Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Soap Opera Network Community

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

What storylines do you think soap operas would never do?

Featured Replies

  • Replies 101
  • Views 18.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Member

An majorly Obese character that is confined to bed and all the other characters are always dropping in for a visit.

Not to be rude, but for some, that would be like literally looking in a mirror, only the "friends dropping by for a visit" are the soap characters they're watching on TV for 1 hour a day (or half-hour, if you're a B&B fan).

Some of these topics are just too depressing. Escapism would go out the window and suicide rates of shut-ins would increase.

  • Author
  • Member

Not to be rude, but for some, that would be like literally looking in a mirror, only the "friends dropping by for a visit" are the soap characters they're watching on TV for 1 hour a day (or half-hour, if you're a B&B fan).

Some of these topics are just too depressing. Escapism would go out the window and suicide rates of shut-ins would increase.

That's taking it a bit over the top
  • Member

But they have a point. Even I, who gets all sanctimonious and self-righteous at the mere mention of soaps being escapist fare and nothing else, believe there are some topics that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't work on a traditional soap opera.

Q: I've read how Y&R had their characters break into song back in the day. Anyone know why Bill Bell phased out that stuff?

Edited by Khan

  • Member

Was Bradley still abusing Beth on Guiding Light? I know she was a teen by the time we met her.

Edited by titan1978

  • Member

I believe this is as far as a soap will go with child-molestation stories. I think if a soap opera were to do a full present-time child-molestation story, they’d need to devote so much time to carefully writing it, portraying it, and analyzing it. However, I think the concept of molesting a child character is too brutal for a daytime show.

That's what I was going to reply with--that with the right team, it can be done and handled properly. It might be a little tough for the audience to swallow, but that's daytime. Daytime was the original genre to push the envelope. Look at Roger/Holly's marital rape. It was a tough pill to swallow but it lead to many women speaking out about being raped, and it's one of GL's most memorable and renowned stories. That story alone set the foundation for multiple stories till GL's end. It was that powerful.

And replying to EllaBelle, I respect your opinion; however, most child actors have the mindset of a grown person. I think they'd be able to handle this type of material. Not a 3 or 4 year old, but I think a young actor from about 8-15 would be able to handle it. We learn about "good touch, bad touch early on." The concept wouldn't be new to them, and I think a w/ production and their parents would make them realize that this fake (the acting itself) BUT it's a serious story that occurs to many their age.

And no one is asking that show the actual molestation on screen. It can be implied and hinted too before the attack occurs. I just think that it's a good story to tell and one that should be told. EastEnders had the balls to do it. Why can't we?

Was Bradley still abusing Beth on Guiding Light? I know she was a teen by the time we met her.

It was bit before my time, but I think he was.

  • Member

What about a story on an American soap about a woman abusing the man that she is involved with?

done it...well sort of. Todd Manning was "raped" by that evil Margret Cockran on One Life to LIve. Although they weren't involved. She just had a sick obsession with him so she kidnapped him and raped him. Of course we now consiser that man to be Victor Lord Clayton but that's a whole other story. LOL The man being raped is a storyline that is rarely shown.

and about "kinky sex", I know on One Life, they hinted that Alex Hessor and her husband Carlo also had a very kinky sex life. I don't know how graphic that got either.

Edited by BKuzak

  • Author
  • Member

I honestly think that the higher-ups cater to a certain fan demographic that is preventing them from "GOING THERE" with several storylines and are afraid of losing those viewers

Look at the uproar over the new content of AMC/OLTL 2.0 before they were even streamed

Also, they folks in charge just don't care

  • Member

I honestly think that the higher-ups cater to a certain fan demographic that is preventing them from "GOING THERE" with several storylines and are afraid of losing those viewers

Look at the uproar over the new content of AMC/OLTL 2.0 before they were even streamed

Also, they folks in charge just don't care

That pretty much sums it up for me. I remember the pearl clutching that was going in numerous GH threads over siblings Britt and Nathan possibly hooking up before they found out they were related. I remember there was pearl clutching over the Cassandra storyline in the AMC thread. Y&R had a cult storyline scrapped in part because the TPTB was afraid of the fan's reaction to it. I could go on and on.
  • Member

Getting back to the Passions/ape thing, I don't think "Precious" and Luis count as far as bestiality goes because they never, ahem, went all the way. Unless I missed an episode or two. (Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww...)

  • Member

done it...well sort of. Todd Manning was "raped" by that evil Margret Cockran on One Life to LIve. Although they weren't involved. She just had a sick obsession with him so she kidnapped him and raped him. Of course we now consiser that man to be Victor Lord Clayton but that's a whole other story. LOL The man being raped is a storyline that is rarely shown.

By your own description here, it hasn't been done. I don't think that's quite what was being asked about here

  • Member

Getting back to the cult thing, I know that EON had to rewrite the evil Elliot Dorn as a gigolo instead of a cult leader because that was right when the mass suicides in Jonestown occurred and made worldwide headlines.

  • Author
  • Member

Getting back to the cult thing, I know that EON had to rewrite the evil Elliot Dorn as a gigolo instead of a cult leader because that was right when the mass suicides in Jonestown occurred and made worldwide headlines.

That was for the best
  • Member

I agree. The wounds were still so raw from what Jim Jones had done that changing that EON story was ultimately for the best. I know that Mitch Laurence came on OLTL as a cult leader of some kind, but that was several years later.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Recently Browsing 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.