guy I've ever met. He's not like a real person...he's a caricature. And, yes - this is in part the way television works....characters aren't necessarily like real people. But Ricky Ricardo's two-dimensional qualities go far beyond the suspension of disbelief we make when we watch sitcoms. He's a walking, talking stereotype. He's not a Hispanic character - he's a fucking punch line. And that's how they did it, back in the day, when they wanted to have two tv characters who looked different from one another, and came from different worlds pair up as a couple: they made the differences into punchlines, magnified and exaggerated traits, and presented cartoonish, stereotypical characters.
In the 1970s, sitcom genius Norman Lear turned television on its ear by creating All In The Family, Maude, Good Times and The Jeffersons. With All in the Family, Lear presented the bigot - Archie Bunker - as the punchline. Archie Bunker was an equal opportunity bigot. He had something to say about anything and everything that was even slightly different than his own experience. He was dumb. Really dumb. We laughed at his stupidity, and took note that bigotry really is all about ignorance. Still and all, Archie was presented as a lovable bigot. Sure, he used the word "colored", he berated his son-in-law for being a "Polack", and he hated the "mixed" couple who lived down the street (An Irish woman married to an Italian man - that's some edgy shit!) But, really, Archie wasn't any worse than George Jefferson - the affluent black guy down the street who hated Whitey as much as Archie hated Blackie. When George Jefferson and family were spun off onto their own successful sitcom, viewers were treated to an all-new "mixed" couple: Tom and Helen Willis. This time, it wasn't the minority half of a mixed couple who was the punchline, but the white guy. Tom Willis made me cringe. Oafish and a goofy. He had no rhythm. He had no sense of style. In stark contrast to the stereotype about black men and their sexual prowess, Tom seemed to be a castrato. If Ricky Ricardo's English pronounciation was funny, Tom Willis trying to dance was a laugh riot. Look at the silly white guy trying to shake his butt! Tom Willis was a buffoon.
An admirable effort on Norman Lear's part - an effort to turn the tables and make viewers take note. But, still, not anywhere near a reflection of what real people are all about...and not a depiction of mixed marriage that normalized it in any way. In fairness to Lear, for whom I have the utmost respect, he wasn't trying to do anything but deliberately use exaggeration and stereotyping as vehicles for promoting social change. Where Ricky Ricardo was all about laughing at the ridiculous Hispanic, Tom Willis was all about flipping the tables and saying to white America: See? This is what it feels like to be stereotyped, laughed at and devalued. This is what it looks and feels like when your race or ethnicity, alone, make you the punchline.
Otalia
Where does this all place Otalia in the grand scheme of things? No one seems to mention Natalia's race or ethnicity. We've heard the occasional reference to her grandmother ("Abuelita") and we know her name is Rivera. We know that, like so many Hispanics, she's staunchly Catholic. We know that she has fallen in love with a woman of (I think it's fair to assume) European origin. The fact that race and ethnicity don't enter into the discussion lets us know something else. It lets us know that race and ethnicity just don't matter.
Breathe deeply. Don't faint. It's strange, but true.
In 2009, in Springfield, where Rick and Mel enjoyed a longer marriage than most soap couples, and had a child together.....where Michelle and Danny were granted the rare happy ending as a couple.....where Buzz Cooper enjoyed a brief moment of happiness with Jenna.....and where Remy has had relationships with Tammy and Ava and Natalia....in this this place, the fact that Natalia and Olivia are a "mixed" couplejust doesn't matter.
The New Normal
If same-sex love is the new black on daytime, then mixed-race/mixed-ethnicity coupling is the new normal. I like that just fine. It means the days of ethnicity and race as punchlines are over - at least on Guiding Light. It reinforces the assertion that the story line between Olivia and Natalia is, above all else, a love story. It is not a lesbian story, or story about different races or ethnicities. It is a story about human beings finding one another and making a connection based on things simpler, and yet more profound than gender or race or ethnicity: chemistry, friendship, trust, humor, and desire.
So What?
Natalia and Olivia's stance on the difference in their ethnicities seems to be "so what?" It's a stance that's a world away from that which was the norm on television a mere 35 years ago. More than that, because nothing exists in a vacuum, and every action causes a reaction. The normalization of "mixed" couplings makes possible other shifts about other issues. If same-sex pairings are the new black on daytime television, the next logical step for such pairings is normalcy. If soap opera continues to exist as a genre - which is questionable - it is reasonable to expect that what has happened regarding race and ethnicity will happen regarding same-sex relationships. As I've written elsewhere, soap opera has always been a tool for social change...a vehicle by which the masses have learned to take the controversial and turn it into the normal. While the proud Puerto Rican in me is psyched that one half of Otalia is a strong, fiesty, positive Hispanic female, I'm also thrilled that Natalia's race and ethnicity are non-issues. I look forward to a future where, just as Guiding Light no longer stresses ethnic or racial differences, soap operas don't have gay characters or characters involved in same-sex relationships, but just characters. Whether or not the genre will survive to see this day is anybody's guess.
