1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stump Mom Never told You? 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: From House top Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to podcast. 4 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 1: This is Molly and Kristen Kristin. I have news for you. 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: I'm not actually Molly and her evil twin Holly, Oh 6 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: god no, And I've been sent here to steal the 7 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: baby that was secretly put inside you by robot. There's 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: a baby in my womb? Where's the you don't even 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: remember because you have amnesia. Oh shoot, that explains everything. 10 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: That explains why I don't know where I am right now. 11 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: And you're in love with your cousin. He was always handsome. 12 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: That goes with a mind. Um, that's a perfectly plausible 13 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: way to start the show. If we were doing a 14 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: soap opera, Yes, because soap operas, I think we think 15 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: of them as these over the top shows with lots 16 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: of melodramatic plot points. There's always an evil twin. I've 17 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: always evil twin, well like minus the evil twin. You're saying, 18 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: if we were doing this a soap opera, stuff Mom 19 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: never told you? Pretty much? It is a soap opera, 20 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: you know, twists and turns, gender, heteronormativity, progress, anti progress. 21 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: I think we moved too fast to be a soap 22 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: opera because if you've ever watched a soap upper, it 23 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: takes two weeks for like the waffles to come out 24 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: of the toaster. Yeah, there was one incident. The Time 25 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: article did not state which soap it was on, but 26 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: it said that it took seventeen days for one woman 27 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: to get out of a revolving door to just kept 28 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: having flashback after flashback. I hate it when that happens. 29 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: It's really awkward. There's a revolving door to get into 30 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: our office building here in in in Atlanta, as you know, man, 31 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: imagine being stuck in up for seventeen days and to 32 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: keep having flashbash. I don't know if I have that 33 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: much of too flashback too. But yeah, they move super slow. 34 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: So I think we move a little bit faster than 35 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: a soap opera. We we may have the plots and 36 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: the ups and downs, and uh, the twists and turns 37 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: of a soap opera, but we do not move that slow. 38 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: And that is one of the characteristics of soap operas, 39 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: which is our topic for the Bay. Yeah, because we're 40 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: gonna cover like seventy years of soaps. That would take 41 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty years in soap time. And the 42 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: reason we decided to talk about soaps now is recently 43 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,399 Speaker 1: some of the most long running soap operas were canceled. 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: All My Children and One Life to Live. These things 45 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: have been on the on the air for over forty years, 46 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: and now they're gonna be gone. They're gone and there 47 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: Now the network soaps are whittled down to only four 48 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: of them. The only ones to make the cut are 49 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, 50 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: and The Young and the Restless. And not surprisingly, the 51 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: have a programming that is taking over these daytime slots 52 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: where the soaps used to be reality TV, reality TV 53 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:13,279 Speaker 1: and game shows, Makeover Show. Yeah, they're cheaper to produce because, uh, soaps, 54 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: even though they may seem like they're taking forever. They 55 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: employ a ton of writers, a ton of actors. Uh. 56 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: They do new shows fifty weeks out of the year. 57 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: Those shows just twain weeks out of the year. There's 58 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 1: no rehearsal time. They just have to keep shooting and 59 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 1: shooting and shooting. But it's an hour every day. I mean, 60 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: the resources to do that are insane. So they're saying 61 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: that reality is cheaper. Game shows are cheaper, and uh, 62 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: you know, people just start watching them anymore. Yeah, who 63 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: do you think makes more? Susan Lucci or Snooky? Oh gosh, 64 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: actually would be kind of hard to tell. Maybe Smoaky 65 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: does stuff. You just got that that big speaking engagement 66 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: where she's going to make more than Tony Morrison. Oh yeah, 67 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: it's kind of pressing. Let's move, Let's let's do something 68 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: not so depressing, like the history of soap operas, which 69 00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: started in the nineteen thirties on the radio. These were 70 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: radio cereals that were produced specifically for housewives, and they 71 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: were great because it's kind of like how I like 72 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: to listen to NPR while I UM, while I cooked, 73 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: while I cooked dinner. I feel like I'm doing one 74 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: of those uh those fundraisers you know for NPR, Like 75 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: I here Glass does UM. But it's perfect because you 76 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 1: can go about your work and you can just listen along. 