OLTL Promo 9-1: Todd and Marty

[Vee]

When they're a rapist and his victim, yes. It is tasteless and stupid to want them to be legitimately paired as a real couple. No amount of airy dismissal of me and eyerolling will change the fact that you're defending something morally indefensible.

[Cat]

^^ Oh, come on now. Are we really getting into personal attacks over an (ok, purposely contentious) soap promo? JP -- just like Toups, Marceline and everybody else on this thread -- is just stating his POV, not looking for "attention."

FTR, this is exactly the reaction from fans that RC, Frons and the ABCD marketing dept wants.

[JackPeyton]

Thank you.

I just think people have the right to like whatever coupling they want on a FICTIONAL tv show and not be judged and damned for it either. But then again i also think that people have the right to have a different opinion. Obviously others do not.

[rhinohide]

I think the story is doing exactly what it's intended to do. Promote controversy. I don't believe the fans who are hoping for a romance with Todd and Marty are necessarily former Evangeline fans or former Tea fans. I think SOME are TSJ fans who may also have been Tangeline fans because they have taken Trevor at his word when he says he wants a story separate from TnB, and support him to that end no matter what. I think another faction are chemistry junkies for whom chemistry supersedes any other storyline considerations and they actually see chemistry between SH and TSJ (although I disagree). But I suspect most of the fans in either of these contingencies are not long term viewers of the show, because most of the people who actually experienced the original rape story with Marty and Todd cannot simply disregard that history and treat it as something that happened so long ago that it no longer really matters. The rape story was designed at the time to create that kind of impact for the audience.

So most long term viewers who support the story do so for the "psychological thriller" aspect. How far will they go? What's going to happen when the truth comes out? This is the part that I find interesting, although for me, the performances just aren't working. Todd is sappy and Marty is just bland. So even though I am intrigued by where Carlivati eventually takes this, I am not interested in watching because the execution fails for me on many levels.

As with any storyline, character, pairing, there are fans who are almost entirely agenda driven in their appreciation for or opposition to a particular story. Generally, however, I think we (and I mean "we" as in me too) don't give fans enough credit. Most viewers have many reasons for liking or disliking what they're watching and they probably don't analyze their reasoning and they couldn't pin it down to one particular element even if they did take the time to figure it out. Those of us who have watched the show for years tend to minimize the opinions of the newer viewers as if we are the experts and their opinions are somehow less valid and/or important. That doesn't make them stupid. They just view the show from a very different vantage point that allows them to consider a Todd/Marty romance to be in the same category as Luke and Laura, because they didn't live the horror.

BTW. I openly admit I love attention. Is that a bad thing?

[Vee]

I've got no problem with people having their own opinion, I just wish they'd be able to back it up. Jack, OTOH, seems to want to try to cover every single opinion possible even though he previously said he found the story disgusting. But at the same time he also seems to want to champion the rights of Tarty shippers? What? I think you can't have it both ways, and I call bullshit on that kind of behavior. I think you can paint yourself as a "rugged individualist," if you're so desperate to do that, without looking like you're spinning yourself into oblivion and willing to defend anybody talking about anything. If I were to come to you and say something crazy like, "Wow, I think a story about Matthew and Nora incest would be hot," I'd be saying something that the most sane people would probably be rightfully offended and disgusted by. Now, under freedom of speech of course you can defend to the death my right to say it...but that doesn't mean you have to be so "supportive" as to say, "well, he's not stupid or crazy for feeling that way, he just has his opinion." Come on! Of course I'd be stupid and crazy!

[rhinohide]

But isn't gang rape a disgusting story concept? Child Molestation? Don't those topics fit your scenario as well? As Carlivati stated no one is going to say "Wow! I think a story about a bunch of frat boys holding a woman down and brutally gang raping her is hot!" And it wasn't hot. But most people seem to agree that it was great soap.

As for JP? He's a big boy and can take care of himself. I'll just say I didn't place the same connotation on his remarks that you did and leave it at that.

[JackPeyton]

I thinkt hats exactly what people who enjoy this storyline like. that "psychological thriller" aspect as you put it. Also,a s someone else said, its amazing to see a storyline with "two actors ina box". These two people are isolated from everyone else (well not todd, but the char's together are always alone). Its intersting. Its also a very touchy very complex storyline where many people ahve diff views on it. I love this story in theory. If i cared about marty AT ALL i would care about the storyline. but i dont. that doesnt eman i dont think its a great soap story.

Wow. Im kinda shocked someone spins this much time thinking about me. And just to be clear im not trying to paint ymself as anything. i am simply saying that name calling and bashing people just because they like a storyline you dont is just stupid. its called disagreeing. to take it to a name calling level is so 4th grade.

as for the story, it is disgusting. no doubt about it. its also facinating. ans just so you know, if you or anyone did post anything and was name called and bashed just because people dont agree i would defend you. because thats just stupid to bash someone ona personal level because of a freakin soap opera.

everyone has the right to feel whatever and however they feel about anything. and im sorry if people disagree with that, but esp in terms of a damn tv show they should not be personally bashed and called names just because you disagree with them.

thank you. i loved our discussion tonight and look forward to more discussions, debates, and disagreements without name calling and personal bashing.

[dragonflies]

Unfreakingbelievable

There's a poll on the hotsheet about Todd/Marty:

Would you be open to a Todd/Marty romance?

No

Yes

I'm unsure, but willing to see how the story plays out

They usually ask this kind of stuff to gauge audience reaction.

The results:

No 71.4%

Yes 16.3%

Unsure, but willing to see how the story plays out 12.2%

At least the results aren't as high with the "yes" as I thought they'd be

[Darn]

I'd love to meet the sick bastards who voted 'yes'. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?