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OPINION
Mala's Masala
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Mala Bhattacharjee, news editor
— Weekly
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Friday, June 20
Tonight is the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards bash in Los Angeles, and I'm
not even going to attempt to make predictions. Trust me, I'm bad at it. You
should've seen how far my jaw dropped back in 2005, when I was sitting in
the press room at the New York fete (come baaaack here, Emmys, come
baaaaack!). Pretty much everyone who was announced had me going, "Wait,
WHAT?" Mala, meet Left Field.
As an alternative, I offer up completely manufactured awards courtesy of
yours truly. They required no predicting whatsoever and are all in good fun.
Most Entertaining Show: DAYS.
Show With the Best Guest Stars: OLTL. Between Snoop Dogg and Nathan "Captain
Tightpants" Fillion coming back as Joey, I'm sold.
Best Breakup: Y&R's Nick and Victoria cutting ties with Big Daddy Victor.
Dopiest Breakup: (a tie) ATWT's Carly and Jack and GL's Bill and Lizzie.
Best Love Scene: GH's Jerry and Alexis (Because there wasn't one and I'm a
giant prude!).
Most Trauma-inducing Love Scene: B&B's Rick and Taylor (There was bare
thigh! Ack!).
Biggest Jerkface: OLTL's Todd.
The Miranda Montgomery Cutest Baby Award: (a tie) GL's Sarah and B&B's Jack.
Most Wasted Potential: GH: NIGHT SHIFT's Cody and Lainey.
Most Froth-inducing Storyline: (a tie) The Ameera arc on ATWT and Nick
throwing dying Katie a prom on B&B.
Character Who Could Throw Me a Prom Without Me Frothing: AMC's Adam. (Y'all
thought I would say GH's Jerry or DAYS' Philip, didn't you?)
The Ric Lansing "What Panic Room?" Insta-Redemption Award: DAYS' EJ.
The Flowers in the Attic Award: GH's Johnny and Claudia.
The Chester-the-Molester Skeevy Pairing Award: DAYS' Daniel and Chelsea.
Best Impersonation of a Cartoon Heroine: ATWT's Justine Cotsonas (Sofie),
for her rendering of Snow White (albeit before Sofie went crazy).
Best Impersonation of a Cartoon Villain: Y&R's Judith Chapman (Gloria), for
her divine channeling of Cruella DeVille.
Most Missed Veteran: Drake Hogestyn's eyebrow. (I love RoboJohn, but that
eyebrow is classic.)
The Dorian Gray Portrait-in-the-Attic Award: Billy Warlock. (The man never
ages...and someone get him back on a soap!)
Best Death Scene: GH's Emily. (*gurgle-thump*!)
Worst Death Scene: GH's Georgie. (Splayed out the park steps? That was
repulsive.)
Biggest Unsolved Mystery: (a tie) 'How does DAYS' Philip manage his
prosthetic during love scenes?' and 'What the heck are IN Sonny and Jason's
shipments on GH?'
Friday, June 13, 2008
So, I started watching GUIDING LIGHT again this week. Yes, it appears we've
kissed and made up. Mind you, I'm still seeing DAYS OF OUR LIVES at random
hours and in between seeing ATWT. (I'm so promiscuous!) At any rate, now
that GL and I are on again, I'm heartbroken by the fact that Bill and Lizzie
are still off again. :( Just watching Daniel Cosgrove and Marcy Rylan
together for a few minutes is enough to showcase that GL's biggest mishap
(next to backburnering Kim Zimmer's Reva) is how they have broken up so many
functioning and wonderful couples just to create pairs that evoke a big ol'
"meh." Cosgrove and Rylan have the kind of tempestuous chemistry and
engaging humor that every soap needs in a banner couple, and the only thing
that was harder to believe than Bill impetuously proposing to Ava during the
Lewis shindig was the fact that wee Lizzie could still be standing after
all the liquor she downed. That's not to say Ava and her portrayer
Michelle Ray Smith are chopped liver. Ava and Remy are great
together, so why trump up all this unnecessary Ava/Bill stuff?
Another head-scratcher is Kane Manera's G. being used as romantic
all-purpose flour this week. I opined about what else is wrong with the
character here, but my new
beef is this: Is there a girl they haven't tested him out with? In a
three episode span, we got G/Daisy, G/Lizzie, G/Dinah, and G/Ashlee. G/Golly
Whiz! Dial it back, folks! Manera is good-looking and all, but the show
needs to pick a gal and stick with it. My vote would be for Dinah since
she's age appropriate and they could easily be a smokin' Big Bad duo — at
least until somebody wakes up and realizes Dinah and Mallet need to be
reunited. (And I'm not just biased because their pairing name is 'Malah.')
As for my own romantic conundrum, I'm going to be watching GL for the
foreseeable future, just because I'm now rooting for Bill and Lizzie and I
do want to see where G. will end up. But if DAYS' Philip gets together with
Morgan, I might just have to cheat!
June 5, 2008
It's not surprising that GENERAL HOSPITAL submitted last February's Metro Court hostage crisis episodes to the Emmys. That's the last time I found the show truly engaging. Every day of that story was must-see TV...and no, not because of the fancy explosions (or because I heart Sebastian Roché). It was
because of cast integration, because of character building and bonding and
use of history, because GH stepped up to the plate and let its phenomenal
actors all hit it out of the park.
These days, the show feels like it's barely in the minor leagues. I'm
bored. It's on in the background while I work. You know why I can't get worked up about GH once again playing lesbianism for cheap thrills with the hot chicks at Jake's kissing in front of Spinelli...? I wasn't looking! Back when Faith was running around planting kisses on Courtney, I actually had my eyes on the screen. Remember Faith...? The blonde Claudia Zacchara? Kind of like how Johnny is the brunette Logan Hayes and Mad Anthony is a
less tattooed, whiter Manny Ruiz?
When you're constantly being censured for using the mob as your show's
linchpin, for glorifying violence, for shooting little kids in the head, how
does the thought, "Hey, let's bring in another mob family?" make any kind of sense? It's not a knock to the actors — Sarah Brown, Brandon
Barash, and Bruce Weitz are fabulous — but it's silly that while ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN are bringing back vets by the truckload, GH is killing them off, forgetting them, and replacing them with newbies like the
Zaccharas, Spinelli and Kate. And, yes, I know Sarah Brown isn't a noob, but
her character is. I'd rather see familiar characters than sit through
Claudia playing nurse to my colleague Janet's favorite "angelic" Nikolas.
Case in point, where's Scotty? Kin Shriner is one of the most hilarious,
talented actors on daytime. He's nowhere to be seen after his much-touted 2007 return, while his onscreen son, Logan, is reduced to pushing Mad
Anthony's wheelchair. It's just like the criminal misuse of Emma Samms, Tristan Rogers, and Finola Hughes when they came back in 2006. A token.
"Hey, look, here's our vets...psych!!"
How about rolling Lucas out of whatever closet he's locked in or recasting Serena Baldwin and Tommy Hardy instead of making a sitcom character like Spinelli the star teen? Bring back Steven Lars, Ned and Dillon, and step up the roles of existing characters like Lainey and Dr. Lee because they've earned their storyline stripes just as surely as Max and Diane have. How about Lucky being a hero instead of Jason? Jax's hate for the Mob being taken seriously instead of dismissed?
But oh, wait, that might take away from Claudia and Johnny playing
Flowers in the Attic. From the millionth time Sonny and Carly sleep together for no reason, from the million and first time Sonny "quits" the Mob and Carly pretends Jason being a hitman is perfectly safe. From
Mob Threat #2,312,042. Zzzzzzzzzz. (It's not JUST for 'Zaccharra.')
There's only so long I can keep holding on just for Coleman and Jerry/Alexis scenes, folks.
