The last month has been definitely insane for all of us who follow soap operas. Just felt the need to post again about what I’m feeling, and then get into the issue of escapism.
What I feel now is dread; I am dreading the ends of All My Children and One Life to Live. I’m sad for the arguing it has caused online. I’m not happy that people are saying it is wrong to be upset, and I’m not happy with people who say some aren’t upset enough. Each of us handles things in different ways, so while some may be at the point of no big deal others are still raging. I try to respect everyone, but no one is perfect.
Since this is my blog, I can admit that I am not boycotting everything related to ABC, Disney or their advertisers. If I gave up all companies that advertise, I’d have to buy generic food items, and go to thrift shops for my wardrobe. A “Got Milk” ad aired in the last few weeks on OLTL, so I’d have to give that up too, yikes. I may even have to give up my computers as I have Macs, and they appear in many Disney movies. There is standing up for a principle, but changing my diet and shopping habits so much I just cannot see.
For me, it is a freeze out; I’m not giving them a chance to hurt me again, so no new programming from you, ABC. The only exception I can see making is if they hire someone I really enjoy that I feel loyal to already. This kind of boycott is one I am familiar with, as I’ve been doing it for years with Sciffy (aka Sci Fi and now SyFy). That channel promised and contracted for 5 seasons of Farscape. They cancelled while filming the last episode of season four. Other than watching the last season and the movie (which happened based on a lot of complaints), I haven’t even watched 50 hours of that station. I get my science fiction and fantasy material from books and other sources. Of course as a female, who isn’t in their target demo I guess they couldn’t care less, of course with ABC I’m in the target…so they are losing my possible purchases based on advertising.
In the last few days, Brian Frons who is the enemy of many made the comment how women don’t want escapism from television. Well as a female viewer, I’d never answer escapism. What I want from television is to be entertained. The program can be informational, it can be fictional, it can be educational, but if it is boring, I’m not interested. If I watch the news and the stories aren’t appealing I change the channel or go online for information. If I am in a situation where I can’t do either and fast forwarding is not an option, I turn off the sound. Headlines help determine what I do and don’t read. I’m not kidding, as most of the time I am very impatient. For me to slow down and watch, well it takes a lot. Eventually I’m going to write about the loyalty issue, which is something else that has been mentioned in cancellation articles around the web.
For a lot of people, it seems that soap operas are seen as disposable television. I don’t see it that way, and I doubt anyone who is reading this blog does either. Back in the olden days, per my media history books, soap operas were seen as merely background noise for people doing chores. That’s why during the early days of television, they weren’t sure if they could be moved from radio. It is one thing to listen to a show while ironing and have to stop what you’re doing to watch.
As it is a lot easier to listen to a talk show and do chores than a soap opera due to the visual aspect, I wonder is ABC following that old paradigm. The belief that people still watch the way they did once upon (soaps as random household noise.) If you are working you don’t fast forward commercials, and at least hear them, perhaps subliminally deciding to buy a product once you go to a store. It isn’t about fandom or creating interest in the programming, but the items for sale.
The battle between entertainment and commerce is one that is fought in the creation of television. Daytime television just seems to be one of the newer battlegrounds. In the past, soap operas paid for themselves, but once they were no longer self-sustaining we got into this fiasco. Regardless, we have our memories, and if we are lucky copies of favorite scenes, characters and stories close at hand.
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