A year-in-review type article about my favorite soap, As the World Turns, can be found at a blog called Brand New Day.
The article is still under construction, but worth a look.
I haven't posted here in almost a month, but the holidays are a good enough reason. I am also holding off on doing too much with this until I get my "new" computer. Once that arrives, I should be able to update more regularly.
Saturday, December 27, 2003
Friday, November 28, 2003
As The What? Turns
I am really getting into ATWT lately, despite the misgivings about follow-through noted below. However, just as the Rose and Paul wedding story is builiding to a climax, we were "treated" to two pre-Thanksgiving episodes in which "Butterball" turkeys were mentioned at least four times--an obvious and awkward attempt at in-show endorsement of the brand.
Toward the end of Tuesday's episode, Ben returned to Jessica's apartment and mentioned something about having to fight to get the last "Butterball" in the grocery store. Although Ben was in fact carrying a turkey that appeared to be a "Butterball," his comment was off-hand enough for me to think that perhaps the actor was improvising.
However, Wednesday's episode opened with Emma cooking a turkey with her granddaughter Faith, and saying "Isn't that the biggest Butterball you've ever seen?"
(Or something close to that.) Later, when the Jessica and Ben's dinner was served, Lisa asked, "Is that a Butterball?"
At the Snyder's someone exclaimed: "It's a Butterball!"
I realize that soaps air on commercial television. (Indeed, they are called soap operas because they were often sponsored or produced by detergent/soap companies). But why the heavy-handed product endorsement of turkeys one day before Thanksgiving? "Butterball" turkey commercials have been running constantly for weeks during ATWT. Plus, frozen turkeys take a long time to thaw safely and then cook to the proper internal temperature. Anyone who didn't have a turkey by the end of Wednesday's ATWT episode would have been in real trouble.
Also, for the sake of character integrity, I find it hard to believe that farm woman Emma Snyder would have anything other than a fresh turkey in her oven. Would she serve a frozen turkey that has been injected with vegetable oil and who knows what else? Doubtful.
Soap Opera Digest's December 2nd issue has a list of things to be thankful for on each soap. ATWT gets pretty high marks for integrating characters and storylines, strong romances and friendships as well as casting coups.
The one "turkey" noted is the horrible (and thankfully played out) Bonnie/Marshall/Sarah storyline. I pretty much agree with SOD's assessment, except I have mentioned the show's failure to use of veterans and lack of follow-through--something SOD criticizes One Life to Live about.
Toward the end of Tuesday's episode, Ben returned to Jessica's apartment and mentioned something about having to fight to get the last "Butterball" in the grocery store. Although Ben was in fact carrying a turkey that appeared to be a "Butterball," his comment was off-hand enough for me to think that perhaps the actor was improvising.
However, Wednesday's episode opened with Emma cooking a turkey with her granddaughter Faith, and saying "Isn't that the biggest Butterball you've ever seen?"
(Or something close to that.) Later, when the Jessica and Ben's dinner was served, Lisa asked, "Is that a Butterball?"
At the Snyder's someone exclaimed: "It's a Butterball!"
I realize that soaps air on commercial television. (Indeed, they are called soap operas because they were often sponsored or produced by detergent/soap companies). But why the heavy-handed product endorsement of turkeys one day before Thanksgiving? "Butterball" turkey commercials have been running constantly for weeks during ATWT. Plus, frozen turkeys take a long time to thaw safely and then cook to the proper internal temperature. Anyone who didn't have a turkey by the end of Wednesday's ATWT episode would have been in real trouble.
Also, for the sake of character integrity, I find it hard to believe that farm woman Emma Snyder would have anything other than a fresh turkey in her oven. Would she serve a frozen turkey that has been injected with vegetable oil and who knows what else? Doubtful.
Soap Opera Digest's December 2nd issue has a list of things to be thankful for on each soap. ATWT gets pretty high marks for integrating characters and storylines, strong romances and friendships as well as casting coups.
The one "turkey" noted is the horrible (and thankfully played out) Bonnie/Marshall/Sarah storyline. I pretty much agree with SOD's assessment, except I have mentioned the show's failure to use of veterans and lack of follow-through--something SOD criticizes One Life to Live about.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Not Much To Say
Well, it is official. Boomtown, my favorite new show from last season (next to Without A Trace) will not be returning from "hiatus." NBC has dumped the show, treating it like yesterday's leftover dog food.
I hope that the few fans the show had will have the opportunity to see the episodes that have not aired yet. Maybe there will be a DVD. There is so much dreck on TV, so it is a real shame when a great show gets cancelled, especially when the network appears to be most at fault.
I hope that the few fans the show had will have the opportunity to see the episodes that have not aired yet. Maybe there will be a DVD. There is so much dreck on TV, so it is a real shame when a great show gets cancelled, especially when the network appears to be most at fault.
Saturday, November 15, 2003
Nothing Much
Not much to say. I've started another blog. 'Nuf said on the subject.
This one is becoming a soap opera blog, although that was not the original aim. But yet here is more soap opera commentary.
I have to say that I pretty much agreed with a recent "Dueling Divas" column in Soap Opera Weekly . Hinsey and the guest columnist were discussing minorities in soaps, which really means African-Americans.
Both agreed that ATWT handled Marshall's story poorly. Having the character rape Jessica then not pay for it, meant he had to die. So he did. As I've said before, ATWT does not seem to think through things. The rape may have seemed compelling, but then what was to be done with Marshall afterward? They couldn't figure that out, so they had Bonnie kill him (accidentally), coveniently setting up the exits of Napiera Danielle and Lamman Rucker.
Isaac, Bonnie's boyfriend, sold his bar and left town a few months ago. So now the only blacks on the show are Jessica, Ben, Sarah, and Walker, who has disappeared along with so many others who were involved in the summer serial killer story. Ben's son, Curtis, is supposed to return to the show, no doubt as Sarah's love interest. Man, that sounds soooooo interesting...NOT!!!. Jessica (and Tamara Tunie) deserves better than this. Her daughter and her only viable leading man (until the rape) since Duncan are off the show. Maybe Walker will make a play for her.
This one is becoming a soap opera blog, although that was not the original aim. But yet here is more soap opera commentary.
I have to say that I pretty much agreed with a recent "Dueling Divas" column in Soap Opera Weekly . Hinsey and the guest columnist were discussing minorities in soaps, which really means African-Americans.
Both agreed that ATWT handled Marshall's story poorly. Having the character rape Jessica then not pay for it, meant he had to die. So he did. As I've said before, ATWT does not seem to think through things. The rape may have seemed compelling, but then what was to be done with Marshall afterward? They couldn't figure that out, so they had Bonnie kill him (accidentally), coveniently setting up the exits of Napiera Danielle and Lamman Rucker.
Isaac, Bonnie's boyfriend, sold his bar and left town a few months ago. So now the only blacks on the show are Jessica, Ben, Sarah, and Walker, who has disappeared along with so many others who were involved in the summer serial killer story. Ben's son, Curtis, is supposed to return to the show, no doubt as Sarah's love interest. Man, that sounds soooooo interesting...NOT!!!. Jessica (and Tamara Tunie) deserves better than this. Her daughter and her only viable leading man (until the rape) since Duncan are off the show. Maybe Walker will make a play for her.
Saturday, November 08, 2003
Dxing, Etc.
I ordered a shortwave (also called world band) radio last spring. I receive mailings all the time from Publishers Clearing House. Usually, I ignore their efforts to sell Ginsu knives and such. But their offer of a Bell & Howell world band radio for chump change intrigued me. By the time I received it, I had forgotten about ordering it. What a nice surprise I had for my birthday. However, not knowing much about radios or dxing made for some frustration in using the B&H.
Early on I did happen upon Radio Netherlands, which broadcasts in several languages all over the world. I like listening to RN because it has world news on a variety of topics. Their schedule for North America can be found here.
I happened upon DX Partyline, a show all about dxing (distance listening) this morning while unsuccessfully trying to get Radio Netherlands on its appointed frequency. I started switching bands and came upon the show. It has lots of information about the hobby of dxing. To find a schedule for the show check this link. Look on the sidebar to the right for the Program Selector. Arrow down to DX Partyline and hit enter. That will take you to the home page for the show. From there you can obtain the schedule.
I was pleased and surprised to pick up the BBC World News Service as the DX Partyline was fading out. The BBC notoriously ceased broadcasting via shortwave to North America about two years ago. For some reason they believe that North American shortwave listeners are not worth their time. I understand the move angered some people, and rightly so. The decision was short-sighted. Listening to the BBC on NPR in the wee hours or getting "streaming audio" via the internet (which is often more like hiccupping audio) are not viable alternatives to shortwave. Neither is satellite radio, which is not widely available at this time. Most of the fun of dxing is picking up distant stations at all times of day and night. And if you have a portable shortwave, as I do, being able to listen to stations from all over the world wherever you can plunk down your radio is nothing short of wonderful. Thankfully, I was able to pick up the BBC's broadcast to Central America and the Caribbean. Reception was excellent. The BBC's home page is here. The shortwave schedules can be found here.
Please note that if you are new to dxing, the broadcast times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). UTC is in a 24-hour format, so you'll have to figure out both the 24-hour clock and the time difference between where you are and UTC to get the correct times for shortwave station programming. My neck of the woods is on EST year-round thus is five hours behind UTC all the time. For instance, 12:00 UTC is 7:00 a.m. EST. A thorough explanation of Universal Time and its variations can be found at this very helpful website.
Early on I did happen upon Radio Netherlands, which broadcasts in several languages all over the world. I like listening to RN because it has world news on a variety of topics. Their schedule for North America can be found here.
I happened upon DX Partyline, a show all about dxing (distance listening) this morning while unsuccessfully trying to get Radio Netherlands on its appointed frequency. I started switching bands and came upon the show. It has lots of information about the hobby of dxing. To find a schedule for the show check this link. Look on the sidebar to the right for the Program Selector. Arrow down to DX Partyline and hit enter. That will take you to the home page for the show. From there you can obtain the schedule.
I was pleased and surprised to pick up the BBC World News Service as the DX Partyline was fading out. The BBC notoriously ceased broadcasting via shortwave to North America about two years ago. For some reason they believe that North American shortwave listeners are not worth their time. I understand the move angered some people, and rightly so. The decision was short-sighted. Listening to the BBC on NPR in the wee hours or getting "streaming audio" via the internet (which is often more like hiccupping audio) are not viable alternatives to shortwave. Neither is satellite radio, which is not widely available at this time. Most of the fun of dxing is picking up distant stations at all times of day and night. And if you have a portable shortwave, as I do, being able to listen to stations from all over the world wherever you can plunk down your radio is nothing short of wonderful. Thankfully, I was able to pick up the BBC's broadcast to Central America and the Caribbean. Reception was excellent. The BBC's home page is here. The shortwave schedules can be found here.
Please note that if you are new to dxing, the broadcast times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). UTC is in a 24-hour format, so you'll have to figure out both the 24-hour clock and the time difference between where you are and UTC to get the correct times for shortwave station programming. My neck of the woods is on EST year-round thus is five hours behind UTC all the time. For instance, 12:00 UTC is 7:00 a.m. EST. A thorough explanation of Universal Time and its variations can be found at this very helpful website.
Sunday, November 02, 2003
An Explanation Is In Order
Whoa. Just saw that Pila Posts is listed as one of the ten most recently published blogs. To anyone who happens by, please note that the update is in the article about Even Stevens, which can be found in June archives in the sidebar.
By the time that anyone reads this, the "Ten Most Recent" list will have changed. But just in case.
By the time that anyone reads this, the "Ten Most Recent" list will have changed. But just in case.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Nothing Much to Say
Well, I really don't have much to say. I just thought it I may as well use the computer to post something to the blog tonight.
Don't have much to say about As the World Turns, other than that Alison and Aaron sleeping together was something I saw coming. Afterall, both had just been dumped. And although they have had little contact lately, Alison has been able to revive her friendship with Aaron. The (situational) irony, of course, is that when Alison wanted Aaron, she couldn't have him. Now that she is in love with Chris, she sleeps with Aaron. Aaron and Alison see each other as friends only. Yet now they have "made love." Not too long ago Alison had unprotected sex with Chris. A couple of days ago she had (presumably) unprotected sex with Aaron. Gee, I wonder what happens next?
The funny thing is, I think that Aaron and Alison would have been a better couple than Aaron & Lucy and Alison & Chris. I realize that I am in the minority here, but Alison and Chris are not all that interesting to me. He is way too old for her and has a past with her sister/mom Emily. And, as I've said before, Lucy and Aaron's chemistry leaves a lot to be desired. There is no spark there. But ATWT couldn't resist having the rebel and the rich girl fall for each other. It would seem that wild child Alison and edgy Aaron would have more in common with each other than with their supposed soul mates. It would be refreshing to have Aaron and Alison get together, but I doubt that will happen. Instead, viewers may have to endure another "We Could Be Having A Baby Together But We're In Love With Other People" story similar to the Carly/Jack/Mike/Molly saga that ended earlier this year. Please don't do this to the viewers, ATWT. Please.
In other stuff to fill up this post: I must thank whoever is cleaning up my template so that the buttons on the sidebar line up nicely. Just about every time I mess around with the template that things get out of place. So to the person or mechanism responsibe for making Pila Posts look good, many sincere thanks.
I think I am just way too lazy to be a good blogger. I just do not have the time or the inclination to add links to the sidebar or to become someone who explores the blogosphere with authority and abandon. I will try to add links here and there. But even the idea of reading countless blogs and linking back to them is exhausting. Who can do that? Well, obviously lots of people do exactly that. Oh, how I envy them.
One thing I will try to avoid is putting a lot of the usual suspects in the sidebar. You won't find links to Kausfiles, Andrew Sullivan, Glenn Reynolds, et al. here. Nothing against any of them. It is just that there is no need for links to them from Pila Posts when so many other blogs are already doing them the favor. I am probably violating some cardinal rule of blogging by breaking the chain or something. But if I am going to take time to read other blogs and link to them in the sidebar, that space is going to be reserved for things I think may not be easy to find elsewhere.
Maybe Pila Posts and Bambino's Curse and lots of others operate on the fringes of the blogosphere. We're here, but not in the thick of things, perhaps. And that is quite all right with me.
Don't have much to say about As the World Turns, other than that Alison and Aaron sleeping together was something I saw coming. Afterall, both had just been dumped. And although they have had little contact lately, Alison has been able to revive her friendship with Aaron. The (situational) irony, of course, is that when Alison wanted Aaron, she couldn't have him. Now that she is in love with Chris, she sleeps with Aaron. Aaron and Alison see each other as friends only. Yet now they have "made love." Not too long ago Alison had unprotected sex with Chris. A couple of days ago she had (presumably) unprotected sex with Aaron. Gee, I wonder what happens next?
The funny thing is, I think that Aaron and Alison would have been a better couple than Aaron & Lucy and Alison & Chris. I realize that I am in the minority here, but Alison and Chris are not all that interesting to me. He is way too old for her and has a past with her sister/mom Emily. And, as I've said before, Lucy and Aaron's chemistry leaves a lot to be desired. There is no spark there. But ATWT couldn't resist having the rebel and the rich girl fall for each other. It would seem that wild child Alison and edgy Aaron would have more in common with each other than with their supposed soul mates. It would be refreshing to have Aaron and Alison get together, but I doubt that will happen. Instead, viewers may have to endure another "We Could Be Having A Baby Together But We're In Love With Other People" story similar to the Carly/Jack/Mike/Molly saga that ended earlier this year. Please don't do this to the viewers, ATWT. Please.
In other stuff to fill up this post: I must thank whoever is cleaning up my template so that the buttons on the sidebar line up nicely. Just about every time I mess around with the template that things get out of place. So to the person or mechanism responsibe for making Pila Posts look good, many sincere thanks.
I think I am just way too lazy to be a good blogger. I just do not have the time or the inclination to add links to the sidebar or to become someone who explores the blogosphere with authority and abandon. I will try to add links here and there. But even the idea of reading countless blogs and linking back to them is exhausting. Who can do that? Well, obviously lots of people do exactly that. Oh, how I envy them.
One thing I will try to avoid is putting a lot of the usual suspects in the sidebar. You won't find links to Kausfiles, Andrew Sullivan, Glenn Reynolds, et al. here. Nothing against any of them. It is just that there is no need for links to them from Pila Posts when so many other blogs are already doing them the favor. I am probably violating some cardinal rule of blogging by breaking the chain or something. But if I am going to take time to read other blogs and link to them in the sidebar, that space is going to be reserved for things I think may not be easy to find elsewhere.
Maybe Pila Posts and Bambino's Curse and lots of others operate on the fringes of the blogosphere. We're here, but not in the thick of things, perhaps. And that is quite all right with me.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
More Bloggy Stuff
Just peeked at the Bambino's Curse blog. Another blog that I am envious of. The background is a cool black and white photo (really almost sepia-toned) of Babe Ruth in his civies. The writer is a Red Sox fan who is refusing to acknowledge this year's World Series. I am not a Red Sox fan, being one who roots for the Cardinals and Yankees. (However, my fervor for the Bronx Bombers has waned since Tino left). I have to say that I do like Nomar--what red-blooded woman doesn't--and would have liked to see him and his teammates continue on this year. I still like the Yankees, especially Joe Torre and Derek Jeter. But things just aren't the same since Tino, Scott Brosius and Paul O'Neill left.
I've been following the baseball playoffs fairly closely this year, and was amazed that no one seemed to consider the possibility of a Yankees/Marlins World Series. Most of the media did stories on the Cubs and Red Sox, seemingly without giving any thought to the fact that both teams had to win their respective pennants before playing each other in a dream team World Series. As things turned out, that Cubs/Red Sox match up will have to be relegated to dreams for now. Maybe next year.
Back to Bambino's Curse . The writer mentions not having links, thus not being a typical blog. Join the club. Linking to other blogs and sites is hardly the strong suit of Pila Posts either. Yet for some reason I keep posting my stuff and nonsense for a handful of people to read. I really do want to take some time and make a links list to other blogs and to more websites. Links are supposed to define a blog. But do they? Maybe linking to others who link back to you makes one's blog more well-known. But are numerous links a defining characteristic of blogs? I have seen several blogs in Blogger's random feed and elsewhere that have few, if any, links. Some of them have very few posts. Yet they are being viewed and sometimes even being picked as "Blogs of Note."
