Y&R October 2021 Discussion Thread

[Paul Raven]

Or Keemo's child could have been brought up in the US if they don't want to have the foreign aspect.

He/she might only discover Jack now and could be grateful or resentful about him depending on how they want to play it.

Speaking of Jack, I wonder what the future is for the iconic Abbott set. Now that Jack is the only person living there full time and he is running low on story, how will they keep that set onscreen?

It is the oldest standing set and quite large. Other sets like the Newman Ranch and Chancellor estate have been dropped or revamped (shrunken).

Maybe it will be put into storage and Jack will become another character that drifts between Crimson Lights,  Society and the Grey Pumpkin. Or we will suddenly see the Abbott study (stage left) a much smaller room.

[Faulkner]

It’s funny—they’ve dropped so many sets. You rarely see Sharon’s cottage anymore, if ever. Adam’s apartment is gone. I wonder how long Devon’s place will be around.

[Sapounopera]

Y&R is so boring that people talk about Keemo. Who is next? Ellen Winters?

Whatever happened to Amanda btw? Is her story over?

[ranger1rg]

Y&R is boring, but I don’t get your Keemo comment. If you don’t understand why people continually bring up Keemo, I can’t help you.

[Faulkner]

It’s insane that they made up a son for Paul and Nikki (yes, to accommodate Steve Burton), dug up Nina’s stolen child, made up a son for Katherine, brought on Theo as an Abbott-Brooks, not to mention ridiculous and implausible stuff like having P3 fake his death to avoid coming out as gay, etc. yet Keemo is *right there* as a living Abbott offspring and they haven’t brought him back in a quarter-century. And PB has agreed to play even more absurd stuff over the years, like Peruvian Marco, Jack’s unrelated doppelgänger down to having the same physique and penis.

Edited October 3, 2021 by Faulkner

[BetterForgotten]

It’s a combination of PB hating that story, racism on behalf of TPTB, the initial story not being well-received at the time, and yes,  Keemo was just not a great character, so I can see why he wouldn’t excite most writers (particularly unimaginative ones like Josh Griffith).

That said, he’s been gone for so long, he could realistically be re-imagined and reworked - but no one at the show currently would put in the type of effort necessary to do that.

[Ponds]

Especially when Y&R has 1/2 the cast (or so it seems) of GH.  They need some new blood in these stories.  I had gotten to the point of rarely watching GH a couple of years ago, but they managed to make that soap entertaining again.  Something is so basically wrong with the direction of Y&R.

[Faulkner]

Yeah, I mean, soaps reinvent and give new personalities to characters all the time with recasts, especially after years off screen… and that original story had been largely forgotten by the mid-2000s. It would be useful for someone like Jack, who they value, to have his children represented. Beyond just Kyle. Lots of story potential.

I think the racism part is likely the biggest issue, in combo with PB’s issues, as I don’t think Y&R would know what to do with an Asian male lead (the obvious answer would be to do whatever they do with the white male ones, which ain’t much, as I’ve said before, tbh. They certainly don’t treat the black men well.) I think they feel an Asian lead wouldn’t have as many story options or wouldn’t be well received by the audience. A total lack of empathy and imagination. If someone over the years really cared, they’d have forced PB’s hand, and I’m sure he’d have sucked it up and played the story like a professional.

[DramatistDreamer]

This!

Grandchildren is not the same dynamic, particularly on a show like Y&R. Name me one character on this show that is the grandchild of a main character that has viable, ongoing storyline on a consistent basis...

... I'll wait.

This was the crux of what I was trying to explain with the recasting/de-aging of Keemo but it wasn't being received as such.

The Adam character gets tinkered with daily, to the point where Sharon, who once changed his diaper, can now be his love interest but Keemo's age and back story are suddenly set in stone as cannon? Wut? 

And the original story was clumsy as hell to begin with, when there was an eight year age difference between actors being the least of its problems. The actors were skilled and charismatic which saved the story. 

Also, can we have an honest conversation about Phillip Moon (God bless him) being the "go to" Asian male on CBS soaps in the 80s and 90s?

[Faulkner]

It’s super weird, right? And if they really wanted to do away with Keemo, as mentioned, they could have killed him off off screen. But they mention him periodically, as he has board voting powers at Jabot. It’s as if he’s “on ice,” always waiting to be reintroduced but no one has the balls or, more likely, the awareness to do it, even though it’s completely organic diversity. (These shows seem to only see diversity in terms of serving markets, and I’m not certain they see an Asian viewership, who are fragmented into so many different distinct cultures, as a lucrative soap audience. But does diversity have to be viewed solely through that lens? Why not simply have a broader and more interesting idea of humanity, for variety and for its own sake, as we live in a multicultural society? Is that a naive, Pollyanna-ish idea? Perhaps that’s an indictment of the viewers, but the writers also have to make them care. And they often don’t make the investment in fleshing out non-white characters.)

Meanwhile, writers have been reaching for Jack’s stories, with addictions and one failed pairing after another. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Faulkner

[BetterForgotten]

Even if they do cast an Asian male, they’ll never attempt to have him be sexual and the least bit complex. It’s unfortunate.

Granted, this issue is not specific to the soaps. Asian Americans are underrepresented across all media. In film, for example, until Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, the last film starring an all-Asian cast to get wide distribution was,what, The Joy Luck Club in 1993 (starring Ming-Na Wen)?

Edited October 3, 2021 by BetterForgotten

[Faulkner]

It’s sad. He’s more than simply an Asian man, although it’s important. He’s Jack’s son. He’s estranged from his father. He’s most certainly lived a life in the years he’s been off screen. He might have a wife and kids or have had several wives (or partners). He might have made some enemies. There are so many fascinating avenues they could take. And there are plenty of HOT talented Asian/biracial actors who would love the opportunity. 

[Forever8]

I was hoping when Jack was dating that young woman who was conspiring with Ashley named Kerry/Dominique. That her mysterious partner was going to be a vengeful Keemo wanting to take over Jabot. But nope! 

[FrenchBug82]

An additional wrinkle that makes it even more idiotic is that they DID write an Asian character (Ji Min) who was extremely well-received by the audience and had sexual chemistry with other characters.

So it is not like Y&R of all shows has any excuse to pretend they don't know if it can work. It is bigoted but they also have clear evidence that it is wrong!

Edited October 3, 2021 by FrenchBug82

[Ponds]

What makes it more egregious is the fact that Jack moans & groans in every episode about Harrison and the family home being so empty.  Why wouldn't he bother to find out if he has other grandchildren?