Friday, May 30, 2008
This past Tuesday, I was lucky enough to jaunt down to AS THE WORLD TURNS' studio to interview Cyndi Lauper and watch her film scenes (and songs!) that will air in July. Cyndi. Lauper. I can't even tell you the surreal awesomeness of that. In fact, I still haven't even processed that I actually MET a music icon. (But I sort of attribute that to the fact that David Cook is the only musician on my radar right now. I have more Cookie songs on the iPod than Cyndi ones. LOL.) Not only did I, along with other reporters, get to meet her, but we sat in the Snyder kitchen while doing it ... and that was completely hilarious, too, because I was like, "Oh, look, that's the counter where Lily hid Dusty's gun, and the cabinet where Holden stuffed the syringe, and...." Why, yes, I'm a complete dork — and my chair was right in front of the shelf where Lily stuffed her Dusty mementoes. Cyndi Lauper and the Snyder kitchen ... It's a definite combination for squee.
Oh, yeah, two guys named Van Hansis (Luke) and Jake Silbermann (Noah) were there, too. ;-). Besides Cyndi singing, my favorite part of the afternoon was watching them go from clowning around and being themselves to "turning into" Luke and Noah. You can actually see it the minute the cameras roll, like they're mutants channeling their superpowers, because they seem to automatically get younger and their eyes get all googly. I'm talking full-on emo puppy dog eyes. They did it for every take! So, I laughed into my hands during every take! Plus, I hope an especially charming little moment with Cyndi and Jake doesn't hit the cutting room floor. It gave a few of us standing off-set quite a chuckle.
Check future issues of Weekly for more scoop on the scenes (we don't want to give too much away too early!). In the mean time, I'm off "Into the Nightlife."
Friday, May 23, 2008
While between DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Lucas coming home and catching EJ and Sami in the sack and Jesse and Angie's wedding on ALL MY CHILDREN, it has been a pretty entertaining soap week, I think it's safe to say that the biggest drama was on prime time: that's right, AMERICAN IDOL! Much like the other 90+ million voters in the country, my eyes were fixed to FOX and the double whammy of the AI finale and results shows. Move over Y&R's David Chow and OLTL's David Vickers, it was all about David Cook and David Archuleta. I rocked out to ZZ Top and George Michael and was part of the collective breath held when Ryan Seacrest opened that shiny gold envelope. So, if you think I love GENERAL HOSPITAL's Sebastian Roché, mutiply that by a hundred and you'll get the level of my admiration for David Cook right now.
I don't know how this season of IDOL got me so suckered in. I haven't really paid attention to the show since Chris Daughtry got robbed in season five. But this year, you'd think it was the GH Metro Court crisis and Rose's death on ATWT rolled into one! In fact, I'm pretty sure that the reason my colleague Joe Diliberto started talking about IDOL in his NIGHT SHIFT blog is because I wouldn't shut up about it. I knew I was in trouble when I started calling the clear Top 2 "Cookie" and "Archie." I turned into the walking AI watercooler. I even voted.
It should be no surprise that when it time came to sign up for the post-finale conference call with the Davids for a story in our prime time section, I steamrolled everybody else in our editorial department and called dibs. Okay, so there were really only two other people who would have done it, but don't think I can't take 'em down! So, anyway, I actually dialed in a full 10 minutes early just to be guaranteed a spot in the question line. You know that, by now, both Davids have been asked everything under the sun. I can't even imagine what their press junket has been like. Cook, a self-proclaimed "word nerd," was funny and articulate and confessed that he actually did get some sleep last night. (Is anybody else relieved about that?) I was lucky enough to get called on for a question and while my inner Mala was all "SQUEE!" the outer Mala was thoroughly professional and asked some fairly intelligent stuff about Cookmania on the Internet and the popularity of his cover songs. I didn't get to ask "Little David" Archuleta anything. But he is such a sweetie pie that it's no wonder tweens and grandmothers alike are swooning over him. He sounded exhausted and like he's still suffering from the icky throat thing that almost took him down Tuesday night. It kind of made me wish I could sit the kid down and feed him soup.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, though, neither of these guys is going to be sitting down anytime soon.
Check out our June 17 issue for the inside scoop!
May 16, 2008
I knew it was just a matter of time, but I'm in a lather about soap diversity again. And, no, it's not about AS THE WORLD TURNS. Guess who gets to board the failboat this week? THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL! It's uncharacteristic enough that B&B's Los Angeles is the whitest white that ever whited (and the straightest straight that ever straighted despite focusing on fashion design) but then, this week, the show introduced a new character of color. Cause for celebration, right? Oh, no, my friends...oh.no.
Marcus the Mystery Guy had the misfortune of arriving at Chez Forrester the day of Storm's memorial service, and upon spying the strapping young black man, Eric and Donna did what anybody would do and... assumed he was on the catering staff. ::head-desk:: Yeah. I have no words. Okay, I have words but none of them are fit for print. I suppose we should be lucky that they didn't think he was going to try and rob the mansion in broad daylight or press some money into his hands after assuming he was homeless.
I get that the Forresters are flush, but being rich and privileged doesn't mean you have to be written as so clueless and arrogant that a black man arriving on your doorstep means he's a waiter. Even more cringeworthy than the initial introduction was the fact that, then, all throughout Storm's service, viewers had to watch Marcus circulate with a serving tray. Ridge and Eric complained snootily about Storm not really deserving the send-off and they barely gave him a second glance. 145 years since the Emancipation Proclamation still isn't long enough for that image to be remotely okay.
I didn't think using such blatantly offensive stereotypes on daytime television was still acceptable in 2008, but it's becoming more and more clear that I'm terribly naïve about that sort of thing. As an educated woman of color with friends from all kinds of diverse backgrounds, I assume that most people have basic common sense about racial issues. Watching ATWT, watching B&B this week, it's clear that's not the case. What were they thinking? "Ha-ha, LOL, wouldn't it be funny...?" Well, it's not. This is Donna's son, and if they had cast a white actor, I seriously doubt that they would have used the catering staff conceit.
More and more, I feel like this is a reflection of why daytime as a whole is suffering, of why the genre may not last another decade. There are just not enough writers and showrunners using their heads and writing for their whole audience. We need more minority writers, more minority actors, and more people behind the scenes in general who get that writing for characters of color doesn't have to be as complicated as brain surgery — or as cheap as a minstrel show. Come on, people... Just think. Is that too much to ask? If y'all need help, I'd be happy to come in and do a little seminar on Diversity 101.
Yes, you could tell me that other shows are still getting it right, that no one in Pine Valley would dare mistake Jesse Hubbard for a bus boy, but ALL MY CHILDREN had to bring Jesse back from the DEAD just to give black characters a story. We're talking about a show that vanished Jackson's black son to the ether.
Bet it's only a matter of time before Donna's does the same disappearing act.
May 9, 2008
Back in the day, I was a pro at staying home from school "sick" or cutting 6th or 7th period due to a sudden plague just to get home in time to watch my soaps. The last months of Stone's life on GENERAL HOSPITAL were probably the sole cause of my giant case of senioritis in 1995! But like many weary soap fans these days, I feel like there's a dearth of good, school-skipping moments. Let's face it, the writers' strike sucked a lot of life and momentum out of our shows. Not to mention the fact that a lot of fan faves have been killed off and the death toll for beloved couples is pretty high, too. Fear not, though! I have given this at least ten minutes of thought, and here are 10 moments in 2008 that I would cut school for. (Yes, I know I'm employed at a soap magazine and have a TV in my office. Work with me here.)
(They're not in order of importance, I promise.)
1. Jesse's return from the dead and his reunion with Angie on ALL MY CHILDREN. When they saw each other again at the train station it gave me chills.
2. Grayson McCouch's last week as Dusty on AS THE WORLD TURNS, (RIP, Dusty. RIP.) and Martha Byrne's last day as Lily. Those just aren't days you miss.
