As we were talking about a few days ago, Cris and Layla have been kind of sidelined, simmering on the back burner.

Had a White actress did what Tika did last summer TPTB would be doing everything to push her frontburner.

I hope at least that Brody has Layla and Kelly possibilities, and Layla has Brody and Greg possibilities, the more possibilities the better for those two.

For me, it's Kyle/Fish/Brody/Ford or it's nothing.

I'd much rather they write out both Brody and Layla and bring back Patrick, Joey, Kevin, and Cassie full time.

Absolutely Carl. It's because of black women that I even watch soaps. Loyal, black, female viewers. And they'd be hard pressed to find women on their stories who look and sound and think like them. My grandmother (and her mother) were "Mamies" in that they looked after white children who loved them dearly and continued to have relationships with them well into adulthood. Difference is, my grandmothers maintained their own households, had children of their own. Another cast of characters, another soap opera to be told. I mean, that's all I'm really searching for. The search continues...

I'd much rather they write out both Brody and Layla and bring back Patrick, Joey, Kevin, and Cassie full time.

Yikes, Patrick scares me, the Irishman who ate recurring characters in Llanview. I fear that he'll cost us a few actors (hmm, well maybe if they start with Ford...). I'm all for Kevin, Joey, Cassie, okay, even Patrick, I'm just afraid that it'll be a bust.

The thing about Mamie is she was never JUST a servant.

She wasn't a maid character she was a character who was a maid.

Big difference.

Edited March 1, 201016 yr by DeeeDee

They could cut out John for Patrick. Blair's jealousy of Marty for "stealing" John is essentially the same as her being jealous of Marty and Patrick, so they may as well go back to the classic feud.

Absolutely Carl. It's because of black women that I even watch soaps.

I was the same, not in terms of background, but it was black female characters who caught my attention and helped me get into soaps. Jessica on ATWT. Gilly on GL. Mamie and Dru and Olivia on Y&R. I felt like they brought a different perspective yet I never felt like I was watching tokens. There was a certain energy and strength they added to otherwise mundane scenes, especially Gilly and Dru.

It's just strange that this is now considered too much for TV, and most of all for daytime, that we are somehow supposed to be honored if a black musical guest shows up. Is this like when someone would pop up on Ed Sullivan?

The thing about Mamie is she was never JUST a servant.

She wasn't a maid character she was a character who was a maid.

Big difference.

She was a part of the family and a trusted friend and confidant. That's easy to forget now because the time when the show came closest to truly blurring the lines, someone pulled back and poor Veronica Redd Forest was fired.

Okay, people.

Soaps can't afford to just drop their CORE characters (using OLTL for example: the Cramers, Buchanans, and Lords) in favour of placating minority viewers. It's better to have OLTL, for example, on the air with its classic characters than try to shoehorn blacks, Latinos, gays, etc. into the story.

I remember reading an article that said middle-aged black women were the majority viewers of soaps.

Why wouldn't they want to cater to that audience? So stupid.

Okay, people.

Soaps can't afford to just drop their CORE characters (using OLTL for example: the Cramers, Buchanans, and Lords) in favour of placating minority viewers.

They don't seem to mind dropping them for John, Gigi and Rex.

Okay, people.

Soaps can't afford to just drop their CORE characters (using OLTL for example: the Cramers, Buchanans, and Lords) in favour of placating minority viewers. It's better to have OLTL, for example, on the air with its classic characters than try to shoehorn blacks, Latinos, gays, etc. into the story.

Shoe-horn?

So Stacy, Gigi, Rex, etc, can be shoe-horned onto a show, but when it's black/minority/gay characters it's a whole different story?

She was a part of the family and a trusted friend and confidant. That's easy to forget now because the time when the show came closest to truly blurring the lines, someone pulled back and poor Veronica Redd Forest was fired.

Unfortunately, if Mamie were to return these days, a) she'd be played by Telma Hopkins; and she'd turn out to be another crazy, shrine to John Abbott and all.

Shoe-horn?

So Stacy, Gigi, Rex, etc, can be shoe-horned onto a show, but when it's black/minority/gay characters it's a whole different story?

It certainly is. Rex is a Buchanan by extension (through Natalie, Bo, and Jessica), and it also extends to Gigi through their relationship. And Stacy, as Gigi's sister, benefits from it as well.

Depending on who you ask, the Buchanans were shoehorned onto ONE LIFE at the expense of the Riley, Grey/Hall and Wolek clans.

Just sayin'.