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j swift

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Posts posted by j swift

  1. 1 hour ago, Mona Kane Croft said:

    And for God's sake, Jamie was not conceived out of love! Steve could barely stand the sight of Robin Strasser's Rachel.  He saw her as a working-class tramp, who he could screw once, and forget. Too bad Rachel was also Steve's sister-in-law, so she did not go away as easily as he had hoped.   LOL

    The question then becomes did Rachel delude herself to believe that Steve loved her, or was she just being cruel to Alice during a fight?

    I'm inclined to believe that as much as Rachel craved Steve's affection, she was aware of the truth.  Which is why it was easier for her to move on after he died.

  2. I was an avid viewer in the 1990s, and now just watch clips of the highly promoted stories, but I have two questions.

    1. When Nicki, Victoria, and Claire were talking at the ranch about Claire's dream, what room was that supposed to be?  It had white sofas, and it didn't look like the ranch living room that I recall.
      1. Am I the only one who still thinks Claire is kind of creepy?
      2. What happened to Cole after he appeared at Jordan's house?
    2. Does anyone in Genoa City still just sell makeup?
  3. Did Alice face fertility issues?  Or did she just choose to adopt Sally because of the girl's tragic circumstances?

    I ask because of Rachel's line in their fight, when she tells Alice that she gave Steve the thing that Alice couldn't give him, a son (paraphrase).

    I also adore the twist of the knife when Alice says that Rachel tricked Steven, and Rachel replies that Jamie was conceived out of love.  That's some good stuff.  I don't think Rachel's characterization of Jamie's conception is 100% true, but I loved her delivery of the line, The way she kept her cool while Alice was in hysterics was so great.

  4. 12 minutes ago, Mona Kane Croft said:

    I saw it on Facebook, it had been posted by her ex-husband, Tim Matheson.  I have no idea why it was posted on my FB feed, because I am not FB friends with Tim Matheson.   But there it was, this morning.    

    That's how I saw it as well.  Only in Hollywood do actors marry the girl who played their sister.  But, it was well written and expressed a sweet sentimentality. 

  5. 12 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

    Those urban AI shots are not good. Nothing about them says DAYS, or even DOOL.

    It is ironic that they all live in this huge urban landscape, but only choose to congregate in the tiny town square.  As I noted when they first popped up, it indicated a change in the production with minimal impact on the storytelling.  So, I appreciated the effort, if not the execution.

  6. Lots of good stuff today

    #1, Marlena telling Eric to be more sensitive to Sloan about Nicole.  Finally!  It was so annoying when it felt like Eric was being morally superior by choosing to attend to the needs of his former girlfriend over his wife.  And, it was cool of Marlena, who doesn't prefer Sloan, to still tell Eric to be more thoughtful.

    #2, Two new sets in one day?  We haven't seen the interior of the Halfway House, nor do I recall seeing Harris's room.  Did the halfway house appear to be empty of other teens or staff? Yes.  Was Harris mostly confined to a doorway? Sure.  But, at least we got some new visuals.

    #3, Jada's point about Stephanie made sense.  Stephanie was the other woman, and Jada deserves to be angry about it.  Also, it was insightful to suggest that Stephanie never asked questions of BobEtte because she wanted their relationship to work, regardless of the circumstances.  This has always been Stephanie's achilles heel, and it was nice to see it identified by another woman.

    But, what's happened to those urban AI establishing shots?  They were fun in establishing the landscape of Salem.  Even if they were unsettlingly different from how I assumed the town appears. 

    Also, I've completely forgotten where we are in the Stefan saga.  So I didn't understand why Harris would ask Xander who was setting him up, since he knows it was Clyde?

  7. 2 hours ago, te. said:

    Either way - the point is, if the specific business plays no part in storylines, then they might as well just have a wide and diffuse business portfolio.

    2 hours ago, vanguard said:

    Who said this family had to be rich within the first week? Friday's cliffhanger in the first week has the family discovering that they've won the largest Powerball jackpot in U.S. history. Take this suddenly rich family's storytelling ideas from there.