3. The day GENERAL HOSPITAL's Carly dredged up all her history with Sonny, blaming herself and him for Michael's shooting. Kudos to the writers and Laura Wright.
4. Snoop Dogg performing on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Need I even explain that one? Snoop is off the hook!
5. Jonathan and Sarah returning to GUIDING LIGHT and that whole awesome, tangled story with Bill and Lizzie.
6. YOUNG AND RESTLESS' Cane and Lily making love on Valentine's Day. It was adorable.
7. The hilarious sequence with Donna as a jungle cat on the prowl for a snoozing Eric on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. Meow!
8. Any episode of DAYS OF OUR LIVES where Philip had something to do. (What was that, five episodes this year?)
9. Sarah Brown's first full episode back at GH. (Cutting English or math for shots of her shoes would just be lame.)
10. Brad and Katie's wedding on ATWT. Henry is always a good reason to play hooky.
11. As a bonus, I would have scored a detention or taken up an after-school activity just to miss the gut-wrenchingly awful death of Gus on GL.
So tell me...what soap moment this year would YOU cut school for? Leave it in a comment here or go visit our forums and post about it!
May 2, 2008
So, I have crazy, depressing moral issues about THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's Storm shooting himself and Katie getting his heart. But rather than frothing at the mouth about that (it's kind of like getting me on the subject of ATWT's Ameera), I'd like to touch upon LESS froth-inducing issues.
To set the scene, here's an excerpt from an e-mail exchange with my colleague Joe Dilberto from a few weeks back:
Me: OMG. B&B's Thorne just leaned his head against Felicia's. They'resoinlove.
Joe: Who are the steamier siblings: Thorne/Felicia or GH's Johnny/Claudia?
Me: I think Johnny and Claudia simply by virtue of the fact that more airtime is spent on them touching inappropriately.
I'm serious, folks, what is up with the Zaccharas? Maybe it's just me, coming from a not-so touchy-feely family, but are they all up on each other or what? Personal bubble, people! Personal bubble! This week, when they reunited on the docks after Claudia was playing Little House in the Big Woods with Jason, it was practically like John and Marlena reuniting on the docks on DAYS. So much passion! So much emotion! But yet so much ICK. I was seriously waiting for them to make out. Mark Teschner, casting director at GH, is probably torn between patting himself on the back and kicking himself, because Brandon Barash (Johnny) and Sarah Brown (Claudia) are so electric together.
Or you could just accuse of me reading too much V.C. Andrews as a kid. You wouldn't be wrong!
Now for e-mail exchange #2, from a few days ago:
Me: What kind of girl turns down ATWT's Aaron Snyder? What is wrong with Sofie?
Joe: She has her sights set on her fath... I mean, Paul!
Me: You know, she sleeps with "Daddy" this week. Holy Elektra complex, Batman!
Joe: So then Paul has to gouge out his own eyes?
Me: Wasn't that Oedipus? And better his than mine!
Joe: Tell me that the next time your contacts make you miserable! Wait, Paul sleeps with Meg and Sofie in the same week?
Me: No, he doesn't have sex with Meg! He just stalks her to the Lakeview and goes all, "Elaaaaine, Elaaaaaine!" on her door like in THE GRADUATE.
Joe: Oh good. Because then Paul certainly would have gotten pregnant!
Me: And then before you know it, he's fainting and falling down a flight of stairs.
Joe: Then cue the whole "Who's the Mommy?" drama we've seen so many times...
I'm just sayin'. Why should PASSIONS have all the male pregnancy fun, right? It's not as if Paul doesn't already have the crazy mood swings and the swollen feet er, ego. Pregnancy is always, always used as a consequence of a woman having multiple partners on a soap but we never, ever see a man have any kind of repercussion for sleeping his way through half the town. (God forbid somebody actually get gonorrhea or herpes, right?) Moreover, guys being promiscuous, hard-drinking, train wrecks just seems to make them more attractive to soap women...and I just don't get that. Case in point, not only did Sofie dump Aaron for Paul, but she went back to Paul after he practically shoved her, half-naked, off his couch, to go chase down Meg. She walked back into Fairwinds after hearing him flat out tell Meg that she was a mistake who meant nothing to him...and hit the couch with him again.
OY. WTH, Sofie?
On second thought, Paul doesn't need to have a baby, not when he reduces women around him to virtual two-year-olds. Next thing you know, Fairwinds will be a Daddy Day Care.
April 25, 2008
Did anyone ever watch the short-lived Fox show ROAR? It starred a young Heath Ledger (RIP, Heath, RIP), and if you liked HERCULES or XENA or currently watch the BBC's new ROBIN HOOD, it was in a similar vein. Lots of leather, swords, and people from New Zealand pretending to be British. There was a really cool villain cursed with immortality since he pierced Jesus with his spear back during the Crucifixion, but I didn't really pay much attention to him. (I was 19 years old and HI, HEATH.) Fast forward 11 years and that really cool villain is now one of my favorite actors on GENERAL HOSPITAL. Yes, I'm talking about Sebastian Roché, whose pitch-perfect portrayal of Mr. Craig/Jerry has made me forsake any young, floppy-haired hunks with a penchant for leather who may be wandering Port Charles.
I'm one of those long-term GH watchers who will happily talk till I'm blue in the face about how my favorite period of the show was back when Sonny Corinthos was basically Coleman with less interesting shirts and the heroes were all cops, WSB agents, and doctors. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good antihero or bad guy. It's a staple of soaps. For every Bo Buchanan, you need a Carlo Hesser. For every Lauren Fenmore, you need a Sheila Carter. And, for me, Roché's Jerry perfectly fills that übervillain slot. He's charming, just like ONE LIFE's Carlo, and he has the potential to be incredibly scary and nutty like Y&R's Sheila. The witty, urbane sociopath who shot Robin and let Alan suffer his heart attack without help during the Metro Court hostage crisis was badass.
But the problem is that he's still around, right? It's been over a year since that storyline and how do you take a guy that tormented half the town and let him keep breathing? That's where Roché's acting ability comes into play. Sometimes, an actor transcends the horrible act his character has committed. It's not an uncommon phenomenon. Anthony Geary pulled it off after Luke raped Laura. Rick Hearst's Ric is still around despite shoving Carly in the Panic Room and drugging his own wife. I'm not speaking for anyone else, just me, but Roché completely sells two things: 1)Jerry's devotion to Jax and 2)Jerry's hypnotic charm. Normally, I would scream for any female soap character worth her salt to give Jerry a wide berth, especially one as no-nonsense as Alexis, but how can you deny a duo that's so darned appealing together? They're hysterical. The one-liners fly back and forth, and there's a definite self-awareness that Jerry is a nutjob but Alexis is drawn to him anyway. One of my colleagues who shall remain nameless couldn't stand Alexis and is now a "J-Lex" fan. He/she admits that their recent smooch on the Haunted Star was the "one of the hottest soap kisses I've ever seen."
Right now, Jerry and Alexis are in a wonderful flirtatious period, where Jerry still gets to threaten people and be smarmy, but he can take a break to woo his fair lady under a roulette table if he wants — and I like it. But that doesn't mean I'd like to see Jerry whitewashed. If he and Alexis start holding hands and skipping through fields and gushing about how much they love each other, I will probably jab my eyes out with a fork. What I would like to see instead is Alexis going a little darker to match him. She's a Cassadine! They could easily be the new Secret Cabal in PC, fighting from the D.A.'s office and using the veil of being white knight Jax's brother as they thwart the Sonnys and Johnny Zaccharas of the world. They could use their combined powers of evil to actually serve the greater good.
Again, I'm not saying that Jerry should be lauded for it. If Monica and Robin want to walk up to Jerry every day for the rest of their lives and punch him in the face, they have every right. Just like Carly should be allowed to hit Ric every day because of the Panic Room. (Sort of like HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and the infamous "slap bet.") Nobody has to forgive or forget the awful things Jerry did...but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy him anyway. Hey, it's not like he jabbed Jesus in the side, right?