Certainly Pila Posts, which I will admit that virtually no one reads, does not have a huge collection of links. But it is not a diary. Most of what is here is commentary of one sort or another, with almost no personal content. I have a journal and a web diary for personal stuff. Is Pila Posts any less a blog for not having lots of links? It is certainly not widely read. Yes, I am vain enough to want more readers, but realistic to know that it will take time to get more people to come here--if that ever happens at all.
But I will do Bambino's Curse a favor. Here is the link.
I've been following the baseball playoffs fairly closely this year, and was amazed that no one seemed to consider the possibility of a Yankees/Marlins World Series. Most of the media did stories on the Cubs and Red Sox, seemingly without giving any thought to the fact that both teams had to win their respective pennants before playing each other in a dream team World Series. As things turned out, that Cubs/Red Sox match up will have to be relegated to dreams for now. Maybe next year.
Back to Bambino's Curse . The writer mentions not having links, thus not being a typical blog. Join the club. Linking to other blogs and sites is hardly the strong suit of Pila Posts either. Yet for some reason I keep posting my stuff and nonsense for a handful of people to read. I really do want to take some time and make a links list to other blogs and to more websites. Links are supposed to define a blog. But do they? Maybe linking to others who link back to you makes one's blog more well-known. But are numerous links a defining characteristic of blogs? I have seen several blogs in Blogger's random feed and elsewhere that have few, if any, links. Some of them have very few posts. Yet they are being viewed and sometimes even being picked as "Blogs of Note."
Certainly Pila Posts, which I will admit that virtually no one reads, does not have a huge collection of links. But it is not a diary. Most of what is here is commentary of one sort or another, with almost no personal content. I have a journal and a web diary for personal stuff. Is Pila Posts any less a blog for not having lots of links? It is certainly not widely read. Yes, I am vain enough to want more readers, but realistic to know that it will take time to get more people to come here--if that ever happens at all.
But I will do Bambino's Curse a favor. Here is the link.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
More Soap Opera Stuff
I am at the library--probably will be kicked out soon due to the computer room being almost full. Anyway, I "googled" Carolyn Hinsey's name just for the heck of it. A couple of references to her in this blog came up on the first page. That is scary and very unexpected. Either more people are reading this than I thought or this blog has way too many references to Carolyn Hinsey. I fear the latter is true.
Anyway, I found a reference to Hinsey's attitude about rape here. It appears that other soap fans think Hinsey needs to get a clue on the subject. Snark's comments are, well, a little snarky for my taste, but he makes some good points. I don't much like the purple background with the black print on the website. It is very difficult for Miss Myopic to read. But I think Snark--don't know what else to call him--would be a great person to start that soap opera 'zine I've been dreaming of. If only.
Suite 101 has a new soap critic. At least the person is new to me. P.K. Waddle was the last critic I was aware of at the site. The new critic is named Sarah Lee, I believe. Of course, that could be an internet persona, given its association with cheesecake and other processed delectables. Anyway, she has written some very interesting soap opera criticism and appears to be a more than worthy successor to Waddle. Check out her stuff here.
I was particularly impressed with her article regarding soaps being so much flash with little substance and little suspense. Not only do soaps reveal way too much to the mags, thus removing most suspense. But they also play storylines for exploitation with little follow-through. (I've a feeling I am mixing in stuff from more than one of her articles, but this will eventually make sense.) She used Bianca's rape on All My Children as an example of a story that started out good then went south when it was exploited to the nth degree by making Bianca pregnant, having her flirt with abortion, not using the term "abortion," then having her not do it. I am not really in favor of abortion, but to not even allow the show to use the term is ridiculous, no matter where one stands on the issue. What was the point of the rape? Was this really a dramatic story that would explore the relationships of Erica, Bianca, and Kendall? Or was it a way to exploit Bianca's sexual orientation and tease the audience with the suggestion of abortion?
I don't watch AMC, so cannot really comment on the story. But exploiting rape for plot purposes seems to be rampant on soaps these days. As The World Turns is at least as guilty as AMC. The Jessica/Marshall rape storyline started out with a bang. Then the show wimped out by having a mistrial instead of playing out the trickiness of the situation. Would a jury really buy Jessica's story? All rape trials are tricky, and this one would have been especially so, given that Jessica and Marshall had been lovers--however briefly. The audience never got the chance to find what the jury would decide. Then Marshall was inexplicably cleared of all his crimes. Now, Jessica appears to be having a delayed reaction to the rape and mistrial. She wants Marshall to be tried again because Bonnie is spending too much time with him. Huh? I can understand her not wanting to Bonnie to get close to Marshall. But Bonnie has been clear about her feelings toward Marshall--she cannot stand him. She is concerned only with Sarah's welfare. She didn't want Sarah anywhere near the man. Yet Jessica was the one who summoned up enough compassion to realize that Marshall deserved to know that his daughter was alive. So this return to anger toward Marshall seems a bit off. Her feelings are not unwarranted, but they are not consistent with her recent slightly softened attitude toward Marshall. Now Bonnie is being almost nice to Marshall. Is this changing of the mother's and daughter's feelings an interesting exploration of character or a mere plot device to hasten Marshall's exit from Oakdale?
I hate to say this, because I really do like ATWT. (It is the only soap I watch now that Port Charles is off the air.) But after taping the show for almost a year, I can see a glaring problem with the Goutman/Sheffer regime. Few of the stories have follow-through or resonance later. The whole Jack/Carly/Mike/Molly/Craig/Rosanna conundrum that dominated the show late last year and well into 2003 seems to have been forgotten. Carly and Jack are blissfully happy and barely seen. Mike has moved on to Katie and seems to care nary a bit about the goddaughter he had once thought was his biological child. Rosanna and Carly are the best of friends now. Craig and Rosanna's marriage is going to be blown apart again very soon, but that is only because he is lying to her (yet again, yawn) about the origins of their adopted baby, not because of the mess he made of things with Monte Carlo or his obsession with Carly. Molly is returning to her old ways a bit, mainly because she was the odd person out who didn't end up with the man she loved or with someone new. Now she's like a cat in heat around super stud Dusty. Sure, there has been the suggestion that she is still mourning Jake, but is that simply to justify her renewed interest in Dusty? Afterall, she didn't seem to be thinking too much about Jake during her romance with Mike. (Here's a really bad internet moniker for Dusty--Studly Do-Wrong.)
And what of the Dusty/Paul/Rose/Molly/Jennifer storyline? Rose was supposed to be so passionately in love with Dusty. He kept saying that Rose was the woman for him. Yet he had no problem kissing Jennifer and even sleeping with Molly. Rose was prepared to leave Dusty even before discovering him in flagrante delicto, because Paul decorated her beauty parlor and reminded her of how good they used to be together. Again, huh? Now she and Paul are about to run off to Paris so that they can live happily ever after. Of course that is not going to happen. But how did the show get there to begin with? Rose is now flighty and indecisive. I thought she was supposed to be a tough broad who knew what she wanted out of life and went after it. Would Rose really let Barbara run her out of town? Wouldn't she have her radar up about Paul? Wouldn't it occur to her that he might be setting her up? Sure, she had reason to dump Dusty. How about showing her fight for him? I'm not sure that he is worth it, but she could at least try. Dusty is a dog. But I thought that he was supposed to be changing. He was going to go legit, yet became involved with illegal gambling before he even got his "legitimate" business off the ground. Rose is the one for him unless Molly or Jennifer or some other hottie walks by. Couldn't he be a little contrite about sleeping with Molly? Could we have some consistency in this storyline, please?
And what about Paul and Rosanna's friendship? They did share some scenes recently, but their closeness has almost disappeared now that Paul has decided he is in love with Rose. I really liked Roger Howarth's interplay with both Cady McClain and Hunt Block. I'd like to see Paul around to help Rosanna when she discovers Craig's latest scam.
The serial killer story was pretty good. However, once again there was little follow-through. Rick Decker is off the show. Susan and Emily have been missing along with Bob and Kim. Bob's TIA's have disappeared along with him. The murder mystery, such as it was, was a nice summer story with almost no trace of it to be found now that the leaves are falling from the trees.
ATWT has exciting, dramatic episodes on a daily basis. The dialogue is superb. It is the show that won the Outstanding Drama category at this year's Daytime Emmys. But it is hollow at its core. It is being written as if it were a TV movie or mini series. That story is over. Time to move on to a new one. We'll keep the same characters, but have them change to suit the plot of the next big story. Dare I say that the emperor has no clothes? Well, maybe he is half-naked.
Anyway, I found a reference to Hinsey's attitude about rape here. It appears that other soap fans think Hinsey needs to get a clue on the subject. Snark's comments are, well, a little snarky for my taste, but he makes some good points. I don't much like the purple background with the black print on the website. It is very difficult for Miss Myopic to read. But I think Snark--don't know what else to call him--would be a great person to start that soap opera 'zine I've been dreaming of. If only.
Suite 101 has a new soap critic. At least the person is new to me. P.K. Waddle was the last critic I was aware of at the site. The new critic is named Sarah Lee, I believe. Of course, that could be an internet persona, given its association with cheesecake and other processed delectables. Anyway, she has written some very interesting soap opera criticism and appears to be a more than worthy successor to Waddle. Check out her stuff here.
I was particularly impressed with her article regarding soaps being so much flash with little substance and little suspense. Not only do soaps reveal way too much to the mags, thus removing most suspense. But they also play storylines for exploitation with little follow-through. (I've a feeling I am mixing in stuff from more than one of her articles, but this will eventually make sense.) She used Bianca's rape on All My Children as an example of a story that started out good then went south when it was exploited to the nth degree by making Bianca pregnant, having her flirt with abortion, not using the term "abortion," then having her not do it. I am not really in favor of abortion, but to not even allow the show to use the term is ridiculous, no matter where one stands on the issue. What was the point of the rape? Was this really a dramatic story that would explore the relationships of Erica, Bianca, and Kendall? Or was it a way to exploit Bianca's sexual orientation and tease the audience with the suggestion of abortion?
I don't watch AMC, so cannot really comment on the story. But exploiting rape for plot purposes seems to be rampant on soaps these days. As The World Turns is at least as guilty as AMC. The Jessica/Marshall rape storyline started out with a bang. Then the show wimped out by having a mistrial instead of playing out the trickiness of the situation. Would a jury really buy Jessica's story? All rape trials are tricky, and this one would have been especially so, given that Jessica and Marshall had been lovers--however briefly. The audience never got the chance to find what the jury would decide. Then Marshall was inexplicably cleared of all his crimes. Now, Jessica appears to be having a delayed reaction to the rape and mistrial. She wants Marshall to be tried again because Bonnie is spending too much time with him. Huh? I can understand her not wanting to Bonnie to get close to Marshall. But Bonnie has been clear about her feelings toward Marshall--she cannot stand him. She is concerned only with Sarah's welfare. She didn't want Sarah anywhere near the man. Yet Jessica was the one who summoned up enough compassion to realize that Marshall deserved to know that his daughter was alive. So this return to anger toward Marshall seems a bit off. Her feelings are not unwarranted, but they are not consistent with her recent slightly softened attitude toward Marshall. Now Bonnie is being almost nice to Marshall. Is this changing of the mother's and daughter's feelings an interesting exploration of character or a mere plot device to hasten Marshall's exit from Oakdale?
I hate to say this, because I really do like ATWT. (It is the only soap I watch now that Port Charles is off the air.) But after taping the show for almost a year, I can see a glaring problem with the Goutman/Sheffer regime. Few of the stories have follow-through or resonance later. The whole Jack/Carly/Mike/Molly/Craig/Rosanna conundrum that dominated the show late last year and well into 2003 seems to have been forgotten. Carly and Jack are blissfully happy and barely seen. Mike has moved on to Katie and seems to care nary a bit about the goddaughter he had once thought was his biological child. Rosanna and Carly are the best of friends now. Craig and Rosanna's marriage is going to be blown apart again very soon, but that is only because he is lying to her (yet again, yawn) about the origins of their adopted baby, not because of the mess he made of things with Monte Carlo or his obsession with Carly. Molly is returning to her old ways a bit, mainly because she was the odd person out who didn't end up with the man she loved or with someone new. Now she's like a cat in heat around super stud Dusty. Sure, there has been the suggestion that she is still mourning Jake, but is that simply to justify her renewed interest in Dusty? Afterall, she didn't seem to be thinking too much about Jake during her romance with Mike. (Here's a really bad internet moniker for Dusty--Studly Do-Wrong.)
And what of the Dusty/Paul/Rose/Molly/Jennifer storyline? Rose was supposed to be so passionately in love with Dusty. He kept saying that Rose was the woman for him. Yet he had no problem kissing Jennifer and even sleeping with Molly. Rose was prepared to leave Dusty even before discovering him in flagrante delicto, because Paul decorated her beauty parlor and reminded her of how good they used to be together. Again, huh? Now she and Paul are about to run off to Paris so that they can live happily ever after. Of course that is not going to happen. But how did the show get there to begin with? Rose is now flighty and indecisive. I thought she was supposed to be a tough broad who knew what she wanted out of life and went after it. Would Rose really let Barbara run her out of town? Wouldn't she have her radar up about Paul? Wouldn't it occur to her that he might be setting her up? Sure, she had reason to dump Dusty. How about showing her fight for him? I'm not sure that he is worth it, but she could at least try. Dusty is a dog. But I thought that he was supposed to be changing. He was going to go legit, yet became involved with illegal gambling before he even got his "legitimate" business off the ground. Rose is the one for him unless Molly or Jennifer or some other hottie walks by. Couldn't he be a little contrite about sleeping with Molly? Could we have some consistency in this storyline, please?
And what about Paul and Rosanna's friendship? They did share some scenes recently, but their closeness has almost disappeared now that Paul has decided he is in love with Rose. I really liked Roger Howarth's interplay with both Cady McClain and Hunt Block. I'd like to see Paul around to help Rosanna when she discovers Craig's latest scam.
The serial killer story was pretty good. However, once again there was little follow-through. Rick Decker is off the show. Susan and Emily have been missing along with Bob and Kim. Bob's TIA's have disappeared along with him. The murder mystery, such as it was, was a nice summer story with almost no trace of it to be found now that the leaves are falling from the trees.
ATWT has exciting, dramatic episodes on a daily basis. The dialogue is superb. It is the show that won the Outstanding Drama category at this year's Daytime Emmys. But it is hollow at its core. It is being written as if it were a TV movie or mini series. That story is over. Time to move on to a new one. We'll keep the same characters, but have them change to suit the plot of the next big story. Dare I say that the emperor has no clothes? Well, maybe he is half-naked.
Saturday, October 18, 2003
Boomtown Blues
Well, I certainly was not planning on posting anything about Boomtown today, but curiosity got the better of me this morning while doing some web surfing at the local library. I was curious as to why one of my favorite shows has not been broadcast the last two Friday's on NBC. Since I don't keep up with the business side of entertainment news (at least a venial sin for a pop culture blog, but I digress), I had no idea that Boomtown was still in trouble with NBC.
Turns out, production was shut down for at least two weeks--I have not found anything saying that production has resumed. NBC wants fewer viewpoints--a hallmark of the show--and more stand-alone episodes. Apparently the upcoming eps were to be part of an arc, so the network intervened to change them. Graham Yost, the show's creator, is being suitably cordial in interviews. But you know he has to be furious about the constant network intervention with his vision for the show. I know I would be.
Unfortunately, the ratings been treating Boomtown as badly as NBC has. CBS's Friday line-up that includes two new shows (Joan of Arcadia and The Handler) has been winning the night. I guess this goes to show that new dramas featuring familiar faces can be successful in the ratings if they have good, canny promotion. Despite opening and closing the night with new fare, CBS is beating the pants off NBC. You have to give it to them with their strategy. JOA was heavily promoted during CBS' daytime line-up all summer. I know this because I tape As the World Turns and saw the commercials. CBS must know that a significant number of their viewers watch ATWT and then flip the channel to watch General Hospital on ABC. Why do I say this? Because CBS' JOA ads played up the fact that the show's star, Amber Tamblyn, was from GH. I mean, they were practically promoting GH while promoting JOA, but it worked for them in the long run. CBS was counting on its viewers who were familiar with Tamblyn's stunning turn on GH to watch her in a prime time drama. Evidently it worked. JOA is one of the most popular new shows, if not the most popular.
I believe a similar thing happened with The Handler. CBS promoted the show heavily throughout the summer, especially during shows that were similar. Handler promos ran during episodes of Without A Trace , which the network wisely kept on the air throughout the summer to draw viewers from ER. Joe Pantoliano, like Tamblyn, was promoted as the main reason to watch the show. Pantoliano's Emmy win may have helped, too, but the Emmys received fairly poor ratings this year, so could not have been too much of a factor in The Handler's success. My guess is that people were familiar with his work on The Sopranos and decided to check out The Handler because of his late (and I mean really late) turn on HBO's mafia drama.
Would that Boomtown were on CBS, the network that dares to promote the heck out of its new shows and takes advantage of any awards their shows or their stars receive. NBC should have kept BT on throughout last season, rather than yanking it on and off. The network also should have promoted Boomtown's awards and critical accolades. Furthermore, they should have run repeats all summer as CBS did with WAT. WAT actually did draw viewers away from ER and pick up ratings in repeats. People, such as myself, who weren't aware of the show at its debut or were committed to watching ER, began watching it over the summer. I became hooked on its production values, acting, subtle continuing storylines, and compelling mysteries, which rarely end up the way they seem to be going. (I did figure out what happened early in the latest episode, but that is one of the few that had a fairly easy-to-guess result). Thursday nights at 9:00--soon to be 10:00, ugh--are reserved for Without a Trace. I was hoping for the same with Fridays and Boomtown. At least I will always have Ballykissangel on Friday nights--until Channel 14 finishes showing series 1-3, that is.
If you want to learn more about Boomtown, here are a couple of websites that are worth a look. A good fan venue is Almost Human's Boomtown Fan Site. A petition to save the show can be found here.
NBC's official website is, like most of its type, heavy on graphics with little else to recommend it.
Turns out, production was shut down for at least two weeks--I have not found anything saying that production has resumed. NBC wants fewer viewpoints--a hallmark of the show--and more stand-alone episodes. Apparently the upcoming eps were to be part of an arc, so the network intervened to change them. Graham Yost, the show's creator, is being suitably cordial in interviews. But you know he has to be furious about the constant network intervention with his vision for the show. I know I would be.