    If we consider one of the advantages of the partnership between the NAACP and P&G to be the potential for The Gates's marketing to emphasize the purchasing influence of Black households, then it's crucial to focus on the business and aspirational elements of the narrative.

    In the past, daytime dramas often promoted household products by portraying women who hired help for domestic chores and childcare as perpetually dissatisfied. On the other hand, those who demonstrated their love for their families by purchasing P&G dish soap for their own kitchens were depicted as morally upright. While characters like Erica, Rachel, or Ava pursued upward mobility, they typically learned that genuine fulfillment wasn't attained through greed.  So pairing a product with a character is important, because it indicates what they are trying to sell, and who is their desired consumer.

    To me, this is the crux of the entire project. While it's commendable to hire a Black head writer or cast a Black lead actress.  True cultural change will occur when broadcast networks, not niche streaming services or cable, demonstrate enough respect for their consumers to create content tailored specifically to their preferences.

  8. 19 minutes ago, carolineg said:

    I still can't get past the visual disconnect either with Jagger.  I agree AH is doing a good job and I'd probably be praising him up and down as an amazing find if he played anyone but Jagger.  It's still really throwing me off, but I suppose I will get used to it in time.

    Amusingly, when Jason admitted to Anna that he didn't recognize that he had been friends with John Cates as a teenager, I was thinking, “yeah, that's because he's had a head transplant!”

  9. I hope that the discussion of P&G products doesn't dilute my point. 

    If CBS creates a soap centered on Black characters, but still measures its success in terms of how many White women within the 25-49-year-old demographic tune in, then no real progress will have been made.  Because that would demonstrate that they still only value and respect the purchasing power of that audience. 

    While one assumes that the ratings will be measured and reported similarly to any soap.  It will be instructive to watch how CBS markets the results of the audience it is trying to reach.  In other words, Y&R is still marketed as the most watched soap in daytime.  However, wouldn't it be refreshing if The Gates is promoted as having the largest audience of Black women in daytime, whose buying power has led to x amount of profit for P&G?

  10. 5 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

    I don’t know how to respond to this without criticizing Ron 😂😂😂

    He always did seem to have difficulty writing well rounded female characters. 

    Please feel free to criticize as much as you want.  I'm just sensitive when people attribute his limitations as a writer to either his sexuality, a projected hostility toward his audience, or his past as a fan of the genre.  Whereas I feel, it is about the break neck pacing that he employs in crafting a plot, that doesn't allow the characters to express any self exploration.

  11. 37 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

    The change in style has been the best thing about the scab episodes. I’m gonna miss it when it’s over. 

    I'd prefer not to delve into criticizing Ron specifically, but it often seems as if he overlooked exploring the motives of female characters. Take Stephanie, for instance. She's disappointed by Chad's inability to commit, yet finds joy in her brother's newfound love, explaining her support for Everett. In the past, she might have blindly stood by Everett while Jada and Kayla criticized her.

    Similarly, Theresa relished the excitement of Alex's lavish lifestyle but is torn by the stability and history she shares with Brady. Rather than explicitly justifying her choices, we witness how their shared trauma over Tate strengthens their bond, creating a well-balanced love triangle.

    Even with my reservations about Konstantin, I appreciate that neither Maggie nor Sarah are portrayed as ignorant to drive the plot forward. Maggie's reflection on Victor's past evolution from villain to a changed man sheds light on her attraction to Konstantin.

    Furthermore, in John's storyline, comparing the depth of the current pawn story to the previous Dick Van Dyke narrative highlights how a change of pace can affect the enjoyment of a story. When John discovered his father, he processed it briefly and moved on. Currently, despite potential retcons in Catharina's shooting storyline, the story is really about John's lifelong journey of piecing together his past, only to discover his best friend's betrayal, leaving him unsure of his own capabilities.