April 18, 2008
I've been watching DAYS OF OUR LIVES every morning for the last two weeks, and I'm happy to report that the results are already visible: I'm happier, more cheerful, and generally ready to tackle the day. It's like a cross between crack and brain bleach! The former because the hilarity of Nicole antagonizing just about everybody (and giving off major sparks with Philip) just sets me rolling ... and the latter because after the past two weeks of "my" show, AS THE WORLD TURNS, I sorely need something to dissipate the steam building between my ears.
See, I tend to get a little overinvolved in my soaps. Fortunately, this is seen as a plus in my current profession. Unfortunately, this means that my habits of yelling at the TV, squeeing over hunks and babies, and totally 'shipping my favorite couples has accompanied me to the office. When I'm "on the job," interviewing and writing, I'm as evenhanded as I can possibly be. But when you plunk me in front of the TV (which is easy to do considering there's one on my desk), I get tunnel vision. I get sucked in. I get passionate. And what am I most passionate about? The issue of diversity on soaps. Which means, yes, it's ATWT's Ameera who has me about to burst a blood vessel.
I know a lot of viewers are furious about Ameera coming between Noah and Luke, but it's a hallmark of every root-worthy couple on daytime that somebody is going to try and break them up somehow. Power to Nuke. It's their turn. Unfortunately, it's at Ameera's expense. She's a plot device who makes fellow noob Sofie look like a character who has been in Oakdale for decades. Ameera has no dreams, no motivation. She isn't just played as foreign, she's played as naive, and that's ridiculous. I'm sorry, but any Muslim girl whose mother was liberal enough to befriend an American soldier isn't going to act like some twit who just fell off the falafel truck and doesn't understand when Noah says, "I like boys." The sheer fact that Noah had to marry her to solve her immigration issues for her is so mind-boggling that I still haven't stopped seeing red over it. Allah forbid anyone follow Holden's sensible advice of hiring a lawyer. No, the Snyders must save the little foreign woman by wedding her to a strong, American man...whom she will, of course, fall in love with even if he's gay! If that's not staggeringly insensitive enough, then we have today, where Ameera kissed said American man. Come on, we all know she's going to get shot down by Noah like he's wielding an anti-aircraft missile. Is making her SO moony really necessary? Speaking of which, Casey got it with both barrels, too, considering that Ameera dashed his hopes rather cruelly. Why she would turn down a heterosexual cutie pie who was actually interested, I have no idea.
I understand that ATWT is trying. I do get that. But it's not enough when Islam is a religion that's still a mystery to many Christian Americans and the war in Iraq is such a hot-button issue. Portraying this girl as a cross between moron and man-stealer does cultural understanding no favors. Similarly, actress Tala Ashe is done no favors. She is lovely and has a definite spark. She could do so much. ATWT could have made Ameera a good example of the immigrant experience; someone who could be a strong, positive role model for young girls growing up watching soaps and desperately wanting someone to connect with. Instead, the dialogue she has to spout rings hollow, and the spinelessness of Ameera must be Hell on her back. I hope Ashe has a good deal with a chiropractor.
At least I have DAYS to numb the pain.
April 9, 2008
Hi, I'm Mala, Weekly's news, AS THE WORLD TURNS, and BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL editor (and unofficial GENERAL HOSPITAL aficionado). It’s my turn to join the bevy of bloggers here at Weekly/Digest HQ and I must kick it off with a confession: I have just started up a fling with DAYS OF OUR LIVES.
See, I'm something of a timeslot trollop. My finger is always on the "last channel recall" button (it's a channel surfer's best friend) and if I can manage it, I try to watch at least two soaps at a time. At the one o'clock hour, I basically watch YOUNG AND RESTLESS, ALL MY CHILDREN, and B&B simultaneously (Gasp! I'm such a hussy!). At 2, I mostly stay with WORLD TURNS but sometimes sneak over to ONE LIFE. However, here in New York, at 10 there's just GUIDING LIGHT to contend with...unless you want to catch the previous day's DAYS on SOAPnet.
Well, that's just what I've begun doing.
I had to let DAYS go when it moved to 2 PM here, because a second hour of three-soap flipping was too much for even my multi-soap stamina. I sat it down, I said "it's not you, it's me," and bid Salem a bittersweet farewell. Now, I've done the same to Springfield. At least for a while. I can't help it. 10 AM is just too early to be depressed, and in the wake of Jonathan absconding with Lizzie's baby again and Gus dying, I was really starting to turn into a grump. Not so with my return to DAYS! It's like I never left!
Our first day back together, I don't think I stopped laughing once. Between Nicole accidentally dousing Philip with juice during a food fight with Chloe and Hope pretending to be Kayla and sniping at Steve like a fishwife, I couldn't get the grin off my face.
I'm not saying that I've stopped loving GL. I still care. We can still be friends. I'll visit several times a week. I'm really good with keeping in touch with my exes. (Hey, I still watch SANTA BARBARA clips on YouTube.) But it's spring and the light, snappy, pace of DAYS is definitely a spring fling that I'm enjoying. Thanks for taking me back, Salem...even though I can't promise to be faithful.
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It's not just you, Mala. I also have been disappointed in ATWT's misuse of Ameera as a generic complication for Nuke. She is a unique character who presents an opportunity to show daytime audiences something truly different. ATWT should use her background as a jumping-off point to tell uncommon stories and showcase Tala's appeal.
Since school hasn't been a concern for...um, a couple of years, and I also work here, how about a few things I would change the channel from some other soap to watch? Let's start with: 1. AMC's Jesse/Angie 2. ATWT's Henry/Vienna 3. Marcy, Marcy, Marcy -- as in Rylan's Lizzie. Don't worry, soap fans, this is far from an exhaustive list.
My favorite soap moment this year was when Luke and Noah finally shared another kiss at Old Town.
Mala I can't agree more with your comments on Jerry, Sebastian Roche and Jerry and Alexis and whoever your unnamed colleague is that thought the kiss in the Haunted Star was one of the hottest they've ever seen I completely agree! What can we do to get a joint interview with Nancy Lee Grahn and Sebastian Roche in your magazine! I'd totally buy that and I'll bet they'd be hilarious together. I've heard good things are coming up for "J-Lex" and I am all too happy about it. They are a sexy, mysterious treat and one of the best things GH has going for them right now!
Mich, J-Lex has definitely turned into one of my only reasons for tuning into GH these days. They are really fun to watch and Grahn and Roche just look like they're having a blast.
I completely agree with you on Grahn & Roche.They are actually the only reason I'm still hanging onto GH right now. They have electric chemistry and I think the possibilities are endless for Jerry & Alexis. I too, would love to see her "Cassadine" side come out to play here. I'd also love a joint interview with them in the magazine. I would definitely buy that one!
I share your love for Sebastian Roche and am a full-fledged, card carrying member of the Jerry and Alexis fan club (or cult). They make such tremendous music together. They both radiate passion and angst... perfect soap couple! I'd love to see a joint interview with both. Can you inagine the fun with THAT interview!
I have been waiting for the Jerry/Alexis story for well over a year now. The first day he grabbed her arm at Wyndemere to keep her from leaving the room I knew that they had IT. It's about time that GH started using them. I'd love a joint interview.
Mala, girl you are a GENIUS! I love it! Jason Morgan returns to Jason Quartermaine! OMG!!!! It's brilliant....so, can u move to LA and get a writers job on GH to make it happen? lol
DAYS so they break lucas out of jail to pair him with chloe and they break sami and ej up to get our hopes up of reuniting sami and lucas just to disappoint
Mala, J-Lex is one of the best things about GH these days. Nadine and Nikolas are getting hotter, but the mob stories are getting old fast. The mob needs to be run out of Port Charles and the hospital needs to be front and center. Night Shift is well-written and entertaining. I can't help but wish that the Night Shift writer would take over for the day shift.
