Great new blog entry from Sara:

http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/09/deep_soa...terans_day.html

Deep Soap: Veterans Day

By Sara A. Bibel

Fancast.com

Soldiers of Misfortune

Last week I kvetched about One Life To Live’s attempts to make Brody (Mark Lawson) the bad guy in the Brody-Gigi-Rex triangle, despite him being a likeable, rootable character. This week the show made sure Brody was unsympathetic. He shoved Marcie (Kathy Brier), leaving her unconscious and bleeding on the floor while he took a lengthy borderline pornographic shower. (Okay, that part wasn’t so bad.) Then he kidnapped Shane (Austin Williams), the boy he considered a son, taking him camping in the woods. He’s hurt a woman and stolen a child from its mother. I’m surprised Brody didn’t kick Canine David Vickers to complete the trifecta.

The transformation of Brody from war hero to violent criminal is part of a troubling daytime pattern of demonizing veterans. General Hospital’s Coop was introduced as part of a team of criminals that held most of the cast hostage in the Metro Court. His war buddy Logan (Josh Duhon) beat and attempted to rape Maxie (Kristen Storms) and terrorized Lulu (Julie Berman) before she killed him in self defense. Nightshift’s Cody (Graham Shiels) manhandled Lainey (Kent Masters King) when she refused to prescribe him painkillers. He was an addict, of course. On As The World Turns Noah’s (Jake Silberman) Colonel father was so homophobic that he tried to murder Luke (Van Hansis).

All My Children has been a happy exception so far. Both Frankie (Cornelius Smith) and Taylor (Beth Ehlers) have been portrayed as moral and brave. Taylor’s possible PTSD is realistic. She’s haunted by memories of the war and reluctant to seek help for fear of looking weak. But the way things have been going on soaps, if Taylor’s romance with Jake (Ricky Paull Goldin) isn’t a hit with the audience I wouldn’t be surprised if she snaps and kidnaps little Kathy.

I am baffled as to why daytime would choose to portray veterans so negatively. While it’s true that a few soldiers have returned home from war and committed despicable violent acts, 99% would never even contemplate hurting a woman or child. GH has long been set in a bizarro world where hit men are good guys while police officers are evil. The other soaps usually attempt to portray public servants more accurately. Maybe it’s because it’s difficult to come up with stories about the military in a civilian setting. Maybe it’s because the negative stories about returning soldiers have gotten a lot of press. Whatever the reason, it’s an offensive, unbalanced portrayal. Many members of the military and their families watch soaps. Almost everyone else admires soldiers for serving their country regardless of their opinion about our current war. Perhaps daytime would be wise to consult with OLTL Robert Woods (Bo) about possible military-related storylines. He doesn’t just play a Vietnam veteran. He’s a proud Ex-Green Beret.

Primetime Stuntcasts Daytime Stars

Daytime ratings may be falling, but primetime shows realize that soap fans are loyal enough to watch their favorite actors in other roles. Mary Beth Evans (Kayla, Days of Our Lives) guest starred on Tuesday’s Law & Order: SVU (You can catch it Saturday of you missed it). Eric Braeden (Victor, The Young & The Restless) will play Robin’s father on How I Met Your Mother. Soap actors book guest starring roles on a regular basis. The difference is that in these cases they were sought out specifically because of their soap stardom. Apparently Evans schmoozed Bruce Evans the head of NBC daytime as well as the executive for several primetime shows at the Emmys. He is attempting to raise DOOL’s profile by casting its actors in NBC primetime shows. She’s the lucky #1. I assume Braeden got the role because of his tremendous popularity in Robin’s native Canada. He is the pitchman for a Canadian department store. He was hilarious when he guest-starred on Hope & Faith years ago, so I’m looking forward to seeing him on CBS’s best sit-com. In the 80s, every year there was a cheesy MOW starring an array of soap actors. They still pop up occasionally on the Lifetime Movie Network. I always got a kick out of them. (Am I the only one who remembers Woman On A Ledge?) I assumed that the concept of stuntcasting soap stars died with the network MOW. I’m glad I’m wrong. In an era of declining daytime ratings, it’s great that daytime actors visibility has never been heavier on primetime. Susan Lucci is generating headlines on Dancing With The Stars while Alison Sweeney hosts The Biggest Loser. It can only help the genre. If NBC is sincere about stuntcasting more DOOL stars, I’d like to suggest James Scott on 30 Rock as a dashing British NBC Exec who is out to steal Jack’s job and Liz’s heart.

