She clears the air about Julie, Frons, Megan, Julia Barr, Vincent, and a whole lot more.

I hate this part:

It’s over. It’s all done. AMC is going to become something totally different than it once was. It will be all new, all different.

www.cadymcclain.com/blog/

Edited February 12, 200718 yr by Ryan Chandler
Fixed link

Her ANGER is finally coming out.

I'm all for grace, but there comes a point when taking the low road feels so much better. If I were Cady, I'd put so many people on blast right now.

For those who don't want to go to the site:

Deep Sigh…

February 11th, 2007

Okay. One more time. It’s the last time, then it’s REALLY time to move on.

I was called down to Julie’s office. I have ALWAYS gotten along with Julie. She is a VERY lovely LADY. I have always gotten along with Megan. We exchanged touching letters regarding the death of my parents. I have always gotten along with Brian. He has always been very supportive about my ideas and called me a smart actress.

I had a funny feeling because it was three weeks before Christmas and my agents hadn’t been contacted about negotiating a new contract.

What did I do wrong? Everyone seems to want to be able to focus on SOMETHING.

I will be honest with you. I was not very happy about the fact they made Tad a torturer. I did complain about it to TPTB. I felt that the fact it had NO ramifications for Tad’s character or his family was very wrong and I was worried about the potential ramifications for Mike as an actor as well as Tad as a character. I know this stuff can weigh awfully heavy, from my own experience, and Mike and Tad had already had a tough year. I wanted Tad and Dixie to sit down with JR and Jamie at the very least, and explain to them that their parent and step parent, respectively, knew he had done a really bad thing, and knew he would have to pay for it. I wanted Tad to confess, and Dixie to help him do the right thing and go to the police. Even if Dr Madden was a REALLY BAD GUY, only Dect. Frye had the real moral stand. No one deserves to be tortured. NO ONE.

In light of the fact that AMC is broadcast in the Middle East, I felt that it was especially important to clear up this moral dilemma. I felt Mike had done a great job with the first show where he confesses and expresses his deep regret, but the show after tried to kill too many birds with one stone. How can we jump from Tad confessing he’s a torturer, to him understanding why Dixie gave away her baby?

(She gave away her baby because she thought she was dying, let’s go over it again, and Madden manipulated her into distrusting Tad- who she had felt might not want the baby in the first place. Madden said Tad would blame the baby for her death, and therefore not be a good Dad to Kate, remember?)

Tad was supposed to understand how someone can do something incredibly wrong in the heat of passion, and forgive Dixie, and she in turn, out of relief for his understanding, covers his crime.

To me, this was immoral, illogical, and insane. YOU CANNOT COMPARE GIVING AWAY A CHILD TO SOMEONE YOU THINK YOU CAN TRUST TO PUTTING A MAN IN A BOX FOR TWO WEEKS AND BURYING HIM UNDER THE GROUND WHILE HE SCREAMED, CRAPPED HIMSELF, AND WEPT. They are mututally exclusive.

I felt it was devestating to the character of Tad, and no matter how wonderful an actor Mike can be, and how interesting a challenge, once you saddle a character with an action like this, it is not easily undone.

If there was any criticism of ABC on my part, let us be clear, THIS was what I criticized. Loudly. Abu Graib, anyone? I said as much in an article in Weekly. Perhaps this criticism was my undoing.

I was told the audience didn’t care that it was Tad. I was told they would write me a show where Dixie expressed some of these concerns and then I must move on.

They did. I did.

I listened to their concerns very carefully and respectfully and made adjustments in my portrayal of Dixie. I saw that perhaps I had been playing her too hard, too tough, and needed to soften. I did. My choice in playing her tough was based on my thinking that no woman could have done what she did without getting realy strong. How do you stay away from your family for four years searching for a child you mistakenly gave away without getting some serious cahones?

When I went over some tapes recently, I saw Dixie crying and getting yelled at, and wishing she could die over her mistake. That poor woman PAID for her MISTAKE, don’t you think? Too many times. Those scenes were not easy to play over and over again. Not fun, really. I was happy to try to put it behind me, play “Tad and Dixie Search For Kate Together” but even that was not meant to be. Emma, anyone? I also felt like not telling Tad Krystal’s baby was his when he was borderline psychotic for his child was saintly/strange to a point I could not fathom. That a priest was brought in to validate this seemed ridiculous, not matter how cute Clarence is.

Now. ALL THIS SAID.

Why have I worked on daytime TV for all these years? What I has been my motivating factor in every scene that was particularly hard to do? The fact that this form of entertainment can reach out to so many people who are hurting, lonely, or misunderstood. When I first sat down with Megan and Julie together, that was my main point. How important it is to me to take advantage of the opportunity to touch people’s lives in a way that only daytime can do. I do think they feel the same way, but they also have the pressure of ratings to think about.

Furthermore, any conjecture that Michael Knight and I didn’t LIKE each other is ridiculous. I remember in 1989, telling Mike to take his two Emmy’s and shove them up his ass, because I thought he was being an arrogant prick. Now our friendship has survived THAT and MUCH WORSE. We have always fought, and made up, and LAUGHED OUR ASSES OFF. There were some tough times this year, but hardly anything compared to what we have been through.