Unfortunately, the ratings been treating Boomtown as badly as NBC has. CBS's Friday line-up that includes two new shows (Joan of Arcadia and The Handler) has been winning the night. I guess this goes to show that new dramas featuring familiar faces can be successful in the ratings if they have good, canny promotion. Despite opening and closing the night with new fare, CBS is beating the pants off NBC. You have to give it to them with their strategy. JOA was heavily promoted during CBS' daytime line-up all summer. I know this because I tape As the World Turns and saw the commercials. CBS must know that a significant number of their viewers watch ATWT and then flip the channel to watch General Hospital on ABC. Why do I say this? Because CBS' JOA ads played up the fact that the show's star, Amber Tamblyn, was from GH. I mean, they were practically promoting GH while promoting JOA, but it worked for them in the long run. CBS was counting on its viewers who were familiar with Tamblyn's stunning turn on GH to watch her in a prime time drama. Evidently it worked. JOA is one of the most popular new shows, if not the most popular.
I believe a similar thing happened with The Handler. CBS promoted the show heavily throughout the summer, especially during shows that were similar. Handler promos ran during episodes of Without A Trace , which the network wisely kept on the air throughout the summer to draw viewers from ER. Joe Pantoliano, like Tamblyn, was promoted as the main reason to watch the show. Pantoliano's Emmy win may have helped, too, but the Emmys received fairly poor ratings this year, so could not have been too much of a factor in The Handler's success. My guess is that people were familiar with his work on The Sopranos and decided to check out The Handler because of his late (and I mean really late) turn on HBO's mafia drama.
Would that Boomtown were on CBS, the network that dares to promote the heck out of its new shows and takes advantage of any awards their shows or their stars receive. NBC should have kept BT on throughout last season, rather than yanking it on and off. The network also should have promoted Boomtown's awards and critical accolades. Furthermore, they should have run repeats all summer as CBS did with WAT. WAT actually did draw viewers away from ER and pick up ratings in repeats. People, such as myself, who weren't aware of the show at its debut or were committed to watching ER, began watching it over the summer. I became hooked on its production values, acting, subtle continuing storylines, and compelling mysteries, which rarely end up the way they seem to be going. (I did figure out what happened early in the latest episode, but that is one of the few that had a fairly easy-to-guess result). Thursday nights at 9:00--soon to be 10:00, ugh--are reserved for Without a Trace. I was hoping for the same with Fridays and Boomtown. At least I will always have Ballykissangel on Friday nights--until Channel 14 finishes showing series 1-3, that is.
If you want to learn more about Boomtown, here are a couple of websites that are worth a look. A good fan venue is Almost Human's Boomtown Fan Site. A petition to save the show can be found here.
NBC's official website is, like most of its type, heavy on graphics with little else to recommend it.
Sunday, October 12, 2003
The Blog Herald: More blog news more often
The Blog Herald: More blog news more often
Well, I was not going to post anything else today, but had to add a link to The Blog Herald. I've a feeling I will visit the site often. It is a news site about blogs. Pretty cool stuff.
Well, I was not going to post anything else today, but had to add a link to The Blog Herald. I've a feeling I will visit the site often. It is a news site about blogs. Pretty cool stuff.
More Soap Opera Stuff
I had half-promised myself that I would not discuss soaps until the end of the year, but recent articles in Soap Opera Weekly have prompted a response.
In the September 23rd issue, Carolyn Hinsey mentioned coverage of prime time shows in the magazine's "Dueling Diva" column. I think SOW has gone too far with that. A reader whose letter was printed in the October 14th issue agrees. She said that she had stopped buying the magazine routinely because it had too much coverage of prime time shows. I haven't gone that far, but have let my subscription lapse more than once due to the changing focus of the mag. I can read about prime time shows in TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. Daytime's coverage in the mainstream press is practically non-existent, so the magazines that are supposed to be covering it should do so without feeling an obligation to have sections on prime time. I recall both Sex and the City and <em>The Osbournes meriting cover stories on SOW in the not-so-distant past. Why couldn't Port Charles have received that kind of hype?
Like the letter writer, I too am a fan of Mimi Torchin and am happy to see her back in the fold at SOW. I have to think that Hinsey had something to do with Torchin's return, especially since she (Hinsey) is now editor at SOW. So, thank you, Carolyn for whatever role you played in getting Torchin back where she belongs. (I recently read that Hinsey is an IU grad, so she and I have something else in common besides a love of soap operas. No wonder she was bummed about the Hoosiers' fate in the NCAA's. I mean the basketball tournament, of course. In Indiana, there are no other NCAA's.)
In the October 7th issue of SOW, Hinsey and Michael Bruno, a talent manager for several daytime stars, dueled regarding recasts on soaps. I have discussed the topic before on Pila Posts, so won't go into it too much here. Hinsey thinks that ..."very few roles should ever be recast on a soap." I don't quite agree with that. (See the June and July archives). Hinsey argues that recasts usually are not that good and that soaps underestimate the connection that viewers make with actors. She has good points, but the examples she uses of poor recasts hardly suggest that the practice is always a bad idea. I believe that it is inevitable that actors will leave their shows. While recasting a role is not always the answer, sometimes it needs to be done. Having people fall off cliffs or disappear is not a good substitute. Soaps rely too heavily on the presumed deaths of exiting characters. That soap staple has been done to death--if only the practice really would die. Recasting, if done judiciously, makes sense. Why should a character disappear from the canvas simply because an actor wants to try his or her hand at other roles?
In the September 23rd issue, Carolyn Hinsey mentioned coverage of prime time shows in the magazine's "Dueling Diva" column. I think SOW has gone too far with that. A reader whose letter was printed in the October 14th issue agrees. She said that she had stopped buying the magazine routinely because it had too much coverage of prime time shows. I haven't gone that far, but have let my subscription lapse more than once due to the changing focus of the mag. I can read about prime time shows in TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. Daytime's coverage in the mainstream press is practically non-existent, so the magazines that are supposed to be covering it should do so without feeling an obligation to have sections on prime time. I recall both Sex and the City and <em>The Osbournes meriting cover stories on SOW in the not-so-distant past. Why couldn't Port Charles have received that kind of hype?
Like the letter writer, I too am a fan of Mimi Torchin and am happy to see her back in the fold at SOW. I have to think that Hinsey had something to do with Torchin's return, especially since she (Hinsey) is now editor at SOW. So, thank you, Carolyn for whatever role you played in getting Torchin back where she belongs. (I recently read that Hinsey is an IU grad, so she and I have something else in common besides a love of soap operas. No wonder she was bummed about the Hoosiers' fate in the NCAA's. I mean the basketball tournament, of course. In Indiana, there are no other NCAA's.)
In the October 7th issue of SOW, Hinsey and Michael Bruno, a talent manager for several daytime stars, dueled regarding recasts on soaps. I have discussed the topic before on Pila Posts, so won't go into it too much here. Hinsey thinks that ..."very few roles should ever be recast on a soap." I don't quite agree with that. (See the June and July archives). Hinsey argues that recasts usually are not that good and that soaps underestimate the connection that viewers make with actors. She has good points, but the examples she uses of poor recasts hardly suggest that the practice is always a bad idea. I believe that it is inevitable that actors will leave their shows. While recasting a role is not always the answer, sometimes it needs to be done. Having people fall off cliffs or disappear is not a good substitute. Soaps rely too heavily on the presumed deaths of exiting characters. That soap staple has been done to death--if only the practice really would die. Recasting, if done judiciously, makes sense. Why should a character disappear from the canvas simply because an actor wants to try his or her hand at other roles?
Saturday, October 04, 2003
Good News
Not the good news but good news nevertheless: I was pretty psyched this week to find out that Pila Posts can now be found on both Yahoo! and Google. I had submitted the site a few months ago, but had little hope that either search engine would ever list it. But it is there. If anyone types pila posts in the search window on either site, a link to this blog will come up. Now of course, not very many people will type pila posts in the search windows, but hey, the blog is there.
On a different topic: I am starting to get hooked on Newlyweds. After seeing the episode in which Nick decorates the house while Jessica is gone, I have to say that he has gone down a notch or two in my eyes. Jessica was whining a lot. But Nick was just plain mean to her. Supposedly there is going to be a second season of the show.
On a different topic: I am starting to get hooked on Newlyweds. After seeing the episode in which Nick decorates the house while Jessica is gone, I have to say that he has gone down a notch or two in my eyes. Jessica was whining a lot. But Nick was just plain mean to her. Supposedly there is going to be a second season of the show.
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Newlyweds
I don't ususally watch reality shows. But today Lifetime's Sunday line-up of trashy movies was not as compelling as it was advertised to be. So, between running the sweeper and flipping channels I happened upon MTV's Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. The show follows Nick Lachey (of the boy group 98 degrees) and Jessica Simpson, teen pop sensation. The two stars married recently--I'm not sure when.
Anyway, the show chronicles their lives as solo recording artists and newlyweds trying to adjust to each other. I have seen snippets of the series before, but never a whole episode until today. I really hate to say this, but Jessica Simpson needs to grow up! Yes, reality shows are edited so that the moments of conflict predominate. Yes, the producers like to make their subjects fit into stereotypes--Jessica is the naive new wife; Nick is her reasonable, mostly patient husband. But after watching a few episodes today, I find it hard to believe that what viewers are seeing is not at least somewhat true to life.
Jessica appears to be unable to do anything. She can't open the garage door; she can't go camping without whining the whole time; she can't get used to the demands of her husband's career; she can't even pick up her clothes. She and Nick have a beautiful home that is always a mess. Okay, so maybe Jessica never had to do anything when she lived with her parents, but you'd think that she and her hubby would either learn to clean up after themselves or get a maid. To be fair to Nick, it appears that the majority of the mess is Jessica's. I honestly don't know how he puts up with this.
I am really not sure why the duo agreed to make this series. Jessica looks like a twit, and I'm not sure how long Nick is going to be able to contain his anger toward her. This show cannot be doing anything to enhance their images, unless you buy into the idea that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Perhaps people will buy Nick's records out of sympathy for what he has to put up with at home. But Jessica's previous image as sweet and innocent has been shot to heck.
Anyway, the show chronicles their lives as solo recording artists and newlyweds trying to adjust to each other. I have seen snippets of the series before, but never a whole episode until today. I really hate to say this, but Jessica Simpson needs to grow up! Yes, reality shows are edited so that the moments of conflict predominate. Yes, the producers like to make their subjects fit into stereotypes--Jessica is the naive new wife; Nick is her reasonable, mostly patient husband. But after watching a few episodes today, I find it hard to believe that what viewers are seeing is not at least somewhat true to life.
Jessica appears to be unable to do anything. She can't open the garage door; she can't go camping without whining the whole time; she can't get used to the demands of her husband's career; she can't even pick up her clothes. She and Nick have a beautiful home that is always a mess. Okay, so maybe Jessica never had to do anything when she lived with her parents, but you'd think that she and her hubby would either learn to clean up after themselves or get a maid. To be fair to Nick, it appears that the majority of the mess is Jessica's. I honestly don't know how he puts up with this.
I am really not sure why the duo agreed to make this series. Jessica looks like a twit, and I'm not sure how long Nick is going to be able to contain his anger toward her. This show cannot be doing anything to enhance their images, unless you buy into the idea that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Perhaps people will buy Nick's records out of sympathy for what he has to put up with at home. But Jessica's previous image as sweet and innocent has been shot to heck.
Saturday, September 27, 2003
Weather Sites
I am a weather buff--not a scientist at all, however. There are some pretty cool weather sites on the net. One site I used to frequent is Weather Underground (Wunderground). I don't go by there as much anymore because the people who run it now want users to pay to see radar. Since radar is available without charge from other sites, why would anyone pay Wunderground?
Other sites worth checking out are: The Tornado Project, the various sites listed under NOAA,
The National Weather Service (NWS) and the Storm Prediction Center. Earthwatch is a nice complement to the NWS site. It provides forecasts, warnings, and lots of weather-related graphics. Weatherwise, a magazine you may have seen in your local library, has a good web site, also. Although, honestly, I prefer to read magazines while holding them, rather than from a computer monitor. Skywarn is a site devoted to weather spotting. It is run by the NWS.
If you visit any of the NOAA sites, you may notice that they refer to services, web sites, etc. as "products." I think this must be because NOAA (and all of its subordinate agencies) operate under the rubric of the Department of Commerce. What does that say about our government's reasons for monitoring weather, climate, and the oceans? Although I find it a little disheartening that our gov's reasons may have more to do with commercial and business interests than with wonder and awe at natural phenomena, I have to say the revamped NWS sites are really fun to play around with. If there is any fault, it could be that there is too much information.
If you have any interest in tornadoes, even if only for a school project, you have to check out the Tornado Project Online. (See the link above.) Just about everything you could possibly want or need to know about tornadoes can be found there. On my last visit, I noticed that the site has won lots of awards, so this praise must not be too far from the mark. Significant Tornadoes, the magnum opus of site creator Tom Grazulis, will be updated in 2004. I am both proud and a little ashamed to say that I have read the combined volume, including most of the graphs and maps, more than one time. It is an encyclopedic tome that one can dip into for tidbits of information or read straight through. Definitely worth the money--or you can maybe go halfsies with someone. Better yet, try to persuade your local library's reference department to purchase a copy.
Other sites worth checking out are: The Tornado Project, the various sites listed under NOAA,
The National Weather Service (NWS) and the Storm Prediction Center. Earthwatch is a nice complement to the NWS site. It provides forecasts, warnings, and lots of weather-related graphics. Weatherwise, a magazine you may have seen in your local library, has a good web site, also. Although, honestly, I prefer to read magazines while holding them, rather than from a computer monitor. Skywarn is a site devoted to weather spotting. It is run by the NWS.
If you visit any of the NOAA sites, you may notice that they refer to services, web sites, etc. as "products." I think this must be because NOAA (and all of its subordinate agencies) operate under the rubric of the Department of Commerce. What does that say about our government's reasons for monitoring weather, climate, and the oceans? Although I find it a little disheartening that our gov's reasons may have more to do with commercial and business interests than with wonder and awe at natural phenomena, I have to say the revamped NWS sites are really fun to play around with. If there is any fault, it could be that there is too much information.
If you have any interest in tornadoes, even if only for a school project, you have to check out the Tornado Project Online. (See the link above.) Just about everything you could possibly want or need to know about tornadoes can be found there. On my last visit, I noticed that the site has won lots of awards, so this praise must not be too far from the mark. Significant Tornadoes, the magnum opus of site creator Tom Grazulis, will be updated in 2004. I am both proud and a little ashamed to say that I have read the combined volume, including most of the graphs and maps, more than one time. It is an encyclopedic tome that one can dip into for tidbits of information or read straight through. Definitely worth the money--or you can maybe go halfsies with someone. Better yet, try to persuade your local library's reference department to purchase a copy.
Sunday, September 21, 2003
Blogging Stuff
Just some random thoughts on blogging. Nothing particularly insightful. It occurs to me, however, that this blog is not typical. Pila Posts does not have a mile-long list on the sidebar of cool blogs by friends and internet acquaintances. The facts that I have few friends and no internet acquaintances, as well as no friends with blogs (that I am aware of) would account for that. Yet I could have a list of cool blogs by people I don't know, right? Only I don't, not so far, anyway.
Y'see my plan--I always have a plan--is to spend one leisurely Saturday morning exploring the blogosphere and all its delights. (Okay, some of its delights, as it is just too big to explore everything in one morning.) Anyway, then I would make a nice sidebar with links directing all four of my faithful readers to the blogs I think are worth checking out. Yes, I have found some already, but have just been too pressed for time to start that section of the sidebar.
The Recent Updates: so far, that section is blank. I haven't the foggiest idea about how to make permalinks. No that's not true. I have a foggy idea. Unfortunately, that is not enough to actually make the links. So yes, several things have been updated. You'll just have to check out the June, July, and August archives to figure out what, for now. Bloggers are supposed to be HTML proficient, or at least semi-proficient. I am neither, so until Blogger's instructions become clearer or some kind person takes enough pity on me to walk me through the process step by step in very dumbed down terms, the recent updates will remain blank.
The paragraph above probably ensures that Pila Posts will never be listed in the "Blogs of Note" section of Blogger's home page. That's okay, I just hope that I don't get kicked off Blogger/Blogspot entirely, as I find them pretty easy to use in most instances.
I do have a serious case of blog envy. Everyone else's blog is so fresh and funny. Biting. Witty. Full of cool links and pictures. Clean, creative templates. This one is just so blah by comparison. I won't go into my attempts to get a new template, as that topic was covered in a recent post. But I am despairing of ever finding one I like that is going to also be relatively easy to upload.
Oh, to be a real blogger's blog. A site that people check on daily just to see what new posts are there; a site that is linked back to from other blogs; a site that new bloggers would be envious of. It was not my original intention to be widely read. But now that I know other blogs are
widely read, I want that for Pila Posts, too. Instead, this pitiful lil blog will probably end up on one of those sites that lists dead and dying blogs. Something such as theseblogssuck.com. And there would be Pila Posts atop the list with no explanatory comments.
Y'see my plan--I always have a plan--is to spend one leisurely Saturday morning exploring the blogosphere and all its delights. (Okay, some of its delights, as it is just too big to explore everything in one morning.) Anyway, then I would make a nice sidebar with links directing all four of my faithful readers to the blogs I think are worth checking out. Yes, I have found some already, but have just been too pressed for time to start that section of the sidebar.
The Recent Updates: so far, that section is blank. I haven't the foggiest idea about how to make permalinks. No that's not true. I have a foggy idea. Unfortunately, that is not enough to actually make the links. So yes, several things have been updated. You'll just have to check out the June, July, and August archives to figure out what, for now. Bloggers are supposed to be HTML proficient, or at least semi-proficient. I am neither, so until Blogger's instructions become clearer or some kind person takes enough pity on me to walk me through the process step by step in very dumbed down terms, the recent updates will remain blank.
The paragraph above probably ensures that Pila Posts will never be listed in the "Blogs of Note" section of Blogger's home page. That's okay, I just hope that I don't get kicked off Blogger/Blogspot entirely, as I find them pretty easy to use in most instances.
I do have a serious case of blog envy. Everyone else's blog is so fresh and funny. Biting. Witty. Full of cool links and pictures. Clean, creative templates. This one is just so blah by comparison. I won't go into my attempts to get a new template, as that topic was covered in a recent post. But I am despairing of ever finding one I like that is going to also be relatively easy to upload.