77 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: You don't have to sit there, you don't have to 78 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: be a captive audience in front of a TV. And 79 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: but you were captive enough that you were in the 80 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: home and listening to that. And that's why soap Oppera's 81 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: got their name is because the sponsors and sometimes the 82 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: creators of these shows where the manufacturers of household cleaning products. 83 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: So let's say you're sitting there, you know, making dinner 84 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: for your husband and your pearls before it comes home 85 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: in the nineteen thirties, Kristen, and all of a sudden, 86 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,039 Speaker 1: one of the characters on your shows works in a 87 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: reference to, you know, really great mopping liquid or something. 88 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: I love mopping liquids. I don't know if that's what 89 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: they're called, because I don't clean, Sorry, mom um, but yeah, 90 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of slid in there. As are of 91 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: the story, you don't even notice that it's an ad. 92 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: But the next time you're in the story, you're like, oh, man, 93 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: that character my favorite show, she uses this mopping product. 94 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna buy it. Yeah, So it's like product placement. 95 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: All the stuff in Jerry Seinfeld's cabinets, you know, they 96 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: were always mentioned on Yeah, So that's how they get 97 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: their name. The soap comes from the people who are 98 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: putting these shows on the air and opera. According to 99 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: the Museum of Broadcast Communications, from the very beginning was 100 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: kind of set out to be sort of an ironic, 101 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: kind of uh put down on the on the form, 102 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: because opera, in terms of people singing, that's one of 103 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: the highest art forms you can be. And they're saying 104 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: that this person's life and it's melodrama. They're comparing it 105 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,359 Speaker 1: to that highest art form and kind of making it 106 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: into a joke. So right away from the beginning, the 107 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: term soap opera, it's kind of a put down, and 108 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: I don't think that it ever regains any sort of 109 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,919 Speaker 1: cultural cashe and so I think that they're kind of, 110 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,559 Speaker 1: you know, they're always considered a punchline, a joke, something 111 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: that only women watch. And that's why we kind of 112 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,799 Speaker 1: wanted to go through history and show times at which 113 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: soap oppers were actually pretty great. Perhaps they led to 114 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: all the things on television we enjoyed day, such as 115 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: Snookie or our our primetime soap drama like shows. Yeah, 116 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: they're incredibly formative for the type of TV that all 117 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: of us guys, gals, teens, adults watch today. And it 118 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: goes back to nineteen thirty to a Chicago radio station 119 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: w g IN and a lady named Erna Phillips, and 120 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: she started this serial called Painted Dreams About Um. It 121 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: was a fifteen minutes serialized drama sitting the home of 122 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: an Irish American widow and her young, unmarried daughter. So 123 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: the window was giving her daughter all sorts of advice, 124 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: the real little conversations that were instructed between mother and 125 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: daughter and UH, and the show really had its background 126 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: and the kind of fiction little short stories that were 127 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 1: in women's magazines in the nine in nineteen thirties that 128 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 1: were so popular. So they're saying, these soap operas are 129 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 1: sort of a you know, kind of maybe a pit 130 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: stop on the way from those old melodrama books all 131 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: the way maybe to the romance novels that came later. 132 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: And then they borrowed the serialized format from shows like 133 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: Amos and Andy, which was a very popular comic radio serial. 134 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: So these things were super popular. Everyone was listening to 135 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: these most of the daytime programming in radio. Were these 136 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: kind of cereals. And then we've got old TV coming along, 137 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: and everyone at first thought this was not going to work. 138 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: These were not uh, formats that were interchangeable, because you know, 139 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: if these housewats were cooking dinner or cleaning all of 140 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: a sudden, they'd have to sit down to actually watch 141 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: the show. So people thought it was not gonna work 142 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: on TV at all. But little did they know just 143 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: how much staves would take off on TV, as we 144 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: all very well know. And Guiding Light was the first 145 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: soap opera to make the transition for UM radio TV, 146 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: and actually from nineteen fifty two to nineteen fifty six 147 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: it was broadcast on both radio and television. Yeah, there 148 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: are a few years where they overlapped, but by the 149 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: early nineteen sixties, most of the soap operas are on television. 