Limited Licensing: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the Creative Commons Attribution license, granting distribution of my copyrighted work without making changes, with mandatory attribution to Lana M. Nieves and for non-commercial purposes only. - Lana M. Nieves
The cancelation of Guiding Light has hit viewers, and hit us hard. For many, soap operas are old friends who have been with us a lot longer than most of the people we know. For many, watching daytime television is something we look fondly on as something we shared with our mothers and grandmothers. Soap opera has changed the way we look at women, and families and relationships. It's changed and helped shape what popular entertainment is today. When no one else dared, soap operas brought us stories about cultural and religious diversity, race relations, reproductive rights, euthanasia/assisted suicide, HIV/AIDS, sexuality among people with disabilities, ALS, addiction and recovery, domestic violence, post traumatic stress disorder and, yes, same sex love. Like so many things, the elements of soap opera add up to more than the sum of its parts.
Guiding Light is at the center of all of this - the longest running soap still in production.
If you've never watched a soap opera you won't - you can't - understand why people care so much about some old tv show being pulled off the air....especially since it's had such a long run. You probably have no idea that soap opera, as a medium, can only exist if an actual relationship exists between product and viewer. And exist it certainly does. Fans of this genre don't just watch. We become invested. It wouldn't work any other way. Soap opera offers an interesting duality: total escapism and total immersion. For the hour Guiding Light is on, we, the viewers, can leave all of our own details behind. The traffic, the noise, the financial problems, the deadlines at work, the neighbors who annoy us, the dinner we have to cook, the laundry that needs washing, the leaky roof that needs seeing to....these things dissolve away. They disappear for a short spell, as we immerse ourselves in the world of GL. We can leave New York or San Francisco or Chicago and spend an hour in Springfield, where we immerse ourselves the lives of others - others we know so very well. Our professional worries are replaced by the goings on at Spaulding Enterprises. Our aches and pains go by the wayside as we watch Olivia deal with heart disease. This hour-long escape and immersion is something we look forward to, something we cherish. It's more than a comfort. It's a relationship. On some level, it helps keep us sane. And, damn it, it's fun. It's fun to put aside all the big stuff that makes up a life....to put it aside for just one hour and indulge in a harmless vice. I don't smoke. I don't drink much. I don't gamble. Instead, soap operas are my addiction and the television is my opium den. Have you tried taking crack cocaine away from an addict? This is what the cancelation of Guiding Light is like - taking drugs away from an addict.
Of course, the implications of this particular cancelation are huge and daunting. CBS has been merciless in pulling the plug on Guiding Light, the longest-running soap opera in history. A show that started on radio and has been running every week day for 72 years. This is a show that holds an important place in the history of broadcasting. It's a landmark, and it's been pulled down in the way one might pull down a tent when the circus run is over. No mercy. If CBS shows no mercy for the grand dame of soap opera, what does it say about the future of soap opera as a genre? In my opinion, it's the death knell. As far as I can see, CBS is making a statement about their overall plan for the future of daytime television: they want low-cost, fluffy programing to frame around paid advertising. Why employ some of the best writers in the field, when it's cheaper invite a studio audience to watch trailer trash take paternity tests? Why offer young actors a training ground on which to cut their teeth, when its cheaper to film people arguing over dry cleaning bills in small claims court?
Once Guiding Light is gone, other daytime dramas will follow. And, when they're all gone...when soap opera is truly a thing of the past, we will have lost not only a piece of our social history, but a valuable resource. I'm sure the results of a Google or Wiki search would be much longer, but I prefer to do this off the top of my head.... a list of people who got started on soaps and/or who I first saw and always associate with their soap roles:
Julianne Moore
Ray Liotta
Susan Sarandon
Jill Claybugh
Kevin Bacon
Meg Ryan
Christopher Walken
Robin Wright Penn
Kathleen Turner
Jobeth Williams
Alec Baldwin
Alison Janney
Marg Helgenberger
Melina Kanakaredes
Francis Fisher
Mark Hammill
Nia Long
Kyra Sedgewick
Kate Capshaw
Lori Laughlin
Michelle Forbes
Demi Moore
Christopher Reeve
Marissa Tomei
Tommy Lee Jones
Without soap opera, where would these folks have honed their skills, learned the ins and outs of working in front of a camera, had an opportunity to work with and opposite dozens of other actors of all calibers, and developed the discipline necessary to memorize a new script and film a new mini-movie every day?
The demise of the soap opera can be likened to doing away with minor league baseball. Who needs all those farm teams, anyhow? Surely, the New York Yankees can just hit the streets and find a bunch of guys who can hit a ball with a bat, so why set up a system where young men can learn about working as part of a team, develop their skills by playing with and against a variety of other players in a variety of situations and terrains, find out if traveling around all the time works for them, and generally become mature enough to, hopefully, one day be ready for the big leagues? A system which makes it possible for sports fans to find out about up-and-coming players, and support their careers/watch as they develop? What's the point?
Limited Licensing: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the Creative Commons Attribution license, granting distribution of my copyrighted work without making changes, with mandatory attribution to Lana M. Nieves and for non-commercial purposes only. - Lana M. Nieves
