GH: March 2024 Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Based on all the propaganda going out lately about how anyone who is hired at a job is unqualified unless they're white, it's probably worse now than it has been in a long time. I saw earlier today people attacking the mayor of Baltimore as a "DEI mayor." Complete mask off racism. 

[Contessa Donatella]

About Optics if any more writers are fired, they'll be white & then the Optics won't look the way they do tonight. Please do not think I am wishing firing on anyone. Just may be what it may be. 

[John]

Charlotte Gibson is still a on staff scriptwriter

[Contessa Donatella]

Oops. I thought I read Shannon say she was the only POC. Must have misread. Thanks. Yes, what I read actually says "only female black breakdown writer" which is different from what I thought I read. Mea culpa. 

Edited March 27 by Contessa Donatella
more info

[Beachstorm]

I remember when people were fired for not performing to the best of their duties. Happens all the time in sports. Businesses take a different direction to better succeed all the time. What's the problem here? I don't have the inside track that all of you seem to have. People can be fired for not living up to expectations in every day life. 

[Contessa Donatella]

I don't know what you mean. But, as occupations go, I believe that soap opera writers get fired quite a lot. If this is not relative to your point, sorry. 

[BetterForgotten]

It’s normal and expected when a new regime comes in to want to build a team of your own, and that’s also coupled with shrinking budgets and greater financial strain on these shows.

Peace could have simply been the writer whose contract was up first that PM/EK didn’t see the need to renew - again, because they want to build their own team or because of financial strain causing them to reduce staff.

This happens all the time - the optics suck, but I think the bigger issue these soaps have never and continue to do a poor job of hiring and mentoring diverse creative talent in the first place. 

Edited March 27 by BetterForgotten

[janea4old]

Here is what Shannon Peace said:
(screengrab of one of the slides of her ig post)
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4_NwffPqTw/

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Shannon Peace said:
"as the sole black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure" 

But with Charlotte Gibson-Bauer being a scriptwriter at the same time, I'm confused.

Edited March 27 by janea4old

[Contessa Donatella]

Yes, I was confused, too. Carolyn Culliton once said to me that at the end of AW she was not in the writer's room because she was a Script Writer. So, from these two things do we perhaps deduce that everyone BUT script writers is in the writer's room? And, if so, I wonder why that would be? And, if that is so, what in the hell kind of odd technicality is that?! 

And, https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/shocker-general-hospital-fires-sole-black-breakdown-writer/ar-BB1kA7z9

Not really any more information but, wow, what a headline

SHOCKER: General Hospital Fires Sole Black Breakdown Writer

Edited March 27 by Contessa Donatella
one more thing

[Sapounopera]

Exactly. I was shocked with a soap site' BREAKING NEWS article. 

[Vee]

My vague and possibly incorrect understanding was that the show cut several relatively recent writers of color over the last year or two, but had at least a couple more left after including Peace. This presumably leaves just Gibson for now. I am with @BetterForgotten re: this being standard procedure when building a new writers' room, which I think is necessary particularly to build one not trained to FV's house style so we'll see what happens. But I think most of us agree they need to add more POC.

Edited March 27 by Vee

[titan1978]

We have no idea why she was fired. For all the talk about PM coming in, Korte has worked with these writers for years. She may have strong opinions on who they should keep.

I think the idea of refreshing the team with people not trained under FV’s style is a good idea, because they have done only plot driven stuff for years.

Breakdown writers traditionally had a large role in shaping the day to day show, and that has been an issue on GH for a long time.

I hope any hiring they do focuses on mentoring talent and diversity. As Peace said, she brought that perspective and maybe didn’t get enough of a chance to do it more. They may still bring in other writers that have worked with PM, but I still hope they work on diversity too.

Sonny’s conversation with Michael was great. I recognize this Sonny. I wonder if people that started watching or came back during the last few years would be shocked by him. This is as close to a 2000’s Guza era Sonny we have seen in almost a decade. The nice part is that people are standing up to him! How different that decade could have been if they really did this back then.

Ava is the most out of character which adds to my belief that she is up to something.

Anna realizing the shooting doesn’t make sense and getting the truth as we understand it so far from Jason was great.

Carly throwing someone out of Kelly’s/Bobbie’s wasn’t as fun as her strutting around The Metro Court, but she is also recognizable again.

[Contessa Donatella]

THIS again 

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dammit titan get out of my head! This is me if I were this articulate.

[Vee]

Adam Harrington is doing a very solid job with improved scripts but I still can't past the visual disconnect. If they'd cast Paul Anthony Stewart (a '90s soap hunk almost as big as Sabato), Jordi V. or any number of other non-blonde soap hunks with a little mileage on them I'd be more accepting. In fact PAS could clean up on this show. But I think he's largely retired from daytime for theater and/or other pursuits with his husband.

I am starting to wonder if PM's team is leaving both Carly and Jason solo and uninvolved with anyone for a time, to try to suss them out. That would be very interesting to me because it would indicate a clear intent to reevaluate both characters, both of whom Mulcahey (and Korte) were instrumental in defining with the original actors - especially Carly. (That does not mean I think Sarah is ever taking the role back because I definitely don't and will never get that lucky, but PM was among her biggest fans of all time and it wouldn't shock me if it had crossed his mind. I don't think it could ever get past the network, nor am I sure if Sarah is in a place right now where she'd be open to it.)

[carolineg]

I still can't get past the visual disconnect either with Jagger.  I agree AH is doing a good job and I'd probably be praising him up and down as an amazing find if he played anyone but Jagger.  It's still really throwing me off, but I suppose I will get used to it in time.