Oh, to be a real blogger's blog. A site that people check on daily just to see what new posts are there; a site that is linked back to from other blogs; a site that new bloggers would be envious of. It was not my original intention to be widely read. But now that I know other blogs are
widely read, I want that for Pila Posts, too. Instead, this pitiful lil blog will probably end up on one of those sites that lists dead and dying blogs. Something such as theseblogssuck.com. And there would be Pila Posts atop the list with no explanatory comments.
Sunday, September 14, 2003
NOAA - National Weather Service
NOAA - National Weather Service
I am trying out BlogThis for the first time. One of my favorite sites is the National Weather Service's Home Page. I am an amateur weather buff. I can look up forecasts for other parts of the country as well as for my local area. And there are seemingly endless links to other neat weather info.
I am trying out BlogThis for the first time. One of my favorite sites is the National Weather Service's Home Page. I am an amateur weather buff. I can look up forecasts for other parts of the country as well as for my local area. And there are seemingly endless links to other neat weather info.
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Brief Comments on ATWT and PC
ATWT is getting good, although I have some concerns about Dusty. He started out as shady, but supposedly was trying to go legit, to prove himself to Rose He promptly got into illegal bookmaking and was arrested because Craig squealed about it. Just yesterday he started bashing women. He told Craig that women are always trying to get into things that aren't any of their concern--or words to that effect. Well, how Neanderthal of him. I would think my husband's or boyfriend's business dealings, whether illegal or legal, would be of concern to me. And yes, I would be upset if he were into illegal gambling or drugs or whatever. If Dusty is going to be a viable leading man, the writer's need to adjust his attitude, pretty darn quick. He's going from being swaggering and sexy to being sexist.
I have to adjust my initial opinion of Jennifer Ferrin. She's something else, in a good way. She slinks around like (almost) no one since Marilyn Monroe. She's a firecracker, that's for sure. Although I'd hate to see Dusty hurt Rose, he and Jennifer would make one hot couple.
I continue to like Roger Howarth's version of Paul. He and Rosanna are getting closer. I like that they are becoming friends. Paul wants more, but it is nice to see him smiling and being considerate around her--relief from all that scheming and scowling. And it is also refreshing to see Cady McClain do more than bicker with her screen partners. Although McClain is one of the best with snappy dialogue, Rosanna was not winning any sympathy points with her previous attitude--at least not from me. I am glad that she has made peace with Carly and is becoming friends with Paul. She and Craig will always be at odds (and always be interesting to watch), but I like that she is becoming well-rounded.
I am not too hip on the Mike and Katie storyline. Nothing against the actors, but I just don't care much for their Australian adventure. They should be more interesting once they are back in Oakdale, and Katie realizes that Simon is out of her life. She is getting on my nerves now with her screaming and whining. She's supposed to be such an independent young woman, yet she has to have a man rescue her. I'm hoping that Margo will save her, so at least there would be one strong woman in the story.
The whole Bonnie/Jessica/Sara/Marshall story is a mess. Bonnie is just not very sympathetic, no matter what Marshall has done. I am tired of her telling everyone that she is the only person who has ever loved Sara. Marshall has been separated from the girl for her whole life--so he hasn't had the chance to build a relationship with her. As stated before, I think the story would have been better had Marshall been made to pay for his crimes--or better yet, not raped Jessica. I must not be too far off base, as the actor is going to be leaving the show. An anonymous source from the show admitted that the character had indeed been written into a corner.
As for Port Charles, the big news this week is that Alison and Caleb had sex while "under the influence" of Caleb's ring, which grants wishes. Livvie had stolen the ring and wished that her vampire man would have the most passionate night of his life. The ring granted the wish. However, Livvie was not specific about whom Caleb would share his passionate night with. Unfortunately, he and Alison were together when Livvie made the wish. After their night of passion, Alison was devastated at having betrayed Rafe. Caleb seemed at most mildly concerned. After Alison left, Caleb said that he was always in control, an indication that perhaps he took advantage of Alison and even might have--shall I say it--raped her.
Naturally, the message board posters have been going wild about this latest twist, but not in a good way. Alison and Rafe (Rali) and Caleb and Livvie have pretty vocal fan bases. Few PC fans, if any, wanted to have the couples play musical chairs. With just a few weeks to go before PC airs its final episode, this was a real slap in the face to fans who are already reeling from the cancellation. If there were another arc or two left so that the situation could be resolved, the Cali sex scenes might have been easier to accept. As things stand, PC's few remaining loyal fans may turn off the show before its final air date. Some ABC affiliates are going to do that for them, they won't air PC from September 15th through October 3rd so that they can carry Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? PC seems to be going out with a whimper rather than a bang. How sad.
I have to adjust my initial opinion of Jennifer Ferrin. She's something else, in a good way. She slinks around like (almost) no one since Marilyn Monroe. She's a firecracker, that's for sure. Although I'd hate to see Dusty hurt Rose, he and Jennifer would make one hot couple.
I continue to like Roger Howarth's version of Paul. He and Rosanna are getting closer. I like that they are becoming friends. Paul wants more, but it is nice to see him smiling and being considerate around her--relief from all that scheming and scowling. And it is also refreshing to see Cady McClain do more than bicker with her screen partners. Although McClain is one of the best with snappy dialogue, Rosanna was not winning any sympathy points with her previous attitude--at least not from me. I am glad that she has made peace with Carly and is becoming friends with Paul. She and Craig will always be at odds (and always be interesting to watch), but I like that she is becoming well-rounded.
I am not too hip on the Mike and Katie storyline. Nothing against the actors, but I just don't care much for their Australian adventure. They should be more interesting once they are back in Oakdale, and Katie realizes that Simon is out of her life. She is getting on my nerves now with her screaming and whining. She's supposed to be such an independent young woman, yet she has to have a man rescue her. I'm hoping that Margo will save her, so at least there would be one strong woman in the story.
The whole Bonnie/Jessica/Sara/Marshall story is a mess. Bonnie is just not very sympathetic, no matter what Marshall has done. I am tired of her telling everyone that she is the only person who has ever loved Sara. Marshall has been separated from the girl for her whole life--so he hasn't had the chance to build a relationship with her. As stated before, I think the story would have been better had Marshall been made to pay for his crimes--or better yet, not raped Jessica. I must not be too far off base, as the actor is going to be leaving the show. An anonymous source from the show admitted that the character had indeed been written into a corner.
As for Port Charles, the big news this week is that Alison and Caleb had sex while "under the influence" of Caleb's ring, which grants wishes. Livvie had stolen the ring and wished that her vampire man would have the most passionate night of his life. The ring granted the wish. However, Livvie was not specific about whom Caleb would share his passionate night with. Unfortunately, he and Alison were together when Livvie made the wish. After their night of passion, Alison was devastated at having betrayed Rafe. Caleb seemed at most mildly concerned. After Alison left, Caleb said that he was always in control, an indication that perhaps he took advantage of Alison and even might have--shall I say it--raped her.
Naturally, the message board posters have been going wild about this latest twist, but not in a good way. Alison and Rafe (Rali) and Caleb and Livvie have pretty vocal fan bases. Few PC fans, if any, wanted to have the couples play musical chairs. With just a few weeks to go before PC airs its final episode, this was a real slap in the face to fans who are already reeling from the cancellation. If there were another arc or two left so that the situation could be resolved, the Cali sex scenes might have been easier to accept. As things stand, PC's few remaining loyal fans may turn off the show before its final air date. Some ABC affiliates are going to do that for them, they won't air PC from September 15th through October 3rd so that they can carry Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? PC seems to be going out with a whimper rather than a bang. How sad.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Random Thoughts
Not a particularly creative title, I know. Today's entry is another departure, more of a personal entry. I am writing this in the computer lab of my local library. It is interesting that the library's quiet rules fall all to pieces in the computer lab. People talk--sometimes loudly. Of course, as I write this, everyone has pretty much shut up. Even the library staff do not feelcompelled to whisper when helping patrons. I find that it is easy to ignore other people's keying. But chatting and giving advice become annoying.
I am still trying to talk my sister into starting a team blog--we could call it something silly like "Sister, Sister" or some such. Of course, we'd have to come up with something other than that or else risk having the Disney Channel after us. (And after I wrote that nice review of Even Stevens, too)! She has the bizarre idea that having a blog means constant updating. She could not have gotten that impression from reading Pila Posts!! Her HTML skills are about like mine--almost nonexistent. So maybe two heads are not better than one.
I am starting to get blog envy as I look at other blogs. Eventually, the sidebar will feature links to blogs I find interesting. I have not had much time to bop around the blogosphere yet, but have found some good stuff out there. Mostly, though, I am finding that almost everyone else has a blog that looks better than mine. (That is not a slam against Blogger). It is just the truth. Many blogs have such a clean look, with interesting color combinations that are at once eye-catching and soothing. I am a little bit nervous about trying any of the free templates that are out there, for fear that something will go horribly wrong. And quite frankly, most of the templates that are available are not quite what I want. They tend to be either too masculine or too cutesy. (At least the ones I've seen). I suspect that the templates I like are designed by the bloggers themselves or by their friends. Will keep fiddling with this one as much as possible with my horrible HTML skills....
But really what is on my mind is Canada Dry. I love ginger ale. Occasionally I will spring for the really flavorul stuff that is found in natural food stores. But Canada Dry has been my stand-by pop for years. Alas, it is no longer a Coca-Cola product and has almost disappeared from the store shelves here. Canada Dry is now owned by Dr. Pepper/7-Up, which also owns Vernor's and Schweppe's ginger ales. Vernor's has a distinctive taste--much more gingery than the CD or Scheppe's. It comes on strong at first, then fades fast. An open bottle or can of Vernor's does not hold its fizz the way Canada Dry does. It is also a bit too sweet. Schweppe's (not sure of the spelling) seems weaker than CD. I have not done a blind taste test with the two, but I believe that CD is a little stronger and pleasingly dry--somewhere in between Vernor's and Schweppe's.
The stores here no longer carry CD two-liters. Some still carry the one-liters and 12-packs of cans. But even those are hard to come by. There is something to be said for being owned by Coca-Cola--at least Canada Dry had guaranteed shelf space at the grocery stores. Now, it is being relegated to third place by a company that already owns two other ginger ale brands. I hope there are some other die-hard fans out there who will let Dr. Pepper/7-Up know that Canada Dry is still a viable, well-liked product.
I am still trying to talk my sister into starting a team blog--we could call it something silly like "Sister, Sister" or some such. Of course, we'd have to come up with something other than that or else risk having the Disney Channel after us. (And after I wrote that nice review of Even Stevens, too)! She has the bizarre idea that having a blog means constant updating. She could not have gotten that impression from reading Pila Posts!! Her HTML skills are about like mine--almost nonexistent. So maybe two heads are not better than one.
I am starting to get blog envy as I look at other blogs. Eventually, the sidebar will feature links to blogs I find interesting. I have not had much time to bop around the blogosphere yet, but have found some good stuff out there. Mostly, though, I am finding that almost everyone else has a blog that looks better than mine. (That is not a slam against Blogger). It is just the truth. Many blogs have such a clean look, with interesting color combinations that are at once eye-catching and soothing. I am a little bit nervous about trying any of the free templates that are out there, for fear that something will go horribly wrong. And quite frankly, most of the templates that are available are not quite what I want. They tend to be either too masculine or too cutesy. (At least the ones I've seen). I suspect that the templates I like are designed by the bloggers themselves or by their friends. Will keep fiddling with this one as much as possible with my horrible HTML skills....
But really what is on my mind is Canada Dry. I love ginger ale. Occasionally I will spring for the really flavorul stuff that is found in natural food stores. But Canada Dry has been my stand-by pop for years. Alas, it is no longer a Coca-Cola product and has almost disappeared from the store shelves here. Canada Dry is now owned by Dr. Pepper/7-Up, which also owns Vernor's and Schweppe's ginger ales. Vernor's has a distinctive taste--much more gingery than the CD or Scheppe's. It comes on strong at first, then fades fast. An open bottle or can of Vernor's does not hold its fizz the way Canada Dry does. It is also a bit too sweet. Schweppe's (not sure of the spelling) seems weaker than CD. I have not done a blind taste test with the two, but I believe that CD is a little stronger and pleasingly dry--somewhere in between Vernor's and Schweppe's.
The stores here no longer carry CD two-liters. Some still carry the one-liters and 12-packs of cans. But even those are hard to come by. There is something to be said for being owned by Coca-Cola--at least Canada Dry had guaranteed shelf space at the grocery stores. Now, it is being relegated to third place by a company that already owns two other ginger ale brands. I hope there are some other die-hard fans out there who will let Dr. Pepper/7-Up know that Canada Dry is still a viable, well-liked product.
Sunday, September 07, 2003
A Modest Proposal (Meant in All Seriousness)
This blog seems to be--no actually is--focusing on soap operas right now. I guess the blog reveals one of my not-so-secret pop culture obsessions. I do wish that soaps were taken more seriously in the media, including in the magazines that are supposed to be devoted to them.
Soap Opera Digest and its newer sister publication Soap Opera Weekly are fine for gossip, puff interviews, casting changes, previews, and "news" about what the stars wear, do, cook, etc. But without the columns by Carolyn Hinsey and Mimi Torchin and fan letters, there would be nothing even approaching serious criticism of the shows in the two major publications that purport to provide in-depth coverage of the medium. Unfortunately, tight deadlines and space limitations prevent both Hinsey and Torchin from writing much more than thumbs up or down commentary on current storylines, actors, and TPTB. Fan letters are too short and (sorry to say) usually too simplistic to treat soaps with seriousness. Sure, both SOD and SOW occasionally have "special reports" on topics such as diversity, violence, rape, etc. And they do very rarely allow fans to write columns on particular shows. But those things are not enough.
There is the internet, of course. I think that the internet is actually helping to keep soaps on the air. Fans are still watching and taping and communicating with each other via websites, Yahoo groups, message boards, and the like. IMVHO, the internet is vital for the future of soaps. Without somewhere to vent and people to vent to, fans may just say forget it. But now they have reason to watch, even if they are displeased with the shows. The only way to keep up on the message boards and fan groups is to watch the soap(s) in question regularly. Soap ratings have been going down for at least a decade. I wonder what they would be without the internet. I believe that Port Charles would not be the only show going off the air if the internet were not around.
Message boards and fan groups are fine. But what I would like to see is a soap 'zine. Something portable that does not require access to a computer. Something I can read on my lunch hour, in bed, or on a rainy day. Something that I can look forward to receiving in the mail every month (or every other month), and spend hours (or 15 minutes) reading if I choose to. And the 'zine would not be focused on stars and casting changes, SOD and SOW can cover that sort of thing. I can get make up, cooking, and fashion tips from any woman's magazine, so those would not be included. I want something that is focused on soaps only--not primetime, not reality shows, just the good, old-fashioned daytime dramas that our mothers and grandmothers have watched for years.
The soap 'zine should focus on soaps as a (pop) cultural phenomenon. What do the shows say about our culture? Are soaps in tune with the times, behind them, ahead, or some sort of mixture? Detailed histories of the shows, great storylines of the past, production and writing regimes that propelled soaps forward or brought something unique to the genre, a section on defunct shows, would all be included. But the 'zine would not have to emphasize the past. Current storylines and trends could be evaluated. Taboo subjects. Critics such as Hinsey and Torchin would be given all the space they wanted to write commentary on the current state of soaps. One interesting topic would be why so many shows had incest-type storylines this year--with a nod to the near incestuous relationships that are a staple of the genre.
The 'zine should be heavy on print, with few, if any photos. SOD and SOW are laden with pictures and huge headlines. In fact, a recent cover of SOW crowed about being bigger with more pictures. (This, in a publication that is mostly pictures!) The 'zine should emphasize print over glamour shots. And of course it would come out sporadically, whenever the people who published it could get enough material together, scrape up funds to print and mail it. But best of all it would be beholden to no one, other than its creators and fans. There would be need to worry if some soap exec doesn't agree with what a reviewer has written, because the 'zine would not be dependent upon favors from soaps to survive. Nor would it feel the need to be faithful to advertisers or have to promote expensive products that most fans can't afford.
If there is already a soap 'zine out there, I'd love to find it. If not, I wish someone would start one.
Soap Opera Digest and its newer sister publication Soap Opera Weekly are fine for gossip, puff interviews, casting changes, previews, and "news" about what the stars wear, do, cook, etc. But without the columns by Carolyn Hinsey and Mimi Torchin and fan letters, there would be nothing even approaching serious criticism of the shows in the two major publications that purport to provide in-depth coverage of the medium. Unfortunately, tight deadlines and space limitations prevent both Hinsey and Torchin from writing much more than thumbs up or down commentary on current storylines, actors, and TPTB. Fan letters are too short and (sorry to say) usually too simplistic to treat soaps with seriousness. Sure, both SOD and SOW occasionally have "special reports" on topics such as diversity, violence, rape, etc. And they do very rarely allow fans to write columns on particular shows. But those things are not enough.
There is the internet, of course. I think that the internet is actually helping to keep soaps on the air. Fans are still watching and taping and communicating with each other via websites, Yahoo groups, message boards, and the like. IMVHO, the internet is vital for the future of soaps. Without somewhere to vent and people to vent to, fans may just say forget it. But now they have reason to watch, even if they are displeased with the shows. The only way to keep up on the message boards and fan groups is to watch the soap(s) in question regularly. Soap ratings have been going down for at least a decade. I wonder what they would be without the internet. I believe that Port Charles would not be the only show going off the air if the internet were not around.
Message boards and fan groups are fine. But what I would like to see is a soap 'zine. Something portable that does not require access to a computer. Something I can read on my lunch hour, in bed, or on a rainy day. Something that I can look forward to receiving in the mail every month (or every other month), and spend hours (or 15 minutes) reading if I choose to. And the 'zine would not be focused on stars and casting changes, SOD and SOW can cover that sort of thing. I can get make up, cooking, and fashion tips from any woman's magazine, so those would not be included. I want something that is focused on soaps only--not primetime, not reality shows, just the good, old-fashioned daytime dramas that our mothers and grandmothers have watched for years.
