General Hospital: June 2023 Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

There's a little, but for the most part I rarely see positive comment about Joss on social media. It seems like every attempt the show has made since Laura to activate the blonde ingenue has been unsuccessful. The last one who seemed to have some fans was the last Dawn 30 years ago, and she was beaten to death. 

[carolineg]

I literally only know the basics of twitter but it looks like SJB was speaking on a twitter space podcast like thingy and spoke about Guza and called out Vanessa and NLG.  For the life of me I can't listen to it or find a replay even in SJB's links to it, but I am very curious to hear it now.   It's possible she elaborated a little more on the Guza/Claudia stuff there.

If anyone on here happened to hear it I would love to know what she said. 

[Liberty City]

Per what I can recollect (as it was late and honestly some fans really are tone deaf when talking to her), it went like this: SJB was up for auditioning for a role on Dexter, and Guza heard about what the character was and over a weekend completely came up with the idea of Claudia wanting to do "inappropriate" things with Johnny, and this upset her. So she went to Frons and talked about her previous experiences at ABC, et al, and they refused to change the storyline, so she decided to leave. This, on top of what Scott McKinsey did, is what soured her experience as Claudia, despite wanting to be there in that role.

As for Nancy Lee Grahn & Vanessa Marcil, she's upset neither spoke out in support of her, but she also understands why some (like Grahn) cannot because they have their own families to support and think about. She also mentioned how she and Jacklyn Zeman fell out 20 years ago because she asked Zeman to support her and her claims, and Zeman declined. But that Zeman reached out a bit ago and she chose to forgive and just embrace Zeman, despite still wanting an apology for what went wrong.

[Vee]

Was she up for the part Julia Stiles got, I wonder? Dexter's equally crazy mate? I'd assume so. Claudia and Johnny were weirdly intimate together from the jump (and again, I felt it suited the very gothic characters) so I'm not sure I fully agree with that complaint, though I can understand not wanting it to be made more textual.

I've seen too many women like Sarah Brown dismissed as crazy or irrational over the years only to be vindicated through the passage of time. So I'm sure Sarah has a lot of very valid and true complaints about her ordeals with her ex, some of her work at GH, etc. But I'm not sure what she wanted Jackie or others to do, or about what instance specifically.

[AbcNbc247]

Because she’s a horrible, awful character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Who would’ve thought that, on a show where mobsters are the leads, the worst character would be a college girl. Eden’s portrayal doesn’t help at all either.

I honestly never thought I’d hate a soap character as much as I hated Gwen on Passions, but here we are

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Edited June 8, 2023 by AbcNbc247

[carolineg]

Thank you!  Interesting.  I am still sort of confused if Guza just wanted to make them incestuous truly (which I doubt) or just make them creepy.  I also don't know what that has to do with a different writer making Claudia Johnny's mother.  I do think those are two separate issues, but I understand her frustration and being upset she wasn't heard.

I agree.  I am not sure what she wanted NLG and Jackie to do especially while they were still employed on the show.   As far as Vanessa, unless they were super close friends (which they never appeared to be), I don't know what she would do either aside from publicly supporting her on social media, but I am not sure why these women should and Maurice or Steve or anyone else don't have to.   I genuinely believe her trauma and issues are real, but I truly haven't seen any of her former co-stars speak out and support her claims.   Again that doesn't mean they aren't valid or real I am just confused why those three women specifically bother her.

[Liberty City]

Because, from SJB's view, it did not make sense for Johnny to be Claudia's son, and it's why she's even more disgusted at the thought of them wanting her to play the incestuous relationship between the two.

[carolineg]

Got it.  It really doesn't make sense from an age perspective, but I guess I am still unclear if Johnny being Claudia's was Guza's idea.  Did she say that specifically?

[Darn]

I'm certain it comes from a place of "women supporting women" and Vanessa and Nancy having similar incidents in their employment with ABC, incidents that Steve and Maurice are almost certainly aware of but weren't subjected to. She likely wanted or expected some solidarity.

[titan1978]

This was also a network and time when Maurice and Steve basically got to do what they wanted/objected to stories etc and to a lesser extent, so did Tony. If I was her and saw how the male talent was treated I would also want my voice to be heard.

And yet from the outside we see how those women were treated. Jackie was sidelined, they wouldn’t meet Vanessa’s terms.  Or Genie’s.  And NLG was often ignored. Tried to fire Becky.  SJB’s issues. I have no doubt things were terrible.  When it comes to soaps and misogyny there would never be a better triangle than Frons/Guza/JFP.

[carolineg]

Yeah, it is unfortunate those women couldn't or didn't support her and it's sad SJB feels hurt and betrayed.  I think there is a larger conversation overall in the fact that women are calling out other woman for not being supportive enough though.  That doesn't feel supportive either when many other more powerful people including the female EP and her male lead said nothing. 

Anyway, I feel for SJB and hope she finds peace and do wish her well.   I would love for her to come back as Carly always.  I hope there is eventually change at GH and more people do speak out.

[Darn]

Agreed. Even victims have a tendency to punch down, it's easier.

[John]

After she left GH, as Claudia, ABC Hired the director who sexually harressed her

 

She was mad that VM said that her BFF was the wife of the owner of Saban Entertainment who produced her in VR Troopers and also sexually assualted her

 

Also her baby Daddy Shukey Levi was engaged to Shell Danielson (Ex-Dominique) when SJB got Pregnant

its when Shell came to Port Charles as Dominique's ghost in 1997 that SJB and Shell put it all together and both left him

SJB says Shukey stalked her until 2001 when SJB finally was granted a restraining order

[carolineg]

Again, I would love for Sarah to write a book.  I think all these bits and pieces coming out do confuse timelines and such and I would love to hear it all in one place at one time.   I know especially with trauma it tends to come out in various ways but I would absolutely buy a book from her that told her story from start to finish.  She really should have made it big and...didn't and I do think it's important thing to talk about even if I don't necessarily agree with all the ways she's going about it.

[John]

Well I dont think Sarah cares she if she professionally acts again but I bet she will.