Erica Kane. I knew that name before I knew who the president was. Soap operas have been a part of my life since I was 2 months old. My babysitter watched soaps. My grandmother watched the soaps. Even my mother watched when she could. Soaps were the reason naps were at 1. You could either sleep or sit quietly. No child, husband or sales person in their right mind would ever interrupt a woman watching her soaps. All that has changed now. Most of those long running programs that I thought would live forever are gone. I am most upset about my soaps- All My Children and One Life to Live. They were the soaps watched by the women who raised me. They are the ones I watch today. My question is how did this happen. Why have women turned their backs on the “stories”?
Soap operas were the only place I remember seeing strong women leading fabulous single lives growing up and Erica Kane was the most fabulous of all. She always had a man, but never seemed to need him. All the other women were wives, mothers, or friends of the main character, but in the land of soaps men were the accessories. They were catalysts for the action, but the women were the stars. They struggled with completely outrageous situations, but they were determined to “have it all” and on their own terms no matter what. That hasn’t changed, but somewhere along the lines women have. We have been made to believe that soaps are a silly waste of time. That watching them is something to be ashamed to admit. That is a total contradiction to the time I grew up in where a woman not only openly watched, but would have heated debates with other women about storylines and which soap was better. Much like the sorority you chose, your soap was a part of your identity. Why is soap watching ridiculed, but Sports Center accepted? Is it because men are okay admitting they need a break from reality? Are soaps only silly because women watch them? They are more realistic than comic book movies and science fiction shows, but get laughed out of conversation without defense from its target audience. I think it is because we “modern women” were so worried about being taken seriously by our male counterparts that we turned our backs on a genre created for us and by us. Agnes Nixon created my soaps and supporting her vision has been entertaining and empowering. As a woman of color I can say that I love the inclusiveness of soaps. I see more people of color in one episode of Children and One Life than I did it 7 seasons of Friends.
I don’t just blame the audience. I also think the networks failed to understand the importance of marketing to younger viewers. The time honored practice of inheriting the story from your mother is not going to work in today’s world. Soap operas are no longer the only place to get steamy love stories or crazy antics. The networks did not seem to understand how to make them appealing in this new era. That is a shame because if they had put forth more effort to get soaps the same coverage as other shows I think they could have maintained and audience. I say that because you only need to watch one episode to get hooked. However, who is going to watch without good advertising?
Now with the death of my soaps I am left to question so many things. Losing them is like losing a piece of my childhood. I will never get to share those moments with my daughter that I shared watching with my mother and grandmother. Soaps were for big girls. Watching with them was an integral part of them acknowledging that I was growing up and maturing. I do not want to cheapen that experience by being forced to watch reality tv wife shows with women who solely exist to live off the riches of the men they once “loved”. I want Erica, Vicki, Dorian, and Opal. I want women whose passions run hot enough to burn down cities and to be blunt I generally prefer to have my jerks be scripted. That way I can enjoy the story and believe they are nothing like that in real life.
I love soaps. I love the drama, the suspense, the great lighting, the romance, the inside jokes. It is a whole other world to escape to when you need a break. I love Glee for some of the same reasons, but unlike soaps, Glee is fickle. It is on one week and off the next on hiatus. Soaps have never taken the week off. Soaps are like tv version of potato bread. It may not be the best for you, but it is a delicious treat. I was glad to hear that the soaps might live on as internet shows, but I am sad because I am sure that will mean a loss of great talent. Soap operas were always hotbeds for scouting new talent. I hope that a network like Lifetime will partner with the new owners and air my soaps. I am not sure that I am truly ready to say goodbye. I don’t think I should have to.
I sent this letter to Ladies Home Journal and I don't think they even bothered to read it because it wasn't in their preferred format. They didn't tell me what that format was. Sorry, LHJ, but my library doesn't carry your backstock and I'm too poor to do anything other than read it online. Too bad you wouldn't give me a chance.
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