The soap 'zine should focus on soaps as a (pop) cultural phenomenon. What do the shows say about our culture? Are soaps in tune with the times, behind them, ahead, or some sort of mixture? Detailed histories of the shows, great storylines of the past, production and writing regimes that propelled soaps forward or brought something unique to the genre, a section on defunct shows, would all be included. But the 'zine would not have to emphasize the past. Current storylines and trends could be evaluated. Taboo subjects. Critics such as Hinsey and Torchin would be given all the space they wanted to write commentary on the current state of soaps. One interesting topic would be why so many shows had incest-type storylines this year--with a nod to the near incestuous relationships that are a staple of the genre.
The 'zine should be heavy on print, with few, if any photos. SOD and SOW are laden with pictures and huge headlines. In fact, a recent cover of SOW crowed about being bigger with more pictures. (This, in a publication that is mostly pictures!) The 'zine should emphasize print over glamour shots. And of course it would come out sporadically, whenever the people who published it could get enough material together, scrape up funds to print and mail it. But best of all it would be beholden to no one, other than its creators and fans. There would be need to worry if some soap exec doesn't agree with what a reviewer has written, because the 'zine would not be dependent upon favors from soaps to survive. Nor would it feel the need to be faithful to advertisers or have to promote expensive products that most fans can't afford.
If there is already a soap 'zine out there, I'd love to find it. If not, I wish someone would start one.
Concert Review
The following is a departure from the norm for this blog. My sister, who refuses to create a team blog, wanted me to post this review of a recent Justin/Christina concert in Indianapolis.
So here goes.
Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera did not simply come to entertain when they brought their "Justified and Stripped" tour to Indianapolis last Sunday night (August 31, 2003). The two former Mouseketeers were on a mission to shake free of their teen-pop roots.
Timberlake and Aguilera chose decidedly different strategies to accomplish their shared goal. During her set, Aguilera relied on suggestive choreography, skimpy costumes, and a girl-power theme to prove she's all grown up. However, all that confident posturing was betrayed by her unsure stage presence. Aguilera was most comfortable when singing the soul classics "At Last" and "I Prefer You," made famous by Etta James. As a respite from proving her own material, those numbers allowed her to simply sing. And boy, did she ever. Aguilera tore into those tunes with a ferocity and passion that assured she has indeed shed her mouse ears.
Unlike Aguilerea, Timberlake emphasized music over spectacle. Backed by a stellar fourteen-piece funk band , he treated the capacity crowd to a 45-minute set of songs from his solo album, "Justified." He proved his musical chops by gliding through new arrangements of his hits, the highlight of which was a thundering rendition of "Cry Me A River." Stripped of its slickly-produced studio beats, the live version's driving drumline gave the song an urgency that is lacking on the original album track. Timberlake used a mix of boyish Southern charm and steamy sensuality to pull in the audience of mostly teenaged girls and was awarded with deafening shrieks of adoration. The only down side to his performance was a bloated sound mix that at times drowned out his soulful vocals.
In order to stay artistically and commercially relevant, Timberlake and Aguilera must show that they've grown up with their fans. Judging by Sunday's performances, mission accomplished.
So here goes.
Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera did not simply come to entertain when they brought their "Justified and Stripped" tour to Indianapolis last Sunday night (August 31, 2003). The two former Mouseketeers were on a mission to shake free of their teen-pop roots.
Timberlake and Aguilera chose decidedly different strategies to accomplish their shared goal. During her set, Aguilera relied on suggestive choreography, skimpy costumes, and a girl-power theme to prove she's all grown up. However, all that confident posturing was betrayed by her unsure stage presence. Aguilera was most comfortable when singing the soul classics "At Last" and "I Prefer You," made famous by Etta James. As a respite from proving her own material, those numbers allowed her to simply sing. And boy, did she ever. Aguilera tore into those tunes with a ferocity and passion that assured she has indeed shed her mouse ears.
Unlike Aguilerea, Timberlake emphasized music over spectacle. Backed by a stellar fourteen-piece funk band , he treated the capacity crowd to a 45-minute set of songs from his solo album, "Justified." He proved his musical chops by gliding through new arrangements of his hits, the highlight of which was a thundering rendition of "Cry Me A River." Stripped of its slickly-produced studio beats, the live version's driving drumline gave the song an urgency that is lacking on the original album track. Timberlake used a mix of boyish Southern charm and steamy sensuality to pull in the audience of mostly teenaged girls and was awarded with deafening shrieks of adoration. The only down side to his performance was a bloated sound mix that at times drowned out his soulful vocals.
In order to stay artistically and commercially relevant, Timberlake and Aguilera must show that they've grown up with their fans. Judging by Sunday's performances, mission accomplished.
Sunday, August 24, 2003
An Apology to the Folks at Blogwise and to Any Regular Readers
A parenthetical paragraph in the Boomtown/Without a Trace article below refers to this blog not yet being listed on Blogwise. Well, just today I received the nicest confirmation e-mail from Sven, the person who runs the Blogwise site. Pila Posts is now listed there, and I feel more than a little sheepish for semi going off below. I really was not being critical of Blogwise. As stated, I just don't want to post buttons to sites this blog isn't listed on. Nevertheless, my comments could have been offensive, and for that, I do apologize.
As for any regular readers--all four of you--please forgive the slowness of updates. I realize that I have not really finished any post yet. Unfortunately, this is the busiest time of year at my place of employment, so my internet time is very limited, especially on weekends. I hope to finish the posts that are already up in the next couple of weeks. This is a both a plea and a thank you for your patience.
As for any regular readers--all four of you--please forgive the slowness of updates. I realize that I have not really finished any post yet. Unfortunately, this is the busiest time of year at my place of employment, so my internet time is very limited, especially on weekends. I hope to finish the posts that are already up in the next couple of weeks. This is a both a plea and a thank you for your patience.
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
A Look at Boomtown (With a Peek at Without a Trace)
Not much time to type tonight. Boomtown, NBC's point-of-view cop drama is fast becoming one of my favorite television shows. I never watched a full episode until Bravo ran a mini marathon the first weekend of May. I was home sick and unable to do much of anything other than watch TV and take pain relievers. I was hooked almost immediately, even though it took a few episodes to match up actors with characters and to figure out each character's back story.
I have to race home to watch yet another episode, only the second one I've seen on NBC. The others I've had to watch on Bravo and TNT. This article will contain spoilerish information. That is, if there are episodes you haven't seen, you may want to skip my re-caps and commentary, as I won't hold back twists and revelations. I assume that most Boomtown fans have seen most, if not all of the episodes, so I'm not worried too much about including spoilers.
More to come.
Well, it turns out that my human TV guide (Mom) was mistaken about Boomtown being on Wednesday night. She must have been looking ahead in the local TV schedule. It was on Friday, which will be its regular night, on NBC. TNT is continuing to carry it on Mondays for now. I am hoping that between the two networks I will be able to see all of the first season's episodes before new fall eps begin.
(This is completely off the topic at hand, but a word or two about the recently added buttons on the sidebar. I'm pretty proud for having figured out how to add buttons. Although it is not hard, I am not HTML proficient and certainly not a tech-type. At this time, Pila Posts can be found on Blogarama and Globe of Blogs only. Blogwise has not yet added this blog to its index, although the button suggests otherwise. I am going to give it another week or so. If Pila Posts is still not there, that button is gonna be outta here. I realize that Blogwise may be selective about what it chooses to list and/or inundated with submissions, so that is not a slam on the site. I just don't want to falsely advertise that this blog is indexed there when, in fact, it is not.)
Back to Boomtown. As stated above, I became hooked when Bravo ran a marathon of several episodes during the first weekend in May. During that weekend, I noticed that a couple of episodes were just a few details away from real-life crimes. In one, a rich, influential attorney murdered his young lover and got his loser brother to help him dump her body in the ocean. A similar murder actually happened several years ago on the east coast rather than Boomtown's California. Another episode was about a 70's radical living in the California suburbs. She's discovered and arrested for taking part in a bank robbery in which a cop was killed. (Patricia Wettig of Thirtysomething was wonderfully haggard in the role of the radical-turned-suburban-mom.)
The actors on Boomtown (BT) here are either relatively unknown or character actors you've seen in guest roles on other shows or in TV movies. Donnie Wahlberg is a revelation as Joel, the world-weary, by the book detective who is trying to keep his wife's recent suicide attempt under wraps. Wahlberg is trim and ruggedly handsome--much better looking than he ever was in his New Kids on the Block days. He wears khakis and polo shirts like no one else. Who knew the middle class man's uniform could be so sexy? More importantly, he is a strong, non-hammy actor who hits all the right notes as the hardworking, sensitive, and mostly controlled Joel. Though his wife has attempted suicide, Joel tells people that she's fine, the suicide attempt was an accident. One person who seems genuinely concerned about his wife is Teresa, the pretty paramedic who responded to the 911 call to Joel's house.
When Teresa asks Joel about his wife, his response is a defensive, almost harsh, slightly accusatory, "Excuse me!" In those two words, Wahlberg conveys Joel's fear: how does Teresa know? Is there gossip going around? Teresa then explains that she responded to the call. Joel concocts a story--his wife is fine. It was just a freak accident. Then he moves on. Teresa can tell he is not being truthful with her. Already there are the beginnings of a Joel-Teresa match up.
In another episode, Joel and Teresa meet up by coincidence in a coffee shop. They engage in small talk for a couple of minutes. Teresa starts to open up about caring for her father. When she asks Joel about his wife, he gives the standard answer. She's fine. He is not ready to open up to her yet.
Some of the best Joel-Teresa moments (from what I have seen so far) occurred in the Halloween ep, called "All Hallow's Eve." The show opened with Joel, his still fragile wife, and young son trick or treating. Joel's at ease until his cell phone rings. He's not supposed to be bothered, he reminds his partner. One of his colleagues is in trouble. As he reluctantly leaves his wife alone with their son, she asks who it is. His reply, "No one you know, it's a paramedic." Viewers instantly know that the paramedic must be Teresa. Wahlberg plays the scene brilliantly. He's sarcastic on the cell phone until he learns of trouble. He's sensitive with his wife, clearly agonizing about leaving her alone, yet he must help his colleague.
Later, we see Teresa's perspective. She is beatific. She takes time to pray as she starts her shift (or during a break). She remembers the promise she made to her dying mother--the promise that she would dedicate her life to saving others. Teresa (Lana Parilla) is stunning, with dark hair, large brown, caring eyes, and a beautiful smile. Yet she's lonely. There is no hint of a man in her life. (It is hard to believe that a woman who looks like this doesn't have half the police, paramedics, and firefighters after her).
[Another aside: As BT and WAT are about to begin their new seasons, I suspect that both dramas will try to sex things up to build ratings. Actually, WAT has already revealed that there will be a triangle involving Jack, Samantha, and Martin. As for BT, Vanessa Williams is joining the cast. I am guessing that she will be involved with Fearless. Since McNorris' love interest is leaving the show, a nice twist would be for Fearless, McNorris and Williams' characters to be involved in some sort of triangle. Teresa is going to become a cop. I could see her character becoming involved in a romance with Tom, since Joel and his wife appear to have made peace. Of course, there could still be a triangle with Tom, Teresa, and Joel. No matter, I can't imagine that the lovely Teresa will be without a boyfriend for long. ]
I have to race home to watch yet another episode, only the second one I've seen on NBC. The others I've had to watch on Bravo and TNT. This article will contain spoilerish information. That is, if there are episodes you haven't seen, you may want to skip my re-caps and commentary, as I won't hold back twists and revelations. I assume that most Boomtown fans have seen most, if not all of the episodes, so I'm not worried too much about including spoilers.
More to come.
Well, it turns out that my human TV guide (Mom) was mistaken about Boomtown being on Wednesday night. She must have been looking ahead in the local TV schedule. It was on Friday, which will be its regular night, on NBC. TNT is continuing to carry it on Mondays for now. I am hoping that between the two networks I will be able to see all of the first season's episodes before new fall eps begin.
(This is completely off the topic at hand, but a word or two about the recently added buttons on the sidebar. I'm pretty proud for having figured out how to add buttons. Although it is not hard, I am not HTML proficient and certainly not a tech-type. At this time, Pila Posts can be found on Blogarama and Globe of Blogs only. Blogwise has not yet added this blog to its index, although the button suggests otherwise. I am going to give it another week or so. If Pila Posts is still not there, that button is gonna be outta here. I realize that Blogwise may be selective about what it chooses to list and/or inundated with submissions, so that is not a slam on the site. I just don't want to falsely advertise that this blog is indexed there when, in fact, it is not.)
Back to Boomtown. As stated above, I became hooked when Bravo ran a marathon of several episodes during the first weekend in May. During that weekend, I noticed that a couple of episodes were just a few details away from real-life crimes. In one, a rich, influential attorney murdered his young lover and got his loser brother to help him dump her body in the ocean. A similar murder actually happened several years ago on the east coast rather than Boomtown's California. Another episode was about a 70's radical living in the California suburbs. She's discovered and arrested for taking part in a bank robbery in which a cop was killed. (Patricia Wettig of Thirtysomething was wonderfully haggard in the role of the radical-turned-suburban-mom.)
The actors on Boomtown (BT) here are either relatively unknown or character actors you've seen in guest roles on other shows or in TV movies. Donnie Wahlberg is a revelation as Joel, the world-weary, by the book detective who is trying to keep his wife's recent suicide attempt under wraps. Wahlberg is trim and ruggedly handsome--much better looking than he ever was in his New Kids on the Block days. He wears khakis and polo shirts like no one else. Who knew the middle class man's uniform could be so sexy? More importantly, he is a strong, non-hammy actor who hits all the right notes as the hardworking, sensitive, and mostly controlled Joel. Though his wife has attempted suicide, Joel tells people that she's fine, the suicide attempt was an accident. One person who seems genuinely concerned about his wife is Teresa, the pretty paramedic who responded to the 911 call to Joel's house.
When Teresa asks Joel about his wife, his response is a defensive, almost harsh, slightly accusatory, "Excuse me!" In those two words, Wahlberg conveys Joel's fear: how does Teresa know? Is there gossip going around? Teresa then explains that she responded to the call. Joel concocts a story--his wife is fine. It was just a freak accident. Then he moves on. Teresa can tell he is not being truthful with her. Already there are the beginnings of a Joel-Teresa match up.
In another episode, Joel and Teresa meet up by coincidence in a coffee shop. They engage in small talk for a couple of minutes. Teresa starts to open up about caring for her father. When she asks Joel about his wife, he gives the standard answer. She's fine. He is not ready to open up to her yet.
Some of the best Joel-Teresa moments (from what I have seen so far) occurred in the Halloween ep, called "All Hallow's Eve." The show opened with Joel, his still fragile wife, and young son trick or treating. Joel's at ease until his cell phone rings. He's not supposed to be bothered, he reminds his partner. One of his colleagues is in trouble. As he reluctantly leaves his wife alone with their son, she asks who it is. His reply, "No one you know, it's a paramedic." Viewers instantly know that the paramedic must be Teresa. Wahlberg plays the scene brilliantly. He's sarcastic on the cell phone until he learns of trouble. He's sensitive with his wife, clearly agonizing about leaving her alone, yet he must help his colleague.
Later, we see Teresa's perspective. She is beatific. She takes time to pray as she starts her shift (or during a break). She remembers the promise she made to her dying mother--the promise that she would dedicate her life to saving others. Teresa (Lana Parilla) is stunning, with dark hair, large brown, caring eyes, and a beautiful smile. Yet she's lonely. There is no hint of a man in her life. (It is hard to believe that a woman who looks like this doesn't have half the police, paramedics, and firefighters after her).
[Another aside: As BT and WAT are about to begin their new seasons, I suspect that both dramas will try to sex things up to build ratings. Actually, WAT has already revealed that there will be a triangle involving Jack, Samantha, and Martin. As for BT, Vanessa Williams is joining the cast. I am guessing that she will be involved with Fearless. Since McNorris' love interest is leaving the show, a nice twist would be for Fearless, McNorris and Williams' characters to be involved in some sort of triangle. Teresa is going to become a cop. I could see her character becoming involved in a romance with Tom, since Joel and his wife appear to have made peace. Of course, there could still be a triangle with Tom, Teresa, and Joel. No matter, I can't imagine that the lovely Teresa will be without a boyfriend for long. ]
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Recent Updated and Pending Topics
This post is to notify anyone who happens by of articles that I have recently added to. That way, if you are following a particular topic, you can quickly determine if it has new material. If the editing is for grammar, spelling, and style, I won't include the article here.
Pending Topics and Updates will be a list of articles that I plan to post and update soon. There are no guarantees about when they will be posted, as my internet time is limited mainly to evenings and weekends.
Recent Updates
If you haven't read anything here since July 30th, I have added a lot to the article
"Still More on the Half-Year in Soaps." I am going to add some more to it soon. Finished the article on September 6, 2003.
Pending Topics and Updates
"A Look at Boomtown (With a Peek at Without a Trace)"
"A Look at Even Stevens."
"Links I Like"
New Links will be listed on the "Links" sidebar, for the most part. I may publish another
links article in the future, with details on why I like the web sites listed. As I get more opportunity to explore the blogosphere, I will post a list of blogs in th sidebar. The list will be under a separate heading.
Pending Topics and Updates will be a list of articles that I plan to post and update soon. There are no guarantees about when they will be posted, as my internet time is limited mainly to evenings and weekends.
Recent Updates
If you haven't read anything here since July 30th, I have added a lot to the article
"Still More on the Half-Year in Soaps." I am going to add some more to it soon. Finished the article on September 6, 2003.
Pending Topics and Updates
"A Look at Boomtown (With a Peek at Without a Trace)"
"A Look at Even Stevens."
"Links I Like"
New Links will be listed on the "Links" sidebar, for the most part. I may publish another
links article in the future, with details on why I like the web sites listed. As I get more opportunity to explore the blogosphere, I will post a list of blogs in th sidebar. The list will be under a separate heading.
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Still More on the Half-Year in Soaps
Lest anyone think I am anti-Carolyn Hinsey, let me assure you that I am not.
I just think she is misinformed about what constitutes the crime of rape.
Actually, most of her recent columns have been pretty good. I'd link you to them, but it appears that the SOD site does not have them archived. If you want to send her your opinion about any of the soaps, you can reach her at sodopinion@aol.com. (That is not a link). Don't send her mass e-mail messages to campaign for such and such an actor/actress to stay on a show or to change storylines. She doesn't like that sort of thing. (Neither would I). If you're really funny, you could get published in SOD. Who knows? You could be the next Marcia from Arkansas.
