GH got a great deal of acclaim for their handling of AIDS, Monica's breast cancer, BJ's heart going to Maxie. AMC and OLTL for their stories involving homosexuality. And many other stories on soaps which have gotten awards and attention.

Are there any social issue stories on soaps you felt did not get enough praise? Or which you feel have been forgotten and people now don't remember how good the stories were?

I'm drawing a blank on some of the other cancelled shows. The Doctors and Ryan's Hope especially must've had some memorable topical stories, but I can't recall any.

Ryan's Hope:

Had the issue of euthanasia when Dr. Seneca Beaulac pulled the plug on his wife, Nell, who was brain dead. He served a brief time in prison and lost his license.

The possibility of euthanasia also came up again after the terminally ill Ken George Jones was found dead from an injection and Jillian went on trial for his murder until it was revealed Ken had killed himself.

Roger's gambling addiction.

Also, RH spent a lot of time showcasing Frank's career as a politician, including scandals--his infidelity on Dee with Jill, his being set up to look crooked, etc. Frank's political troubles were quite timely for the 1970s...heck, they're timely today!

Siobhan got involved with a rent strike (in a story featuring Nell Carter). She was also at odds with her Catholic mother over working for a Planned Parenthood type of organization.

The issue of double standards abounded in the Ryan family as the sons were more sexually experienced without much concern on their parents' part. However, it was a huge deal when 22 year-old Mary lost her virginity to Jack without the benefit of marriage. Siobhan, having lived out of state for several years and experienced "relations" and having been active in protests and such, was seen as the more wild, wayward one and often experienced disapproval from her parents.

Bucky and Mary got involved with abuse at a nursing home (after Mary had an elderly roommate in the hospital).

The relationship between the Catholic Pat Ryan and the Jewish Nancy Feldman and the possibility of marriage outside of the faith also caused a great deal of distress for both families. Also reminds me, the reason Frank had Jill as a mistress for so long was because, as a Catholic, he wasn't supposed to divorce his wife.

Funny, earlier tonight I was watching an old interview of Ron Hale and Ilene Kristen on Soaptalk and Ron said RH was very topical and realistic. He said part of that had to do with it being the first soap set in a real locale, NYC. He even mentioned extras in Ryan's bar being dressed as cops and sanitation workers just like you'd expect to see in an Irish bar in NY, lol. I do think the setting of NYC, particularly during those early years of RH (1975-1980), was topical unto itself, because the climate of the time, especially in NYC, was tangible on the show, not just in the stories, but in some of the characters, particularly Frank (the up and coming politician), Siobhan (the liberal-minded protester) and reporter Jack Fenelli.

Edited February 9, 201015 yr by applcin

Well, even if it's not social issues, soaps can teach alot to people in how to react in a crisis. I learned the Heimlich maneuver and how to do a tracheotomy from watching Robert Colbert and Brenda Dickson! (I would KILL to see that episode again!) And from watching an episode of AMC, I learned that you can STILL call 911 on a land line even if there is no dial tone... as long as the phone is wired in.

Your post is too funny! Was that when Brenda was on Y&R?

Social issue s/l, for the most part, stink.  All it usually is is the show making a pretentious, heavy-handed and/or self-righteous attempt to dictate a message and pat itself on the back, while pandering to bleeding heart viewers -- and making an obvious reach for a "Best Daytime Drama" Emmy.  Often times, the sheer pretentiousness of these stories makes them even more phony than the stories built on most unrealistic soap cliches.  If I want true-to-life tales of surviving illness, addiction, affliction, bigotry, adversity, social diversity, or heroism, I'll watch real people tell their stories on 20/20.  On soaps, I want gluttony...not messages.

You may laugh, but it happened to ME! Well, not me personally... but a former boyfriend. He was a pharmacist, and was arrested for making up fake prescriptions for cough syrup (the kind with Codeine in it) and stealing it from the store where he worked. He was arrested about 6 weeks after we broke up, I didn't have a CLUE. Talk about dodging a bullet!

We actually have an older relative in my family who I recently found out was dangerously addicted to cough syrup in the 70s (so befor my time). I think it was partly just cuz no one really realized what was in it till it was too late :S

Social issue s/l, for the most part, stink.  All it usually is is the show making a pretentious, heavy-handed and/or self-righteous attempt to dictate a message and pat itself on the back, while pandering to bleeding heart viewers -- and making an obvious reach for a "Best Daytime Drama" Emmy.  Often times, the sheer pretentiousness of these stories makes them even more phony than the stories built on most unrealistic soap cliches.  If I want true-to-life tales of surviving illness, addiction, affliction, bigotry, adversity, social diversity, or heroism, I'll watch real people tell their stories on 20/20.  On soaps, I want gluttony...not messages.

Soaps have become all about gluttony, it's just that the stories are usually so tired and rushed, and all seem so similar, with nothing to balance them, they don't carry the same sense of abandon they once did.

It seems like over the past ten years or more soaps have been more interested in having the crash/murder/death of the month as a Best Drama item.

Most social issues stories are too depressing to work.

That said, the definitive gay love story has yet to be done. Yes there have been stabs at it and Fish & Kyle have potential, as did Luke & Noah. Bianca was the best coming out story.

But it all depends on what we expect our soaps to be. Should they reflect our lives? If yes then let's see more about the economic downturn. My biggest problem with soaps is that it's all rich contemporary GOTHIC people. Those of us who really love the Agnes Nixon ideal can't possibly reconcile this huge disconnect that happened in the 80's.

Edited February 11, 201015 yr by TC