"Hollyoaks Later" Equivalent for US Soaps: Feasible?

[Winchester91]

I think anything can be degrading to women if over-analysed enough.

100% agreed.

[DRW50]

Not sure if you've ever watched the specials he's talking about, the late night Hollyoaks editions (before the "Later" stories, various late night/direct to DVD specials have been coming on for over a deacde), but it goes beyond a lesbian threeway. That isn't degrading (although it is if it's done just for shock value - two of the women in this story have little to do on the show and popped back up just for a threeway; the other was a serial killer). Stories like a woman nearly being raped and then somehow showing her "strength" by having a threeway with two guys right after - I think that's degrading trash. And if a reality show had that, I wouldn't watch it.

I'd also say that since you don't watch reality TV, you don't really know that some of it does have strong women. It depends on what show you watch, or what season of what show.

I don't agree with that. You don't have to overanalyze a lot of the worst of Hollyoaks - it's become shock value filler, and it's a very dangerous show that teaches people things like beating your partner is romantic and sexy and shows how loving you are. And it's not really that different from stuff that American soaps have been coughing up for years, especially shows like Passions.

I don't understand why a random lesbian threesome or more stunt deaths would bring viewers to American soaps. They haven't brought any viewers to Hollyoaks. The ratings have been on a decline for years.