Blacks In Soaps or How To Be On a Daytime Drama For Years and Never Have a Real Storyline

[marceline]

Threads like this always bring me back to the same question: who is/are the "real" soap audience(s)?

Is it stay at home moms? Minorities? Gay men?

I truly believe that Y&R stays at #1 because of the fact it grabbed minorities with the Winters family and straight men with Victor Newman. But leaving Y&R out of it, who really watches soaps? I submit the genre has failed ethnic minorities, gays and - most of all - women. And there doesn't seem to be enough "mainstream" viewers - whatever that means - to keep these shows afloat in a competitive atmosphere.

[DeeeDee]

...If you're going to troll at least be GOOD.

*Yawn*

Actually you can.

Hence the REALITIES of Institutional Racism, Classism, Sexism & Homophobia.

LMAO.

Keep victim blaming.

It suits you.

Very Michelle Malkin of you.

You try so hard & fail so much.

If you spent half as much time dealing with reality than worrying about why people choose to watch what they watch you might be able to deal in FACTS & not obsolete trolling in an attempt to desperately victim blame so as to avoid dealing with REALITY.

...As usual.

You refusing to be willfully ignorant & not deal with your pathology is your problem.

Stop projecting.

*Yawn*

It's time for you to hop on one of your zillion pseudonyms so you can continue talking out of both sides of your mouth.

As usual.

And as usual you can't deal with anything remotely resembling facts so you desperately attempt to derail this thread (like you have others) by trying to make weak personal attacks.

If YOU don't like what is being said YOU have the CHOICE to NOT participate.

Yet you do.

So before you throw around labels you need to own your own your pathology & get your own house in order.

[DeeeDee]

[Sylph]

Masochists, apparently.

[DeeeDee]

Only because they didn't have too many successful "mainstream" shows.

[EricMontreal22]

I can't think of too many shows with a black counterpart showing his white costar up as a fool, but I will grant you that the formula (prevalent more in sitcoms and especially commercials) of the dumb husband and clever wife are all too common right now--but allt hose sitcoms are boring so I don't watch (and it does have a precedent going all the way back to Honeymooners--it just seems especially common right now, at least to me). However that formula also exists in a number of black sitcoms I can think of too (Martin, My Wife and Kids, etc) and is hardly just a white syndrome. But it's definitely a lazy formula. (and of course there are examples of the opposite--going all the way back to I Love Lucy, just not many right now). And yeah it's especially prevalent in advertising--is that because advertisers think they're appealing mainly to housewives still?

I don't think there's much of a "traditional" soap viewership left in general anymore. It's just (the/us) strugglers.

[alphanguy74]

The only thing he was trying to say, is that he feels one should support the shows, producers, networks that DO celebrate diversity, and you obviously think that one should stay and fight for your turf in the genre that you love. But all you have to do is concede that you can see someone else's point of view, and understand why someone could have that opinion, even if you don't agree with it. Discussions would be much easier around here if you left off the "I'm right about everything in the universe, and every word I say is etched on stone tablets" attitude. Of course, I know your'e going to yawn or ruffle my hair or some stupid crap at this point...

[DeeeDee]

No.

He wasn't.

...All YOU have to do is worry about YOURSELF.

Discussions would be much "easier" if people let your White Privilege, willful ignorance & hipster trolling go unanswered.

As usual you hear what you want to hear, skew what was actually said, ignore facts & try to make weak personal attacks in desperate attempts to derail substantive threads cause you refuse to deal with reality.

And before you try asserting how other people should act you need to deal with your own ignorance, privilege & pathology.

You have the option of IGNORING or NOT participating.

Period.

[EricMontreal22]

Re children's shows being much more multigenerational (something that I think Sesame Street--and of course the other Children's Television Workshop shows pioneered--aww my firends and I were just all reminiscing about how much we loved 3-2-1 Contact as kids, I know I'm now grown up but PBS's kids shows don't seem nearly as engaging anymore). Anyway, it's ironic because they did it for several reasons--one of courser was to try to spread and educate kids about diversity (and unity/harmony) at a young age (this includes often having a handicapped kid, or adult, etc). But the other, I read in a book about Sesame Street's creation was both to reflect the world outside that many kids see, and even for those who live in very racially segregated areas, to have someone they can identify and connect with. So it's both to have someone to connect with--and to also in a way see that you can connect with, and aren;'t that different from, someone who looks different than you. But "adult shows" don't seem to think remotely this way, even though, in theory anyway, it might engage more viewers and get them better numbers. (And no, i don't mean every single show no matter its locale should have a "rainbow cast")

[DeeeDee]

+1.

[alphanguy74]

That would be your dream come true, wouldn't it? no one to challenge your pathology or perennial victim stance. It's only characters on a stupid TV show, you know.... it's not like wer'e talking about the struggle for world peace or the fight of hunger or disease. None of these people are taking food out of your mouth or telling you not to vote. I'd be interested to know if any partner, be male or female could put up with someone so obstinate and inflexible. but since your post count is five times that of mine... maybe that answers my question. Instead of bleating on soap message boards about race all the time, I suggest you channel your passion to activist pursuits and organizations where you can make a real difference in the world.... where you can accomplish something meaningful.

[DeeeDee]

No dear.

That would be you.

Keep telling yourself that.

None of them are making you participate in threads either.

Yet you still do.

Weak personal attacks.

Right on schedule.

LOL Whatever you say Breitbart.

*ruffles your hair*

You can't even deal with your Ignorance, Privilege & Pathology let alone own it.

You're in no position to give advice.

[DRW50]

Here are some photos from the article, if anyone wants to see them.

[alphanguy74]

Fine, my queen... forigve me for not suckling at your teats of great knowledge, how can I look myself in the mirror each day.

[EricMontreal22]

It's interesting that the article makes no mention of One Life or Ellen Holly--ecept for that photo caption-- given as her story wasn't really all that much earlier than the article. I wish we had some video of the Grants--besides the few clips much later on with Jesse I think. They seem like they were an attractive and interesting couple. In All Her Children, and this interview woulda been late 1974, Agnes talks about how the Grants are FINALLY getting a story of their own and it's implied that even for her and ABC she sorta had to fight at it (the author does complaint that their role seems to be to be a sympathetic ear, up till then).