150 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: And uh, they expanded. What was at first a fifteen 151 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: minutes show became a thirty minute show because there are 152 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: more actors. You you had more time to like set 153 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: your scene. Um. And this is where we get a 154 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: lot of the same conventions that we have today, like 155 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: the music to provide the theme. Um, the Cliffhangers on Friday, 156 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: so you'll come back on Monday. There's some soaps another 157 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: article where nothing happens Monday through Thursday, and everything I 158 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: was on Friday, the Cliffhanger, so you just watch on 159 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: Friday because to get like up to date. But yeah, 160 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: they start um coming on TV and they start gting longer. 161 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: Some of them moved to an hour just because you know, 162 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: they're making the families bigger, they're building more characters into it, 163 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: and and they're having a lot of success with the format. 164 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 1: And we also see the beginning of network rivalries. We 165 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: have CBS and Procter and Gambled team up for As 166 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: the World Turns, which was incredibly popular, and then NBC 167 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: and ABC did something quite groundbreaking they started the medical 168 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: soaps with the Doctors and general hospital. Yeah, I think 169 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 1: if you're a fan of shows like er Gray's Anatomy, 170 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: you have nine three with these medical soaps to thank 171 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: for that, because, uh, setting a show in a hospital 172 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: allows you to bring in characters and have them leave 173 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 1: if they're not popular, but if they are popular, they 174 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: can stick around and be like the doctor's friend. So 175 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: it was a really good setting. These soapritors figured out 176 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: too to bring a lot of people in it, to 177 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 1: have a lot of really emotionally charged moments, because that's 178 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: what happens in a hospital, right. And speaking of emotionally 179 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: charged moments, one place that soaps are really under under 180 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: appreciated in TV history is for the social issues, social 181 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: cultural issues that they bring to the foreground. Granted it 182 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: is sometimes done in a highly dramatized and seemingly unrealistic way, 183 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,199 Speaker 1: but how many people Not that many people have amnesia, right, um, 184 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: and you do have you know a little more, some 185 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: more far flung things such as murder as a result 186 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 1: of temporary insanity. But at the same time they we 187 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 1: have the first televised like dramatized abortion in nineteen sixty four. 188 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: I think it was Erica Kaine's character. I think Erica 189 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: Kane got one later, but we did have one even 190 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: before Robie Wade was passed. Oh yeah, this is nine 191 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 1: six four. This happens on another world. And then in 192 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: One Life to Live we have the first soap to 193 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: foreground class and ethnic differences in ninety eight by introducing 194 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: the first African American character who, as part of the 195 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: soap plot line, tries to pass as white, and then 196 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: later on probably like a million episodes down the line, 197 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: because we know how slowly soaps move, comes out as 198 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:58,679 Speaker 1: a black person. We have some of the first gay 199 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: characters on TV who are featured in soap operas. Drug use, 200 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: domestic abuse, alcoholism is rampant and and soap operas, and 201 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 1: then just random things like oh, incest impotence, dolls coming 202 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:18,319 Speaker 1: to life in the Vietnam War. You know. So it's 203 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: like we have there's this grab bag of the most 204 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: sort of absurd to the most like legitimate social issues 205 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: that aren't being talked about anywhere else, and soap operas. Yeah, 206 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: and I think that that's sort of why they do 207 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: get that bad rap is everyone just remembers the over 208 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: the top things. The murderers who are on the Lamb 209 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: for like seventy five episodes, the people who are in 210 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: that revolving door, the doll that comes to life, who 211 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: is one of my favorites. Um, but that that um 212 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:47,439 Speaker 1: social groundbreaking. Uh in terms of talking about these issues 213 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: on television, I think does get forgotten. And um, you 214 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: know because the people who are sitting at home watching 215 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: them are housewives. And we've talked before