OLTL: Discussion for the week April 26

[EricMontreal22]

Hasn't he always looked like that in the face though? I still insist it's just his "look" but that's, like I've said, cuz I know someone who leads a healtheir life than me but has that look.

On the other hand I could do without his odd combination of John McBain-type mumbling (which Michael Easton seems to think is method acting on the level of a vintage Brando!) with SHOUTING which has been so brilliantly parodied already in this thread

But yeah, that's why the talk of him being fat gives me pause. Well several reasons--I honestly, when I see him on tv don't think that. But, it's also that I hate how, increasingly more and more, the only stomachs we even see on tv are borderline anorexic (the ladies) or 6-8 packs (the men). And don't get me wrong, I could watch Brody shirtless all day (OTOH I'd die a happy man if I never had to see Ford's abs again), and American soaps (and increasingly even the UK ones, long famous for casting "average" and even "ugly" actors) have always emphasized physical beauty, even before Bill Bell really started to push it with Y&R in the 70s. And of course this is reflected in non soap tv and movie programming too, to various (better and worst) degrees (and when it comes to men the fact that pre mid 80s a shirtless movie star would rarely even have a 2 pack let alone a 6 pack says a lot right there). But it does seem that as soaps drop they start to cast more and more "model perfect" and, frankly, bland faces and bodies. Not only does this make it harder to relate to, IMHO, it also makes them look less attractive, at least from my perhaps non standard tastes. Like I said though, I found Jacob Young on AMC oddly more attractive when he was chunky, so I'm prob not the ideal person to judge this.

Rant over I feel overly defensive when I stand up for an actor I don't even like when the first criticism leveled at him is "he's fat!", and I know it's not even meant too seriously, but I think it can be a slippery slope. Most of us on here HAVE said that we want more variety and interesting looks with actors on soaps...

[EricMontreal22]

Hell, she prob had more to do when she briefly quit the show in frustration for lack of screentime in the early-mis 80s than Vicki does! You're right the types of characters are different--something I tried to say in my post. While Vicki has always been a heroine, and Lisa on ATWT an anti-heroine for a good chunk, they migth be a more valid comparison (though Lisa was more or less phased out ages back).

Didn't many complain that Vicki became too much of this type of character in the mid 70s to early 80s and it was Rauch who brought her back as the central character and not just a confidante with side stories? Of course the show was so much better then, it probably created less of a hole.

[EricMontreal22]

Sorry to go off topic, but wasn't Krystal's five and dime (rather foolishly IMHO) dropped? While not true to her initial character, I actually would probably like her best growing into that kinda role that AMC foolishly failed to develop any other characters into the past 10 or even 15 years--as little as he was used when Joe left, the show really didn't have anyone in that role (Opal does come close and thank God she's still there but she's in a way a mix of a matriarch with someone like Roxie). But I'm not one of those fans who thinks Erica should be aged into that kind of character by any means--I'm fine with her dressing 30 years too young, etc

Agreed 100% re your comments on Vicki.

Exactly. I still, somehow am enjoying the show more than I did for nearly all of Higley's mean spirited, slow, and dire reign, but that's agreat point. As wrong headed as her male rape, etc, stories were, you could see them trying to turn Todd around (it could be argued whether they should have or not, but nonetheless). But currently with Todd they want to have their cake and eat it too.

[SFK]

I would never criticize an actor's appearance save for an awful haircut or if they were an ass IRL and perhaps deserved a little petty bashing. I've said this before, but in BB's case, it looks to me like allergies or someone who likes to stay up late and *sippy sippy smokey smokey* if you get my drift. I don't dislike him enough to poke at his stomach ( sorry, I couldn't resist), so I'll just keep my criticisms to his character's wall pounding and way of barking out a string of words when angry.

[SFK]

Eric, you're right, I think they dropped Krystal's store, and I agree that I would have liked to see her go in that direction too. A charming little classic Pine Valley touch the show could have used. But back over the bridges to LLANVIEW...

[Vee]

I think Brandon Buddy takes some [!@#$%^&*] because it's not a case of average body/great actor here. People didn't care if Jonathan Jackson had an eight-pack because he was an incredible young lead back in the day. Buddy, bless him, is merely average in every way, or at times below average as an actor, yet his character is assigned the same import on the show as a Lucky or a young Holden Snyder and we're expected to see him that way. That's why I think he takes heat for having a so-so soap body on top of questionable acting skills. It's a shame, as I thought he was best in smaller or mid-range stories; I thought his best work was with the drug addiction/rehab story with Rachel last year. Now, it's back to the same stuff he can't handle. Yet I root for Cole by default - Todd deserves to be mutilated.

[DeeeDee]

+1.

No.

But he tweeted about liking to eat & needing to go to the gym.

A coincidence?

[DeeeDee]

Amen.

[Juliajms]

True, I would like that, but I think we won't see that with the soaps that are now on the air. Just look how merciless fans were when Melissa Archer was bigger. She was probably only a size 8 or at most 10. Sure, there was always Marcy, but she wasn't taken seriously. They would never have paired her with one of the shows leads. Then you have all of these actors getting nose jobs so they can fit the WASP mold and the result is increasing homogeneity. I'm not sure if things will ever swing back to actors with unique looks, but if that does happen, it doesn't seem like it will happen any time soon. That's one way British shows are often better than American ones, they tend to put talent over looks and use a person's unique look to sell the role they're playing.

[All My Shadows]

For the record, Buddy has gained some weight, gotten a little chunky in the gut and face, still has those nearly iconic moobs, but I'd still hit that like the fist of an angry God.

[SFK]

I agree, though J.J.'s paltry spirit gummed "beard" is ripe for derision.

I think not!

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah, but I do think it's getting worse with British soaps too instead, as you say, of it possibly getting better here.

Did people use to complain about Archer's weight? I can't remember ever watching and thinking she was "fat"... Wow

And I just realized something--the guy I'm dating (who actually DOES have bad allergies) kinda has the same dark circles, and body type as Brandon Buddy--even though I didn't really put two and two together till now. So maybe that's part of my defence (funny as I never found Brandon particularly attractive). Thank God my friend doesn't read this forum. (It's a good point raised that his acting doesn't cut it in these over the top stories and is one reason for the teasing)

[Vee]

Agreed.

[Bright Eyes]

Yes.

[Eric83]

I took so much pleasure in seeing Cole whoop Todd's ass.