And I give Erika Slezak props because she had the character to defend herself against that allegation in writing (I think in the press, and "Llanview in the Afternoon"). I mean nobody likes to be accused of racism, especially when they haven't intentionally gone out of their way to be racist, and she did emphasize she had respect for Ellen Holly and Lillian Hayman.
But on the flip side, you're not wrong at all that Ellen Holly, who was talented, and articulate, and beautiful, and SMART, had grievances - it's easy for the hurt and the anger to build up that you start calling things out in ways they really aren't. The sad reality back then, soap 101 dictates every show has a romantic heroine - for All My Children it was Tara, Another World it was Alice, Ryan's Hope it was Mary, but despite its origins and its integrated cast, for One Life to Live the distinction would go to Viki. It's a crime we had to wait twenty years after One Life's debut for Generations and most recently and lovingly Beyond the Gates to tell stories about people not fully represented on the canvas. Beyond the Gates has emphasized what I knew, but was on low volume, that despite our skin color being different, or our cultural backgrounds, or our religion, our stories draw us together and I hope more new shows with cultural perspectives are born in this country to populate the daytime schedule once again - because girls and boys I am tired of people interviewing each other and talking all over themselves - except Tamron, I like her.
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Lust4Life76 ·
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