Edited September 26, 200817 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I hope not the only one who thinks that Bibel's is overrated. I just feel some of her columns are kinda kiss ass and boring.

Have you people read the fabulous new entry from Sara?

Have you people read the fabulous new entry from Sara?

ITA with her on the Kate Howard topic! But it's not surprising since Bob Guza is the HW.

All My Children has been a happy exception so far. Both Frankie (Cornelius Smith) and Taylor (Beth Ehlers) have been portrayed as moral and brave. Taylor’s possible PTSD is realistic. She’s haunted by memories of the war and reluctant to seek help for fear of looking weak.

She's forgetting that Taylor killed someone. Granted, it was Randi's pimp, but it wasn't exactly moral when she could have simply subdued him.

ITA with her on the Kate Howard topic! But it's not surprising since Bob Guza is the HW.

I have asked this question numerous times, and many others did too: why is this man still the head writer of GH?

And how did he "lose it" in such a horrible, horrible way?

Edited September 30, 200817 yr by Sylph

I have asked this question numerous times, and many others did to: why is this man still the head writer of GH?

It pays to be Frons' BFF and it doesn't help that the show wins Best Show Emmy's almost every year for their stunts.

It obviously doesn't take sagging ratings and fan dissatisfaction to get him fired, so what will work?

And how did he "lose it" in such a horrible, horrible way?

I think it's pretty obvious now that Wendy Riche was majorly responsible for why his first two GH stints worked out well.

Edited September 30, 200817 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

She's forgetting that Taylor killed someone. Granted, it was Randi's pimp, but it wasn't exactly moral when she could have simply subdued him.

Well if we're talking "realistic" I just read an article in New Yorker about two brother marines with PTSDisorder who both recently commited suicide because they couldn't deal with civillian life--they just kept looking forward to and hoping to get re-disaptched overseas --one attacked and killed a "civillian" in a way very very close to Taylor

Have you people read the fabulous new entry from Sara?

Great post! I loved the first part about how often fans actually take MORE to the less "model looking" people on soaps. Didn't Frons promise that he was going to have soaps reflect how real people look more? Either way--no i don't think US soaps should start looking like Coronation Street (even most UK television is getting more "uber hot people" based like US tv)--but I do think that often it seems like with each generation looks on soaps become more and more important. They've ALWAYS had hot people on soaps--for every generation but the balance between looks and talent seemed more fair. Frankly it gets boring to watch--and sometimes you start to get people who even look pretty much the same instead of distinctive.

It pays to be Frons' BFF and it doesn't help that the show wins Best Show Emmy's almost every year for their stunts.

It obviously doesn't take sagging ratings and fan dissatisfaction to get him fired, so what will work?

Well, what will? You tell me! I honestly have no idea.

I think it's pretty obvious now that Wendy Riche was majorly responsible for why his first two GH stints worked out well.

True. However, I don't know what happened to this guy. I don't think he's a horrible writer, but something happened along the way and he became, you know, misogynistic, mob-obsessed...

I wasn't a very discerning soap viewer at the time, but I kinda liked Loving when Guza and Millee Taggert HW it together--in fact that's when I became a fan (thanks to the 2 week long AMC crossover). So I think he has some basic talent anyway--and I don't remember the show being misogynistic..

GH is a misogynistic show.

Oh I know--and I've only watched bits. What I meant I guess was that not all his soap writing has been necesarily. Then again Taggert coulda balanced him out

Oh I know--and I've only watched bits. What I meant I guess was that not all his soap writing has been necesarily. Then again Taggert coulda balanced him out

Which is why I said "something happened along the way"... I wonder what it was.

I don't think he's the worst of the head writers at the moment. The problem is that he's got ADD - the first half of 2007 focused on the Metro Court hostage crisis and the ripple effects it had on Port Charles; Sonny finding love with Kate, a woman from his past; Luke and Scott's feud re-igniting due to Lulu and Logan's romance; and Liz, Lucky, Sam and Jason's tangled web of lies and secrets. Then, without warning, the Zaccharas moved to town, Logan got cast out, Sonny was thrust back into a mob war, a serial killer killed off the show's beloved heroines, and the show got progressively darker and more violent. I think he suffers from a lack of planning, or a lack of commitment to the stories he tells. Because sometimes he can be really good.