Why hasn't anyone blogged today? I am missing the current blogs by the editors of Digest. Pleasea write something! I want to hear someone's opinion today!
If it helps at all, I'll have a new entry up tomorrow! :)
Loved reading your JUST ASKING! blog entry and learning more about you. I always wondered how actors had such witty answers to these questions and now I know it takes time.
I agree with your post on 12-11-08, except, I'd rather have Chloe/Clark than Clark/Lois. My GH Christmas List: 1. Richard Dean Anderson returns as Jeff Webber, giving Liz some family other than Audrey. 2. The Baldwin family is brought back to the canvas. Bring back Gail & Lee! Lord knows Monica and Scotty could use someone in their corner. 3. AJ Quartermaine returns with his fiancée Keesha Ward, and with no knowledge of what's been going on since he left with the Quartermaine fortune in 2003. The AJ that came back was an imposter! Just imagine the drama that would unfold. Plus, Jason could apologize to AJ's face instead of his grave! 4. Sam joins the police force and marries Lucky. The police force stops being an embarrassment. 5. Everyone stops dumping on Kate and starts dumping on Carly. My GL Christmas List: 1. Instead of rehashing Marina/Shayne or going with Dinah/Shayne (ew!). Pair up Shayne Lewis & Ashlee Wolfe! I imagine plenty of snark and heat. 2. Lizzie & Bill raise Sarah.
You're SO right about B&B's Bridget! I fell for Bridget and C.J's relationship back when Jennifer Finnigan was Bridget. Bringing back C.J. for Bridget has been a wish of mine for years. And I liked the one scene that Bridget and Owen shared. Why did the show have to tease us with that and not further that relationship?
Why hasn't anyone blogged today? I am missing the current blogs by the editors of Digest. Pleasea write something! I want to hear someone's opinion today! thanks
Oh Mala, sorry to disagree with you, but I didn't see what you saw AT ALL! First, Reese was plastered to Zach. Didn't you notice her constant need to keep touching Zach as he listened to Kendall's heart? What? She couldn't give him som privacy? But that's nothing new with Reese who prefers Zach's company to Bianca's. And I'm sorry, Zach's dialogue did NOT indicate he was petrified about Kendall's condition. What he said was he's afraid the heart he arranged to be placed into her is no longer the heart he fell in love with. In other words this isn't the same Kendall for Zach. Zach wasn't concerned about Kendall's condition, he was concerned about HIMSELF. This was so much at odds with the frantic Zach we saw on Monday who would do anything to save Kendall. As for Bianca, once again, she was wandering around randomly and not being around her fiancee who feels the need to be attached to Zach's hip. Nice to see Bianca is so broken up over Josh'
Mala, I couldn't agree more with what you had to say about Johnny and Maxie in your 2/4/09 entry. I never saw that kiss coming, but it was definitely a fantastic surprise. I've always enjoyed watching Brandon and Kirsten together, and these latest scenes were just proof of how great Johnny and Maxie could be together. I just cannot stomach the thought of Maxie and Spinelli in a romantic relationship. She loses her wonderful sass and snark around him and becomes annoyingly dependent. They sacrfice her for the sake of "Spixie" and making Spinelli look like her white knight. Maxie needs a guy who doesn't put her up on a pedestal, but rather one who will stand right next to her and be her equal. She's a tough cookie and for the longest time I have thought that she and Johnny would be incredibly well-matched. Now, if only I wasn't so set on Matt and Maxie...
Mala - I couldn't agree more with your March 18 blog about Johnny and Maxie. I have loved the potential between these two characters since...well, he blazed his way into Port Charles. I was giddy when they gave each other the eye at the apartment but since the garage scenes during the crisis, I have to admit, Johnny and Maxie have helped me fall in love with General Hospital again and I wasn't sure that was even possible. That dialogue you quoted made me melt into a puddle and I can't help but root for these two complicated, reckless but vulnerable souls to find love in each other! I'm so glad you are seeing the same thing!
Hey Mala! I could not agree more with your 3/18 blog on Johnny and Maxie. They have so much spark and chemistry I can't help myself for falling for them. They both light up with each other and they are exactly what I want for a soap couple. They challenge each other and give as good as they get. I just pray they give them a fighting chance and get them out of their "existing ties" so when they are together it is about them and only them. I have been loving the lines that they are getting from the scene you quoted which gave me goosebumps to Johnny telling her he thinks she spends way too much time with Spinelli (I agree), then him questioning just what is an essential person...did I sense a little jealousy from Johnny? I am actually excited to watch again and it is because of them.
Thank you so much for writing this Mala! I too am very excited about the possibilities with JoMax and really hope they are given a chance. I believe their chemistry is off the charts but what makes them even more exciting is the moments of depth we get flashes of. With the few gems such as-the because your you(thanks for highlighting that exchange) and the time she was crying over Georgie's acceptance letter all that time ago- I really believe GH has something special here if the writers take advantage of it. Thanks again!
i completely agree. these two are unbelieveable, their chemistry, there everything! i am praying that these two get together, the writers better not screw it up, these two are amazing!
I am disappointed you are advocating a self-destructive pairing such as JoMax based on nothing but sleaze, lying, & cheating. Spixie is a beautiful story that could bring young love & romance back to GH at a time when fans are leaving the show in droves. Last week's JoMax limo kiss garnered a whopping 1.9 rating, & according to one Spixie fansite literally hundreds of Spixie fans called the comment line vowing to turn off their TVs on Wed. 3/18 which they did. Wed. 3/18 ratings were 1.8, the lowest rated day on any ABC soap last week...costing GH to trail behind AMC & OLTL in week's total viewers. When the soaps are gone, magazines covering them will be gone too. I am cancelling my 15-year subscription to SOD for their supportive JoMax letters & editorials, & I can stop buying SOW as well. Spixie's magic is their deep, honest, mutually respectful, unconditional love. Once you've tasted a flute of the finest crystal of the Dom Perignon that is Spixie, anything less is a Dixie cup of rot gut.
Spinelli & Maxie's love story is the only story I want to see. Spinelli and Maxie are perfect for one another. There is so much passion, chemistry there that TPTB would be silly to not actually go there after a full year of investment for it. Bradford & Kirsten work beautifully together. The story between low self esteem bestfriends becoming lovers is extremly believable. They are my root for couple...always!
I love Spinelli and Maxie together. I've loved their story for the past year and I want to see them grow as a couple. I think Maxie freaked out after she said ILY and she's acting out now. They have a sparkle and caring that I want to see more of. They are in love with each other and now there are all these obstacles in their way - JoLuWin. I want them to have a serious adult conversation about how where they're going. Together. Long live Spixie!
Personally I have no interest in seeing Maxie paired with Johnny and getting mixed up with his "dark" yet amazingly bland self. I will always want Maxie with Spinelli. Theirs is a beautiful story of two lost souls who find acceptance, happiness and love with each other. It is a true romance. Bradford Anderson and Kirsten Storms are a match made in heaven, and I would love to see what they can do with a full-fledged romantic relationship for Spixie.
Seeing Johnny and Maxie together makes me physically ill. It has made me dislike both characters. Sure they are being self-destructive, but I don't like that it's going to hurt two good people (Lu Lu and Spinelli) in the process. I wouldn't mind the Spixie angst so much if we had gotten some actual romance beforehand. It's been torture having all these Spixie kisses lead nowhere! Then Maxie says she loves Spinelli, but the next day jumps Johnny??? WTF??? I had really hoped that these four characters could have been close friends. I had always enjoyed their scenes together. Now I just feel uncomfortable watching them.
