AMC and OLTL Canceled!

[marceline]

It think that was a strictly CYA move to appease the RAINN crowd. Although, I saw plenty of people angry at Marty for taking it and possibly "killing" Todd's baby so maybe it was done to play up the controversy. I truly don't know what the thinking was around any aspect of that story.

[Ann_SS]

This reminds me of when Liz on GH was told she was pregnant with her last spawn and she says with surprise, "meeee pregnaant?" I rolled my eyes in disgust.

So what if the some of the loony online folk were angry? The soaps should realize that these people (and include us) are the minority. The soaps should have been pushing forward not pandering the dumbasses who want to stay in the 1950s.

[dragonflies]

Liz can't take birth control, but yeah you'd think Lucky would have used something, same with Nik

Interesting article, about networks wanting older viewers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/business/media/14viewers.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1&ref=billcarter

You have to be registered to view it

[Ann_SS]

Oh please. I can't believe you are parroting this line. Liz is allergic to every form of birth control every invention on this planet? She is allergic to diaphragms, cervical caps, IUDs, Depo-Provera, spermicide, and condoms too? This is the kind of BS that soaps try to sell out of laziness and a lack of respect of women and their rights. Ignoring the pregnancy aspect, condoms are vital in preventing STDs. Women are at much higher risk of contracting STDs from men, than vice versa. Yet these soap women who are sexually active have no regard for their health.

[marceline]

Agreed but that hasn't been the case for a LONG time. Isn't there a writer who quit GL after being told that he couldn't pursue a releationship between Bridget and David? The dumbasses - in the audience and BTS - have been calling the shots for way too long.

Reading all those threads about Marty taking Plan B was one of the moments I can honestly say I felt the genre die a little bit. I wanted to buy Agnes Nixon a drink.

[dragonflies]

No Liz had a STROKE due to birth control Ric was giving her when they were married and she can't take them, and I love the attitude that it's on women to use birth control, not men.

[DRW50]

In this case, I think fan anger probably helped kill the story. I got the feeling that the show saw Tarty as some dark love story and they were fated together, this was Todd's redemption, this was what Marty had to be, etc. Some viewers enjoyed this but many other viewers were repulsed, which I don't think the show expected. A lot of the story was truncated and I felt like they sort of took it out on Marty after that. I think that Todd's air quotes about raping Marty (twice) are a strong reflection of OLTL's view on the subject.

[beebs]

So...wouldn't that just mean she's unable to take THAT FORM of birth control? And really, if every form of birth control made you have a stroke and you keep having kids...I think that'd just put me off sex altogether, really. And yes, it's equal owness on the man as well, but that just means they're both a bit thick then, rly.

[JaneAusten]

Maybe this sounds old fashioned but damn straight it is. It's called personal responsibility. It's also 2011 where there are a myriad of birth control

options available. Heck carry a few condoms in a purse. But that wouldn't fit into the soap mantra today where it is supposed to be romantic seeing

a women knocked up by one or 2 hotties on the show. Liz is a character who exemplifies everything thats wrong with how women are written on soaps today. Paternity lies, pregnancies, and WTD stories have all thats been written for that character for years. The still dwindling audience eats it up. And every one of those stories are entirely centered on a man. I am with Ann and Marceline on this. It just further exemplifies how poorly and baby driven females on soaps are written. Even 20 years ago women were written more responsibly and women in our society have evolved a heck of a lot since then.

[marceline]

This is why to this day I can't discuss that story. I just... I...

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[beebs]

Honestly though, it's between the sexism and the fact that they can't go out on a limb and do anything remotely daring anymore. I was thinking about it the other day when randomly looking up GL online (I'm bored and haven't been getting many hours at work lately :S). It struck me how daring it would have been to have in 1948 a show centered around a family of German descent at that time, not two years after the end of WWII. Not to just have them on the sidelines, but to have them be front and centre of this show. And it was a success. And honestly, I think you can take a lot out of the fact that the less daring and forward-thinking the soaps get, the less people are excited by them.

You're all absolutely right about how women are viewed today, I find it pathetic watching, say Stephanie on DAYS on her hands and knees begging Nathan to stay with her while he sticks his nose so high in the air it hit the ceiling. That's not what soap should be, and it's not why I, or any of you, tune in. So why do they still insist on feeding a daily dose of desperation to us??

[Ann_SS]

I still can't believe that you are trotting this out this soap nonsense. Liz cannot take ANY form of birth control? Are you serious?! Apparently, you are.

Again, because there may actually be women out there who don't understand this, "Ignoring the pregnancy aspect, condoms are vital in preventing STDs. Women are at much higher risk of contracting STDs from men, than vice versa. Yet these soap women who are sexually active have no regard for their health."

Exactly. It is women who get pregnant and are at higher rate of contracting a STD. The thing is that in real life, the birth rate and studies show that women in our country are responsible and do use birth control on a regular basis as well as the morning after pill which is precisely why the right wing nutters are desperate to shut down Planned Parenthood. Yet we have soap women behaving exactly in the opposite way, sexually irresponsible. This contradiction in the portrayal of women does not help the soaps, period.

[beebs]

Not to mention the fact Liz is a fekking NURSE and should know better at the VERY LEAST professionally.

[marceline]

Yes, let's talk about STD's for a second. Given the amount of unprotected sex happening on soaps there is a ridiculously low amount of disease even though half these people don't even shower afterward before hopping into bed with the next person. I'm sure we can all think of characters who should be dealing with some serious consequences. In the real world, Ryan Lavery would've given every woman in Pine Valley a case of HPV, Blair Cramer would have someone on retainer to treat her recurrent cases of chlamydia and Todd Manning, the serial rapist who has done numerous stints in prison...well just PICK your disease. Instead these woefully irresponsible people are considered "vixens" and "heroes."

Again, is this what I'm supposed to be harassing the people at Hershey's to keep on the air?

[DeeeDee]

The Unabortion was the death knell of the entire genre.