People in the Soap Industry You Feel Sorry For

[Max]

Excluding the cast and crew of cancelled soaps, what other individuals in the soap industry do you feel sorry for? Here is a list of people I can think of:

*Michael Zaslow--Obviously, I feel sorry for him the most of all. The way he was treated by MADD after getting ALS is completely unforgiveable.

*Douglass Watson--I consider Mr. Watson to be perhaps the finest performer in soap history. His 1989 heart attack death (while on vacation) was absolutely devastating to the entire industry, and AW was never the same without him.

*Laura Malone--Ms. Malone was a great actress, and her character of Blaine Ewing was much needed on the AW canvas. Unfortunately, some idiot at P&G decided to fire her because she was a little chubby after her pregnancy; the character of Blaine was recast by a much inferior actress, who lasted about a year. (And after that point, Blaine was never seen again.)

*Harding Lemay--Given that Lemay took AW to new ratings (and creative) heights, it was a complete travesty for Mr. Lemay's own soap--Lovers and Friends--to be taken off the air after only three months, only to then be retooled as For Richer, For Poorer (which would last another mere nine months). What is beyond comprehension is that NBC gave virtually zero support to Lemay's soap(s), while they gave such intense support to Passions. (And regarless of JERs achievements, Lemay did more for NBC Daytime than JER did.)

*The Actors of AMC--I feel so sorry that these actors had to completely uproot their lives (and the lives of their families) by moving 3,000 miles from the NYC area to the LA area (only to see their show cancelled less than two years later).

*JER--Just to be clear, I hated JER (and still do), because I believe that he more than anyone else caused so much damage to the industry. However, no matter what sins he committed, it is incredibly sad that he died at the age of 60. I personally see JER as a tragic figure: he initially accomplished great success, but then (largely as the result of carelessness and ego) had a string of spectacular failures. Given that his death came so soon after Passions' demise, he no doubt died a completely broken man.

*Brian Frons--Personally, I will be shocked if anybody else feels sorry for Frons, but I do. While he is undoubtedly very incompetent and egotistical, I feel the executives at P&G were even worse (but they are not vilified anywhere near the extent Frons is, because the P&G soap fans are so quiet). Also, I believe that Frons was made the fallguy by the higher-ups at ABC (who actually made the decision to cancel AMC and OLTL, as opposed to Frons). Furthermore, I sometimes read these conspiracy theories that it was Frons' goal all along to destroy the ABC soaps; such theories are absurd because Frons is just not competent enough to pull off such a scheme. When it comes to Frons, I really believe that he felt all his ideas were excellent (which is not a stretch for one to think, given his ego) and would be exactly what the viewers would want to see.

[dm.]

I feel sorry for the cast members of Y&R trying to turn utter writing garbarge into any solid material.

[OLTL_fan]

While I don't feel sorry for a man who insults soap fans, I agree with this.

[Vee]

So if Frons is incompetent, why do I have to feel sorry for him?

[DRW50]

If that were the case I doubt he would have went on about "training" viewers. He didn't care whether fans liked it or not.

[Max]

Vee, you don't have to feel sorry for him; I just provided an explanation for why I feel sorry for him. Just note that it is possible for one to feel sorry for somebody he despises. (For instance, I feel sorry for JER.)

I really hope that this thread does not turn into another "I hate Frons" tread. (Although I concede that I am somewhat to blame by bringing his name up.) Rather, let's try to keep this thread on-topic by having each of the responders list people in the soap industry they feel sorry for.

[JaneAusten]

I do feel sorry for Frons because I think he is dumb as a post and he really thinks hes smart. Pitiful. I picture him getting fired one of these

days and just not getting why.

Zaslow ITA on that one and I often wonder if anyone at P&G felt one pang of guilt after finding out he had ALS

JER I don't hate as much as you do. I think he had a style of writing that was fresh at one time and worked but wore out quickly and I do

think he died a sad sad man

[Marley]

The fans....does that count?

[DRW50]

I feel sorry for Brett Claywell and Scott Evans, who continue to have their names trashed over a year after they were fired from their popular roles.

I feel sorry for Jess Walton, who is humiliated day in and day out by one of the most incompetent regimes this side of a Mack Sennett film. I feel sorry that she, who has been in this business for more than forty years, was publicly humiliated in an interview, by Paul Rauch saying he had to pull her aside to give her acting tips.

I feel sorry for the Cullitons, who never get the credit they deserve for their writing efforts, and were scapegoated after Guza left GH in 1996.

I feel sorry for any daytime actor who loses a story because of their age, size, or skin color.

[DeeeDee]

Indeed.

[DRW50]

I'm sorry about so many victims of ageism over the years - when you go back and look at the work from people like Launa Sanders and Joe Gallison, you wonder why any show would ever let them go.

And poor Phil Carey, who, after contributing so much to ABC Daytime for 25 years, was subjected to a condescending lecture by Carolyn Hinsey in SOD about how ABC Daytime has no obligation to their older actors.

Not even getting into Anna Lee.

[DeeeDee]

Or Jerry Douglas & Julianna McCarthy.

[marceline]

Cornelius Smith Jr.: because he had to come to work every day for YEARS and see Cameron Mathison get triple the airtime and promotion for no reason except the obvious.

[wingwalker]

Agree with all this, especially the first one.

[Ms. Chandler Quartermaine]

I feel sorry for Renee Elise Goldsberry, one of OLTL's most capable actresses to have come along in a long time, and they didn't even try to come to an agreement with her and just let her limp off screen...and yet they will try their damnedest to align the earth, sun, and stars for people like Michael Easton.

I feel sorry for Genie Francis, it's soo obvious there is no place she'd rather be than on General Hospital, yet they used her as a prop, got their ratings, and cast her aside like she was some newbie.

I feel sorry for Judith Chapman, you really aren't as bad as people ,make you out to be.

I feel sorry for Robin Christopher, you had two Emmys snatched from you by two undeserving actresses.

I feel sorry for GH Fans, who went through so much "Is Brenda coming back" stories over the years, to only have her come back, and have her devour the whole show for a year of pointlessness....and then to only watch her leave AGAIN.

I feel sorry for actors who stick with their soaps for years, even decades, and yet get pushed aside for actors who jump ship every other year and then come crawling back after their other ventures fail.