about how housewives, 216 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 1: especially one second way feminism comes along, kind of is 217 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 1: out on their spect they deserve because people were thinking, oh, 218 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: she's just a lazy housewives. She's got a feed up 219 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: watching her stories, her children are running crazy, and she's 220 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:10,599 Speaker 1: not getting her husband's dinner on the table, and so 221 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: the fact that a women are watching them be there's 222 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: women as main characters on the show, and often women 223 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: are behind the scenes producing these shows. I mean, these 224 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: shows made some women writers a lot of money. They 225 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:24,839 Speaker 1: were some of the highest paid, yeah, female writers in 226 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: the business, Agnes Nixon because um, because of the popularity 227 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: soap opera. So because it's such a female art form. 228 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 1: I think that's another reason why it gets kind of 229 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: laughed at and only remembered for you know, the demonic 230 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,319 Speaker 1: possession of that lady on the Bold and Beautiful Well, 231 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: I think that we should point out to that. One 232 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 1: of the reasons why we have things like demonic possession 233 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: going on in these soaps is because advertisers and the 234 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: producers of the shows realized, um, you know, decades ago 235 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: that their core audience, those housewives were kind of aging 236 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: out that prime demographics. So they started to sensationalize a 237 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: lot of the plot lines to draw in more, um 238 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: more viewers. Including today, It's not uncommon for college students 239 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: to get sucked into soaps. You have your housewives, yes, 240 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: but you also have even teenagers watching them and dudes. Yeah, 241 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: there was this time article in nineteen seventy six which 242 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: I guess is kind of the pinnacle of soap success. Um, 243 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: which pointed out some famous fans of soap operas, included 244 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: such luminaries as Supreme Court Justice They're good, They're good, 245 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: Marshal Uh, Sammy Davis Jr. Texas Governor, John Connelly, Andy 246 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: warholl Uh and a few others. So it's it definitely 247 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 1: when it when it reached his peak, it was something 248 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: that everyone was kind of participating in, but it was 249 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: still like this guilty pleasure. You couldn't just admit, oh, 250 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: I like this show because I like the characters. It's 251 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: more like, you know, oh, I'm going to sneak home 252 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: and catch catch on my shouldren. And during this heyday 253 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: uh as Time reports, people were getting so wrapped up 254 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: in soaps that some soap stars were actually physically in 255 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: danger when they would go out in public because they 256 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:16,599 Speaker 1: were so vilified on on TV and then for instance CBS. 257 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: This is according to Time magazine was obliged to eliminate 258 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: soap opper characters who were poor because the network kept 259 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: receiving piles of care packages. And one woman kept delaying 260 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: her wedding and they got this angry letter from this 261 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: woman who had bought like Champagne to sit there and 262 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: watch while she had the weddings. I watch Champagne four times. 263 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: This lady hasn't gotten married yet, So yeah. I mean, 264 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: these are shows where it's easy to get emotionally invested 265 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: in characters, and people did um. But but then it 266 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 1: just sort of died out. I think that in an 267 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: effort to bring in some younger viewers, a lot of 268 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: the soaps were competing with each other. You were loyal 269 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: to one, so you couldn't branch out to another, and 270 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: all the viewership kind of got divided and more women 271 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: started going to work. They were not at home during 272 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: the day, so they lost a big audience there. But 273 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: at its pinnacle, May I just may I just toss 274 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: out this nugget so I can't wait? Okay, and I 275 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: think this, this, this statement in Time magazine represents the 276 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: climax of soap opera's place in our our pop culture 277 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: and since since fallen. Okay, you ready for this? Soap 278 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: operas are the folk tales that tug the soul of 279 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: a nation of strangers, for whom television itself is a bond. Wow. 280 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: The folk tales that tug at the soul of a 281 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: nation of strangers. That's profound. I mean, this is seventies six, 282 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: So I mean, you know, you could maybe say in 283 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: a in a far crosser way that maybe reality TV 284 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 1: are now are horrifying folk tales of a nation of 285 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: strong culture obsessives. I don't know, well, I think so, 286 