More on the soaps later
Mimi Torchin Returns to Soap Opera Weekly
After a three-year absence from the magazine she helped to launch, Mimi Torchin returned to
Soap Opera Weekly starting with the August 19, 2003 issue, which just hit the stands a couple of days ago. (In some areas, the new SOW won't hit the stands until
Tuesday the 12th, but there are a couple of stores here that get the Tuesday mags out on the
Thursday or Friday prior to their official newsstand date.)
I was dismayed about Torchin's departure from SOW, as her "Speaking My Mind" editorial in each issue was always a treat. Torchin cares passionately about soaps and about free speech. I am not a soap insider, so don't know the real story of her departure. I do suspect, however, that it was not entirely voluntary. Not long before she left, SOW was involved in a dispute with Days of Our Lives regarding a column written by Marlena De LaCroix.
De LaCroix (a pseudonym) had written something about another soap being unwatchable. I believe the show was General Hospital, but my memory is a little foggy on the details. For some reason, Ken Corday, Executive Producer of DOOL, became enraged. Corday believed that De LaCroix had gone too far. He thought that the mags were to support the soaps, not criticize them harshly. With soap ratings falling, the mags had a duty to be cheerleaders. He declared that DOOL would not do any promotion with SOW, supply pictures, etc. Torchin stood by De LaCroix and criticized Corday pretty harshly for his attempts to quash free speech. Although I was never a huge fan of De LaCroix's, she did have a right to write whatever she wished about the soaps. And I was glad that Torchin stood by her.
I don't remember the timeline exactly, but Torchin left not too long after the dispute with DOOL--I believe it was within a year. De LaCroix left soon after. Lynn Leahy was made Editorial Director of both SOW and Soap Opera Digest . "Speaking My Mind" was replaced with "Dueling Divas." Some time later P.K. Waddle took over De LaCroix's "Critical Condition" column. SOW took a decidedly fluffy turn. If it weren't for fan letters, "Critical Condition" and Carolyn Hinsey's role in "Dueling Divas," there would be little serious commentary in the magazine at all. The same goes for SOD. There, Hinsey and the Mail Bag and "Love It/Hate It" are what save the mag from being a gossip and fashion rag. Both mags do have feature articles that sometimes touch on controversial issues such as how soaps portray rape and the integration of ethnic minorities into mostly white soap towns. But the majority of space is taken up with fashion and make-up tips, puff piece interviews, who wore what where, etc. And if you believe everything you read in SOD, most soap stars are also gourmet cooks. Yes, there is actually a regular feature that shows a soap star cooking a favorite recipe. SOW even devotes a few pages each issue to prime time shows, as if there is not already enough coverage of them in other magazines.
Torchin is going to be writing a weekly opinion column, aptly titled "Still Speaking My Mind." It appears that it will replace "Critical Condition," although there was no mention of this in the magazine. P.K. Waddle's column was not in the most recent issue. If the people at SOW have any sense, they will team Hinsey and Torchin in "Dueling Divas." I suspect that those two very opinionated ladies would bring a lot of attention to the magazine.
Speaking of soap criticism, P.K.Waddle's column in the August 12, 2003 issue of SOW was about As the World Turns , one of two soaps that I tape. The other being Port Charles, of course. Waddle's point was that ATWT is even better now than it was last year, the year for which it won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in May. I only saw about the last quarter or so of last year's ATWT. I can agree that the show is better now, mainly because the bus tour storyline is over. The not particularly interesting teens are now in different storylines, which showcase why the bus tour story never worked.
Star-crossed lovers Aaron and Lucy look more like brother and sister than boyfriend and girlfriend. That might not be so bad if they generated more romantic chemistry than siblings. Unfortunately, they don't. Lucy would be more interesting on her own. I like Lucy (Peyton List) in scenes with her father Craig and new stepmother Rosanna.
Meanwhile, immature and moody Alison--the wonderful Jessica Dunphy--is in a budding romance with Chris Hughes, played by Grant Show lookalike Bailey Chase. (Chase is improving day by day). If fan comments in the soap mags are any indication, Alison and Chris are becoming popular. The bus story would have worked only if fans had had reason to root for the boring Lucy and Aaron and had believed that the normally reasonable Hal would become obsessed with pinning Aaron with an arson charge.
Waddle thinks that ATWT is near perfect. I don't. The stories now are all engaging but there are is one very serious problem with all of them: characters who ought to be involved, even if marginally so, are not seen. Jack and Carly got married in Montana with only Craig, Rosanna, Mike, Molly, Katie, Parker, and a Native American midwife in attendance. Because Lily and Rose were stuck down a well, none of the Snyders could attend. Emily and Hal also could not go.
Bob Hughes is in his second coma. Yet only Kim and Chris have been by his side. His son Tom and daughter-in-law Margo have been almost completely absent from the hospital--I think Tom was shown there once. Margo went there to get information from Susan about the Lily/Rose kidnapping--not to check on her father-in-law. Barbara and Kim are on the outs, so it might be awkward for Barbara to show up, but she should anyway. And where is Lisa? Eileen Fulton made some very public comments about the current ATWT regime not wanting to use her. No matter what is going on behind the scenes, Lisa should be there for her friend Kim and her ex-husband Bob. Hogan Sheffer and his crew know how to write great stories and great dialogue, but they do have problems with isolating stories and with not knowing how to deal with certain characters, thus dropping them. They killed off Jake McKinnon because he didn't have any connections on the show. New characters with few or no connections to existing families appear on soaps all the time--including ATWT. What connections did Marshall and his daughter Sara have? Yet they are now fairly prominent characters.
The ATWT serial killer story would be killer but for the facts that there were not enough suspects and all of the people who died were minor characters. Gordo, who had come to Oakdale Memorial because of his admiration for Bob, was an obvious red herring. Chris could not be the murderer. So that left the charming, good-looking, and oh-so-reasonable Dr. Eric (Rick) Decker, played by former Dynasty hunk John James. And again, this story seems to take place in a its own little world. (Perhaps the name of the show should be changed to As the Worlds Turn.) Emily, who is supposed to be Carly's good friend, has had virtually no contact with her since the disastrous fashion show. Hal is the lead investigator on the serial killer case, yet he rarely talks to Margo, whose family is directly affected by it. And you'd think Paul would drop by to say a few kind words to Kim. Sure he's just back from the dead and bent on getting revenge on Barbara, but he ought to find some time to comfort his great aunt--especially since she is on the outs with Babs too.
What I like about ATWT far outweighs what I don't like. The dialogue is smart and witty. All of the stories--except for Lucy and Aaron's--are interesting, even if they are taking place on little islands. Some stories are ending as others are about to begin. People are on to Rick now, so the murder mystery will end soon. But the fallout from Paul's return promises to affect his relationships with his family, Rose, Dusty--and now Craig and Rosanna--for a long time to come. I am looking forward to more scenes between Cady McClain's Rosanna and Roger Howarth's Paul. Theirs is an inspired pairing. So is the partnership between Craig and Dusty. Hunt Block and Grayson McCouch are hilarious together. And no doubt that both Rose and Rosanna will oppose their business liaison. Sara and Marshall's story should be a humdinger, too.
ATWT deserved the Emmy, although its winning ensured the demise of PC. It should also get the prize next year for this year's work. I've a feeling that The Young and the Restless and GH will be strong contenders too.
Rape, Incest, Murder
Those are hardly staples of soaps, at least in the minds of most fans. But several shows have taken decidedly violent and just plain icky turns with recent storylines. Carolyn Hinsey recently complained--with justification--about how dark soaps have become. I am not copying her, since this topic was planned for posting several weeks ago. She just beat me to the punch.
ATWT has been praised for its rape storyline, but I question why the rapist--who admitted to the crime but got off due to a mistrial--was then "pardoned" of all of his other crimes, for which trials were still pending after the rape mistrial. Actually, he was not pardoned, the DA inexplicably dropped the charges, as if by doing so, viewers would forget what had happened. At least the rapist, T. Marshall Travers, does not have a leading lady yet, but that could be in the cards. Last spring, it appeared that Marshall was going to be killed, thus solving the problem of what to do with this corrupt, violent character. Instead, poor Jessica--Marshall's victim--was shot and almost killed by her daughter, Bonnie.
Marshall has never paid for his crimes and remains on the show in a prominent storyline. Keeping Marshall out of prison--or alive--just so that his presumed-dead daughter could become Bonnie's foster child (or adopted child) denies the viewers justice. How ironic (situational irony, I mean) that Roger Howarth left OLTL for ATWT because his rapist character committed murder and other crimes, yet was made a romantic leading man and never paid the consequences. (He was briefly imprisoned for the rape, at least). I hope that ATWT is not on that track with Marshall. I don't want to see anyone out of a job, but the writing team should have thought about what they were going to do with Marshall's character before they made him into a rapist. Of course, they did think about it. They thought that Marshall's criminal past would deepen the drama now that Sara knows who her father is. But characters not paying for their crimes doesn't deepen drama. It cheapens it. Is rape an unforgiveable crime and is Marshall an irredeemable character? No and no. But Marshall should have had to face the consequences of his actions. Otherwise, they look just like devices to advance the plot.
ATWT is wrapping up a serial murder storyline--see above for details. GL just finished its own serial killer story a few weeks ago--when Ben was revealed to be the murderer and then killed himself. (What a sad end for the son of one-time lead character Fletcher). Now DOOL is gearing up for its own serial killer story. On OLTL, villanous Mitch was killed earlier this summer. Murder mysteries can be compelling, but are soap viewers getting too much of a good thing? Viewers of both ATWT and GL have probably wondered which show was which for a while. (Not really, as the two P&G soaps could not be more different now. But that's another topic).
Incest, or near incest has been featured on The Bold and The Beautiful, Y&R, OLTL and GH this year. B&B and Y&R were daring, but in different ways. B&B had Bridget (Jennifer Finnigan, who looks could be Jennifer Ferrin's sister) and Ridge (Ronn Moss) were paired up as potential lovers. The problem? While Bridget was artificially aged from being say 10 to a teenager and then into her early 20's, she "grew up" thinking that Ridge was first her father, and then her half-brother. A recent plot twist revealed that Eric Forrester was not Ridge's father, meaning that there were no blood ties between the two characters. Once Bridget found out the truth, she started having romantic feelings for Ridge, a man she has always thought of as family, one way or another. Blood relationship or not, this was pretty wild, even for soaps. Fans objected to the storyline and TPTB (Bradley Bell) wisely chose to drop it.
On Y&R, the incest story was the result of another bit of revisionist history, only this time, characters who were thought to be unrelated--sworn enemies, in fact--were found out to be mother and daughter. Jill Foster and Katherine Chancellor have a history of enmity that dates back to the early days of daytime's most popular soap. I haven't really watched the show in years, but it used to be almost required viewing in my household when I was growing up, so this revelation was a real shocker. The incest that could have happened was the result of a storyline that predated the plot twist by a few years: Jill's son and Katherine's granddaughter (Jill's new niece) had been dating and had actually gotten married. My understanding is that the couple had never had sex and were interrupted just in time on their wedding night. However, the characters had already committed incest in some way. While they may not have ever had sex, surely they had kissed and made out during their romance. Of course, their romance was written before the show decided to make a dramatic shift in character relationships.
On OLTL, Joey and Flash (who was revealed to be his cousin) had a brief flirtation that included some kissing. He was paired with someone else and become involved in a triangle with a character who we can only presume is not a long lost relative. The trouble with this story was this: Joey and the viewers did not know Flash's true identity. But Flash did know who she was and did know that Joey was her cousin. So why was she after him?
On GH, two teenage cousins, who are not blood relatives, but who grew up thinking of each other as family have been paired romantically. Unlike the rest of the soap fandom, I don't really watch GH, so I am not sure of exactly how the characters are related. Nevertheless, the thought is still icky. I have cousins who are not blood relatives. I would never even think of becoming involved with any of them romantically.
Both the Y&R and OLTL incest stories show how soaps can get screwed up when juicy stories are produced before being fully thought out. Any soap, given the continuing narrative structure and the many years of production, can make the mistake of romantically linking characters who later turn out to be related. On both B&B and GH, the stories were more about people living and relating to one another as family, even if there were no shared bloodlines. No matter how it is written, incest--or potential incest-- is not something viewers welcome. Soaps would do well to avoid it in the future.
I just think she is misinformed about what constitutes the crime of rape.
Actually, most of her recent columns have been pretty good. I'd link you to them, but it appears that the SOD site does not have them archived. If you want to send her your opinion about any of the soaps, you can reach her at sodopinion@aol.com. (That is not a link). Don't send her mass e-mail messages to campaign for such and such an actor/actress to stay on a show or to change storylines. She doesn't like that sort of thing. (Neither would I). If you're really funny, you could get published in SOD. Who knows? You could be the next Marcia from Arkansas.
More on the soaps later
Mimi Torchin Returns to Soap Opera Weekly
After a three-year absence from the magazine she helped to launch, Mimi Torchin returned to
Soap Opera Weekly starting with the August 19, 2003 issue, which just hit the stands a couple of days ago. (In some areas, the new SOW won't hit the stands until
Tuesday the 12th, but there are a couple of stores here that get the Tuesday mags out on the
Thursday or Friday prior to their official newsstand date.)
I was dismayed about Torchin's departure from SOW, as her "Speaking My Mind" editorial in each issue was always a treat. Torchin cares passionately about soaps and about free speech. I am not a soap insider, so don't know the real story of her departure. I do suspect, however, that it was not entirely voluntary. Not long before she left, SOW was involved in a dispute with Days of Our Lives regarding a column written by Marlena De LaCroix.
De LaCroix (a pseudonym) had written something about another soap being unwatchable. I believe the show was General Hospital, but my memory is a little foggy on the details. For some reason, Ken Corday, Executive Producer of DOOL, became enraged. Corday believed that De LaCroix had gone too far. He thought that the mags were to support the soaps, not criticize them harshly. With soap ratings falling, the mags had a duty to be cheerleaders. He declared that DOOL would not do any promotion with SOW, supply pictures, etc. Torchin stood by De LaCroix and criticized Corday pretty harshly for his attempts to quash free speech. Although I was never a huge fan of De LaCroix's, she did have a right to write whatever she wished about the soaps. And I was glad that Torchin stood by her.
I don't remember the timeline exactly, but Torchin left not too long after the dispute with DOOL--I believe it was within a year. De LaCroix left soon after. Lynn Leahy was made Editorial Director of both SOW and Soap Opera Digest . "Speaking My Mind" was replaced with "Dueling Divas." Some time later P.K. Waddle took over De LaCroix's "Critical Condition" column. SOW took a decidedly fluffy turn. If it weren't for fan letters, "Critical Condition" and Carolyn Hinsey's role in "Dueling Divas," there would be little serious commentary in the magazine at all. The same goes for SOD. There, Hinsey and the Mail Bag and "Love It/Hate It" are what save the mag from being a gossip and fashion rag. Both mags do have feature articles that sometimes touch on controversial issues such as how soaps portray rape and the integration of ethnic minorities into mostly white soap towns. But the majority of space is taken up with fashion and make-up tips, puff piece interviews, who wore what where, etc. And if you believe everything you read in SOD, most soap stars are also gourmet cooks. Yes, there is actually a regular feature that shows a soap star cooking a favorite recipe. SOW even devotes a few pages each issue to prime time shows, as if there is not already enough coverage of them in other magazines.
Torchin is going to be writing a weekly opinion column, aptly titled "Still Speaking My Mind." It appears that it will replace "Critical Condition," although there was no mention of this in the magazine. P.K. Waddle's column was not in the most recent issue. If the people at SOW have any sense, they will team Hinsey and Torchin in "Dueling Divas." I suspect that those two very opinionated ladies would bring a lot of attention to the magazine.
Speaking of soap criticism, P.K.Waddle's column in the August 12, 2003 issue of SOW was about As the World Turns , one of two soaps that I tape. The other being Port Charles, of course. Waddle's point was that ATWT is even better now than it was last year, the year for which it won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in May. I only saw about the last quarter or so of last year's ATWT. I can agree that the show is better now, mainly because the bus tour storyline is over. The not particularly interesting teens are now in different storylines, which showcase why the bus tour story never worked.
Star-crossed lovers Aaron and Lucy look more like brother and sister than boyfriend and girlfriend. That might not be so bad if they generated more romantic chemistry than siblings. Unfortunately, they don't. Lucy would be more interesting on her own. I like Lucy (Peyton List) in scenes with her father Craig and new stepmother Rosanna.
Meanwhile, immature and moody Alison--the wonderful Jessica Dunphy--is in a budding romance with Chris Hughes, played by Grant Show lookalike Bailey Chase. (Chase is improving day by day). If fan comments in the soap mags are any indication, Alison and Chris are becoming popular. The bus story would have worked only if fans had had reason to root for the boring Lucy and Aaron and had believed that the normally reasonable Hal would become obsessed with pinning Aaron with an arson charge.
Waddle thinks that ATWT is near perfect. I don't. The stories now are all engaging but there are is one very serious problem with all of them: characters who ought to be involved, even if marginally so, are not seen. Jack and Carly got married in Montana with only Craig, Rosanna, Mike, Molly, Katie, Parker, and a Native American midwife in attendance. Because Lily and Rose were stuck down a well, none of the Snyders could attend. Emily and Hal also could not go.
Bob Hughes is in his second coma. Yet only Kim and Chris have been by his side. His son Tom and daughter-in-law Margo have been almost completely absent from the hospital--I think Tom was shown there once. Margo went there to get information from Susan about the Lily/Rose kidnapping--not to check on her father-in-law. Barbara and Kim are on the outs, so it might be awkward for Barbara to show up, but she should anyway. And where is Lisa? Eileen Fulton made some very public comments about the current ATWT regime not wanting to use her. No matter what is going on behind the scenes, Lisa should be there for her friend Kim and her ex-husband Bob. Hogan Sheffer and his crew know how to write great stories and great dialogue, but they do have problems with isolating stories and with not knowing how to deal with certain characters, thus dropping them. They killed off Jake McKinnon because he didn't have any connections on the show. New characters with few or no connections to existing families appear on soaps all the time--including ATWT. What connections did Marshall and his daughter Sara have? Yet they are now fairly prominent characters.
