Vee

I don't think there's any evidence of a majority of people buying that beyond pockets of random Twitter people. You can find pockets of suckers anywhere.

It may be hard to expect anything else, but letting the mindset be dictated entirely by doomsayers online isn't an accurate reading of the public climate IMO. The public has proven that over and over these last few years, to the media and to online prognosticators. Just because media still love DeSantis, etc. does not mean they play to American voters outside of their states or DC. That can be proven out soon. And I don't think the press is treating McCarthy like a god. I do think many are trying to preserve some facade of dignity for him because they've worked very hard to cultivate connections with him with the expectation he would be some sort of massive GOP leader. That is not going to happen, but they are still trying to give him a figleaf for their own purposes. That has nothing to with public perception outside of the Beltway. And at the end of the day will McCarthy end up with the media pull, reputation and adoration of a Boehner or to a lesser extent Paul Ryan? No. He is Eric Cantor, if that. And meanwhile this shitshow is still viewed by the majority of the actual voting public as an embarrassing farce for him and his party. It may not all be what we want, but it's enough for the chaos of right now.

They will, but let's try to hold out on assuming the public will fall for it. The GOP often banks on the idea that enough of the public has the same bothsides goldfish memory as the Beltway each cycle, which will always default to GOP sympathy. And there are a lot of online outrage or doom corners which do not resemble the public electorate which always love to say with grim certainty that this will definitely absolutely happen, that the public will be conned and vote the GOP back in because of media bias and laziness. I heard it in 2019. I heard it in 2020. I heard it in 2021 and 2022. The reality hasn't borne it out. The classic squishy-middle laziness defaulting to blaming the incumbent or blaming Dems has become less and less the case over the last two cycles. Trumpism and white supremacy upends the apple cart. The fact is that just enough of an edge of the majority of the public has received the 1/6 hearings and the last 6 years of chaos with shock and outrage agains the GOP. It has resonated and had an impact. That's a big part of why they lost last year. Would I like the entirety of the American public to be repulsed by these people, or to turn in full of the GOP? Of course. Have enough Republicans gone to jail or been drummed out of Congress? Absolutely not. But just because not enough I'd like has happened doesn't mean nothing has happened, or that the Republicans always win. If that were the case we would not be here today, dealing with this. They're in this mess because of where the public has put them - despite the media constantly putting its thumb on the scale for Republicans. The media has not swayed enough of a majority of the public. That is reality. And that can very well continue.

It's not good period, but watching the Freedom Caucus try to manage their tiny majority will be a shitshow to behold. It will be a mess, but the damage they can do at these margins is ultimately a drop in the bucket in the long run.

Get bent, nerd.

I think the Emily debacle is when the worm began to really turn, yes. Supposedly it may have been partly or wholly the suggestion and push from Benard and his wife, which makes me wonder if it blowing up on them got Guza pissed at the actor. And yeah, I've discussed those scenes at the end of Brenda's last run in 2011 too many times. They were brilliant, the Guza team's last best work and a summation of the Sonny character; without those scenes accounted for, there is no point in ever doing an earnest romance with Sonny again. Anyway, Guza appeared to be evolving the show past Sonny to a degree with Dante, etc. Which I was fine with. But he didn't go all the way. He still adored Jason, and Mo's guarantees remained very high. The logical move with JJ back was to start to hinge the show on buddy cops Dante and Lucky a la Luke and Scorpio in the '80s. DZ and JJ were great together. But they didn't turn Dante and Lucky into the Sonny and Jason of the 2010s, and they could've. It would've shifted the whole axis of the show. As it happens, it took Ron Carlivati and Frank Valentini to do that when they took over - and while they considerably (and very imperfectly) moved a lot of the show away from the mob focus, it didn't last forever.

Gia was (which was part of why it was rumored at the time that Gia was intended to be Sonny's half-sister; Gia and Taggert's mother Florence, played by the great Lynne Moody, had a past with Mike Corbin). And yeah, like I said, if Trina was lighter in complexion a la Marisa Ramirez today would likely be another story. But all that being said, GH in that era (and the '90s) had much more willingness to play interracial love front and center regardless; Nikolas and Gia were full tilt, and Keesha got plenty of action back in the day with the Q boys. Today they seem frightened of the MAGA voting block. I am fine with Esme mixing things up. The actress is great. I think making her the psycho child of two psychos is overkill. But I can see keeping her around for awhile.