00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: I think that this is um, you know, soap opera 287 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: startup during at night, the nighttime soaps, your your Melrose Places, 288 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: You're Beverly Hills and n I T One. I mean, 289 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: these shows have very clear lines from soap operas to 290 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 1: to that kind of format, something that was serialized. You 291 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: have to see every episode Alison Dynasty before that, all 292 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: the way to mad Men today. I think that that 293 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: is a pretty clear line from a soap opera. In fact, 294 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: the criticism that sometimes mad Men gets is it's nothing 295 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: more than a dressed up soap opera. So, um, we've 296 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: got those shows. We've got reality now, We've got reality 297 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: people who just you know, live out their lives in 298 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: the tabloids and they're just as outrageous as anything you 299 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: would see on a soap opera. So I think that 300 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: because we learned so much about how to act over 301 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: the top and crazy in a soap opera. I think 302 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: we kind of grew out of them naturally because we 303 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: learned all we can learn from them well. And and 304 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: similar to how reality shows are are so cheap to produce, 305 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: because reality you don't have to pay Joe Schmo that 306 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: much to get on film, Yeah, soap opula stars aren't 307 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: paid that much either. They only get about thirty five grand, 308 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: which is about the same as someone who's on Broadway. 309 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: And they might have to memorize up to sixty pages 310 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:16,200 Speaker 1: of dialogue per day because they're only recorded. We have recorded. 311 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: That's not like I used the telegraph, um a week 312 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: in advance. So yeah, they are sort of um, unsung 313 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: heroes in terms of the work that went into them 314 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: a lot of more. I mean, they were expensive compared 315 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:30,959 Speaker 1: to reality shows, but from what you got from it, 316 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: You've got all these actors, all these stories. A chimpanzee 317 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: nurse who falls in love with a male character. Oh jeez, 318 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,439 Speaker 1: I wish I'd been around for that one. Um. But 319 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: what's kind of amazing is, besides all the hours of 320 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: entertainment we all got from these kind of shows, our mothers, 321 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: our grandmothers, etcetera. There's evidence now that people around the world, 322 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: women around the world and developing countries are getting something 323 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: from these kind of stories. And for that, I want 324 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: to go to an article with the the enticing headline 325 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: soap operas boost rights, Global Economists says and basically they 326 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 1: did this research and it was kind of research on 327 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: what people in the developing world we're watching and they're 328 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: watching soap operas and seeing these programs with strong female 329 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: characters because most shows have a matriarch at the center. Um, 330 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,479 Speaker 1: with all these offshoots around, and the female characters are 331 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: quite brazen. You'r Erica Kaine's Um, this is really setting 332 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: an influence on these women who may be living under um, 333 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: you know, very outdated gender norms. And so, according to 334 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: this researcher, not only are the names of soap opera 335 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: characters becoming very popular names in these countries. Quote, there's 336 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:46,640 Speaker 1: evidence to support the idea that strong female characters help 337 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: women in these developing countries begin to challenge the power 338 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: relations between men and women. Whoa whoa, okay, yeah, big 339 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: woe my my knee jerk reaction to that is one 340 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: grain of salt too. Correlation causation, I mean, that that 341 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: is an interesting corellery uh to to draw. But at 342 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: the same time, you can also read studies about the 343 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: influence of TV in developing nations. And also you'll have 344 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:20,400 Speaker 1: on the flip side more more body issues for girls, 345 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,640 Speaker 1: race of eating disorders go up, self image becomes uh 346 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:27,880 Speaker 1: a lot more important in a sort of negative kind 347 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 1: of way. Beauty standards change and start to Western eye 348 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: so grain of salt. But I did read one article 349 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,400 Speaker 1: about how um they've started this this um soap opera 350 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 1: and Afghanistan with local actors and storylines, and I think 351 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: that maybe using that model of exploring different social issues 352 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: within your own country, I think maybe in twenty years 353 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,719 Speaker 1: or so, maybe we'll see more about how soap oppers 354 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: made in these developing countries can eventually influence the people 355 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: who are watching them. Yeah, I could definitely see that 356 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: rather than something that's being important in which is kind 357 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: of interesting to think about. When if you if you 358 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 1: got actors who are only being paid thirty five dollars 359 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: and shows that are being watched by literally hundreds of 360 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:14,479 Speaker 1: millions of people around the world and potentially changing lives. 