i believe
that all soap operas should be banned, on the basis that they are complete and utter mind-rotting dribbleshite.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 26 Apr 2013, 15:39, 26 replies)

All the soaps in the world were worth this one golden moment.
( Pig Bodine., Fri 26 Apr 2013, 15:58, closed)

ok, i'll give you that one
but that was then, this is now
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 26 Apr 2013, 16:05, closed)

That truly was the peak of the internet.

( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 26 Apr 2013, 16:14, closed)

There are many things that puzzle me about soap operas
Firstly, I watch TV as an escape from exactly the kinds of mundane, everyday events that they cover. Presumably, their fans don't feel that need?

Secondly, I am told that soaps fulfill a human need that evolved when we lived in small groups or tribes: in today's fragmented and isolating world, soap characters feel like tribe members. Which is another puzzle: if that was MY tribe, I think I'd feel it was time to see what was on the other side of the mountains!

But the biggest puzzle to me is this: surely, the enjoyment of any kind of drama is to see how the story unfolds. Hopefully, the writers have spent time and effort in crafting a finely-honed narrative, so that events are revealed in ways which generate surprise, suspense, intrigue and in fact most of the major emotions. That, I would say, is the whole point. So why the blistering left-handed fuck do soap fans seem so keen to know what's going to happen ahead of time?? They frantically text/fb each other with every tiny morsel of information, and even spend money on magazines which are specifically created to tell them what is coming up in future episodes -- thus destroying any value and enjoyment that the narrative might have held.

Utterly baffling.
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Fri 26 Apr 2013, 16:05, closed)

agreed

( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 26 Apr 2013, 16:22, closed)

On a broader note, why do we need fiction at all?
Isn't reality bat-shit crazy enough for us?
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Fri 26 Apr 2013, 22:27, closed)

yes, but it's real
and therefore offers little in the way of escapism
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Sat 27 Apr 2013, 12:58, closed)

Totally agree...
...and gets a *click* from me.

I would go one further though and say that there are now a whole section of our population who measure their own turgid lives by what they see on soaps and think that life should be one never-ending drama after another.

I once was at dinner with one of Eastenders producers who told me that the basic premise of the show is that life is all about suffering. What this does to the subconscious attitudes of those who soak this shit in week after week can only be guessed at, but it can't be long before it can be approached as some form of rudimentary mind control. Using fiction to demonstrate desirable responses to awkward situations is one thing, but ratings, as always, are king...

Ban them all and burn the cast.
(zebideedoodah likes florence but prefers venice, Sat 27 Apr 2013, 15:19, closed)

Here's an authenticity check.
At dinner did you have jellied eels and pie and mash?
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Sat 27 Apr 2013, 22:23, closed)

Gor blimey, guvnor...
...No. She wasn't even a Londoner. But she understood the pain felt by ordinary people like you and I - especially when it involved a lack of alcohol.
(zebideedoodah likes florence but prefers venice, Sun 28 Apr 2013, 1:44, closed)

don't know about that
but i had to stop myself from slapping someone the other day for saying that her new coat was totes amazeballs.
fuck, i feel manky just typing that.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Sun 28 Apr 2013, 15:53, closed)

You should give in to your impulses once in a while
- especially if there are no witnesses.
(zebideedoodah likes florence but prefers venice, Sun 28 Apr 2013, 23:25, closed)