OK, can someone tell me where is the trash in soap operas today? Where are the schemes, secrets, machinations, steamy affairs, intrigue, blackmail, illicit dealings, estranged family members that come from nowhere, complex, bigger-than-life villains that have a human side? Just the pure fun escapism, the outrageous coiffures, unbelievable hats, mistresses that storm in and out of lovers' offices, strong, despotic female characters that make everyone around them miserable?

And most importantly, would you like to see more of it?

It's just all either unending terribly-paced stories, gloomy medical issues, killings, torrid sex in a backseat that makes everyone sick...

I just miss the pure, old fun.

Edited July 14, 200817 yr by Sylph

I just miss the pure, old fun.

Sylph, I swear - sometimes I think you're two totally differently people. :lol:

And for the record, I agree with you. I miss the fun.

Sylph, I swear - sometimes I think you're two totally differently people.

And for the record, I agree with you. I miss the fun.

Are you saying this because you would expect me to cry out for a highly literary, theatrical, Lemayesque soap opera? Yes, that would be my first choice. However, since none of the current head writers - and most head writers from the past - cannot write that kind of stuff (they don't even know what does it mean), I decided to turn right (or left, whatever) and just ask for plain, simple trashiness and escapism.

Is that too much?

I hope Pratt brings at least a little bit of it to AMC.

ATWT is almost there.

ATWT is almost there.

I should have put well-written in the topic title.

I should have put well-written in the topic title.

Bitchy Bangs.

Dual identities secretly plotting to destroy their sisters.

Long disappeared villains showing up in an ancient kingdom with secret children.

Time travel.

Major corporate takeovers.

THE TRASH IS being done BEAUTIFULLY...almost perfectly...on OLTL. Trash, as you use it, is not a perjorative. OLTL is a perfect guilty pleasure...a summer confection.

I wish I had seen the Lemayesque AW...or even the Curlee-esque GL...that everyone raves about. That would have always been my strong preference. That is why my favorite recent era from Y&R was the death of Cassie Newman.

I should have put well-written in the topic title.

Honestly? I don't the writing is as bad as people are making it out to be. That's mainly because I'm not really invested in any of the major pairings. The Margo/Tom/Emily/Casey stuff has been very well written.

Are you saying this because you would expect me to cry out for a highly literary, theatrical, Lemayesque soap opera? Yes, that would be my first choice. However, since none of the current head writers - and most head writers from the past - cannot write that kind of stuff (they don't even know what does it mean), I decided to turn right (or left, whatever) and just ask for plain, simple trashiness and escapism.

Is that too much?

NOT AT ALL!

I'll take either extreme at this point.

Time travel.

Major corporate takeovers.

THE TRASH IS being done BEAUTIFULLY...almost perfectly...on OLTL. Trash, as you use it, is not a perjorative. OLTL is a perfect guilty pleasure...a summer confection.

I wish I had seen the Lemayesque AW...or even the Curlee-esque GL...that everyone raves about. That would have always been my strong preference. That is why my favorite recent era from Y&R was the death of Cassie Newman.

A big NOOOOOOO to time travel and other sci-fi cr*p and a big YEEEEEES to corporate takeovers and all-around business storylines!

As for OLTL - that takeover was one of the worrrrst written and acted takeovers in the entire history of humanity. It was so disappointing, one of the biggest let-downs ever.

I miss those things too..

That's the reason I like "scandalous" Donna Logan so much.

As for OLTL - that takeover was one of the worrrrst written and acted takeovers in the entire history of humanity. It was so disappointing, one of the biggest let-downs ever.

I agree, but not to such an extreme extent lol

Edited July 14, 200817 yr by MTSRocks

Honestly? I don't the writing is as bad as people are making it out to be. That's mainly because I'm not really invested in any of the major pairings. The Margo/Tom/Emily/Casey stuff has been very well written.

I think this is the best part of the show. I'm really hoping that the writers take this all the way and we get lots more confrontations between the major plays along with Bob/Kim/Susan and Lisa. I say the more outrageous things get the better.

AMC needs to bring Babe and KWAK back to being the Trailerpark Trash everyone used to LOVE to HATE! Babe is just a bosring watse of speace these days. This time 4 years ago babe was a lot of things but boring was NOT one of them!

In my opinion, this is what is missing and where Susan Lucci/Erica Kane need to be at on AMC:

Remember Erica/Janet/Skye with Dr. Kinder?

Edmund fake-kidnapping Erica in Budapest?

Erica facing down a bear? (and then Brooke and Erica telling competing versions Rashomon-style to others?)

Phoebe getting married on the beach, sipping a pina colada?

When Anna Stuart played Mary Smythe (Greenlee's mother) and was paired up with Adam, I thought we were heading into this territory again.

I'm hoping with Petey coming on, Opal gets more play and we see her campy self more often (she's the nutball that got me watching soaps). I also think that Carmen has some potential.

Too much sturm und drang on today's soaps. No balance = FF.

OK, can someone tell me where is the trash in soap operas today? Where are the schemes, secrets, machinations, steamy affairs, intrigue, blackmail, illicit dealings, estranged family members that come from nowhere, complex, bigger-than-life villains that have a human side? Just the pure fun escapism, the outrageous coiffures, unbelievable hats, mistresses that storm in and out of lovers' offices, strong, despotic female characters that make everyone around them miserable?

And most importantly, would you like to see more of it?

It's just all either unending terribly-paced stories, gloomy medical issues, killings, torrid sex in a backseat that makes everyone sick...

I just miss the pure, old fun.

I was going to say -- OLTL!

Schemes - Dorian

Secrets - Jared is a faux Buchanan, David's a real Buchanan, Jess is really Tess, Rex is Shane's father, Lindsay faked the breakdown to avoid jailtime

Machinations - All things Dorian

Steamy affairs - Eh... Jared and Natalie, I guess, at one point... and I like Rex/Gigi's affair of the heart

Intrigue - Carlo's master plan?

Blackmail - Natalie to the Buchs about setting Jared free, I am guessing Clint's plan for Dorian, Dorian holding info over Charlie, Dorian holding info over Gigi

Illicit Dealings - B.E. Takeover, Dorian

Estranged family members that come from nowhere - David Vickers for the Buchs (but doesn't know it), Gigi/Shane for Rex, Carlo for Talia, Rex's mystery father

Complex, bigger than life villains that have a human side - Dorian, Carlo

Pure, fun escapism - Mendorra, David Vickers the Dog

Outrageous coiffures - Have you seen Marty's tangled mess lately?

Unbelievable hats - I expected a choo choo train to run around Dorian's hat at the B.E. Takeover

Mistresses that storm in and out of lovers offices - I guess Natalie and Jared sneaking around B.E. and when Jared was kissing Gigi in the office?

Strong, despotic female characters that make everyone around them miserable - Dorian (AGAIN), Natalie, Starr (LOL)

I can't believe you don't see all of this and more with OLTL. You must admit that OLTL comes the CLOSEST out of all the soaps, even if they aren't spot on with everything you're mentioning. Speaking of... gotta go catch it on SoapNet!