Back at the Clownhouse:

If it doesn't have a 'both sides bad' angle that can loftily say a pox on both houses and take at least part of the focus off the GOP, it doesn't get published in the Times. That's the reality.

IIRC I'm pretty sure ol' Donna loved them. Too bad she's not here to tell us all about it!

I like Robin Christopher as an actress, I always have even when her performances were sometimes very rote or limited. And even though my first experience with Skye was Carrie Genzel's in the mid-'90s the character has always fascinated me. I was pleased when they announced she was returning to ABC. I was not pleased when it turned out to be on OLTL and GH. They shoehorned her into both shows roughly and extremely insistently for many years and I never liked it. Even with actors she had chemistry with at OLTL, like Erika Slezak, James DePaiva, Tim Gibbs, the story didn't work. In the 2000s Robin often became kind of a figure of camp onscreen, all sneers and posturing that got very old to watch IMO on GH and OLTL with her camping across the canvas as the queen bitch. She can do a lot more than that; she is talented but too often either the writing or the lack of time for nuanced performance had her leaning on those easy tricks. Like, GH would have a good scene and then you'd cut to Skye vamping it like RuPaul's Drag Race intoning "Grandfatherrrr" to Edward Quartermaine. Some people loved it, I didn't. And it seems AW had similar issues with her being out of place. I have no idea why she never went back to AMC (there were always rumors it was her own preference not to) but she should've. I kept hoping she would all the way to 2013 on Hulu where she would've fit like a glove with the other Chandler kids scheming against Brooke and Dimitri. I wouldn't have a problem seeing Skye and Lila Rae appear on GH today, with Skye in a limited recurring role mixing it up. But I'm very glad the days of JFP insisting that Robin Christopher fits onto any soap and must be pushed 24-7 are over. RC is just not built for that.

I'm probably delusional to say so, but as much as GH clearly enjoys using Chavez and is very high on him I think there's also some element of ABC and/or GH that is counting the days just so they can get the heat off them re: this couple. If and when Chavez exits, with another presumptive recast there's a chance the chemistry might take a hit and then they can move away from Spencer/Trina without taking too much grief. They clearly can't move away from the couple right now but clearly are also extremely hesitant to treat them like any other far less popular couple on the show. And it's pathetic because 20+ years ago Nikolas and Gia, who were popular but not this popular, were hot and heavy 3-5 days of the week. I don't mind Kathleen Gati on the show - I remember her sticking out on her first day and hoping to see more of her, and I'm glad they kept using her. But Obrecht turning face and being normalized, either as a figure of funny everyday camp or as a sympathetic character, has never sat well with me. Obrecht should do what Heather does, which is come in and out for recurring stints. That's fine. But having her as part of the beloved foundation of the canvas, no. I don't get it BTW. Are Michael and Joss hardcore anti-Sonny all of a sudden just because he dumped their mom for Nina? Because that's sure what it looks like lol

I never had patience for Britt and have very, very little for Dr. Austin but they did miss the boat a bit with KT and Howarth. He was giving her the husky voice he likes to do. At least we could have watched two good-looking people fùck vs. more of Willow, Sasha, Curtis or the hat guy.

And in fairness, it was Guza who had begun downshifting his airtime and role, moving Sonny into a more healthy patriarch role because he'd clearly gone off either Maurice or Sonny or both in the later years of his second run. The writing became a bit more pointed at taking aim at Sonny and his issues and hypocrisy wit his family, and St. Jason was prioritized even more. Putting aside the many issues with the rest of that regime and Jason worship the handling of Sonny had become more critical and nuanced before Guza got fired. In that first year or two, Ron was just continuing (in a much more clumsy and slipshod fashion, because he also gave Sonny a lot of very goofy frontburner story with Connie, etc.) what Guza had teed up. But I don't think MB ever felt secure or comfortable enough to rattle the cage with Guza in the Frons years as with Ron Carlivati.

Sooo many people on TWOP loved her unreservedly back then. I thought I was taking crazy pills.

Oh my, I don't think I've ever heard of this.

Heather's reaction to Ryan telling her 'the Hook' killed Britt was hysterical. As an early-adopter Britt hater I was right there with her. Alley Mills is killing what should've been a near-impossible recast at this point.

I get around that by simply avoiding these shows like the plague.

LOL! We should really nuke our old blog from the face of the earth.

Not just any woman of color, but a dark-skinned one, which is rarely seen on daytime today. I think that is a big factor too. If Trina was mixed they'd be making out right now. But really, you don't need to take it from me. Our Black posters can talk about it. I have always said Ava is a stone cold killer. That's how she came on the show, leaving Connie/Kate to bleed out on the floor. Any time they try to make her nice or a heroine I don't buy it. She is bad news. She can have pathos and layers but she is a snake. I am fine with MW being on the show in that capacity, I enjoy the dark side of the Nikolas/Ava relationship when it is played or scripted well (rare), but not when they defang her and make her a 'good' character. Right now she's in a bit more of the grey area than she has been in the past, so it's workable even if I don't buy her cozy relationships with Laura, etc. Someday she'll have to go out in a blaze of glory. Obrecht, OTOH, I have always felt has no business permanently on the canvas. She is a recurring villain.

And furthermore: GH (12/30/2022): Who needs frontburner LGBT stories when you have Heterosexual Dr. Britt's super gay birthday party? She's so fierce and snarky, right? Sure, she has about two speeds acting-wise but that's all you need! Remember when we forced everyone to call her the Brittch all the time? Gay guys loved that, right? Look at these strippers! George Michael! Brad! It's so gay and fierce without the inconvenient need for actual gay storylines and contract players!!I Slay, queen hahahahaha GH (1/5/2023): Britt's dead!

Credit where it's due: Eden McCoy was very good with William Lipton today. Lipton is always excellent. It's GH's fault for not securing him on a contract, but that doesn't have to mean he can't get major story. AFAIK Kathleen Gati, useless JPS and half the cast are off contract. If they want to commit to Cameron they can do so. It is a choice, but Frank (and GH before him) has always has a aversion to the homegrown 'good' characters, always is chasing the next pointless hardbody. Dex, Brando, etc. are interchangeable to me. Speaking of Gati, she did not shed a single tear during Britt's death scene. I watched closely. Embarrassing. I know she's a better actor than that, even if I have never bought and never will buy Obrecht's face turn. I can buy her evolving a bit re: her children, but I think she will always be a psycho and will default to abuse and insanity if she's ever pushed. Chavez and Tabyana Ali are still excellent together. It is embarrassing how many obstacles they have thrown at a young, super-popular interracial pairing to keep them from physically touching lips for the better part of two years. This would not have happened 20 years or even 30 years ago, when GH often did Black/white romances that were physically demonstrative onscreen, so I have to conclude at this point it's not coincidence. The young white couples don't wait this long to share a kiss. IIRC Chavez has a year left on his contract. Sight unseen I am willing to bet they are hoping to run out the length of his contract and minimize Spencer and Trina's onscreen intimacy as much as possible. That's how [!@#$%^&*] regressive and bigoted ABCD/GH and elements of this country have become over the last 20 years, that GH now feels it has to highly scrub and sanitize even interracial romance in the [!@#$%^&*] 2020s like they're enforcing COVID protocols. Believe me, I'd love to be wrong. I imagine Spencer and Trina might (might!!) finallly kiss in February, and if the show suddenly flips the switch then and has them hardcore intimate full-time from then on nothing would make me happier. But this feels calculated. YMMV.

I don't know if they're doing that per se - I think most of the public and much of the press finds it an absurd shitshow - but I do think the Beltway outfits most enamored of "Republican savvy" like Jake Sherman at Punchbowl/Politico, etc. keep breathlessly reporting on each round's tally like it's the most exciting game ever, again because of a masculine sports-oriented mindset, as though they're under the illusion that any minute the fever will break and the 'savvy GOP' will return. That's the embarrassing part to me, that they seem to be missing the forest for the trees not fully grasping how their favored tipsters are immolating themselves while the GOP keeps humiliating the party as a whole.

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