Bold and Beautiful storyline with Rick and Steffy is makibg me sick to my stomach. Enough with the kissing already. Rick is just using Steffy, and he is being an arogant, selfish brat. Maybe he should go back to Paris and let Steffy and Marcus find theit way back to each other. Someone needs to knock him down a peg or two, or tell Steffy that he threatened her father,if she knew the whole truth she would give him up. Rhonda in Ohiovbfdg3
You are spot on. GL is great and I hope they find a home after they leave CBS. I love Otalia, Bizzie, and the Spaulding family dynamic is about to really take off again. I want to see GL continue these great stories.
"Guiding Light" **has** to find a new home -- it's too good to be taken off the air! I came to GL a couple months ago for Otalia but have been sucked into the other stories, too, especially Bill & Lizzie, who are just as adorable as you described (though I haven't seen today's episode yet; yesterday they were wonderful!) and I'm a big fan of Remy and Christina. Add my love of Doris, Phillip/Beth, Josh, Dinah and Shayne and this show really has me hooked; is there any "light" on the horizon about it finding a new home? Two million viewers is nothing to sneeze at!
I agree that GL is the hottest it has been in a LONG time! Sexy new couples like Otalia, Bizzie and Dinah and Shayne, along with old favorites like Reva and Josh, Beth and Phillip, Vanessa and Billy! And I can't wait to see what happens at Frank and Natalia's wedding next week!!!
This was a HUGE day for Otalia fans and we loved every minute of today's show. CC and JL rocked those scenes today and I can't wait for tomorrow. It's great to see Otalia getting so much positive press. I hope that GL will find a new home so we can continue to watch Otalia and GL.
Guiding Light is on fire and Crystal Chappell is the best there is. I hope and pray GL can stay on the air somewhere, because I would go through serious withdrawals if I couldn't see her on my screen again.
So far this week, Guiding Light has delivered in some many ways. The angsty Otalia build up continues, but today we finally had some outpouring of truthful emotion. GL's other stories are keeping the audience entertained, but we're on the edge of our seats to see what happens between Olivia and Natalia.
OMG!!! Crystal was unbelievable today. The whole show is SO good these days. It is the highlight of my day. When did that happen? If Crystal doesn't get an Emmy for the current storyline, I will be devastated. Thank you for your comments.
Mala, If Crystal does not get performer of the week or something then something is seriously wrong. She was on fire today! Guiding Light is seriously must see soap. This is so old school soap opera and I'm glad their are still editors like yourself who appreciates good old fashioned storytelling. Thanks for always caring and writing and blogging about Guiding Light
Guiding Light..OMG..off the charts awesome!! Crystal Chappell..the best..the very best there is!! Find this show a home P&G..you have a gold mine on your hands and whoever picks up GL will not be sorry for an instant.
When do we start the Emmy campaign for Crystal Chappell? And how can I help? Because she has consistently given the best performance in soaps today - what amazing range she has! - and it's about time she gets recognized for that. C'mon, Soap Opera Digest, I've only just started buying your mag for Otalia but I'll do whatever you want if you can make this happen...:)
I am still scraping my heart off the floor after Otalia today. What an amazing story - CBS must be full of complete morons to decide to cancel this show. It is the only show on television that can render me a complete emotional mess by 10am. Simply amazing, I can't wait for tomorrow. Thanks for all your great GL/Otalia posts!
Crystal Chappell was absolutely amazing today!!! Guiding Light and the Otalia story line are rocking the house everyday...THIS is must see TV people! Crystal and Jessica are wonderful together!!!
Thanks, everyone! I'm really, truly engaged by GL and Otalia right now and you're all absolutely right: Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia have been phenomenal. Can't wait to see tomorrow's scenes!
man, if crystal chappell doesn't kill me with all the crying and angst and emmy-worthy acting, the thought of september 18th getting closer and closer surely will. for the love of all that is good and right with the world, this show needs a new- and better- home. it's quite obvious the show is hitting on all cylinders right now (otalia especially), so what's the problem? could it be the lack of promotion by CBS, the weird airing schedule by local markets, the antiquated ratings system? uh, yeah, i think so. regardless, whatever network is smart enough to pick this show up will be getting a steal. a gold mine. a cash cow. all they have to do is tell us what they want us to do to keep GL & otalia on the air and we'll do it. but P&G products? done. order SOAPNet? done. watch on-line, live, on demand, order through iTunes? done, done, done and done.
Cristal is too good to be true. Otalia is soap at its best. Guiding Light must keep shining
Thanks for highlighting what outstanding work Crystal Chappell has been doing. She's always delivered no matter what the story line or how strong or weak the writing. But, right now, with Ellen Wheeler and Jill Lorie Hurst at the helm creatively and with a scene partner like Jessica Leccia, Crystal is doing the finest work of her career. I won't allow it into my consciousness that September marks the end of the road for Guiding Light and the Otalia story line. The show on all levels is too good and there has to be some wise network executives at other outlets out there who are seeing this phenomenon and are smart enough to pick up the show.
OMG! Crystal just shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. That was seriously the best last five minutes of a soap that I've seen since Tony put his head to BJ's chest on GH in 94. Crystal is truly in a class by her self. Nice blog btw. I so agree about how GL has you on a high and GH leaves you wondering why do you even bother watching it.
Thanks for the great comments on Guiding Light and Otalia! Wasn't Crystal awesome!! No one can touch her in the game today!!! I just got my heart beating again and its been 30 minutes since I saw that scene!! CBS has made the mistake of the lifetime letting this show, this story line and these terrific actresses go!! Everyone on GL rocks!! Someone find the cast and crew a new home, soon!
Today was the day we've been waiting to happen for over a year. And even knowing it was coming, no words could ever do justice to the last five minutes of today's show. I think every Otalia fan needs a reboot! Kudos to JLH, EW, CC, and JL. And thank you for continuing to support the Light!
Commenting in Haiku: Chappell perfection The eyes bring it home, no doubt Master method class
Just back up the brinks truck and hand CC all the emmys that will be handed out during this years show. I have never been such a shaky, blubbering mess over a show. GL just has to find a new home. I want to see Otalia live on forever.
The last 5 minutes of Guiding Light today was W.O.W!! Crystal Chappell knocked it out of the park and she delivered an Emmy performance!! I have never been so invested in a television storyline ever. Otalia is the best romantic love story on TV period. Thanks for covering them, Mala.
Todays Guiding Light was amazing. Crystal Chappell is brilliant. Those last five minutes brought physical tears from me. Guiding Light has to find a new home- its to great of a show not to!!
GL is now the only show I refuse to miss. I'm a big Otalia fan but I'm enjoying the other storylines too. I hope GL finds another home soon as they are delivering some great entertainment.
"Oh, my heart" exactly! It literally hurt after that episode. That ending!
Otalia is the best storyline on daytime; the writing is supreme, the acting is unbelievably good, and the chemistry between CC and JL is heart-stopping. Keep it up GL and I truly hope you find a place to land. Thank you for the support of my favorite duo on daytime of all time. buggy
I had that exact same theatrical moment at the end of GL 4/14!! Otalia continues to be one of the best love storylines written today. Crystal Chappell was absolutely wonderful today and I look forward to Jessica Leccia's continued brilliance with Natalia. I hope our show finds a new place to rest its head at night. Keep the Light Shining!
CC was truly amazing yesterday. I just do not tire of singing her praises! Give the woman an Emmy, for crying out loud! Oh, and save GL, since it's... i don't know... the best show on TV right now!
