chrisml

Zimmer spoke out about every injustice she saw on GL. The woman never met a grievance she didn't like. Even in her book, she casts herself as someone who always spoke out against injustices and when something was wrong on the show. IS she obligated to speak out against the Zaslow situation? No. Did she do charity work and support his family after his death? Yes and I think what she did was wonderful. (I can't stand Baldwin but good for him for hosting.) I just think it's telling she said nothing publicly while he was alive and while they were vicious about him in the press while he was going through his battle with ALS. In her book, she had no problems calling other people out for not standing up for what's right.

I can understand some of the other cast members not saying anything because they had no power in the press. Kim Zimmer had a little bit of power. Kim Zimmer could have given an interview in the press. She always gave interviews when she was angry about something on the show, but suddenly, she was silent Kim. And she then goes to say that Paul Rauch was her favorite EP and that he would never have ruined GL the way Ellen Wheeler did.

Amazing how so-called "rebels" and "straight-shooters" get very quiet and acquiesce when the issue is not about them and/or they are afraid of losing their jobs. It's the ones with real backbones who still speak out. I applaud Fiona Hutchison for standing up for Zaslow. It could not have been easy especially when the so-called face of GL did not.

Strasser does not come out looking good in that story in regards to GL. However, it always amuses me how producers and execs hold grudges when performers leave or do something but execs/producers pull that kind of behavior all the time. I don't say JFP is wrong for being annoyed, but she's also the wrong who fired Laura Bonarrigo while she was on maternity leave so... JFP started the destruction of Nora and Higley finished it. And I know someone will come along and point out that HBS got nominated for an Emmy during this time. Doesn't make the writing any less idiotic and sexist. I still remember how they dumbed down Clint and made him so pathetic. Marrying Lindsay after a day or two because Viki didn't want to reunite? Just awful.

The breakup of Bo and Nora made no sense. That's why there was such a reaction. That's why viewers had such a visceral reaction. It made Nora look desperate and dumb. As someone who liked Viki with Sloan, I was extremely annoyed with how they wrote off Sloan in what seemed like a choice of Clint over Sloan. I didn't hold it against Clint or Clint Ritchie. I can understand why he thought Clint had been ruined during that time, but I also imagine his drinking and bad behavior was rough to deal with and probably caused Gottlieb to make the shift to Sloan. It was probably a relief for Slezak not to have to deal with his nonsense. Was the chair incident before or after the Gottlieb time?

Does anyone remember a character played by Annabelle Gurwitch? She's listed as playing Gina Daniels. In her book, she says she played the part off and on for three years.

I must have missed LeClerc playing twins/double characters. I can't imagine it went very well.

Gottlieb did not seem to have a plan for Sarah when she brought her back. Grace Phillips was such a good actress that she could have done so much with her, but it felt like the story ended with her return. A real shame.

It was reported in the soap press that Frank Beaty was dressed to look like JFP but I wouldn't have gotten that if it had not been written about. Michael Logan certainly reported on it and reported on it with glee. In another Locher interview, James Harmon Brown said that Paul Rauch had been finally convinced to let Michael Zaslow tell his ALS story through Roger, but the network would not okay it. I don't know how true it is because then Rauch would then side with the network later in the press when all that awful stuff happened. I wonder if the network/MADD wanted Fiona Hutchison fired. Liz Keifer would drop these cryptic remarks but not give these full story, so this one had me intrigued.

Did something go down between Fiona Hutchison and Paul Rauch? Liz Keifer seems to indicate something did but then doesn't elaborate. I am stunned how often Paul Rauch was hired considering his history of treatment of women behind the scenes. It really goes to show that women were not protected, and perpetrators were just ignored or promoted/hired. For as neutral as Locher tends to be, you really do get a lot of gossip from his interviews as long as he doesn't interrupt. I think I forgot to post Curlee's promotion of the blizzard of 93. They really used Curlee as a saleswoman. There's a small mention of Leonard Stabb.

I always felt for Grace Phillips. I liked her Sarah and I wish they had played her to her fullest potential. She is such a good actress and could have done so much with the material. My one big problem with Gottlieb (outside of the terrible visuals of the new opening) is that she started the Todd as antihero stories. He should have been killed off not Suede (a character I liked). I hated how they cheapened the gang rape story to keep him around. I'm probably in the minority, but I could have done without two decades of Howarth's Todd.

I feel out of it. I never watched Ross's election episode or Nola's film scenes from the 80's. Considering how Labine's writing turned out on GL, I'm glad she didn't get to tell the story. The world then and now does not need another depressing story about a lesbian/bisexual falling in love with a straight woman. I can't even imagine how it would have played out under Paul Rauch considering what he did with the "gay" storyline on YR. I agree DRW50. Michael Logan's comments on Patsy Pease were icky. Is she supposed to dress like a missionary the rest of her life? Jeez. It's one thing to be snarky (as in his dismissal of Pamela Long's work on SB) but this was beyond the pale. I wanted to send those columns because I think it's important to get a picture of what was really going on from 1992 to 1995 at GL. The troubles in front of and behind the scenes were openly discussed in the soap press. JFP's comments in the 1995 column amuse me. Ma'am, you were the executive producer in 1994, if the show needs a fresh start and new energy because it was a difficult year, maybe you're the problem? I wish snarky Logan had commented on that. It's a bit of dark humor that a rapist made up to look like Jill Farren Phelps helped save the show.

Interesting to me that it was discussed so much in the soap press that JFP's tenure at GL was so rocky and disliked. I've never even heard of this Douglas Anderson. He must not have lasted long. And Michael Logan said GL was so bad in 1994 that it needed an intervention. Perhaps, that's why JFP gave the interview in 1995 to do damage control:

This is the article mentioned in the June 3 column. Sorry it's out of order. I couldn't edit it for some reason.

From Michael Logan's June 3 1995 Column: