ALL: Sex and Suffering in the Afternoon

[SteveFrame]

I just found this article, and have been reading it. I love the history in and thought I would post it over here. I remember the article years ago. I don't remember if it is the one where Bill & Susan Hayes were on the cover or not. I do not that it was a cover article for Time magazine.

It was titled Sex and Suffering in the Afternoon. (dated Jan 12, 1976)

from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...13850-1,00.html

Of course you know me I ate up all the Another World stuff. Loved all the other too, but my heart belongs to Another World especially from the 1970's.

[SteveFrame]

It amazes me that even in 1976 writers made that much money. I know that we only hear rumors these days about how much money the writers and producers actually make but I can almost guarantee you they are still making more than the actors are.

I have preached it before and I will preach it again, I find it so funny and deplorable that we continue to read about performers being asked to take pay cuts to save the show but you never read or hear about producers or writers doing the same.

It makes me angry that we are losing the talents of daytime like Julia Barr and Stuart Damon who are being cut due to the budget while hacks like Passanante, McTavish & Higley and mediocre writers like Brad Bell, Kreizman, Guza, Sheffer, and Latham keep chugging along and being paid the big bucks. When is it their turn to take a pay cut or to take one for the team.

I get so tired of fans too who think that performers shouldn't have a problem with taking recurring just so the show can stay on the air. There are people out there who actually say that Julia Barr wasn't fired - the show offered her recurring and she should have been happy with that.

I don't blame any actor out there who doesn't agree to those terms. I say more power to them. I know if I had been with a company for 30 years and they suddenly wanted to take my benefits away, and say we will call you if we need you, and expect me to take one for the team. My response would be only if you do too.

Recurring is an insult to a performer like Julia Barr, Suzanne Rogers, Jerry Ver Dorn, Peggy McKay, etc. who have put in years and years with a show - years and years of loyalty. They stayed there and pushed story along while many of the more popular stars came and used the show and then jumped off for bigger and better things.

There is the occasion when a performers asks for recurring himself, but it is rare. Most actors want to work and they want security just like you and me.

Well end of rant about that. I just hope one day someone like McTavish or Frons sees one of these posts and sees that there are fans out there who tired of losing our performers just so their pockets can get fatter. To me it is TPTB are the biggest problems with soaps today. It is the talented performers who are turning the s*it they write into gold on our screens almost every day.

[Josh]

Preach it my brother!!

Yes it is so disrespectful, we often forget these people are at "work." This is their career, what if you worked full time, 40 hours a week for 30 years and then all of a sudden you were told, you're to old, you'll be replaced with a cheaper, unexperienced, lack of talen 20 year old and be given 5 hours a week. Screw off!! Is what I would tell them.

[Shawn]

That was a great read.

Thanks so much Steve.

It made me misty eyed knowing how big soaps used to be and how big they CAN be again.

Dammit, I wish people would wake the hell up and see what a gem this genre is.

[billyjill]

Yeah, it is.

It's a good article. Something of the 70's needs to return to soaps.

[psychofan]

What a GREAT article!! I believe with all my heart that soaps could be that way again.

[WTGH]

Andy Warhol watched ATWT!!!

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

[Mason]

The only writers that I believe are not overpaid are Sheffer and Latham (say what you will about them). Otherwise, I find it totally ridiculous the amount of money the rest of these hacks are making.

[SteveFrame]

Believe me both Sheffer and Latham are overpaid for the stories they are putting out on their shows.

I know that you did too but I put up with Hogan for quite a few years over at ATWT, and to me only 2000 to 2001 were truly great. After that and still today is just a mediocre writer who has some good stories now and then but he is nothing special.

[sungrey]

I remember the article very well. It mentioned about Edge of Night: "If Hell were a city, it'd be a lot like Monticello." That pretty much described mid-late 1970s Edge, which knew how to tell a good mystery and leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.

Regarding Sheffer: Compared with who occupied the writer's chair over the last few years, Hogan is the second coming of Jesus Christ.

[SteveFrame]

Just hope that Days doesn't get as bad as ATWT did the last year under Hogan. If it does then you will rethink those words. His stuff the last year at ATWT was if not as bad was near as bad as what JER wrote. He got to where many of the vets he didn't even show, and many people were wondering whether some of them were still on staff.

I was reading some old stuff from a board from about 2004 during Hogan's last year, and believe there wasn't much nice being said about him on the message board.

The last 2 weeks on Days have reminded me very much of that last year - too much focus on one story with the rest used a filler and way too much focus on the younger set.

[Cat]

ITA! There's still plenty of life in the genre left -- it's just TIIC who believe that life has gone.

Thanks for posting this, SteveFrame. Fascinating article.

[Mason]

[Brandeis]

I've heard so much about this article over the years but this is my first chance to read it. Thanks so much SteveFrame.