j swift

I was just reading an article in one of the British tabloids about the ratings and their soaps and I would like to propose that we officially retire the word "woke". In this example, a former writer suggested that Corrie's ratings are down because it has become too "woke", by producing stories about mental health and racism. Conservative media has latched onto the phrase making it meaningless. I am unsure why conservatives are so bothered about minority voices asking for respect, but the derision attached to the word "woke" makes me uncomfortable. We all know nobody had ever been "cancelled", under-represented populations are not "censoring" anyone, and those in power still feel free to spew offense language all the time. So, let's retire the phrase as it has lost all significance in our culture and is only used to mock those without power requesting some degree of tolerance.

Filed under hindsight is 20/20, but my objection to Laura's story are twofold. First, while Norris's performance fit with the wacky, silly, period of SB storytelling, there's something odd about using the mental health issues that arise from the loss of a child and the breakdown of a marriage for giggles, especially when played against such unsympathetic partners like Michael and Ethan. Two, I did not like that positioning of Laura as an antagonist made Gina into a damsel in distress which seemed out of character for such a longstanding member of the plot. So, while I was entertained by the story, looking back and knowing the future direction of Gina, the flaws stick out in my memory.

That's funny because they're all rich, but none of them seem to have pre-nups, there's no distribution of property, and none of the men seem to need to pay child support. It's such a natural source of conflict to have Eric and Ridge face financial stress due to their multiple divorces, and Katie could own tons of Spencer stock given how often she's been on and off with Bill. I know annulments are not necessarily only about religion, but the choice to annul rather than divorce seems suss.

I don't want to underestimate him again, but the mixture of delusion and lethargy are odd.

I disagree that Thomas is ruined. I appreciate that the character is always an antagonist without ever committing a fatal criminal offense. Sheila, and other B&B villains, have caused heinous destruction that takes unbelievable efforts to write her out of the perpetual corner that she's stuck into. But, Thomas has always had undiagnosed mental health issues which cause him to make poor choices and his punishment is that he's never been able to enjoy a mutual romantic relationship (nor the respect of his family or any success in business). He is one of the most consistent personas, despite all of the recastings.

Brilliant critique, those Get Famous gold toilets would have been a perfect fit in Miami, and Peter Thomas is the Don Lothario of RHOP. The whole blueprint of that house was illogical, and I wouldn't like frosted glass sliders on a bedroom, they don't provide privacy or an aesthetic luxury appeal. Mia's better in confessionals than in group scenes, e.g. her love of Charrisse's failing eyelashes and the spelling of her name I like the length and the color, but the streaks look like she spilled mustard on her head. Meanwhile, I appreciate that after all of the comments Gizelle still can't style herself. The pants are too tight, the hair is never correct, the color of the outfit is never attractive. She is one of the most beautiful housewives on Bravo, but she dresses like someone without access to a full length mirror. Also, love the editorial commentary of the post-production crew, like pointing out the distance to South Beach this week, and the ever amusing stop motion interstitial images.

Then in the next issue 11/27/90

As I recall, part of the issue was that BarBara Luna was not easy to deal with backstage. Today we might have pointed to the sexism involved that allowed certain men on set to behave badly with no repercussions, while women were seen as dispensable, yet her lack of professionalism became part of the OLTL lore. @Vee has the details

Terry Lester's exit story from SOD is one for the history books. He was recruited from Y&R because he had been unhappy with the show's focus on other characters like Cricket, and at the same time it became untenable for the show to keep writing stories for Mason given Lane Davis's contractual outs every summer so that he could pursue theater. So, they hire TL and do a huge promotional push to launch the recasting. He signed a one-year contract and the writing team wrote for him consistently. However, after a year his agent called and said that SB producers had not contacted his office to renegotiate his offer. They waited a week, presumably called the production team, and were willing to renegotiate a new contract. However, on Friday when the team had not responded, his agent instructed him to pack up his dressing and leave. Which is why not only did they have to hire GT at a higher rate, given his primetime status, but they had to switch Mason's mid-scene, because TL had left before the scene was completed.

I forgive them for this for two reasons (1) It is the only way to set up a Cruz and Kelly pairing, which I don't endorse, but at least it lays the groundwork for how those two could have hooked up (2) I think Kelly/Eden conflict should've driven drama on the show from the beginning. I could see where Kelly would be sick of Eden trying to suck up to CC, and take Channing's place, after partying in Europe, and immediately finding true love, while the loves of Kelly's life were either going to jail, being shot, becoming serial killers, or had major Mommy issues.

And moisturize... Look, I would be horrified if people were able to compare my looks in 2022 with when I had a bleached blond mullet in 1987 (metaphorically, because I've never bleached my hair nor worn a mullet). But, if that were true I would be sure to protect my skin and hair at all costs.

https://deadline.com/2022/11/steve-burton-joins-days-of-our-lives-peacock-1235167685/ Fan favorite Steve Burton is returning to a daytime soap for a full-time gig — but it’s not back on General Hospital. Peacock revealed today that Burton will reprise his role as Harris Michaels on Days Of Our Lives early next year. Details about the return are being kept under wraps. It’s a return home for Burton, who made his daytime television debut on Days of our Lives in 1988, and recently reprised his role of Harris for the Peacock Original series spin-off of Days of our Lives, Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem.

I guess he wasn't a British citizen because he married Holly so she could get a green card? Thus, he studied US law, but that whole issue was never resolved by whomever was writing and producing at the time.

