This thread wouldn't be necessary if daytime weren't so segregated. As a whole the genre has regressed tremendously over the last 20 years. Almost every character is homogenized. Executives are giving into the blatant racism and homophobia in select viewers.

What's the point of being a multi-generational and multi-cultural viewing audience when the shows that we're watching only show 20-50 year old straight white people exchanging sex partners?

When were the multiracial soap golden years? Late 80s? Remember the late 70s New York Times article where the then producer of ATWT actually said that the reason their show doesn't have Blacks is it's realistic, no Blacks would live in an affluent city like Oakdale (!)

I wouldn't call it disgusting. I think this story was just an example of throwing everything including the kitchen sink into one story and the wind up was every shocking development resonated less and less. Ok, you have a guy who can change genders. Ok, he is sleeping with the secretly on the down lo longrunning character. Ok, he is a mystery villain behind everything. Now he is pregnant? And pregnant by who??? It just becomes too much. I liked a lot of the craziness of Passions: the mermaid, the magical chalice to control the universe that Alistair wanted (with a special cameo by the Pope), but by the time they got to Vincent it seemed like there was this desperate need to top themselves on a daily basis, so everything lost some impact.

I liked it a lot. The story was entertaining. It was supposed to be gross---that was the point!

Cheap21, if you were disgusted, then you played right into their hands. JER won!

Edited May 2, 201015 yr by catsmeouch

When were the multiracial soap golden years? Late 80s? Remember the late 70s New York Times article where the then producer of ATWT actually said that the reason their show doesn't have Blacks is it's realistic, no Blacks would live in an affluent city like Oakdale (!)

Late 80s, early to mid 90s.

When were the multiracial soap golden years? Late 80s? Remember the late 70s New York Times article where the then producer of ATWT actually said that the reason their show doesn't have Blacks is it's realistic, no Blacks would live in an affluent city like Oakdale (!)

I would have to go with the early 80s (as I usually do because of how superior it was to what came after). Angie and Jesse. This is probably the pinnacle for black characters on soaps, and they were not isolated in their only little corner of the show. They were treated just like Greg and Jenny or Cliff and Nina and became a very popular couple. I don't even think anyone watching AMC thought they were tokens or just on to say they had black characters--they were right in the thick of it. I did not see OLTL in the 70s (although I do remember Ed Hall).

Was it only one show? Yes, but one great show is all you need.

GL - 1989-1993

ATWT - 1985-1993

OLTL - 1992-1995

We need to bring Generations back so people will stop complaining about Y&R, OLTL, etc.

We need to bring Generations back so people will stop complaining about Y&R, OLTL, etc.

Cause changing the status quo is unthinkable!

We need to bring Generations back so people will stop complaining about Y&R, OLTL, etc.

Yeah. Okay.

+1.

We need to bring Generations back so people will stop complaining about Y&R, OLTL, etc.

-1

Edited May 2, 201015 yr by bellcurve

DeeeDee, Who is the woman in your av... she looks REALLY familiar. I want to say Jayda Pinkett Smith or Thandie Newton. (Both great actresses)

This thread wouldn't be necessary if daytime weren't so segregated. As a whole the genre has regressed tremendously over the last 20 years. Almost every character is homogenized. Executives are giving into the blatant racism and homophobia in select viewers.

What's the point of being a multi-generational and multi-cultural viewing audience when the shows that we're watching only show 20-50 year old straight white people exchanging sex partners?

+1 winner takes all. Daytime in 2010 is best compared to Jim Crow. I don't think we can ignore the fact that the HW of the #1 soap makes comments about how she has to get back to writing THAT black storyline.

Best storyline

Angie and Jesse's romance. They were treated just like Luke and Laura. I remember that they were on so many magazines. My mom was so hopeful about the future. It is telling that here we are today and the last time she made a positive comment was for their wedding in 2008. They get my vote for best couple.

Worst storyline

So many qualify but my vote goes to the Valerie/Vincent Passions story.

I think the only way to correct the issue is for the network to mandate one week of diversity training and awareness every quarter for the entire staff from the writers, producers, directors even the production team (lighting, make-up). I know it is radical and I've no idea what impact it will have on the creative team but I'm thinking the model they use in Fortune 500 companies could be applied. I think that is the only way you will see change.

I am most interested in the collaborative success Bell accomplished with VR, TL, KSJ and SM.

Edited May 2, 201015 yr by Leia

Best

GL - Monti's David Grant was def a highlight for me...his friendship with Bridget, the conflicts with Hamp because he was dating Kat, and his trial for the death of Vinny Morrison. I actually put his trial verdict up on youtube because it's one of my favorite scenes.

AMC - the teenage Jesse and Angie stories. Jesse's friendship with Jenny and Opal's racist dislike of him. Opal has been turned so comical people may not realize she wasn't a very nice person at first. Jesse conflicting with Les Baxter over dating Angie.

GH - the introduction of the Wards and the reveal that Edward had fathered a son with Mary Mae. I liked the initial family trio of Mary Mae, Justus and Keesha. They even got to celebrate Kwanzaa and share it with friends, like the Spencers.

AW - they had the Burrell family the last few years, who were pretty prominent in storylines.

Worst

OLTL - RJ's romances. They tended to give him these somewhat throwaway stories, particularly with non-black women. Nora. Elizabeth (Keri's mother). Tea. Lindsay. He and Lindsay were an interesting match but they were barely shown.

DOOL - the underuse of Marcus Hunter. As much as I enjoyed Marcus' friendship with Steve and his involvement in those stories, he didn't really have much going on independently. They did have a story involving his memory as a child of a church bombing killing some little girls but that story turned more into Steve getting a fake eye, a dye job and going undercover. He sort of had a thing with a beautiful black doctor but nothing much came of it, plus he was being crushed on by the once-blind (and white) Faith Taylor, the daughter of the same guy who bombed the church. I always wished they had gone a little further with that. (I also put one of their scenes up on youtube.) It would have been interesting to see a story where the racist Saul had done this terrible thing in his past and to have his daughter now be with a black man. But they killed off Saul and shipped Faith off with Scotty Banning.

RH - Clem Moultrie. The only regular black character on the show at the time and he never got a story of his own.

I think the segregation on soaps goes beyond the lack of black characters or stories. It's basically a canvas of predominantly beautiful white, Waspy, skinny heterosexual rich people. There aren't very many cultures or economic classes represented at all. They tend to get assimilated like the Borg (or all the young women at AMC who, regardless of background, HAVE to work at Fusion).

Edited May 2, 201015 yr by applcin

Totally agree... if it was only that easy. When there are more black brown and yellow then it'll be something to not care about.

Yes but I don't think threads like these help fix daytime's problem with segregation. The segregation just grow when it's like this.

Leia, haven't been watching soaps that long. I missed all of the great African American storylines from when they were at their best back in the 80's and 90's. I was either to young or not even born yet. So I have to say Jessie and Angie's reunion back in February 2008. One of the few highlights from AMC this past decade, Jessie and Angie are amazing! Even though their talents aren't used much today, I am so glad that they are still on AMC, and I soak in as much of them as I can get whenever they are on.

Hire Minority Talent behind the screen.

Yes!

Edited May 2, 201015 yr by AllmyDaysatGH