  12. I didn't watch Kristen steal Tate from Theresa's womb, although I'm certain it was as insane to see as it was to type that sentence.  But, I assume Kristen and Theresa have always had a conflictual relationship?  It is a shame that we haven't seen more of them together.  As well as Kristen's reaction to Tate's current circumstance.  As much as I don't care for Kristen, it would also be interesting to see if she has caught on to Konstantin's con, because we all know it is difficult to con a con artist. 

    I would not mind the Wendy/Tripp stuff if it didn't follow the habitual DAYS scene structure - question, pause, cut, repeat the question, pause, cut, interruption, cut, finally at the end of the episode a semi-resolution to the initial question.  I find myself screaming, “just read the nonverbal clues, you idiots!”  I will never understand the soap effect of a character obviously telegraphing their inner thoughts to the audience, while their scene partner remains oblivious. 

    Also, the Ava stuff only served as a distraction, and didn't fit the circumstance.  Because last time we saw Ava she was shtupping Harris, and hardly mentioned Tripp.  So, why is she only overprotective when she is not actually in a scene?

    One positive note, I like that Stephanie was at the hospital.  It served both to strengthen the bond between the siblings.  And it helps explain Stephanie's motives with BobEtte.  Because she is caught up in the romance of Tripp and Wendy.  I appreciate that scabs are creating a flow from one day to the next.  I feel like the regular writers treat each episode as if we are starting from scratch.

  13. 23 hours ago, Faulkner said:

    I do wonder how much LGBTQIA+ representation this will have

    I'm less concerned about representation within the show, because the NAACP support guarantees diversity.

    But, what I will be interested in is P&G's involvement.  Will they feature Black couples in household product commercials (as consumers and not grocery workers or maids)?  Will they feature hair and skin products developed for Black families?  Will they seek and be satisfied if ratings reflect an increase in Black households over White households?

    When I spoke initially of the lack of value and respect paid to LGBTQ and Black audiences, I meant in the financial gain, not just representation.  It is nice if Black actors, writers, and below the line people get jobs.  But, I feel like progress will be seen when companies like P&G market their products directly to that audience and respect the idea that every dollar spent is valuable, not just when 25–49 year old White women go grocery shopping.

  14. Are these apartments so small that Sarah feels that she can't have sex unless Victoria is at the mansion?  And, I dislike when soaps feel the need to write scenes where people remind each other of their past?  I know it is meant to catch the audience at home up with the action.  But, it seems so inorganic for Sarah to retell Xander's past while he is sitting next to her on the sofa.

    Also, can anyone imagine what a Greek police department would do if a 70-year-old man from the US wondered in and confessed to a crime that he doesn't recall?  The government of Greece is insolvent.  They don't need to occupy their time with a death from forty years ago. (Are we meant to assume it happened in 1986 when John was still the Pawn?)

    The relative ages of Alex, Theresa, Brady, and Kristen make them an odd quad.  I get that Kristen has been de-SORASed.  But she still feels a generation older than Alex and Theresa.  It is just distracting every time that they are in a scene together. (BTW, I looked it up, and now I know that in real time Alexander is three years older than Brady, but it doesn't look that way on screen).

    That being said, I thought Alex's dialogue was snappy and funny today.  Unpopular opinion, but Konstantin plays the heck out of being a creep.  It is annoying that Maggie and Marlena have no insight into his behavior, but he's good at getting under my skin.

  15. On 3/23/2024 at 6:06 AM, VelekaCarruthers said:

    Very interesting 1982 NYTIMES article about Blacks in soaps. How times have and haven't changed in daytime.... 

    https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/04/arts/blacks-on-tv-s-soaps-a-whole-new-script.html

    While this is obviously an overgeneralization, it is an interesting corollary that black and gay audiences continue to watch daytime, despite a lack of representation.  Perhaps both groups find solace in characters that are coded for representation.  But, it has always been a sore point for me that my viewership is not valued or respected, despite the fact that I buy as much dishsoap as a 25-49 year old white lady. 