What happened EXACTLY when I fired? (and let’s not mistake the fact that that is indeed what happened).

I was told the following:

We know you haven’t been happy this year. (True, but I was making the adjustment, as I thought we all would.)

We know you and Mike have had some tough times. (True, but we have been through worse, and ANYBODY who TRUELY KNOWS US, knows I would be there for Mike in a god damn second on a god damn dime).

Megan feels that everything that can be written for Tad and Dixie has been. It’s all been done before. (I thought, well, this may be true, but isn’t that a little… uncreative? Why ask someone to come back if you can’t think of anything to write for them?)

It is a mutual decision of Brian, Julie and Megan. I was told they all agreed on this decision.

She told me how nice I had been looking lately.

She told me she was very sorry.

I told her, well, I guess it’s for the best, I can audition again, and focus on my music, and I was really unhappy with what I felt was a lost morality on the show, but it was a BIG surprise that they would really KILL Dixie, and that I feel bad for the fans. What about all the Kate build-up? Where’s the happy ending?

I was told how the story would play out.

Look, it’s not my show. I really am only the actor. I don’t think they will ever bring me back, especially if they have removed the Dixie CHARACTER bio from the website. It’s over. It’s all done. AMC is going to become something totally different than it once was. It will be all new, all different. Why? I can only conjecture.

I have been told that all daytime shows are losing audience at the rate of 5% a year. That is a loss of 25% in five years. That is pretty bad. At that rate, they can afford to try anything. In fact, it is almost to their advantage to try anything.

Do I agree with what they are trying? Not always, but that is the process of making anything new. Some mistakes are made, sometimes you stumble on something wonderful. They have budgets and demographics and changing times to consider. They have a vision, and it is their perogotive to excercize that vision to the best of their ability. If I no longer suit that vision, then I am expendable.

Am I upset about losing my job? Yes and no, but ultimately, not really. It’s great to have a break, to rest, to audition, to feel like the future is a wide open door. I feel bad that the fans did not get the happy reunion they were promised. That’s why you suffer with a character, so when they get their happy ending, you cry, you are so happy for them. I like that, too, in a story, and it felt so sad that Dixie didn’t get to see Kate alive, and know she was her girl, and that she was safe and Tad was happy, for even just a little while.

BTW, that horrible photo of me in the Globe is almost laughable.

It is a picture from my album release party, where it was 100 degrees in August, and I was exhausted, but having a WONDERFUL time. I am misquoted as well. I was talking about the character of Brooke when I said “life is not fair, that is something us ladies can relate to and watching one of our own go through it hurt” and relating that to BROOKE’S adventures, not Julia getting let go.

Who is this guy from FOX news and what does he know? It was a blog that was ok’d by ABC before it was posted! I was thanked and hugged and told it was beautiful!

Julia was offered recurring. She declined. She wasn’t fired, BTW. She felt being a small character wasn’t worth it. It’s understandable, for goodness sake, she was on the show for 30 years, but she wasn’t fired. Vince was fired. He was told the writer couldn’t think of anything else to write for him. Pretty much the same reason I was told. That’s what I know about that, okay?

Now what you guys do is up to you, but I would like to ask you to do a few things:

1) Do not stop watching All My Children. There are some good actors on that show, the producers are trying new and innovative things, and the writers are trying out lots of concepts and ideas that you may ultimately find very entertaining.

2) Please do not call the offices of AMC any longer. The interns and office staff cannot answer your questions, nor is it very nice for them to get yelled at.

3) If you DO want to suggest something, WRITE. Write how you feel to ABC. Of course they will listen, that is part of their obligation to you. Please don’t think they don’t care about their audience, of course they do.

That’s it.

I like writing this blog, but this is the last word from me on AMC, okay? I LOVE hearing from you guys, I love the fun we have talking about everything. I will always do my best to support whatever venue I am working in, but I do find it my human obligation to stand up and SAY something when I think a REALLY mistaken message is being put out there. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do, as people? Isn’t that how we help each other in the end? If we see a friend do something and feel wrong about it and say nothing, haven’t we participated in the wrong to some extent?

Some say “it’s only entertainment”. I don’t believe that. I HATE the “Saw” movies for example. I think they numb us to real horror. I hate that the news makes horrible tragedies into entertainment. I grew up in the ’70’s and I guess the idea of social responsibility stuck.

I’m no saint, trust me, but I want to get awake, and stay awake, and be kinder and more forgiving every day, to the best of my ability.

On this blog, we have an opportunity to share our feelings about a lot of things. I have heard some really interesting opinions, and I really enjoy our dialogue. I’m no expert on much of anything, so even if you disagree with me, it’s okay by me! I find it interesting! It’s great to learn something new, even if it’s not about world issues. A good blue plate special or a corney joke can do a lot for inner peace, and therefore, world peace! On the other hand, if you are feeling like you hate my guts today, tell it to the marines, would ya, and go get someone to give you a hug, cause you obviously need one.

LOVE,

Cady

PS

its www.agencymagazine.ca for really cool artwork and articles.

Thanks for posting the article.