How is Scorpio the DA? I get that they needed someone else to be chief of police, but when did Scorpio go to law school?

It seems like a structural story issue that B&B has never resolved is how to have characters who aren't employed by Forrester Creations interact with people, other than their romantic interest. Finn is stuck on an island with Steffy, so he has no potential for scenes with the other guys in his age group like Liam, Thomas, or Wyatt. I remember in the '90s there was always an interesting note on Y&R that Paul and Brad didn't like each other, even though they didn't work together nor were they in a romantic triangle. Because you got the sense that they all lived in the same town, knew the same people, and had opinions about each other. Despite being set in a major city, characters on B&B rarely go out at night or hang with friends outside of the office. So, it is understandable that someone like Finn might not be in any episodes because his only dialogue concerns his responses to Steffy's decisions. It's just too insular, and given that it is a relatively small cast there is a missed opportunity to shake things up and see different people in scenes together. It is 2022, Finn could start a Twitch stream and play video games with Wyatt while discussing the Logans, or go to a Lakers game with Thomas and have scenes afterward when they discuss mental health issues. It would make them all seem less obsessed with the love lives of the middle aged parents.

When we discuss the lost potential of characters like Angie and Lorna, I am reminded that Stacey was just not that compelling as a main character. Guys on soaps like Jack can be dull because the romantic hero is just an archetype who runs around saving damsels, trying to resist his libido, and setting up romantic situations. But, a character like Stacey needed a lot more exploration to be a surrogate for the audience's fantasies. Despite being introduced in college, she had no specific skills, so she couldn't interact with others as a business professional, lawyer, or doctor. She lacked sex appeal. She wasn't written as being very funny or charismatic. And, she didn't fit into any classic exemplars of the time like Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts who were sexy, powerful, and dynamic. I mean who wants to fantasize about living in your parent's small town home for your entire life? (even though she was inexplicably irresistible to the richest men in Corinth). So, as the center of the soap, she wasn't a character that I was invested in seeing what happened to her over time.

I would suggest that throughout its history Loving was missing a well-cast/well-written male antagonist and that was its true missed opportunity. If you think about other ABC soaps like AMC and OLTL they both had a female antagonist (Erica and Dorian, for example) who like Ava were mostly concerned with establishing status and economic stability, and love always came second. Which is why when they found a romantic partner it was so enthralling because they were able to set aside their selfish desires for the sake of love. The male antagonists (Adam and Asa) were usually motivated by control and power. They wanted to run the town and they needed a female partner to serve as their moral guide. Curtis, Rick Alden, Clay, and Dane were all cast as male antagonists, but there was very little depth of character or motive. Perhaps, it was because of the thirty minute structure, the frequent change in writing staff, or desperation for higher ratings, but the show was never able to capture the imagination through the portrayal of the male anti-hero. I think of Curtis as the perfect example. From the beginning he was established as a spoiled rich boy whose envy always got in the way of his success. But, whether it was because he was never in control of his power base, or he was cast against a much more viral romantic hero, he didn't come off as much of a formidable force. Rick and Dane seemed temporary from the start, neither character was destined for long term status. Clay vacillated between being a credible power player and borderline insane based on who wrote the character. So, there was no stable male character to threaten the happiness of the heroic guys, because they all seemed easily dethroned, as soon as they fell out of favor of the senior Aldens. In the pilot Johnny Forbes seemed to run the town. He was in control of the businesses and the university. But, Cabot and his family never seemed to exert the same dominion over the lives of the other citizens of Corinth.

I don't know if it was Sleasar's influence, or the times, but I appreciate the sophistication of Raven having sexual relationships with both Elliott Dorn and Derek Mallory without any negative consequences. She didn't have a pregnancy scare, she wasn't shamed, and she maintained a friendship with Chief Mallory after she married Sky. Just like life, some adults have sex before marriage without karmic punishment, but it still seems rare on soaps in 2022.

I was thinking, one other weird thing about Jeff sending Liz to live with Audrey, is that not only was Audrey his step-mother, but he also only knew her for 2-3 years of his adult life. Liz had an adult brother, Stephan Lars, an aunt Terri, and Carolyn must have family, so it seems like an odd choice to send your daughter to live with a woman that you barely knew. Obviously, the choice was made by writers to facilitate a story, but I never thought about how illogical it was until now.

If Carolyn forgave Jeff for cheating with both Reiko and Naomi Dreyfus, is she a saint, a masochist, or secretly evil?

Someone recently posted that very fun episode when Dorian blackmailed Tina to appear on her show after one of Tina's capers, then Tina escaped from the studio just as Dorian was introducing her segment. I thought about it today in contrast with the episode toward the end of series where Viki did a retrospective on Fraternity Row because it had been broadcast on her station (WLNV?). Did Viki own the TV station when Dorian worked there or did she buy it later? I guess Llandview didn't have to comply with FCC rules about not owning a TV station and a newpaper in the same city?

Also, is Jeff scheduled to run into Heather, or are they staying in California?

After today's episode I couldn't help but wonder... Could this be Holly's doppelgänger half sister Paloma?

https://archive.org/details/as-the-world-turns-1978

I wonder if they got permission to use the name Doctors Without Borders, because this is a terrible commercial for their recruitment. I just read the website, they require a 9-12 month commitment but, because they can't place full families, they rarely take both parents at the same time. So, the idea that couples are making the choice to either provide aid or leave their children in the care of predators seems unlikely. While I doubt there is a substantial overlap of medical professionals looking to work abroad and GH fans, it seems irresponsible.