ALL: Most Memorable, Iconic Lines from Soaps

[Faulkner]

Years ago, AFI did a “100 Years… 100 Movie Quotes” list citing the great movie lines in film history. (“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” from Gone With the Wind ranked No. 1.) What would make a soaps list? Not full scenes or monologues but a line of dialogue that has entered the lexicon in pop culture or among soap fans (even if the line was campy or bad). Some we’ve seen ad nauseum on soap opera clip shows.

Some very obvious choices off the top of my head:

”I baptize myself ‘The Slut of Springfield! Isn’t that right, Joshua?! Is that what you want?!” Reva, Guiding Light

”I am Erica Kane! And you are a filthy beast!” Erica, All My Children

”Isn’t that right, Maria?! St. Maria of Wildwind! Tending to the sick in her push-up bra…” Erica, All My Children 

“Goodbye, Tramp!” Katherine, The Young and the Restless 

“How much more do you want, Mr. Callison? Haven’t I said what everyone wants to hear? What you want everyone one to hear?! That I am… a common… hooker like Katrina Karr?!!!” Karen, One Life to Live

”My curse on you, Laura and Luke! My curse on BOTH of you!” Liz Taylor’s Helena, General Hospital 

 

What else?

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Faulkner

[BoldRestless]

"Maybe we could get together sometime with our kids... oh, that's right, I forgot. Your baby died." Sheila to Lauren, Y&R

"I don't want it! I don't want it! Do you think I could bear to live here without you?" Katherine signing the house away to Phillip, which she will later have reversed in court

"You and God? No. You and money? Yes. You and women? Yes. But you and God? Incredible." Kay upon learning that Brock is a born again Christian, Y&R

"I will crush you!" Victor to Jack and Brad, Y&R

"The hedge clipper. Junior. Golden boy. Bradski. ... And now I got a new one-- the Bradcicle." Jack, after Brad froze in the lake, Y&R

"Slut from the Valley" Stephanie to Brooke, B&B
 

[dragonflies]

I always loved when Zach on AMC said "Well if that isn't the cherry on the psycho sundae" talking about Jonathan Lavery 

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Edited July 2, 2023 by dragonflies

[yrfan1983]

Damn! That comment is beyond the pale. And this is way after PB’s Jack morphed into a nice guy

[Soapsuds]

Sue Ellen Ewing:
Tell me, J.R., which slut are you going to stay with tonight?

J.R. Ewing:
What difference does it make? Whoever it is has got to be more interesting than the slut I'm looking at right now.

[AbcNbc247]

"May the love that you share be the bond that brings you strength and comfort and joy all the days of your lives. It is my very great honor to pronounce you, Jackson Stephen Kiriakis and William Robert Horton, husbands for life." Marlena to Will and Sonny, Days

"No, No! You ain't seen nothin' yet, baby!" Mac to Rachel, AW

"You. You're the one... I should destroy." Robert to Iris' portrait, AW

"It's fate, Whitney." Theresa to Whitney, Passions 

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"Don't shoot him, Bo! He's your father!" Caroline to Bo, Days

"If you want a rematch, just whistle. If you can." Krystle to Alexis, Dynasty

[j swift]

Alexis Carrington (upon seeing her daughter Fallon for the first time in many years),  "I'm glad to see that your father had your teeth fixed; if not your tongue."

“I don't sleep in my clothes, nor do I sleep with them. I require one bedroom for my wardrobe, and one for myself...” — Dominique Deveraux

[Faulkner]

Also, the iconic Dominique, “It’s buuuuuurned… The champagne was obviously frozen in the bottle at some point.”

“You have reduced us to a ridiculous suburban joke, and I will never forgive you for this!” Maureen to Lillian, Guiding Light 

[Franko]

(I love this entire argument, but I'll stick to the juciest portion. You cannot think of this exchange without the emphasis and the difference in Leslie and Denise's vocal registers.)

"He is mine, Lesley. He is my body and soul!" -- Dr. Monica Quartermaine

"What does that mean, you own him?! All you ever talk about is wanting, what about love, Monica? Or is that a world that you don't even know?" -- Dr. Lesley Webber

"What do you know about it? ... You know, Rick had never felt anything for you, Lesley."

"That's not true."

"He thought you were dull! He thought you were dull and respectable!"

"(vehemently shaking her head no) That's a lie!"

"... We would lie in bed while we were making love and we'd laugh about you. Making the kind of love that you poor fool are incapable of. And it's called passion!"

*Lesley slaps Monica*

 

[I Am A Swede]

Taylor to Brooke, B&B:

"You don't just sleep with a man. You sleep with a gene pool."

 

Taylor to Brooke, B&B

"Psychiatry hasn't even come up with a name for your disorder"

Brooke to Taylor, B&B:

Well, there's always been one for yours: conceited bitch

[Faulkner]

“Hello, Barbara…” James, As the World Turns

“I see you! Oh, Robin, I see you!” Stone, General Hospital 

[j swift]

Also props to Erica Kane

Pine Valley isn't exactly the corner of Hollywood and Vine.

Edited July 2, 2023 by j swift

[AbcNbc247]

"Let the second Mrs. Ewing give the soon to be third Mrs. Ewing a friendly warning: the first Mrs. Ewing doesn't go away. Ever." Abby to Jill, Knots Landing

Edited July 2, 2023 by AbcNbc247

[j swift]

Speaking of Knots, while this might be the most memorable

Karen MacKenzie : I am not a Pollyanna. Not now. Not after what was done to me. And that's why I feel so angry. I want to be a Pollyanna.

This is my favorite

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[Faulkner]

“You’re fired, Roger. Fired from the company. From the marriage. From this club. From the entire town if I can manage it! I’m sure that everyone will find the air a little sweeter without the stench of your presence!” Alexandra, Guiding Light

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