361 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: That's why every actor gets into show business. Change lives, 362 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:19,880 Speaker 1: change life. And you know, I think that's the perfect 363 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: note to in this Mom's Stuff Cereal podcast, it's our cliffhanger. 364 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 1: We always end with the cliffhanger where we ask for 365 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: your thoughts. What is your favorite soap opera? We should 366 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: throw that up on Facebook and we'll see how many 367 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: General Hospital fans we have, how many all my children 368 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 1: to votees? We have passions anybody. We want to know 369 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 1: what you guys watched? Did you watch it with your parents? 370 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: That's how I got into soap operas for my brief, 371 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,679 Speaker 1: very brief stint in them. But do you buy our 372 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 1: thesis that soaps are totally underrated? Or are you ready 373 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:58,040 Speaker 1: to watch the Smatter Clean? In the meantime, let's read 374 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:04,880 Speaker 1: a couple of the listener males. I have one here 375 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:09,959 Speaker 1: from Jordan's and uh email begins. I wanted to comment 376 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: on the recent use of people with vaginas and various 377 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: forms thereof to mean women, and I think, yeah, I 378 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: think you do this, and it's it's kind of a joke, 379 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:20,719 Speaker 1: but there's a good point here. There are people who 380 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: identify as women who don't or might not yet have vaginas, 381 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 1: or who don't have the other standard issue, lady parts, 382 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: trans women, women who have genitalia that have been damaged, 383 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: or who's genitalia didn't develop into an official vagina, etcetera. 384 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: Our male dominated society's definition of women as a sex 385 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: organ for men's use, and anything that is not a 386 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 1: sex organ and not useful to men is thereby not woman. 387 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: It's important to be inclusive, um not to mention, important 388 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 1: not to collude with the patriarchy. So therefore the vagina 389 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: people phrasing, though meant to be funny, you can have 390 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 1: the unintentional consequence of saying to some women that they 391 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: are not women. And of course Jordan and everyone else, 392 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 1: that was not our intent. It is sort of just 393 00:21:57,359 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 1: supposed to be funny. So if you if you spiritually 394 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: feel like you have a vagina, that's yeah. We can't. 395 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: I can't promise I'll stop saying vagina a lot in 396 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: the podcast, but that is an excellent point to keep 397 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: in mind. Well, I've got an email here from Kristen 398 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,919 Speaker 1: on our Beer podcast, and she writes it reminded me 399 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: of my younger, more single days when I would look 400 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 1: for guys to talk to you at the bar. I 401 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: never talked to the guys holding the light beer bottles 402 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: because one, I wanted a guy who drank craft beer 403 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: like I did, and too, I want a guy who 404 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: drank to enjoy his fear rather than get drunk, so 405 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 1: he didn't have to have all those low quality, yucky 406 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,199 Speaker 1: beers because he was worried about increasing his waistline from 407 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: all those calories and didn't need to skimp on costs 408 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: as if your high quality beers usually suggested, he probably 409 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 1: wasn't a cheap scape. I was a beer snob then 410 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: and continue to be one now, and my husband and 411 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: I regularly visit craft beer festivals, events and local breweries. 412 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,640 Speaker 1: So if you have an email to send our way, 413 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: our address is mom Stuff at how stuff works dot com. 414 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:04,439 Speaker 1: If you want to get in touch with us even faster, 415 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: you can go to Facebook and hit us up on Twitter. 416 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 1: Where at mom Stuff podcasts, and as always, we would 417 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: love for you to read our blog during the week. 418 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 1: It's stuff Mom Never Told You at how stuff works 419 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: dot com for moralness and thousands of other topics. Visit 420 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,400 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com to learn more about the podcast. 421 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: Google the podcast icon in the upper right corner of 422 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: our homepage. The how Stuff Works iPhone app has arrived. 423 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: Download it today on iTunes. Brought to you by the 424 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 1: reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. It's ready, are you