Mala, thank you for the article about the shameful way that today's current soaps have put most of their minority characters into their own "soap bubble world" within the fictionalized world on most soaps. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but over a decade ago, there was twice as many minority characters on screen, then there is now. It's just shameful, but I don't think or feel that a campaign will change anything, because it's up to the writers of these shows to create storylines that will somehow intertwine all of these characters into the fabric of the show. I'm not against Bonnie being involved with Dusty at all, but will Derek somehow leave town in order for Bonnie to be single and available for her new upcoming romance with Dusty "The Savior of All Oakdale Female Folk" Donovan?! Also, I just love how a certain group feels like they're being "blamed" for the lack of storylines for fictional characters of color. Those folks need
With the majority of the soap auidence being African American women. Why is Y&R still so lily white? Shouldn't this show represent the it's viewership? i mean we have an African Amercian president. African Americans sell covers of mainstream magazines. Vogue had two covers back to back with Michelle Obama and then Beyonce. What's the deal with Y&R and soaps in general. Daytime is racist and they know it and they refuse to change even though the facts and numbers point to AA's as the main audience. I'm trying to wrap my head around this. So love to hear your thoughts. Y&R has been on a decline ever since Victoria Rowell left the show. The Winters have been ghettoized over the last 1 and a half. The show has bumped Bryton to Recurring. We have a barely seen Roxy and Olivia comes in for a brief moment to give advice. Then they fire The Actress and keep the model who can't act. Now that doesn't bold well for future storylines. We have started an ongoing series on my soap we
We are also doing on an ongoing series on diversity in daytime. @ the site here: http://timeaftertimeonlinedrama.webs.com
GH: Sonny, front burner. Dr. Lee, Nurse Epiphany, Robin's therapist; all recurring and seldom seen There is also the beautiful Dr. Elaine Winters who does not get any story, was put on recurring status...Detective Cruz who just disappeared, the clerk of Asian heritage at Metro Court who they cut. The African American orderly who disappeared... IMO, Soaps have lost the African American audience which contributes to their decline...we don't trust them and aren't coming back for the "most part" they have permanently lost this audience... They will not put African Americans in lead story for the most part...just wallpaper to give the look of diversity to support the other actors. They are basically bit day players on GH.
Again, I agree with your new blog about what GH's doing with the history of Luke (and his epic former storyline with the love of his life, Laura). It's very clear to me that TPTB really don't give a crap at all, about the history of characters and storylines that made viewers interested in their shows in the first place. The viewing audience isn't at fault for why this genre is slowly dying out. It's the people in charge of it, that are guilty.
The Luke/Ethan mess has revolted this 25 year viewer more than I am capable of verbalizing. This is just another, more shocking example of GH's thumbing it's nose at the longtime audience they obviously no longer court. Once you finish destroying the stories that have kept fans connected to a show, it ceases to exist for them. What the hell happened to the character of Luke? When did we see him lose his soul,because it's most certainly gone. Was it when he drunkenly rutted with Holly while his wife Laura was waiting at home with their son Lucky? The son who most assuredly inherited her heart. Whoever's brainchild this story was should be ashamed.
I love Guiding Light and most especially Otalia. Crystal and Jessica are bringing their very best to this storyline and their best is genius. Jill Hurst and Ellen Wheeler are brilliant for all they do. Guiding Light must be saved.
After this last week-end, then coming and reading this I realize, I could'nt really care less about your opinion anymore. It is just like oh, ok, whatever!
While the whole Ethan is Luke's son storyline is stupid it would of been even dumber to try and tell us that Lulu was still born in 1994.
I agree Drew is commanding and really can't wait to see more of him. Olivia and Johnny are different; not sure yet about them. But I think if anyone deserves some loving it's Matt. He's been on the show almost a year! I think it's time to give Matt a real romance!
Drew Garret is great as Michael!! already love him, did you see the way he had those tears flowing with Robin!!! NuKristina um yea, shes going to take some time to get used to. Maybe it was nerves, but she needs to put more effort, so that I can really feel her emotions. Right now she just seems like a brat with no heart.
Does it make me a bad person to say that I would love a Michael/Kristina hook-up. First of all, the Carly and Alexis drama is all there. Secondly, it would bother Sonny to no end. I mean, all along I was rooting for cousins, Morgan and Molly, to drive the drama - but hey! I'll take the chemistry where I can find it.
mala, you are a better person than I! i just cant get into any of the s/ls on atwt-the adam/riley is way too rushed for me granted i dont know who adam was, but nor do i want to its funny i can tune into y&r or days on soapnet and not know anything about the show, but i am intrigued and actually watch cant say the same about atwt unless its a paul day
THANK YOU MALA! I totally agree with you. It's like they are afraid of offending viewers. They are offending me by not showing the kiss! If people don't like what they show, they can tune out, it shouldn't be up to the writers to censor the content of the storyline based on what they think viewers won't like. Heterosexual couples are half naked all of the time. Show some gay action! Thanks again Mala for writing what I was thinking!
Mala, I think I will be forever confused why you would root for Carjack (after they've been destroyed by stunts like Carly pretending to die and luring Jack to Montana) and not root for Spixie. Spinelli & Msxie is the ULTIMATE drawn out love story that has kept me tuned into GH. I would say root for Liason also, but I wouldn't want you to go through that pain that GH has put us through.
MALA,you Roooccck!! I love reading your blog, it's the first thing I check when I check out the website.
I agree with you about the chaste lesbian and gay characters on daytime. Those against gay and lesbian characters won't even acknowledge that true love can exist in same sex relationships. They will tune out. Why try to pander to them by not showing kissing and love making? There are a lot of other straight fans like you and me who simply respond to good writing and storylines for both straight and same sex couples. Are Olivia and Natalia ever going to kiss?
Mala, you certainly hit the nail on the head about GH's Sonny and his women. I agree with everything you said, except the part about getting back together with Kate--that re-write didn't work for me. Why does every woman that comes to town HAVE to be with Sonny? They become sniveling idiots. They protest his advances and then become his biggest cheerleader. If I have to hear one more woman say what a good man and father Sonny is I'm going to scream. It's time to change the story and the dialoge.
Mala, you are my favorite blogger on this site. As much as I adore Maurice Benard as an actor, you are RIGHT ON about Sonny. He needs to be written differently so Maurice doesn't have to keep playing the same ol' song over and over. When Sonny went through the bipolar storyline, I thought it was a chance for change for the character. The whole Emily story was icky but as Mala said, it was different. Claudia-Sonny could have worked if they hadn't made her completely psycho from the start. They could have bonded over their similar horrific childhoods, etc. Sarah Brown makes me watch Claudia and it's a shame she and Mo won't get to make that marriage a romance, which it could have been. GH is a mess, still. LOVE the new Michael but he's headed down a bad path due to the writers. ARGH! Love in the afternoon? Hell no. Not anymore. Which is why the audience continues to disappear....
Thanks for the recent comments, everyone! I'm glad you're enjoying my posts. Margaret - I'm suggesting Kate as an option because I figure it saves future women from being trapped in the cycle. LOL. Might as well go back to one that he's already been through it with!
I love Jolivia. I do not want to see another woman that is feisty, strong and independent sacrificed at the alter of Sonny Corinthos. Johnny and Olivia are fun to watch and the best new couple on GH in a long time.
On GH, I don't even want Sonny with Kate. Kate always treated Carly like trash and let's face it she did take Michael without Carly's permission to the warehouse. In the end though, I am sick of the whole drama surrounding Sonny and his women. I am tired of watching new woman X come to town and assume Sonny's marriage broke up because Carly failed yada yada yada. For an intelligent person Kate was dumb not to realize who shot Carly in the head so now she is forgotten, Karma. Sonny has no empathy for carly and the kids it is all about him, I don't care anymore.
I agree with some of your post. Sonny's love life has become a bit repetitive but I don't think there's anything wrong with Sonny and Olivia. I like them. I think they have chemistry. And of course Johnny's being nice he's sleeping with her. I bet Sonny will be nice too when they start having sex. Johnny and Olivia have no future. There's way more story potential with Solivia.
I agree with you 100% about Sonny. Claudia is such a looney character,I feel the writers are making Sonny so totally abusive and ugly (Sonny understood Michael when he shot kate, today he screamed at Michael who may not have even run Claudia off the road). One reason ratings are tanking is that Claudia and Sonny do not work as a couple and no one wants to watch them. To have Olivia and Sonny together the writers are already rewriting Skate which is als turning away viewers. Skate's ratings were anywhere from 40 to 60% better than current ratings. I say that Kate is the only character that can make Sonny watchable again and they should keep Johnny with Olivia.
