And why, most importantly.

Alan Carter was great in the first "It's Only My Opinion" Column(which is now occupied by the GH-pimping Carolyn Hinsey). I always found his opinions interesting and, from what I remember, he was pretty honest. I do remember he was very critical of SUNSET BEACH, but then again, who wasn't?! I was sad to see the website he started(Soap Star World/ESoap Stars) later fold. They got scoops before anyone(they were the first to report Louise Sorel fired from DAYS). I hear Kristoff St. John was a partner in that website and that once it folded, there were threats of lawsuits and that Kristoff even posted a statement on the website basically bashing Alan Carter and the other guy running the website(re: their sexuality).

I also liked Jonathan Reiner(TV Guide Online Columnist), because it was SO fun to hate such a kissass during that time. And the Susan Lee interview(where he describes what kind of candy is in her dishes at the NBC office she holds, and how she and her daughter have feared for their lives because of death threats). LMAO. Delania Dixon and Daniel Coleridge were just really annoying replacements.

I really, really miss Reiner. He was a great kiss ass that you just loved to HATE!

And why, most importantly.

My gal pal Connie P. AKA: Marlena De' Lacroix, of course!

Back in the good 'ole days of Soap Opera Weekly in the early 90's, Connie's column was the first page I would turn to when I eagerly purchased SOW.

Friendship aside, I appreciate Connie's style: Her love for the genre is contagious, with columns that incorporate humor, warmth, truth, sarcasm, knowledge and opinion (which isn't always the popular one).

Now if I can only get her to dig Megan McTavish and Jean Passanante!

ChrisL

I would have to say Amanda from SoaptownUSA....she writes columns on AMC and is always direct on her opinions and gives great assessments of the shows. Not only is she accurate in her views for the soap but she also comes up with great storyline ideas. I enjoy reading what she writes and puts out there and pretty much all of Soapboy's columnists are miles ahead of that hack Hinsey, err, Fatsey

Marlena, hands down! She always coveys a true fan's love of the soap genre while handing out cheers and jeers with journalistic integrity.

My favorite columnist was Sarah Lee, who wrote the soap column on suite101.com for about a year and a half. Although she had some opinions I disagreed with, her love of the genre was always evident. Sadly, it seems that there won't be another like her.

If someone doesn't mention me and my OLTL column I'm going to be very, very, very upset.

Just kidding....

I kinda like Carolyn Hinsey and Michael Logan.....partly because I think they're good at what they do, and partly because they are the only two I can think of at the moment.

Carolyn Hinsey... yeah i said it and im not ashamed of it.

If someone doesn't mention me and my OLTL column I'm going to be very, very, very upset.

Just kidding....

I kinda like Carolyn Hinsey and Michael Logan.....partly because I think they're good at what they do, and partly because they are the only two I can think of at the moment.

I was going to say yours, mostly because I've given up on the others and I can trust yours to pretty much agree with me; at least on a fundamental level. Stop agreeing with me and you're on my sh!t list.

Seriously, I gave up on the mags years ago and have little respect for the former magazine columnists who now post online, except for maybe sometimes Marlena.

As for website columnists, I wasn't kidding, Scotty. I don't always agree 100%; or maybe sometimes you have a different focus than I do, but most of the time you pretty much express how I feel about OLTL. I'm actually hoping there will be a disagreement between us one day because I am not always sure of the validity/merits/ authenticity of my own views. At least a disagreement with you will make me think a little more.

Mimi Torchin (if I really have to pick someone). Sorry, people, but I really loved her columns, from the structure to the wording, the opinions which she was very articulate about; and most importantly, she wasn't afraid of HW bashing. I certainly didn't agree with her all the time all the way, but I always had fun reading her columns.

The problem I have with columnists is that they are paid (you don't say...) to write them and thus aren't completely free in delivering their opinions (as much as someone says they are) - otherwise, they'll get sacked (Torchin for criticisng ABC's line-up)... Opinions are always strained, carefully weighed or quite the opposite - excessively favourable.

Now I have to wait for someone to remember that there is someone called Mimi Torchin, contact her and offer her a reasonable amount of money to write an online (I now only read online columns) column or whatever. Because she won't do it for free. Completely understandable, of course, that's how she earns a living, but still it annoys me in a very weird way, that I'm not yet able to fully describe.

I'm not all that much a fan of columnists, because a lot of the time I know I find myself eagerly anticipating the week's column and then I'll find it disappointing. But soap world needs some kind of buzz, and a pozitive one, since it is really becoming one big, giant marshland - all the same people, all the same stories, same opinions...

Edited October 5, 200718 yr by Sylph

Mimi Torchin is AWESOME...love her...wish she were around somewhere...

Also really love the previously mentioned Marlena and the not yet mentioned Snark. He's entertaining in a way that Michael Logan and Carolyn Hinsey only think they are! LOL! HOW TVGuide allows Logan to babble about something being "pee in your pants good" is beyond me...really didn't care for that Daniel guy that was over at TVGuide.com either.

I think the days of magazine columnists are over. The web is just too immediate for them to matter.

Kade

Oh yeah that girl over at suite101 was really good too!

I like Mimi Torchin. She writes an honest column and doesn't pander to TPTB or the writers. The mag columnists these days have their lips planted too tightly on the butts of network presidents, EPs and writers.

I like Mimi Torchin. She writes an honest column and doesn't pander to TPTB or the writers. The mag columnists these days have their lips planted too tightly on the butts of network presidents, EPs and writers.

It's probably why she's not working, and Coleridge is now the Soapnet board's columnist.

My gal pal Connie P. AKA: Marlena De' Lacroix, of course!

Back in the good 'ole days of Soap Opera Weekly in the early 90's, Connie's column was the first page I would turn to when I eagerly purchased SOW.

Friendship aside, I appreciate Connie's style: Her love for the genre is contagious, with columns that incorporate humor, warmth, truth, sarcasm, knowledge and opinion (which isn't always the popular one).

Now if I can only get her to dig Megan McTavish and Jean Passanante!

ChrisL

Not gonna happen. I didn't think ANYONE liked these two.

Marlena De la croix is top notch. Unlike some of the others.she's not afaid to be well, critical. Also, I dig those two gals who write Serial Drama (not A serial drama but the column at http://serialdrama.typepad.com/). They keep it real.