Racism and racial representation on soaps

[DramatistDreamer]

Soaps don't know how to write for characters independently of being tied to another character, and it is especially rare for women characters to be introduced or sustained without being tied to a man.   It's really sad and I think that was what happened to Juliet, they never tried to extricate her from Cane. You can't sustain a character as solely an appendage to another character.

[BetterForgotten]

Cane sucked the life out of every character he literally interacted with. The fact it took them over a decade to get rid of that cancer character is telling and sad. 

Edited June 8, 2020 by BetterForgotten

[DramatistDreamer]

@BetterForgotten And his portrayer seems like he's trying to worm his way back into the daytime universe.  I have noticed that his scheduled appearance on The Locher Room was postponed. Too bad it is only temporary.

[Aback]

 

Oh me too! That's why I loved the first aged Heather Williams (she was around in 2008).

[Faulkner]

Oh yes. Vail Bloom had that too!

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Vail Bloom was such an intriguing actress in appearance and sound. Too bad she was wasted on the show (take that any way you please).  She could have easily fit the role of a vixen or a heroine or a vixen turned heroine or vice versa.  She could have become a P.I. working alongside her father using her brains, guts and wiles to help solve cases. There were many ways that her character could've gone if the writing had been there. I got the sense that the writers never really knew what to do with the character, regardless of who was playing her.

[Faulkner]

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[DramatistDreamer]

 

Double entendre aside, if it were a choice between her and M.O. on the show, I'd dump M.O. for V.B. in a heartbeat. 

[Faulkner]

I was trying to find some scenes from the Wards on GH. Michele Val Jean really pushed the envelope with their dialogue, allowing them to use language that black people often only use with each other (making fun of the racism and privilege of the Quartermaines, for example). As played by Joseph C. Phillips of Cosby Show fame, Justus was such a prideful character, like an upright Sidney Poitier figure who suffered no fools and was unconcerned with being liked, and only Labine and team understood that. There was really no black man like him on daytime before him or since. Guza had to punish him for his insolence, he was recast with talented actors who didn’t quite capture his essence, and he was killed off.

Edited June 9, 2020 by Faulkner

[Chris B]

 

This story of a British soap star speaking out in the UK has not only blown up On Twitter worldwide, but even Variety is covering it. I wish the black daytime soap actors would speak up while people are listening. 
 

I just was listening to an old Victoria Rowell podcast with Buzzworthy Radio and she mentioned how Kristoff had reached out to her asking for help because Bryton was airing once a month and he was only getting 2 episodes himself. She at this point was upset because she’d taken so much heat and nobody publicly defended her. Shortly before this interview, Kristoff did his own episode of the same podcast confirming what she was saying and was subsequently suspended for three months. Rowell then said she no longer heard from him after they threatened his job. Of course they did eventually reunion and do a film together, but listening to this stuff again with our current mindset made me so angry.
 

I wanna know more about Tonya Lee Williams as well! At one point the host asked Rowell if she felt being outspoken was the reason she wouldn’t be asked back and she used Williams as an example. She said Tonya would come to work, keep her head down and get her work done with no complains. How did that work out for her? I remember her final years when they stopped writing for her she was constantly in the press basically begging for a story. I remember her guest appearance on B&B where they made Olivia and Justin cousins, she talked of playing up chemistry with Don Diamond in hopes they’d use her more. People often forget her, but to be a front burner character as long as she was and just disappear is very disrespectful. I also hated how when Maria Arena Bell did her comeback tour for so many former characters, the *only* one who came back and remained a day played was Olivia. Nina, Clint, Phillip and all the others at least had short term story. The only one who sat in the background when returning was Olivia. 
 

To know the stories *everybody* has and nobody knows. I wanna know what Karla Mosley and some of the B&B actors have to say. How does Lawrence St Victor feel being on B&B for almost 10 years with no love interest despite fans requesting him be paired with Brooke or Steffy? How did Christel feel when she was called to audition for her own role? How did Bryton feel winning an Emmy but appearing 15 times a year? The writers too. I *really* want someone to blow a lid on the Teflon and racist soap industry in the US. I feel everything will change or evolve *except* daytime soaps. 

[dragonflies]

 

[Faulkner]

Oh [!@#$%^&*]. Didn’t Chloe get into trouble running her mouth recently?

[Aback]

 

I don't understand one word of this tweet. Who's Nelle Benson? Why should this " Ira", whoever he is, care? People can produce shows for "high school tvs"?

 

I also wanted to say great post @Chris B

 

[Faulkner]

Maybe Julian’s next victim is lined up?

Nelle is a major villainess on GH played by Chloe Lanier (potentially problematic actress), and Ira Madison III is a podcaster and presence on Woke Twitter who also happens to be a major soap fan.

[mikelyons]

It's coming. Hang tight.