I understand about Sonny and his women but I think Olivia is different. Solivia have chemistry and Liv can hold her own with Sonny. Jolivia is just sex and that is all it should be. What future would they have none? They should do Solivia but keep Olivia strong. I want Johnny with Maxie I love those two together. I wouldn't mind seeing Claudia with Dante either.
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Yes Johnny and Olivia are so swoon worthy, I love how she has given him a free pass for Michael's shooting, I love how she's reliving her life with Sonny through Johnny, and Sonny is the great big bad mobster but Johnny is just misunderstood. To bad she wasn't around for Johnny's part in Michael's shooting And as for Sonny feigning sympathy. You mean sympathy for the wife that poked holes in condoms to get pregnant in the first place that put Sonny in the position to lose another child, the woman that has Jerry out now trying to kill Michael, you mean that woman and wife Mala, what show do you watch or are you so skewed in your opinion over the perfeciton of Johnny & Olivia that the story itself loses you. Try at least some honesty
Was it ever actually established that Ashley delivered the baby and Adam burned it in the fireplace? I just remember that he burned the bloody bathrobe and towels. I don't think even Adam is capable of burning a fetus ... that would be too sick, even for him. I just assumed that Ashley has been carrying around a dead fetus all this time ... which is still dark, but not quite as twisted. Wouldn't it be nice if Dr. Taylor was lying to Adam about her miscarriage ... and that she is actually still pregnant? He could have done so to keep Adam from trying to hurt the baby again ... guess I'm an optimist!
That's a good point, Elise, I guess we don't *really* know what specifically Adam burned in the fireplace, but I pretty much assumed that he'd gotten rid of whatever it was that she bled out. If she'd still been carrying a fetus inside of her, I think she probably would have had more medical issues, given the blood loss, etc. And before Dr. Taylor fiddled with the sonogram, there was absolutely no motion and no indication of a mass on the screen. It'd be a great twist if he was lying altogether just to stick it to Adam and she really is still pregnant, but the horrorshow of the fall down the stairs and Adam's clean-up...man, I will never get that out of my head!
Yes, either way, it is TOTALLY a horror show, as you so perfectly described it. I am personally hoping that Adam can be redeemed. I, like you, saw a spark with him and Ashley. If he burned the baby, I just don't know how he can be brought back from that! Anyway, here's hoping that there's an end in sight to this particular storyline!
I totally agree with you, why is Adam gaslighting Ashley? She has been nothing but good to him, and this is the way he's treating her? Adam's story, and Mary Jane's story, have to be the strangest stories I have ever seen on Y&R.
Mala, don't story lines have to be edited? How did the pairing of Marty and Todd in a therapy session go unnoticed, didn't anyone consider this to be bizarre? That, to me was for sure a "what were they thinking" moment. Do the actors not get to voice their opinion about the characters they have played for years and say this is a stupid story line, or are they happy to have a job and don't care about insulting the intelligence of dedicated viewers?
Mala, I have to FF this Todd (if he really is Todd). Tea and Blair should join forces to kick his butt. He either acts like he's 14 or he's a snoozefest. Why would either of these great women want him?
Thank you for the Adam link. I was not watching the show then, and I cannot think why they would want to save this character?! The cast is bloated with him, Allie, Casey, Hunter, Meg etc. They need to do a housecleaning and write for the interesting characters they have like Pem, Ro, Craig, Babs, Henry, etc.
Thank you, Thank you, thank you Mala! Seriously Thank God for your comments about this Sick redemption story for that disgusting Rapist Pig Adam! In my 20+ years of watching soaps, no story has offended me as much as this one has! I was screaming as loud as you were at the horrible absolution of Adam for physically and sexually abusing women! How dare ATWT do this! How dare they insult the fans intelligence about what we all saw happen on the screen just two friggin years! This complete re-write and whitewashing of what Adam did is so appalling and wrong! What exactly is the message ATWT wants to send to women who are attacked? It's your own fault what he did to you because you somehow caused your own attack. So you should go apologize to him b/c you asked for it? ATWT is officially more misogynistic than GH is now! The writers are insulting are intelligence if they think we didn't see with our own eyes what Adam did. Adam was a psycho before Maddie hit him over the head! He framed Will & attacked Gwe
Please include Luke Spencer in the "men who have hurt women" history. The powers that be turned Luke's rape of Laura into a great love story which still goes on to this day.
Please include Luke Spencer in the "men who have hurt women" history. The powers that be turned Luke's rape of Laura into a great love story which still goes on to this day.
Regarding the Adam situation: I was more pissed off when they brought Adam back the first time, and turned him into a creep. I hate that they screwed with his character simply to create drama for the teen set, Maddie/Casey & Will/Gwen, who I wasn't interested watching in the first place.
Mala, the Bank Of Mom & Dad seemed like it was going to be worth watching, NOT! Until you pointed it out I did not pay attention that all the previews I have seen were with daughters. I did think that the show was going to be for college daughters, one daughter was 33. This show won't last and I don't like Holidate. I wish they would bring back Soap Talk, One Day With Wally and I Want To Be A Soap Star.
And now, a Christian/TRUTH point of view on all of this. a) Homosexuality is an abomination, NOT a love story. Guiding Light was cancelled when its lesbian "love story" was its most popular, and most low-rated storyline ever. b) People CAN be redeemed through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Although no entertainment media today would ever bring forth the glory of God as a healer, it can be done. If written correctly, Adam on ATWT finding God and redemption could be an AWESOME story. c) General Hospital should split off into two shows. The first would be the mother show, called GENERAL HOSPITAL...the one we knew and loved until 1996. The second show, could be called Night Shift 14, or General Mafia, or The Sopranos 2, or The Jason and Sonny Killing Show, or anything else that glorifies murder and crime. It makes me physically ill that this show has chosen to feature two blood-thirsty murderers as the show's main heroes since 1996. Oh, I forgot, they're hot and misunde
I just knew that the PR idiots from ABC Daytime would go down the same route of touting "The Real" crap for Jonathan Jackson's return. It's a blatant slap in the talented face of Greg Vaughn, who kept the character of Lucky Spencer alive on GH for 7 years. Yes, you can be glad that JJ agreed to return to GH, but there's something called TACT that can and should be used, when promoting his return. It's just tactless and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but it's business and that's certainly what Frons and ABC Daytime are all about at this point.
Thank you Mala for raking ABC over the coals for this lowball tactic. I know JJ was very popular, but so is GV. Changing the role of Lucky is NOT going to fix the problem of ratings. If ABC were so concerned about ratings, why not bring back Laura since Luke has a new son and maybe throw Scotty in there as well? Also, the Q's would be a welcome change from the Sonny and Jason hour. I don't see the appeal of the mob although I do LIKE Sonny, he doesn't deserve the whole show. The viewers would come back in droves if ABC would show more of what the fans really want to see.
There are no words how GH has alienated many viewers I post with. Its like GH is purposely driving viewers away. They didn't take notes re: their real Greenlee? Wasn't that a monumental flop? So now what? its the original Lucky? The horrid scribing of Elizabeth dragging out vets I haven't seen in the longest time (even taking pics for Laura) to herald a man who slept w/another woman in their bed, she's not being deserving...on the very same parapet saying the very same thing to a different man from one year ago. 'THE SAME STORYLINE.' I've never liked how Elizabeth Webber is written with any of the Lucky's. She reverts to a Spen-Stepford wife...no matter which actor plays him. The misogynistic writing morphs into various forms, when will she be written w/a positive focus & get some of that sunshine w/rainbows Jason's romance is getting w/their "special scribing to make" them look so good. The Q/A w/L.Wright bragged they do romances well..I'm not seeing
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