Her commetns reinforce my belief that she got fired for getting too opinionated. It sounds as if she had one foot out the door due to the utter crap on our screens.

It's laughable that she would ask the fans not to stop watching a show she obviously concedes is not the same as it once was. Change is inevitable, but AMC has taken a turn for the worse.

Oh well. If people stop watching or choose to voice their anger via e-mails/calls, it won't be because of their refusal to accept that she's off the show but because the show is so awful.

Wow. I love Cady McClain.

Seriously.

SOMEONE HIRE HER!

Glad to see McTrash is called 'uncreative'. Cady, thank god you said it - somebody had to.

WOW!!!!!

I'm happy Cady cleared the air - and let us in on EVERYTHING.

So it all started when they decided to make Tad the Madden killer. That is what started it. Interesting.

Also very interesting that she pointed out that Megan can't write anything else for Dixie or David as characters. That's sad and pathetic! That should show them maybe they need some new creative air in the studios over there.

UGH - I still can't believe they treated Cady like this - by killing Dixie with Cady's favorite breakfast....and then taking Cady and Dixie off the ABC.com website completely while Vincent, Julia, Terri, and Connie are all still there!!! Outrageous!

Oh and that is very interesting that she brought up how STUPID this is that Dixie would keep Tad from his child with Krystal after the whole Kate thing - it makes NO sense - and how horrible and ridiculous it was for Father Clarence to validate this action! LOL - go Cady!

Edited February 12, 200718 yr by alwaysAMC

Wow Cady! You go girl!

Finally the truth comes out. I like Cady's comment on why bring back the character if you have nothing left to write for her? So Megan was responsible for this too. God, what a total hack. Julie is made out to be the sympathetic one. So maybe all my criticism of her was a little unfair. I have no doubt Cady will find work elsewhere.

Here assessment of AMC becoming something totally different is spot on.

It already has IMO.

Megan feels that everything that can be written for Tad and Dixie has been. It’s all been done before. (I thought, well, this may be true, but isn’t that a little… uncreative? Why ask someone to come back if you can’t think of anything to write for them?)

That is laughable. There are at least 30+ more years worth of material for Tad and Dixie and they fucked that up. I knew Cady would crack eventually.

I vote either DAYS hires Cady or Y&R hires her. At least then she'd get some good writing.

I absolutely loved that she said all that she said...She did it with grace, without the need to put anyone on blast...If they were to read it, they would know exactly what and who she was talking about without the mention of names.

Megan feels that everything that can be written for Tad and Dixie has been. It’s all been done before. (I thought, well, this may be true, but isn’t that a little… uncreative? Why ask someone to come back if you can’t think of anything to write for them?)

EXACTLY!

I told her, well, I guess it’s for the best, I can audition again, and focus on my music, andI was really unhappy with what I felt was a lost morality on the show,

We feel ya there, Cady!

It’s all done. AMC is going to become something totally different than it once was. It will be all new, all different. Why? I can only conjecture.

That means that she's not the only one leaving...more vets being replaced with talentless newbies and the excess given to propping GH.

Julia was offered recurring. She declined. She wasn’t fired, BTW. She felt being a small character wasn’t worth it. It’s understandable, for goodness sake, she was on the show for 30 years, but she wasn’t fired.

Tomato, tomahto...If you want to be PC about it, I guess you can call it "an early retirement package."

1) Do not stop watching All My Children. There are some good actors on that show, the producers are trying new and innovative things, and the writers are trying out lots of concepts and ideas that you may ultimately find very entertaining.

Too late. Besides, this show is hopeless as far as I'm concerned.

If you DO want to suggest something, WRITE. Write how you feel to ABC. Of course they will listen, that is part of their obligation to you. Please don’t think they don’t care about their audience, of course they do.

They care about the bottom line at the end of the day. If they cared about their audience, McTavish would have been fired EONS ago.

That blog kicks some serious ass, and I'm not a big fan of Cady, but damn...

LMFAO she thinks good ole Meg's is uncreative. She's right too. I mean look at what we get when MMT thinks she's being creative: Trevor in a freezor, a walking fetus, Tad and Maddman's killer, dead Dixie, stuff that's coming this week...

I've seen this coming with AMC for awhile, so I'm not at all surprised. Frons has his own vision, and nothing that we want, or care about fits with that.

It's a sad, sad day for AMC, and Cady knows it.

And I knew Emma was Kate. Just like I always thought, MMT rewrote it. Made her a Lavery instead. Stupid [!@#$%^&*].

Edited February 12, 200718 yr by Kylie

My comment is going to be short and sweet....I so admire Cady for being so honest in this blog. Hope to see her elsewhere really soon.

Edited February 12, 200718 yr by Laurie

"I remember in 1989, telling Mike to take his two Emmy’s and shove them up his ass, because I thought he was being an arrogant prick"

EYE-OPENING!!!

Wow.

So scandalous!!

At any rate, I'm sorry for what happened to her. And I think this should pretty much cap any "Dixie's alive!!" rumors.

Again...just...wow. She let it all hang out unlike any other daytimer!

WOW GO CADY. Hopefully she returns to ATWT!