Do People still Watch Soaps?

In real life, no one I know does, but god knows some queens on the DL do. It's the only place I ever see people talking about soaps.

It depends on the quality and what one personally finds enjoyable. The remaining American soaps suck; back in the day, when they were at their peak, some of the soaps rivaled the best television out there.

[quote] back in the day, when they were at their peak, some of the soaps rivaled the best television out there.

Maybe; but that was because the best television out there was still pretty crap.

I watched clips of Ryan Phillipe's coming out storyline from One Life to Live on Youtube. It definitely was far more progressive than anything on TV during that time and the acting was surprisingly good.

Ryan Phillipe was a stunner back then and still looks amazing today.

If As the World Turns was still on, I would still be watching it.

I used to watch 'Dark Shadows' sometimes when I was a kid, but didn't follow it the way some people follow soaps. Later on, I used to watch 'One Life to Live' on tape when I'd be over at my boyfriend's house: he thought I looked like John Loprieno, and he identified a bit with Andrea Evans' Tina. Reading some of the threads on DL about various soaps, and watching a few clips that have been posted, I sort of felt like I missed out on something pretty special.

I gave up on the soaps once when Douglas Marland died. I picked them up again to watch gay Billy on OLTL, and quit when they sent him off to Yale. I started watching AW when I took part in a Procter & Gamble workshop for potential new soap writers.

That went nowhere, and I didn't watch again until Lily and Damian's son Luke came out on ATWT. What a horrible program that was. I watched mostly the gay parts until the end, and gave up on soap opera once more.

I started to watch DOOL when Will came out, and watched every scene with Will, Sonny, EJ, Paul, Derrick, and Brant Daugherty until Will's funeral. I will watch it again the day Will returns.

Yeah, every night on CNN.

Disgusting tv in my opinion. Basically. Everyone is having sex with everyone. Acting is horrible on the ones I have observed. My mom used to watch them when I was a kid. Never did understand the appeal.

I keep imagining really rural places with poor single mother's who live in trailers watch soaps all afternoon.

I find the current US daytime soaps to be schlock, but I've enjoyed watching classic 1960s/70s/80s era online.

Then again, I suspect that I admire the manipulative and hypnotic form of serials than the soaps themselves. Also, I realize that I tend to listen to them rather than watch them.

YES! How DARE you.

I used to watch East Enders. It became a habit but then I fell out of it. I forget why.

Now, I watch an Irish language soap online called Ros na Rún which reminds me of the gritty, working class look of East Enders. It has English subtitles so I can follow along.

It also has a gay character named Pádraig and another character named Adam who is in the closet.

I still watch The Secret Storm. It just doesn't watch me back.

What's funny about people who look down their noses at soap watchers is they don't have the slightest idea why people watch them.

This is an interview with the openly gay actor who plays the now out character of Adam in the Irish-language soap at R15.

Why do people watch RuPaul's Drag Race or Real Housewives? [italic] They are literally thousands of hours of entertainment at your fingertips. Why subject yourselves to such monotony?[/italic]

Yes, they are, OP.

I love General Hospital. Have watched for years and will continue watching till the end. Have a good friend who watches too. We are both in our 30's and live in NYC if that matters. It's not just bored housewives in flyoverstan.

I agree with R17. People don't understand the appeal and the reason we watch. There are, of course, so bad actors, but there are also some damn good ones too.

Do any of you who can't understand why people watch or watched soaps watch "reality" shows? I you do, let your intelligence take a few steps up and watch a soap. At least their viewers don't pretend they're not scripted and that there is nothing real about them. There have many articles of how "reality" shows have dumbed down Americans. I mean actually lowered their IQ. The only thing that does that more is watching Fox.

It's no coincidence that Americans becoming so much stupider started around the same time as Reagan and reality shows. No one was ever dumbed down by a soap which have been around since maybe the 1930s beginning on the radio.

It depended on the soap. Some were absolutely horrible with untalented hair models. When you feature hammy scenery chewers like Ronn Moss, Drake Hogestyn and Susan Lucci, you deserve all the ridicule that comes your way. But when it was done right (like when Douglas Marland was writing As The World Turns), it was terrific television.

Same here R20. I enjoy soaps because you can be a passive viewer and still enjoy the story because it moves slowly and repeats plot points. It is literally made to be watched while doing chores (cooking, cleaning etc). When a favorite actor or storyline pops up, take a 2 minute break and watch that scene. I also appreciate the long term storylines and actors that have been in for years. It's like keeping up with old friends.

All that x-rated steamy sex.

Y&R is unwatchable. I've switched to Bold & Beautiful. Short, quick storylines and I'm crazy about Thomas.

Who plays Thomas, R25?

Many prime time shows like Empire, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Nashville and even to a degree, This is Us, have soapy elements to them.

Daytime dramas are over. I don't know if they will ever come back. But it's a shame because at the peak they were amazing.

Like r25 said, Y&R is completely unwatchable. Once a show that seemed untouchable, it has died a slow death over the past decade.

[quote]and I'm crazy about Thomas.

[quote]Who plays Thomas, [R25]?

>>>>

Bold & Beautiful is also on its way to extinction, r27.

I agree Thomas is hot but I'm sure he'll land on his feet somewhere else.

Bump

Charles Dickens created the soap opera when he released his epic novels in installments.

Old people love shit too

Whenever my daughter was hospitalized and I was forced to BECOME her, they certainly had better!!