OLTL: Logan rant in TV Guide

[Cheap21]

The Buddha stuff is by far the WORST storyline on OLTL right now. It has gone on for way too long and they need to end this crap already. Its a waste of everyone's talents, especially Robin Strassor

[All My Shadows]

I agree. If it wasn't a big JOKE every time it was on, then maybe I could take it seriously. One or two serious lines per episode don't count either.

RC or whoever decides to pile on the lawls needs to get over himself or herself. Seriously. You're really not that funny.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I roll my eyes at the supposed "humour" on OLTL. A lot of it is so contrived, tries too hard, and doesn't translate in an effortless manner on screen. There's nothing sophisticated or intelligent about it - the way humour was used on Santa Barbara, during that show's peak years. That coupled with often gag-worthy dialogue, doesn't make for a particularly interesting situation.

[Vee]

Broad humor is not always bad humor. I remember the Gary Tomlin era back in 2001 and 2002. Honestly, I found his attempts at humor much more desperate and unfunny than what we have today, which, while often silly, generally hits the mark for me. And if we want to get into some joust about sophisticated Noel Coward-esque humor, I don't need to point to Y&R and Marcia Wallace.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Tomlin tried to turn OLTL into a sitcom, but I thought the little hints and winks to the audience during that time period were very well done. They weren't obvious, I prefer below the radar type of humour on soaps. He also did those special episodes quite well, IMO. Right now, the humour side of things are so obvious on the show, that it comes off as forced. I understand humour being apart of OLTL's fabric, but I don't remember it being used this way during the Rauch era, which everyone sees as "campy and light."

[rangethatrover]

Well I love OLTL's humor, and that's about it lately, but it is obvious (just looking at the ratings) that the audience doesn't.

I loved Paul's OLTL- It wasn't campy- It was just very over the top 80's. It was outlandish. It was addictive and fun. The most underrated years were 85-86 when the show got into the Viki/Niki stuff and they took it damn seriously. Those years were not campy in the least. 1987/Heaven was when OLTL began going over the top. It was basically storylines with villians vs. the Buchanans.

The humor was nothing like it is now- the humor then came naturally from the characters/actors- it really wasn't even on the page/in the script. Andrea Evans was a great example of this. Jessica Tuck was another actress who was excellent at bringing a comic sensibility when the script itself didn't call for it (Like currently with David walking around in a robe quoting monk verbage)

[chyti]

I don't find it as much offensive as I find it just a waste of time. OLTL is just not my cup of tea, I don't mind a little funny mixed in with my drama but I hate it the other way around when soaps are suppose to be dramatic. Maybe if it was David and Dorian and the push and pull of temptation I could tolerate it but the way it is being done is a huge bore to me.

[EricMontreal22]

Range if you think Paul's late 80s OLTL wasn't campy I think you have the wrong definition of camp

[DRW50]

My complaint about OLTL's comedy is the tone, and how it affects a storyline. If they want to reduce the Buchanan heir story to one long joke, as they also did with Tuc's last return, then they're reducing the side effects of the story to a joke. One day, Dorian was in hot water over drugging Charlie. She fled to St. Blaze's, and since then she's done nothing more than swap funny lines with David. Then in the middle of this storyline, Viki warns David against Dorian because she blames Dorian for Nash's death. I don't agree with Viki and I don't exactly care about Dorian drugging Charlie, but we're still supposed to take her words seriously. It's hard to take what should be high stakes, like drugging and death, seriously with this atmosphere.

Then in Todd's story, they lurched from a contrived, extremely grim suicide for Dr. Joplin to a comic relief death for Lee/Janet. Or was that supposed to be comedy? What is going on with Todd and Tea? Tea's one-liners and her attitude towards everyone who defies Todd serves as both dark humor and proof of how disturbed she is, but the way they behaved after Janet's murder was too farcical for what's supposedly a serious story. They've had several of these comedic moments for Todd which have come on the back of seducing his rape victim, tormenting his daughter, and attempting suicide.

There's no set tone and no payoff to any storyline. The only major story which has a set tone now is the Jessica/Natalie rivalry, but even that was after months of cartoonish antics.

