Friday, September 29, 2006

Old Habits Die Hard

I’m kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve been sucked back into the vortex that is soap operas daytime drama. The main reason that I decided to go back to work when I started here was daytime television. Even if I tried different channels, I could predict what would happen—down to the dialogue—every episode. Even weeks in advance, I knew that this person would sleep with that person or these two were going to fight. It was annoying, and when you’re only 20, the baby doesn’t talk back, and you don’t have any friends for a thirty mile radius, the soaps begin to make you think you’re going crazy. Or at least they did for me.

Two weeks into working, I was missing my daytime eye candy. I was missing the drama that made my life seem like a cake walk. So I started taping them. Three hours of soaps. And I never had time to watch them. But then came the Soaps channel! I could spend all day Sunday watching the marathon of the last week’s episodes. It was heaven! Then I remembered why I hated them.

But for now I’m sucked back in to General Hospital. It’s the same one that I remember watching with my mom when I was little. I remember seeing Luke & Laura’s wedding like it was a national holiday. And I remember back then they were cool.

What is the draw to these things? Aren’t we “supposed” to desire happily ever afters? So why is it that there are NEVER happily ever afters on soaps? Why is it that the two people who everyone and their mother KNOWS should be together have this tear-jerking, romance-ridden wedding, only to cheat on each other two months later with their significant other’s best friend?

Is it the fact that the men are all gorgeous (which, Steve Burton, if we were to ever both be single & meet in a dark alley, I cannot be held responsible for what I would do to you. Yummy.) and the girls get to roll around with all of them before they are run out of town or mysteriously bumped off? Or is it because, like I said before, it really makes us appreciate our simple lives? Lives without mob bosses or secret babies (although, there are some people around here that come a very close second to the drama)?

So that’s my question for you today. Do you watch soaps daytime dramas? If so, do you know why? What is it that draws you to them?

6 comments:

Elleoz said...

I watch them when I have a day off or on vacation. It is a fight with AlphaMale but I watch when I can. I am still trying to talk them into letting me get a TV in my office. It's educational TV right?

I watch them to spend the afternoon with someone elses troubles. It takes absolutely no brain cells to sit there for 3 hours. And it reminds me of my childhood. I can remember being forced to watch them by both my mother and my babysitters.

Now to get a job where I can work from home in front of the TV :)

Anonymous said...

*he he*

I used to watch Days. Passions too. I was a big fan of Passions for awhile because I saw the VERY FIRST EPISODE and in Soap World? You probably have to be 75 years old to have ever seen a first episode. Or something. I lost interest in Passions before I lost interest in Days, but that came soon after. I got tired of a plot that never resolved and New Years Eve parties still going on at the end of March. Time is ridiculous, the stories recycle, and really? When Stefano left? Eh. Who needs Days?

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie, thanks for the visit and comment to my journal. Always nice to meet another transplant to Minnesota.

It's funny to read this post today...I actually came home from work early today, and decided to flip on the soaps...not much changes in weeks, months, even years, does it?? I used to keep up on mine (three on CBS) but really don't much care anymore. My soaps now are other people's blogs !!!

Have a great weekend.

dara said...

Thanks for stopping by earlier today!

I grew up on General Hospital -- my mom and grandmother both watched it at various points. When I was a little girl, my Barbies were occasionally Frisco and Felicia.

I haven't really watched in years -- since I was in school -- because I work too much. But every time I spend any time with my mom, she tries to catch me up on it. And I totally agree with the Steve Burton thing. He is so hot!

Anonymous said...

I used to watch DOOL when I was in high school and then off and on when I had babies and was stuck at home. I hadn't watched it in years, but now with Tivo, I'm back at it.

And I'm ashamed. I don't know why I watch it. Most of the time I just get frustrated at how stupid it is!

Southern (in)Sanity said...

When I was working nights, I used to watch Days of Our Lives. That was the only one.

I still see it every now and then, but not close to regularly enough to keep up with what's going on.

What surprises me is how many of the actors are still the same after all these years.