Undoing the daytime soap stigma

[GSGfan2017]

The daytime soap opera has historically had a poor artistic reputation.  To this day, it still has a stigma attached to it.  Curiously, a number of recent dramatic series with good artistic reputations have had serialized formats, continuing as a soap opera would.  How can the daytime soap stigma be undone?  Can the daytime soap stigma be undone?

[All My Shadows]

At this point, 87 years into the genre's existence with the best of those years way behind us, I say that we, collectively, should not give a f.uck about what people outside of the community think. I've done a lot of talking about the stigma on these boards and what I believe exists the "daytime ghetto," but none of the things associated with said stigma can ever stop me from relaxing in front of old school AMC on YouTube after a long day. So, again, who gives a sh!t?

[allmc2008]

 

 

 

First, GSGfan, I'd like to congratulate you for staying on board this long.  Your green as sh!t but once you get the swing of it you'll be pumping in hot posts left and right.  It took me a while to figure out my 'voice' here.

 

Anyway, as AMS said, its the 'Ghetto'.  I'm, as many here know, am writing a book of essays on daytime serials.  Its coming around slowly.  Anyway, a lot of the stigma hasn't been relevant in DECADES.  For instance,  daytime being a source of 'Escapism' and 'Fluff'. No.  The 'glam' was a hook--then [!@#$%^&*] got real.  Kinda like Norman Lear sitcomes were it wold start out fluffy but then, outta nowhere, sh!it gets real.

 

The Escapism fluff was around during the radio years when you had shows like Our Gal Sunday.  That show was about a poor young women, an orphan, who married a member of the royal family while he was visiting on Holliday.

Though, even they had a hard-boiled melodramatic tone which was 'in vogue' in it's day.  On a semi-unrelated note--I never found soaps inherently melodramatic.  Its more of a writing style.

 

Organ Music is my classic example though.  It hasn't been a thing since the 70s, yet, people still associate daytime with the organ.  It's been over 40 fuc#k!ing years. 

 

I'm not in the cam' who feel we deserve it, or, the industry deserves it because of how it evolved.

 

Nah.  In all honesty, I feel that both the stigma has inclinded but also I feel its a good sign.  The stigma for radio started towrds the tail-end--around 1950.  Then, it started to get a bad rap for being escapism fluff used for selling soap prodcuts, meanwhile, TV was being praised---TV not only was an advertising venture, as it is today, but they forced it down your thorught.  ONe such show, George Burns and Gracy Allen, was sponsored by Carnation Milk.  Each episode a door salesmen selling it would visit Gracie and tell her how wonderus it was.  At least daytime soaps had the product only in the break.

 

So, eventually, mainly with World Turns, tv soaps kinda threw out what they were known for with shows like ATWT, LOL, and SS by focusing on realism.  Yet, the stigma still remained.  Its almost like that area of viewing hours is cursed somehow.  Its almost like things shown during that period has been 'meant' to be stigmatized.

 

It wasn't always like that. The 'daily serials' in the 30s were considered to be highest form of radio drama (Opera--as it was still considered the higest form of entertaiment), yet, used to sell everyday products (Soap--because it is an everyday product).  For most of the radio yars it was rarley called 'Soap Opera' as many of them, most really, were sponsored by food companies. 

 

 

Overall, the point I'm trying to make is this:  Embrace the medium as we all had to learn, and learn about the medium, as you learn you will empower yourself.  You wouldn't feel so self-conscious. Its the same [!@#$%^&*] sci-fi fans have to endure.  In fact, I often called our medium the 'Anti Science Fiction'.  If your curious, and I don't get back to you, I"m sure AMS would know what I  mean.  S/he (I don't know if your a guy or gal, yup, not after all these years

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) has a similar view.

[GSGfan2017]

Well, I can't say a video like this one is particularly helpful.

[allmc2008]

 

 

Let me put it another way:

 

1.  Soap start in 1930.

2.  General Public repsonds well but not the art elite.

3.A.  A saturation similar to the '.com bubble' occures--Everyone was making daytime serials to boost there

revenue.  Then, somewhere down the line, the 'bubble burst'.

3.B.  The bubble burst because of TV. People dumped there TV, ad revune became stronger on TV, radio had a hard time moving.

4.  Quality deminshes so the art elite is taken seriously.

5.  ATWT reinvents the genre by playing to TV streanghts instead of trying to translate radio streanthgs to the TV.

6.  During the late 60s and throughout the 70s daytime is achieved acclaim from the academic sector, thanks to Agnes Nixon and Bell, in humanities courses. 

7.  The 80s happen.  Shows like Dynasty and campy stuff from GH appeal to a lot of folks of that era as camp was the zeitgeist of the time. 

8.  The 90s started strong but then they fetished on age demos.  This caused good people to leave and folks like Dina Higley and Megan McTavish to stay.

9.  Daytime started to suck.

10.  Folks would tune in priodically to see, sometimes during lunch break or sick days, and be like, "What!  Why did I like this crap!"

 

 

I'll expand and refine some other time

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[Vee]

Anyone in this thread smoke weed

[GSGfan2017]

No, Vee, I don't smoke weed, not even for medical reasons.

 

BTW, check this out.

[marceline]

 

You called? 

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[slick jones]

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   No, thanks Pat, I'll spin