  16. 5 hours ago, Mona Kane Croft said:

    Steve did not pay Gerald Davis to purger himself in order to get custody of Jamie.  Steve paid Gerald in order to get the divorce from Rachel.  The divorce occurred in 1974 (I believe) -- back when many divorces were contested and could be denied by a judge.  So when Rachel contested the divorce, Gerald testified to help Steve win in court.  Gerald betrayed his own daughter for money.  But it was not about Jamie's custody, it was in order to get the divorce granted.  

    Gerald is such an interesting contrast to Jim Matthews, just as Ada was unique from Mary.  I enjoy when the soaps use the parent's dynamic to explain the behavior of their children.  Not just a reaction to the relationship, but the effect of growing up with specific personality types as caregivers.

    Thank you for filling in the blanks, it is nice to know a dependable source. 

  17. On his Instagram Reels, Adam T Ghani played the iconic Rachel/Alice fight when Rachel kicked her out of the house.

    Did that occur while Steve was in jail or after his presumed death?  And how long was it between when Steve was released from prison and his death?

    Because Rachel seems so cruel.  But, in hindsight, if Steve went to jail for bribing her father to perjure himself to get custody of Jamie and then died without taking care of Jamie in his will, she had good reason to want that house.  I'm not a fan of Alice, but if Rachel waited for a time for her to be emotionally stable, Jamie would've been out of med school before she got that house. 🙄

     

  18. 7 hours ago, OzFrog said:

    And also fascinated by pre-Loving Catherine Hickland! 

    I maintain that she is a totally underappreciated actress.  However, I could watch it endlessly just due to my fascination with the Jenny wig.  How did they get it to lay so snatched?

  19. 2 hours ago, SteelCity said:

    It was very bizarre and even annoying that after Sandy left there were no characters in the music or film industry.

    Looking back, ad agencies were very 1990s, but Amanda makes much more sense working in a talent agency like CAA, or even public relations.  In an ad agency the client is always in charge, but Amanda gave “you'll never work in this town again” energy.

  20. @BetterForgotten The soundtrack had such a hold on me.  I played it nonstop in my car for a year (maybe because the lyrics were so easy to memorize 😉)

    In hindsight, I realized that Jackee is a much better actress than Oprah in the series.  Perhaps because of her icon status, I feel like you always see Oprah acting and using a fake accent.  She's always playing a version of Sophia from Color Purple.  While Jackee is much more organic and believable. 

  21. TIL that, Steve Sohmer, ex-husband of Deidre Hall, was in charge of marketing at CBS during the Dallas period.  According to the NY Times, he coined the iconic phrase, 'Who Shot JR' for use in commercials and print ads.  Which is ironic because they never say the line during the episode, it is just connected in our collective memories because of all the promotion. 

  22.  

    I recall this miniseries, because the lead character played by Harry Hamlin was a vague representation of Dan Quayle, and it aired right before the election.  Hamlin plays a politician who ascends to power because of his good looks and provocative speeches (maybe only the first part was meant to invoke Quayle), but underneath he's a fascist.  In the promo above, they mention “the show some don't want you to see”, because the GOP objected to a prior ad that implied a direct connection between Hamln's character and Dan Quayle. 

    I was just reading a Daily Mail story about Paul Hogan, and it made me question what ever happened to his ex-wife Linda Kozlowski.  She was tapped for stardom because she had a film noir quality about her, like a poor man's Sharon Stone.  But then quit the industry when the parts dried up.

    Any way, today I learned it was written by Steve Sohmer, best known around here as the ex-husband of Deidre Hall (and rumored lover of Suzanne Rogers).  His wiki is a great read.  Including that, he was in charge of marketing and promotion for CBS during the Dallas period, so he was responsible for a lot of the promos that have been posted on that thread.  The New York Times also credits him with coming up with the line 'Who Shot JR?' for commercials and print ads. 

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