Tom Casiello's Blog

[PhoenixRising05]

I didn't say people couldn't quit. What I said was don't just quit. Try something about it first. Some people just find something boring and right away the TV is off. I just think if people feel really strongly they should try first.

If you don't want to watch, fine. It's your decision. It's just my opinion that it's the wrong mentality and in this day and age bad ratings aren't going to do nothing. Days was tanking for how long with JER before something was done. All of ABC has been tanking for months and nothing is still being done. Hell, OLTL was tanking for how long with Higley until a FAN PETITION got started and was big enough to oust Higley. Drake Hogestyn's ass was fired until fans organized a massive fan campaign to bring him back. They won't always work but they can work. That is my point and I just feel like it's the better option. Not everyone feels the same and that is fine. I just don't see the purpose in quitting watching and then saying you want better when the networks could care less. Ten years ago, sure. The networks would interfere if the ratings went down and force changes. Now, nope. With the exception of Y&R, B&B, and GH--the networks could care less about the other soaps. They would love nothing more then the audience to bleed down to nothing. I just feel quitting is giving in. It doesn't mean you endorse crap onscreen. If you are watching and aggressively campaigning to fix things, then your not endorsing it. Some people don't have time or don't want to. Your entitled. This is just MY feeling on what I think is the best way right now because I don't think bad ratings will do crap because the networks want soaps gone anyway.

My rant is done now. Again, just MY opinion.

[MsT05]

Hilarious. Sadly true. Good, consistent writing would help the shows a lot and none of them seem to be able to manage it regularly. I'd be grateful if they just went off the air at this point. No diversity, crap stories...maybe it is time to go since they refuse to evolve.

[Ryan]

Again Tim, you're making it seem as if by us (non-Nielsen Familes) turning off our TV has some kind of adverse affect on DAYS. I'm quite sure there are more soap fans who watch soaps than there are who are Nielsen Families.

Why should we "try" something first? There are many that do. There are those who have called into the comment lines, and have signed petitions. You have those that have supported and campaigned for their shows time after time after time and nothing gets done from it. Sometimes they have influence on what happens on the show. Many times it doesn't.

For the record, the decision to get rid of Higley wasn't because of a FAN PETITION. Did it have some impact? Maybe. No changes were made until Erika Slezak spoke out because if she hadn't, I seriously doubt Dena would have been removed from power. Her word meant something because she isn't in the magazines bitching about lack of story or airtime, or because the "B" team was brought out to play. She doesn't play politics to ensure she's in the "top spot" on the show. She spoke on her feelings, but she also spoke on what the fans and many of her castmates were feeling.

You do have YOUR opinion. No one is taking that away from you, but don't sit there and act like we're committing some kind of atrocity because we don't plan on watching something that DOESN'T entertain us. Many of us tuned out of Y&R during LML's reign of terror. Us turning off our TV's didn't drive ratings down, it didn't make us any less supportive of the genre. Many are tuning back in now because the show is returning to what made it so great in the past.

You say you "don't see the purpose in quitting watching and then saying you want better when the networks could care less," if that's the case, WTF are we campaigning if the networks don't care? Those that do campaign do so knowing that the network doesn't care. But they do so as a sign of support. Kudos to those behind the "Save DAYS" campaign. I wish them all the best. DAYS is a great show with a great history.

That said, I'm no longer entertained by what I see on screen. Because of that, I turn off my TV. The exact same way I turned off ATWT. The exact same way I turned off Guiding Light. The exact same way I turned off General Hospital. The exact same way I turned off All My Children. The exact same way I turned off the Young and the Restless. It's MY right as a fan to do so. Hopefully I'll find something on DAYS that will entertain me in the near future, until then, I'll use my time doing and watching something else.

And that's MY opinion.

[dragonflies]

Ryan I gotta marry that post

[Toups]

It's MY opinion!

*I just wanted to join in*

[SoapQueen89]

Have I told you lately you ROCK?! Ditto to every word!

[dragonflies]

LOL

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Ryan is love.

[PhoenixRising05]

I wasn't saying anyone here was committing an atrocity. I was speaking in general. I didn't specifically accuse anyone in this thread. I understand why those in this thread have quit watching because I know you all care for the genre. I was speaking more of the rabid fanbase people who turn off their TV because one character isn't one and so on. Maybe I should've said that but I thought that would be assumed since I often talk of how those sort of people ruin soaps.

I wasn't attacking anyone here but I guess people took it as that. I thought people would know me better then that. Guess not.

[Ryan]

It damn sure didn't come across that way Tim. Especially since people said in more ways than I can count, why they weren't watching DAYS, or wasn't very happy, and yet were still told we should watch to support the show. Had you been more specific, maybe we would have understood where you were coming from. You can't assume that we know what you're trying to say. Hence why we call lay out exactly what we're trying to say.

Looking back on your posts, it certainly doesn't come across that you were talking of those who turn off because a character isn't on. In the past, you've referenced those kind of fans specifically. You made specific points about them, and then other soap fans. IMO, you were talking about those of us who have turned off DAYS. That's just the way I see it.

People do know you, and people respect you, which is why we've engaged in this discussion. But when it comes across that you're beating us about the head with your opinion, and not respecting ours, that leads to a breakdown in communication. This is a message board. We can't assume you mean one thing, when you're saying something else.

[PhoenixRising05]

Well, usually I'm more specific so that was my fault. I just thought that being as though so many of my posts about things like this usually focus on the rabid fanbases, people would think that was my focus. That is why I argued passionately in this thread because I was arguing my position but my approach seems to have led to a disconnect and that is my fault.

I wasn't trying to beat anyone down with my opinion. People responded to my post and I issued a rebuttal, which is how i like to discuss and debate things.

It's all good though. No worries. If anyone was offended, I truly apologize.

[JackPeyton]

you know those test groups you hear them talk about? thats what they go off. trust me.

[Sylph]

Excellent! Great posts! :lol:

[scuba]

I think Tom is great, I really do. But it boggles the mind that he thinks Days habit of listening to the most rabid and ridiculous fanbases is a GOOD thing. Making Bo Zack's (and Ciara's) father when there was no way in hell that was possible? Stupid. John coming back from the dead? Stupid. Kayla being pregnant? Stupid. The rush to please the most vocal fans is why this show is such a mess...there's never any consistency, everything gets rewritten all the time. Listening to the fans sounds nice in theory, but when the fans they listen to have the kind of ideas you read in fanfic written by 12 year olds, we have a major problem.

[Ryan]

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