[brimike]

Carl, I couldn't agree more. That's been my problem with the Buch-heir story from Day One. David is a buffoon - an enjoyable, lovable, adorable, hysterical one - but a buffoon, nonetheless. I've never bought that he was any real threat to the BUchanans. The guy can't hold on to a dollar to save his life, and the Buchs have NUMEROUS sources of income and are always throwing around million dollar checks.

I think OLTL has had some wonderful long stories since RC took over, but there's this snarkiness - this dark, sardonic, quippy thing that I just don't understand, especially in relation to the stories they're telling. It's hard to take some of the subject matter seriously.

You know what it makes me feel like sometimes? When I'm at a gay bar, and there's that one guy who's a total bitter drama queen, making wisecracks and holding court, always trying to be the center of conversation, but always being critical. Everything he says has such an edge to it, you don't know whether to be fascinated by his stories, offended by them, or just plain old feel sorry for him that that's how he sees the world every day. That's how I feel watching OLTL sometimes. I don't know whether to be fascinated by it, offended by it, or just feel sorry for it that it lives in such a dark world.

[MarkH]

But here is a counterpoint (and I realize it doesn't fit OLTL well). House. Every character is snarky and misanthropic. That defines the show, but the throughline is that decency--life altering goodness--emerges on a weekly basis through the snark and the darkness. I'd argue that Six Feet Under accomplished something similar....lightness in the midst of darkness.

I don't know...I'm not a regular OLTL viewer...but when I do tune in, every time, I am entertained and want to see the next show. This mostly happens when Todd and David are on screen....Jessica and Brody too (although, in Brody's case, it may not just have to do with story and acting).

For me, I think the lightness leavens the melodrama, and suggests that the creative team is winking with us. That adds a whole "meta" level (like the episode titles, which suggest a clever game being played with the audience) to the show that just engages me.

[tina m]

I think the David storyline is pretty funny.. I didn't expect a backlash either. It would be funny (and probably more controversial) if David turned to Scientology or Kabblah. The one thing I was really offended with was the oral sex scene.. it was really un-Dorian. Besides that, I'm really loving OLTL these days.

[DRW50]

I love the idea of lightness when lightness adds to the story, but Todd's story went from months of unrelenting darkness to this weird, jokey undertone. I think this is one of the reasons the ratings have dipped. People expected payoff for Todd's crimes, and there's been none. Instead Todd and Tea have palled around while the show comes up with various reasons to make sure he's not charged for any of his crimes, most of the time he gets away with these crimes by manipulating women he claims to love, like Starr or Marty, into saying what he wants them to say.

I'm surprised this story hasn't had more backlash. I'm not sure what to think about public opinion if such a misogynist storyline gets few complaints, while some Buddhist jokes and an oral sex scene gets backlash.

[All My Shadows]

Right on!

Nothing illustrates this more for me than the drama between Rex/Gigi/Brody and Shane's paternity being used as a joke for the Who Wants to Be Shane Morasco's Dad nonsense. Was it funny? Yeah, some of it was because JPL is naturally hilarious (as was the prospect of Snoop Dogg being Rex's father -- LMAO). But come on...don't give me this heavy story and string me along waiting for it all to hit the fan...and then waste time with game show parodies.

1968 was long, long nightmare. And that, coupled with Mendorra, drove me away from Llanview for several months. RC and company just do not know when to stop with their little antics. I wanted to see David humanized this go-round...not just another dose of madcap comedy. Tuc is great with comedy, but this is still indeed a daytime DRAMA. Am I wrong for wanting to see more DRAMA than comedy?

RC would probably do a good job remaking "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman."

[rangethatrover]

This thread proves why OLTL's ratings suck.

Its the love it or hate it show.

I am generally a OLTL lover- But damn, I have been bored for a few weeks.

The comedy is what has kept me watching. OLTL makes me laugh ALOT (In a good way).

I don't think this is a show that people want to watch though. Its too schizophrenic in its tone.

I like the fact that no other soap has OLTL's vibe- That is how soaps used to be-different.

I think AMC is going to continue growing- Pratt writes a show that will not put people off.

OLTL is going to tank if they don't reel in the theatrics and become a little more formulaic.

Its pointless at this point to even bitch- I am sure OLTL will hit a 1.8 soon and we will get Leah Laiman as a headwriter to lead OLTL to its death.