I was trying to explain a General Hospital plot line to Bridget, who has never watched a soap opera before, and I had to chuckle at the absurdity of the soap world!
I have to admit that I have been a fan of many soap operas over the years starting with Another World (which I can vividly picture watching with my mom as she folded laundry at 2:00 on weekday afternoons). Now I just watch General Hospital but in between there were years of All My Children and The Young and The Restless as well.
They have been around since before television was invented and our ancestors listened to them on the radio. It is crazy to think that General Hospital has been airing since before I was born.
I think the secret to their success lies in the fact that they provide the ultimate escape from real life. The characters become like family and there’s no real pressure to watch every episode; the slow pace means you can miss months and catch up really easily!
The Romances
In real life there are couples or individuals who are central to our lives, and the same is true of the soap world. I think the difference is the on-again, off-again nature of the relationships in the soaps. Think of Mac and Rachel from Another World or Victor and Nicki from The Young and The Restless or Luke and Laura from General Hospital. They move seamlessly from intensely passionate love affairs to infidelity and revenge back to passionate love affairs. There is something predictable in the evolution, but the anticipation of the next plot twist keeps loyal viewers tuning in day after day.
Of course, there are other differences as well – like how beautiful everyone is, how good they look when they wake up, their wardrobes and how wealthy they are with very limited hours of work each day; again, escapism at its best!
Every once in awhile there are a few people who struggle to make ends meet, but they really just seem to be at work when it adds to the plot, not a regular schedule; for example, the nursing staff on General Hospital seem to come and go as they please.
The Challenges
Another big difference is the number of times people get amnesia. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know anyone who has had amnesia, yet it is a common occurrence on soap operas.
Closely related are the number of people who come back from the dead. It is a safe bet that if someone goes missing on a soap opera and no body is found (again, this happens more often that you might think), they will come back some time in the future having had amnesia for the intervening months or years. It is a really common storyline! As we speak, Sonny Corinthos is presumed dead by all who love him in Port Charles yet living in a small town with amnesia. (That is actually the storyline I was trying to explain to Bridget.)
Even if someone dies right in front of you, there’s a chance they could come back from the dead. There is apparently a medication that can be administered to make it look like you are not breathing and then you can be resuscitated later…who knew either that it existed or how often it might be used? There is also a possibility that an evil twin that no one knew about could show up in town, usually after someone dies.
There is a fluidity between soaps; someone can be killed off on one show and then the actor will show up later on another. Martin Gray on General Hospital played Tad Martin on All My Children for very long time; it’s like we watched him grow up on one show, take a break for a few years, and then become a middle-aged lawyer on another!
The Secrets
It is quite amusing to watch secrets unfold; you know the truth is coming out but the journey promises hours (and hours and hours) of entertainment! If you’re a fan, you know what I mean, because it can sometimes take a frustratingly long time, but secrets always come out!
Escapism at its Best
And best of all, they can avoid little things like a global pandemic and carry on with life as usual; I wouldn’t mind transferring to that world right now!
Along with the far-fetched scandals and, at times, ludicrous storylines, soap operas do deal with real life issues like births and deaths, mental illness, and drug and alcohol abuse; through it all, I laugh and cry and follow along with the adventures.
I have never been a fan of reality tv; personally, I would rather escape to the glamourous world of soaps when given the chance!