The ATWT serial killer story would be killer but for the facts that there were not enough suspects and all of the people who died were minor characters. Gordo, who had come to Oakdale Memorial because of his admiration for Bob, was an obvious red herring. Chris could not be the murderer. So that left the charming, good-looking, and oh-so-reasonable Dr. Eric (Rick) Decker, played by former Dynasty hunk John James. And again, this story seems to take place in a its own little world. (Perhaps the name of the show should be changed to As the Worlds Turn.) Emily, who is supposed to be Carly's good friend, has had virtually no contact with her since the disastrous fashion show. Hal is the lead investigator on the serial killer case, yet he rarely talks to Margo, whose family is directly affected by it. And you'd think Paul would drop by to say a few kind words to Kim. Sure he's just back from the dead and bent on getting revenge on Barbara, but he ought to find some time to comfort his great aunt--especially since she is on the outs with Babs too.
What I like about ATWT far outweighs what I don't like. The dialogue is smart and witty. All of the stories--except for Lucy and Aaron's--are interesting, even if they are taking place on little islands. Some stories are ending as others are about to begin. People are on to Rick now, so the murder mystery will end soon. But the fallout from Paul's return promises to affect his relationships with his family, Rose, Dusty--and now Craig and Rosanna--for a long time to come. I am looking forward to more scenes between Cady McClain's Rosanna and Roger Howarth's Paul. Theirs is an inspired pairing. So is the partnership between Craig and Dusty. Hunt Block and Grayson McCouch are hilarious together. And no doubt that both Rose and Rosanna will oppose their business liaison. Sara and Marshall's story should be a humdinger, too.
ATWT deserved the Emmy, although its winning ensured the demise of PC. It should also get the prize next year for this year's work. I've a feeling that The Young and the Restless and GH will be strong contenders too.
Rape, Incest, Murder
Those are hardly staples of soaps, at least in the minds of most fans. But several shows have taken decidedly violent and just plain icky turns with recent storylines. Carolyn Hinsey recently complained--with justification--about how dark soaps have become. I am not copying her, since this topic was planned for posting several weeks ago. She just beat me to the punch.
ATWT has been praised for its rape storyline, but I question why the rapist--who admitted to the crime but got off due to a mistrial--was then "pardoned" of all of his other crimes, for which trials were still pending after the rape mistrial. Actually, he was not pardoned, the DA inexplicably dropped the charges, as if by doing so, viewers would forget what had happened. At least the rapist, T. Marshall Travers, does not have a leading lady yet, but that could be in the cards. Last spring, it appeared that Marshall was going to be killed, thus solving the problem of what to do with this corrupt, violent character. Instead, poor Jessica--Marshall's victim--was shot and almost killed by her daughter, Bonnie.
Marshall has never paid for his crimes and remains on the show in a prominent storyline. Keeping Marshall out of prison--or alive--just so that his presumed-dead daughter could become Bonnie's foster child (or adopted child) denies the viewers justice. How ironic (situational irony, I mean) that Roger Howarth left OLTL for ATWT because his rapist character committed murder and other crimes, yet was made a romantic leading man and never paid the consequences. (He was briefly imprisoned for the rape, at least). I hope that ATWT is not on that track with Marshall. I don't want to see anyone out of a job, but the writing team should have thought about what they were going to do with Marshall's character before they made him into a rapist. Of course, they did think about it. They thought that Marshall's criminal past would deepen the drama now that Sara knows who her father is. But characters not paying for their crimes doesn't deepen drama. It cheapens it. Is rape an unforgiveable crime and is Marshall an irredeemable character? No and no. But Marshall should have had to face the consequences of his actions. Otherwise, they look just like devices to advance the plot.
ATWT is wrapping up a serial murder storyline--see above for details. GL just finished its own serial killer story a few weeks ago--when Ben was revealed to be the murderer and then killed himself. (What a sad end for the son of one-time lead character Fletcher). Now DOOL is gearing up for its own serial killer story. On OLTL, villanous Mitch was killed earlier this summer. Murder mysteries can be compelling, but are soap viewers getting too much of a good thing? Viewers of both ATWT and GL have probably wondered which show was which for a while. (Not really, as the two P&G soaps could not be more different now. But that's another topic).
Incest, or near incest has been featured on The Bold and The Beautiful, Y&R, OLTL and GH this year. B&B and Y&R were daring, but in different ways. B&B had Bridget (Jennifer Finnigan, who looks could be Jennifer Ferrin's sister) and Ridge (Ronn Moss) were paired up as potential lovers. The problem? While Bridget was artificially aged from being say 10 to a teenager and then into her early 20's, she "grew up" thinking that Ridge was first her father, and then her half-brother. A recent plot twist revealed that Eric Forrester was not Ridge's father, meaning that there were no blood ties between the two characters. Once Bridget found out the truth, she started having romantic feelings for Ridge, a man she has always thought of as family, one way or another. Blood relationship or not, this was pretty wild, even for soaps. Fans objected to the storyline and TPTB (Bradley Bell) wisely chose to drop it.
On Y&R, the incest story was the result of another bit of revisionist history, only this time, characters who were thought to be unrelated--sworn enemies, in fact--were found out to be mother and daughter. Jill Foster and Katherine Chancellor have a history of enmity that dates back to the early days of daytime's most popular soap. I haven't really watched the show in years, but it used to be almost required viewing in my household when I was growing up, so this revelation was a real shocker. The incest that could have happened was the result of a storyline that predated the plot twist by a few years: Jill's son and Katherine's granddaughter (Jill's new niece) had been dating and had actually gotten married. My understanding is that the couple had never had sex and were interrupted just in time on their wedding night. However, the characters had already committed incest in some way. While they may not have ever had sex, surely they had kissed and made out during their romance. Of course, their romance was written before the show decided to make a dramatic shift in character relationships.
On OLTL, Joey and Flash (who was revealed to be his cousin) had a brief flirtation that included some kissing. He was paired with someone else and become involved in a triangle with a character who we can only presume is not a long lost relative. The trouble with this story was this: Joey and the viewers did not know Flash's true identity. But Flash did know who she was and did know that Joey was her cousin. So why was she after him?
On GH, two teenage cousins, who are not blood relatives, but who grew up thinking of each other as family have been paired romantically. Unlike the rest of the soap fandom, I don't really watch GH, so I am not sure of exactly how the characters are related. Nevertheless, the thought is still icky. I have cousins who are not blood relatives. I would never even think of becoming involved with any of them romantically.
Both the Y&R and OLTL incest stories show how soaps can get screwed up when juicy stories are produced before being fully thought out. Any soap, given the continuing narrative structure and the many years of production, can make the mistake of romantically linking characters who later turn out to be related. On both B&B and GH, the stories were more about people living and relating to one another as family, even if there were no shared bloodlines. No matter how it is written, incest--or potential incest-- is not something viewers welcome. Soaps would do well to avoid it in the future.
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
More on the Half-Year in Soaps
Carolyn Hinsey writes the "It's Only My Opinion" column in Soap Opera Digest and serves as one-half of the "Dueling Divas" in Soap Opera Weekly.
I would love to have her job. She gets paid to watch soaps and write two catty (kinda) columns in two national magazines. Of course, I'm sure there is much more to her job than that, but wouldn't it be fun to find out.
Hinsey's SOD column reads like a blog. She writes in a breezy, webster style. You know, the same way any soap fan would write if given the chance. Just like a some blogs, e-mailed opinions from her many readers appear at the bottom of her column. And Hinsey must have struck a nerve. Most of the people who comment write in her style.
Hinsey can be a bit reactionary and just doesn't get it about the crime of rape. Memo to Carolyn: The victim does not have to scream, fight, bite, etc. for the act to be rape. Battery is intentional, unwanted touching. It does not require that the victim respond in any particular way. I hope you never are called to serve on the jury of a rape case. No matter what the judge instructs about the law, erroneous pre-conceived notions can be hard
to put aside.
Hinsey relies on stock phrases a lot. "That's funny," "I'm not buyin' it," and "play all the beats" are just a few of the comments she uses over and over. I am guessing that working under a deadline and with few constraints are the reasons for this.
One annoying web habit is the practice of combining the made-up prefix nu- with a soap character's name whenever a new actor is cast in an established role. Grayson McCouch of As the World Turns is nuDusty for just one example. Hinsey didn't create this usage, but she could do her part to retire the term if she stopped using it.
Also, I am not sure why soap fans cannot accept recasts. Shows have to recast roles because young, good-looking actors want to move on to greener pastures. Is this anything new? Fans (and critics) strain for any reason not to like someone: He/she looks nothing like the previous actor; he/she looks just like the previous actor but doesn't sound like him/her or hasn't grasped the role; is too old (nuLucky on General Hospital) or too young (nuJoey on One Life to Live); his/her personality has changed; the actor is okay but the powers that be botched his/her backstory. Those last two accusations have been unfairly hurled at McCouch. Oh sure, McCouch's Dusty Donovan is cute, sexy, etc,. But ATWT fans know that Dusty was not best friends with Paul. Paul's best friend was Andy. And Dusty is evil now. So those things are McCouch's fault? Turn in Hogan Sheffer (ATWT's Head Writer) to the Continuity Police. Don't blame McCouch, whose swaggering, sleazy take on Dusty has made a huge splash on ATWT. (A quibble with the wardrobe people--when Dusty debute it was cold outside, yet he was often shirtless. Now it is summer and he is always in dark colors and wearing a jacket.) Perhaps Sheffer can be forgiven. When Brian Bloom left the show years ago, his Dusty was a good-looking, honorable young man. But he had debuted as a not-terribly-good-looking pre-teen brat. Young Dusty hung out with younger kid Paul and tried to lead him astray. Maybe they weren't best friends, but neither were they strangers. Young Master Donovan was a bad kid. McCouch's incarnation could be Dusty returning to his former relationship and the nasty behavior that went with it.
Casting About
Casting changes are a big story in soaps this year. ATWT and other CBS shows have benefitted mightily from actors moving around. Along with McCouch, ATWT has recently acquired Real Andrews as forensic investigator Dr. Walker Daniels (recently Taggart on GH), John James as Dr. Eric (Rick) Decker (James was my hero as Jeff Colby on Dynasty in the 80's. Alas, Dr. Decker has been revealed as a serial killer, so James will be leaving the show), Bailey Chase as Dr. Chris Hughes, and Roger Howarth (Todd from OLTL) in the oft recast role of Paul Ryan. He is nuPaul to McCouch's nuDusty. (Yeah, I know I'm not doing my part to retire that no-longer-clever term). Jennifer Ferrin just debuted as Paul's half-sister Jennifer. I am going to withold judgment for now. She appears to be better than the previous actress who was anemic, but at times she seems to be looking past her scene partners at cue cards. (I was under the impression that ATWT didn't use cue cards). Hope I'm wrong about what she is doing. Chase is the weakest of the bunch. Many times, he doesn't seem to know what to do with his eyes (cue cards again?). Worse, he can barely talk. One day I clearly heard him save "lifes" as the plural form of the noun "life."
My dictionary and thirty-odd years of readin' and writing' tell me that the plural is "lives" with a "v!!!!" My opinion must not count for much, however. Chase tied with veteran Michael Park as favorite ATWT actor in one of SOD's fan polls.
Howarth's switch from OLTL's Todd to ATWT's Paul has to be the biggest casting story of the year thus far. (Vanessa Marcil leaving GH after just a few months would be a strong candidate for a tie. But Marcil's departure was not all that unexpected, given the conditions of her return). Howarth is one of a slew of ABC actors to "defect" to CBS this year. Actually the trend started over a year ago when Cady McClain left her role as Dixie on
All My Children supposedly to pursue other career options. Shortly thereafter she ended up on ATWT as nuRosanna. Other ABC actors who have come to CBS are Sydney Penny, Keith Hamilton Cobb, and Real Andrews. Penny has played roles on other soaps, and was not on contract at AMC, so her choice to go to The Bold and the Beautiful is not surprising. Andrews was not being used much as Detective Taggart on GH, so again his decision to go to a show that immediately showcased him in a big story makes sense. Cobb is a bit of a mystery. He left AMC with some pretty public remarks about not being used. He had refused returning to the role that made him a soap star and had refused opportunities to go to other soaps. Maybe he could no longer afford to hold out for
movies and prime time roles. I don't watch B&B or Y&R, so I have no idea how Penny and Cobb are doing. I do watch ATWT and can report that Andrews is pretty good. His sometimes halting line delivery takes some getting used to. I'd like to believe that he is making a conscious decision as an actor to make it appear that his character chooses his words carefully. At least he hasn't made up any words yet. Both SOD and SOW have speculated that all the ABC actors going to CBS shows has to do with former ABC daytime executive Barbara Bloom taking the VP Daytime position at CBS. Bloom claims that CBS is not going after ABC actors. The network is simply trying to get the best actors for each role. (Ms. Bloom, please explain Bailey Chase).
But back to Howarth. He won an Emmy playing OLTL's Todd as a menacing rapist. The show then attempted to turn the character into a romantic lead, albeit with lots of demons. Howarth had left the role several times over the years and had voiced displeasure at changing Todd from a villain to a sexy anti-hero. However, he'd always returned to OLTL and had never appeared on another soap during his absences. Howarth stopped talking to the soap press years ago, so fans have heard nothing from his mouth about why he chose to take over the role of Paul Ryan. In the July 15, 2003 issue of SOD, ATWT's Head Writer Hogan Sheffer says, "We knew that he hated playing Todd and hated the fact that there was an attempt to take such a violent, base character and turn him into a romantic hero." Leaving his signature role was an act of conscience for Howarth. If so, he is not the only soap performer to do so this year. The same SOD issue reported that Deanna Wright, who plays Kay on Passions, has decided to leave her role because the character is at odds with her Christian beliefs. I applaud both Howarth and Wright for taking stances in favor of moral uprightness, something so rarely seen these days, even among the self-righteous. I don't know if Howarth is a Christian or just an enlightened male who understands rape and its ramifications.
Howarth's predecessor, Scott Holroyd, would have been more than capable of playing the embittered, transformed Paul whose fiance, best friend and mother have done him wrong. But I would not have wanted to miss Howarth's take on the character. He's smart-aleck and passionate, ready to take on his father, his mother, Dusty, Rose--anyone who crosses him. No longer the voice of reason, Paul has no qualms about starting a fracas over his family's dinner plans or asserting his agenda to protect sibs Jennifer and Paul from their blood-sucking mother. (Turns out Port Charles is not the only soap with vampires.) Yet he is playful, too. Loved his sparring with McClain's uptight Rosanna. When he told her "This is fun," I wondered if he meant that in character or as a comparison to what he had to do at OLTL. Howarth's Paul seems capable of evildoing without being truly evil. Is this nuandimprovedTodd, perhaps?
I would love to have her job. She gets paid to watch soaps and write two catty (kinda) columns in two national magazines. Of course, I'm sure there is much more to her job than that, but wouldn't it be fun to find out.
Hinsey's SOD column reads like a blog. She writes in a breezy, webster style. You know, the same way any soap fan would write if given the chance. Just like a some blogs, e-mailed opinions from her many readers appear at the bottom of her column. And Hinsey must have struck a nerve. Most of the people who comment write in her style.
Hinsey can be a bit reactionary and just doesn't get it about the crime of rape. Memo to Carolyn: The victim does not have to scream, fight, bite, etc. for the act to be rape. Battery is intentional, unwanted touching. It does not require that the victim respond in any particular way. I hope you never are called to serve on the jury of a rape case. No matter what the judge instructs about the law, erroneous pre-conceived notions can be hard
to put aside.
Hinsey relies on stock phrases a lot. "That's funny," "I'm not buyin' it," and "play all the beats" are just a few of the comments she uses over and over. I am guessing that working under a deadline and with few constraints are the reasons for this.
One annoying web habit is the practice of combining the made-up prefix nu- with a soap character's name whenever a new actor is cast in an established role. Grayson McCouch of As the World Turns is nuDusty for just one example. Hinsey didn't create this usage, but she could do her part to retire the term if she stopped using it.
Also, I am not sure why soap fans cannot accept recasts. Shows have to recast roles because young, good-looking actors want to move on to greener pastures. Is this anything new? Fans (and critics) strain for any reason not to like someone: He/she looks nothing like the previous actor; he/she looks just like the previous actor but doesn't sound like him/her or hasn't grasped the role; is too old (nuLucky on General Hospital) or too young (nuJoey on One Life to Live); his/her personality has changed; the actor is okay but the powers that be botched his/her backstory. Those last two accusations have been unfairly hurled at McCouch. Oh sure, McCouch's Dusty Donovan is cute, sexy, etc,. But ATWT fans know that Dusty was not best friends with Paul. Paul's best friend was Andy. And Dusty is evil now. So those things are McCouch's fault? Turn in Hogan Sheffer (ATWT's Head Writer) to the Continuity Police. Don't blame McCouch, whose swaggering, sleazy take on Dusty has made a huge splash on ATWT. (A quibble with the wardrobe people--when Dusty debute it was cold outside, yet he was often shirtless. Now it is summer and he is always in dark colors and wearing a jacket.) Perhaps Sheffer can be forgiven. When Brian Bloom left the show years ago, his Dusty was a good-looking, honorable young man. But he had debuted as a not-terribly-good-looking pre-teen brat. Young Dusty hung out with younger kid Paul and tried to lead him astray. Maybe they weren't best friends, but neither were they strangers. Young Master Donovan was a bad kid. McCouch's incarnation could be Dusty returning to his former relationship and the nasty behavior that went with it.
Casting About
Casting changes are a big story in soaps this year. ATWT and other CBS shows have benefitted mightily from actors moving around. Along with McCouch, ATWT has recently acquired Real Andrews as forensic investigator Dr. Walker Daniels (recently Taggart on GH), John James as Dr. Eric (Rick) Decker (James was my hero as Jeff Colby on Dynasty in the 80's. Alas, Dr. Decker has been revealed as a serial killer, so James will be leaving the show), Bailey Chase as Dr. Chris Hughes, and Roger Howarth (Todd from OLTL) in the oft recast role of Paul Ryan. He is nuPaul to McCouch's nuDusty. (Yeah, I know I'm not doing my part to retire that no-longer-clever term). Jennifer Ferrin just debuted as Paul's half-sister Jennifer. I am going to withold judgment for now. She appears to be better than the previous actress who was anemic, but at times she seems to be looking past her scene partners at cue cards. (I was under the impression that ATWT didn't use cue cards). Hope I'm wrong about what she is doing. Chase is the weakest of the bunch. Many times, he doesn't seem to know what to do with his eyes (cue cards again?). Worse, he can barely talk. One day I clearly heard him save "lifes" as the plural form of the noun "life."
My dictionary and thirty-odd years of readin' and writing' tell me that the plural is "lives" with a "v!!!!" My opinion must not count for much, however. Chase tied with veteran Michael Park as favorite ATWT actor in one of SOD's fan polls.
Howarth's switch from OLTL's Todd to ATWT's Paul has to be the biggest casting story of the year thus far. (Vanessa Marcil leaving GH after just a few months would be a strong candidate for a tie. But Marcil's departure was not all that unexpected, given the conditions of her return). Howarth is one of a slew of ABC actors to "defect" to CBS this year. Actually the trend started over a year ago when Cady McClain left her role as Dixie on
All My Children supposedly to pursue other career options. Shortly thereafter she ended up on ATWT as nuRosanna. Other ABC actors who have come to CBS are Sydney Penny, Keith Hamilton Cobb, and Real Andrews. Penny has played roles on other soaps, and was not on contract at AMC, so her choice to go to The Bold and the Beautiful is not surprising. Andrews was not being used much as Detective Taggart on GH, so again his decision to go to a show that immediately showcased him in a big story makes sense. Cobb is a bit of a mystery. He left AMC with some pretty public remarks about not being used. He had refused returning to the role that made him a soap star and had refused opportunities to go to other soaps. Maybe he could no longer afford to hold out for
movies and prime time roles. I don't watch B&B or Y&R, so I have no idea how Penny and Cobb are doing. I do watch ATWT and can report that Andrews is pretty good. His sometimes halting line delivery takes some getting used to. I'd like to believe that he is making a conscious decision as an actor to make it appear that his character chooses his words carefully. At least he hasn't made up any words yet. Both SOD and SOW have speculated that all the ABC actors going to CBS shows has to do with former ABC daytime executive Barbara Bloom taking the VP Daytime position at CBS. Bloom claims that CBS is not going after ABC actors. The network is simply trying to get the best actors for each role. (Ms. Bloom, please explain Bailey Chase).
But back to Howarth. He won an Emmy playing OLTL's Todd as a menacing rapist. The show then attempted to turn the character into a romantic lead, albeit with lots of demons. Howarth had left the role several times over the years and had voiced displeasure at changing Todd from a villain to a sexy anti-hero. However, he'd always returned to OLTL and had never appeared on another soap during his absences. Howarth stopped talking to the soap press years ago, so fans have heard nothing from his mouth about why he chose to take over the role of Paul Ryan. In the July 15, 2003 issue of SOD, ATWT's Head Writer Hogan Sheffer says, "We knew that he hated playing Todd and hated the fact that there was an attempt to take such a violent, base character and turn him into a romantic hero." Leaving his signature role was an act of conscience for Howarth. If so, he is not the only soap performer to do so this year. The same SOD issue reported that Deanna Wright, who plays Kay on Passions, has decided to leave her role because the character is at odds with her Christian beliefs. I applaud both Howarth and Wright for taking stances in favor of moral uprightness, something so rarely seen these days, even among the self-righteous. I don't know if Howarth is a Christian or just an enlightened male who understands rape and its ramifications.
Howarth's predecessor, Scott Holroyd, would have been more than capable of playing the embittered, transformed Paul whose fiance, best friend and mother have done him wrong. But I would not have wanted to miss Howarth's take on the character. He's smart-aleck and passionate, ready to take on his father, his mother, Dusty, Rose--anyone who crosses him. No longer the voice of reason, Paul has no qualms about starting a fracas over his family's dinner plans or asserting his agenda to protect sibs Jennifer and Paul from their blood-sucking mother. (Turns out Port Charles is not the only soap with vampires.) Yet he is playful, too. Loved his sparring with McClain's uptight Rosanna. When he told her "This is fun," I wondered if he meant that in character or as a comparison to what he had to do at OLTL. Howarth's Paul seems capable of evildoing without being truly evil. Is this nuandimprovedTodd, perhaps?
Saturday, July 12, 2003
Links I Like
The following is a list of links to websites I like to visit. I'm just a bit too lazy to construct
links using HTML in the sidebar. This list will be updated periodically.
Update: August 10, 2003
Please note that I have updated this blog's template. Since I wanted to try out my HTML
skills, I also added a list of links to the sidebar. It did not take as long to do as I thought it would, so from now on new links will be posted in the sidebar. I may write a new article about interesting links as I find more of them.
Soaps
I keep up with all the soaps without watching all of them by reading the soap mags and going online. My favorite soap sites are The Port Charles Explosion (as noted below) and
Soap Central's PC section. Soap
Central is a great all-around soap site. Soap Central's Port Charles Page is listed as
GH2 Online on the "Links" sidebar.
News
For news I go all over the place. I tend to search out sites beyond the mainstream. The sites I visit most often are: Google News,
USA Today, Slate, Underreported.com, American Journalism Review, and Arts & Letters Daily
Google's news site is one of those places that one can easily get lost in. It has oodles of links to stories on numerous topics. One of the nicer features is that Google will often go to local or regional newspapers, which sometimes have a different take or more in-depth coverage on stories than national news outlets. Slate has lots of links and covers a variety of topics. It also has a slew of regular contributors--many of them top writers and experts in their fields-- and a lot of commentary and reviews. Its smart-alecky tone can be annoying at times, but its analysis of both national and international papers and their top stories makes the site worth dropping in on. USA Today may seem to be an odd choice, but it can have surprisingly good articles on a wide-range of topics.
Underreported.com is just what the title says, a compendium of underreported news stories on topics of interest to the site's creator. Many of the underreported stories are on politics, civil liberties, constitutional rights, and the like. I gather that the creator is a concerned citizen with strong pro-life views. However he (or she) cannot be pigeon-holed as being liberal or conservative--at least not conservative as it has come to mean nowdays. His (or her) dedication to following up on stories that fly below the radar is astounding.
American Journalism Review (AJR)covers journalism. It is a sort of the stories about the stories site. AJR also has a print magazine that is hard to find, but worth reading if you do happen upon it.
Arts and Letters Daily used to be affiliated with the defunct Lingua Franca , but is now a service of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Like most of the other sites I like, it has lots of links to other news outlets. You can also get lost in it for hours. The main page features intriguing little tidbits that trail off into ellipses. You have to link to another site to get the rest of the story. And then of course you get lost in that story, and then another and another, etc.
Search Engine
Google, of course. Is there any other search engine? I'm not just saying that because Google owns the company that hosts this blog--really. My sister told my mother and me about Google a few years ago. Other than site specific search engines, it is the only one I use. (Well, that's not entirely true, but Google is best for most routine searches. I like to use EBSCO and other academic data bases, too.) Of course, I'm no web expert, so take that with a grain of salt.
Blog Related Sites
Other than Blogger (duh!) I am still not really familiar with the blogosphere. (Picked up that word, though!) Popdex, looks pretty good.
In the interest of full disclosure, I know someone who works for Slate and Popdex indexes this blog in exchange for a link. ( Alas, I am not above a little shameless self-promotion).
links using HTML in the sidebar. This list will be updated periodically.
Update: August 10, 2003
Please note that I have updated this blog's template. Since I wanted to try out my HTML
skills, I also added a list of links to the sidebar. It did not take as long to do as I thought it would, so from now on new links will be posted in the sidebar. I may write a new article about interesting links as I find more of them.
Soaps
I keep up with all the soaps without watching all of them by reading the soap mags and going online. My favorite soap sites are The Port Charles Explosion (as noted below) and
Soap Central's PC section. Soap
Central is a great all-around soap site. Soap Central's Port Charles Page is listed as
GH2 Online on the "Links" sidebar.
News
For news I go all over the place. I tend to search out sites beyond the mainstream. The sites I visit most often are: Google News,
USA Today, Slate, Underreported.com, American Journalism Review, and Arts & Letters Daily
Google's news site is one of those places that one can easily get lost in. It has oodles of links to stories on numerous topics. One of the nicer features is that Google will often go to local or regional newspapers, which sometimes have a different take or more in-depth coverage on stories than national news outlets. Slate has lots of links and covers a variety of topics. It also has a slew of regular contributors--many of them top writers and experts in their fields-- and a lot of commentary and reviews. Its smart-alecky tone can be annoying at times, but its analysis of both national and international papers and their top stories makes the site worth dropping in on. USA Today may seem to be an odd choice, but it can have surprisingly good articles on a wide-range of topics.
Underreported.com is just what the title says, a compendium of underreported news stories on topics of interest to the site's creator. Many of the underreported stories are on politics, civil liberties, constitutional rights, and the like. I gather that the creator is a concerned citizen with strong pro-life views. However he (or she) cannot be pigeon-holed as being liberal or conservative--at least not conservative as it has come to mean nowdays. His (or her) dedication to following up on stories that fly below the radar is astounding.
American Journalism Review (AJR)covers journalism. It is a sort of the stories about the stories site. AJR also has a print magazine that is hard to find, but worth reading if you do happen upon it.
Arts and Letters Daily used to be affiliated with the defunct Lingua Franca , but is now a service of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Like most of the other sites I like, it has lots of links to other news outlets. You can also get lost in it for hours. The main page features intriguing little tidbits that trail off into ellipses. You have to link to another site to get the rest of the story. And then of course you get lost in that story, and then another and another, etc.
Search Engine
Google, of course. Is there any other search engine? I'm not just saying that because Google owns the company that hosts this blog--really. My sister told my mother and me about Google a few years ago. Other than site specific search engines, it is the only one I use. (Well, that's not entirely true, but Google is best for most routine searches. I like to use EBSCO and other academic data bases, too.) Of course, I'm no web expert, so take that with a grain of salt.
Blog Related Sites
Other than Blogger (duh!) I am still not really familiar with the blogosphere. (Picked up that word, though!) Popdex, looks pretty good.
In the interest of full disclosure, I know someone who works for Slate and Popdex indexes this blog in exchange for a link. ( Alas, I am not above a little shameless self-promotion).
Sunday, July 06, 2003
The Half Year In Soaps
Port Charles Will End In October
The cancellation of "Port Charles," one of two soaps that I tape, has to be the biggest soap opera story of the year thus far. My original plan was to do a brief overview of the first half of the year in order to avoid trying to cram things in at the end of the year. I was going to start a review of the half year in soaps soon, anyway. PC's untimely demise moved things up a bit.
I've only watched Port Charles since the latter part of 2002--toward the end of the "Naked Eyes" story arc/novella. Unlike some viewers who had watched the show morph from a sister show to "General Hospital" into a new version of "Dark Shadows," I had no real interest in what had come before. I read two soap mags and had followed PC's storylines since its inception in 1997, but only became interested in watching the show after reading about its turn toward the supernatural a couple of years ago. Being a neo-Luddite, I only recently purchased a VCR. I couldn't wait to start taping the show.
It is hard to explain why the vampire storylines intrigued me. I generally don't like SF and fantasy books or movies. I am not a fan of "Buffy." And I grew up watching traditional CBS soaps such as "Search For Tomorrow," "The Edge of Night," "As The World Turns," and "Guiding Light"--back in the days when it was called "The Guiding Light." But there was a brief period, when I was too little to even tell time, when my older brother and two older sisters started watching "Dark Shadows." I don't remember much about the show, other than Barnabas Collins, Angelique, Quentin, and a bunch of stuff about parallel worlds. It was my assignment to tell my sibs what time it was (the big hand is on the five, the little hand is the three), so they'd know if there was more to come or if the show was over. My best friend and I developed a crush on Quentin. We even named a favorite pillow after him--don't know why. Perhaps it was PC's taking up where "Dark Shadows" left off that made me want to watch. I'm glad I did watch--and will watch until October 3, 2003, the day PC airs its last episode.
PC never really had a chance. It airs at 12:30 p.m. in most markets, a time slot that puts it in direct competition with "The Young and the Restless," the highest rated soap opera. YR has been number one for years. The ABC soaps that previously occupied PC's time slot, "Ryan's Hope," "Loving," and "The City," did not do well in the ratings, either. RH had a fairly long run, no doubt due to critical acclaim and Emmy awards. "Loving" and "The City" did not do better than RH, perhaps they did even worse. ABC should have learned a lesson when it killed off many established (read "older") characters on "Loving" and moved the younger actors to a new version of the show--"The City." Soap fans, no matter their ages, are not necessarily attracted to shows that attempt to be younger, hipper, fresher, etc. "The City" floundered. Soon enough, rumors surfaced that ABC wanted to replace it with a new version of GH. There were supposedly two competing concepts. In one, Ned and Lois, a popular couple, would leave Port Charles, GH's fictional upstate New York setting, and move to NYC. "Port Charles," a show that would focus more on the hospital than "General Hospital," got the go ahead. PC was to focus on the lives of seven interns at the hospital. It was to be, in essence, a younger, hipper version of GH. At least one soap website still refers to PC as GH2, a reflection of its ties to the venerable and still highly rated "General Hospital."
PC was always a weak sister to GH, however, at least as far as ratings go. Lynn Herring and Jon Robert Lindstrom took their characters, Lucy and Kevin, over to the new show. They were an off-beat couple, but very popular. Their popularity did nothing for the ratings, which should have been a clue to ABC to shore up the show by sandwiching it between its other shows, rather than using it as a lead-in to their afternoon soaps. Crossovers of GH characters, occasionally crossing over storylines, and even transplanting wise-cracking lawyer Scott Baldwin from GH to PC (for a time) did not improve the ratings, either.
In desperation (well, one can only presume it was in desperation), the show took a major turn away from its origins by changing from a traditional American soap opera format, where stories can go on for months or years, to a telenovella format. The storylines would be made into books that would last approximately twelve weeks a piece. Each book would have a definite beginning and ending. About two years ago, vampires were introduced in one of the books. After having flirted with supernatural in earlier books, PC went full force into the fantastic, complete with angels, vampire slayers, magic candles, etc. Although the show is nominally set in the same city as GH, the two shows may as well be taking place on different planets. A truncated taping schedule has made it just about impossible for GH and PC to share storylines or have characters cross over from one show to the other without major planning ahead.
I found myself watching PC out of more than just habit. Although the sun never shines in Port Charles, and the characters never seem to go to work or deal with normal, everyday stuff, I have to admit that the show has hooked me. Michael Easton, as the charismatic, husky-voiced vampire-cum-rock star Caleb Morley is fascinating. He can be funny, dramatic, tender, angry. But he never goes over the top. He's made Caleb's shifting motivations and ever changing backstory believable. (It was revealed a few months ago that Caleb was a reluctant vampire--he never wanted to take on his family's heritage. However, he hated being mortal--he was turned back for a brief time--so I guess he revels in being a vampire now.) His great love was once Olivia, then Livvie, then Tess (a kinder, gentler version of Livvie), then Livvie again. Livvie is played by petite brunette Kelly Monaco. She's a find, a beauty who can act. She and the dark-haired Easton are the antagonists to the fair-haired hero and heroine of the show, Rafe--a vampire slayer and former angel--and Alison, his spunky good-hearted girlfriend. Brian Gaskill as Rafe and Erin Hershey Presley as Alison are also strong actors. PC's cast proves that being young and good-looking does not necessarily mean being untalented. Lucy and Kevin, now estranged, are still on the show. But it is the four characters--Caleb, Livvie, Rafe, and Alison--representing darkness and light in both physical appearance and roles, whose relationships form the heart of the show. PC, no matter what supernatural wanderings it takes, is at its heart a show about relationships: friends, family, exes, lovers, husbands and wives, vampires and mortals. And of course there is good vs. evil here, too.
There is a lot about PC that can be annoying, too. The arc format means that storylines are often dropped from one novella to the next. Alison has a long lost sister. That storyline was completely dropped during "Desire," the arc that just ended. Jack, a former vampire who has been burned by Caleb taking both Livvie and Tess away from him, recently went over to the dark side (kind of). Yet we've seen little of the consequences of his choice. Victor was made the building commissioner and then turned into a vampire. It seemed as if his position of power would have lots of storyline potential. We've seen little of him since he was turned. As mentioned before, few of the characters are ever seen going to work, shopping, etc. Soaps have never shown the work world realistically, but at least most shows have characters involved in the real world to some degree. And of course, for the fans of GH, it must be strange to watch PC. No one on the sister show seems to be aware that vampires have taken over the town.
PC's cancellation came on the heels of several nominations for Daytime Emmys. Unfortunately, PC was shut out. The show was favored to win for best drama, but lost to As The World Turns. It seems unfair that the fate of the show could have rested on the shoulders of the few members of a blue ribbon panel that picked best daytime drama. In this case, being nominated was not enough. It is a shame too. The episode that aired on Monday June 30th was nearly Emmy worthy (except for a few abrupt scene changes, it was one of the shows best in months). It stands as a rebuke to the suits at ABC who don't think PC is worth the expense of continued production. Lucy was dying, the only thing that could save her was the blood of an angel. This blood was provided by Karen, one of the original interns (played by recast actress Marie Wilson). Lucy was saved at the last possible moment, of course. Angel Karen kept her vampire ex-boyfriend from killing good guy Jamal, Casey--not your grandma's ange--led Karen up to heaven. Lucy had to tell Scott Baldwin, Karen's father, of his daughter's death. Frank, another original character, said a heartfelt good-bye to Karen's body. The episode was a mix of the new and the old--vampires, angels, interns, GH characters, PC's original characters.
Alas, PC won't have the chance to air a finale. The cast and crew were due to return for production in August. The final arc, "The Gift," is already in the can and will be PC's epitaph. I can only hope that it will be a fitting end to the series. Long live "Port Charles" in reruns and on the internet!
A good PC website is The Port Charles Explosion. This is not only a good PC website. It is one of the best soap opera websites I've come across. There is a forum--very active right now, as one can imagine, recaps, history, petitions to save the show and to have the songs of the show's fictional band, The Stephen Clay Experience, released as a CD. Nice people, very welcoming.
Update: The Port Charles Explosion website has recently changed to encompass all the soaps currently on the air and "Dark Shadows," "Ryan's Hope," and Another World, three defunct shows that still have loyal fans. That group will soon include PC. I was a bit surprised to discover that the site is now covering all the soaps, but it makes sense, given PC's pending demise.
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