Who watches Soap Opera’s? Or should I ask, who will admit to watching them? My mom never watch soaps but my grandma watched a couple. I can remember watching General Hospital with her when I was just a child. I don’t watch it anymore but I used to.
I can’t really believe it but back in the day when my boys were young, before I went to work, I watched 4 one hour soaps. The Young and the Restless, All My Children, One Live To Live and General Hospital. Once I started working, there was no way I could watch 4 so I cut them down to Y&R and AMC. Thank goodness VCR’s had come out so that’s what I recorded. I’ve been watching AMC since it’s debut and Y&R since 1975. There have been periods where I didn’t watch but I keep coming back to them for some reason.
I now watch Y&R, AMC and Bold and the Beautiful. That one is only 30 minutes and it’s usually when I eat my lunch. I’ve gotten so used to taping them that I still watch them that way and I only watch them late at night when I’m up alone puttering around in my kitchen.
The soaps may be leaving us. The Guiding Light went off the air a few months ago and I just heard that As The World Turns will be going off the air in the fall of 2010. That leaves only 2 soaps on CBS. Boy, I think that’s so sad. I watched a program about this and they said that soaps were just becoming a thing of the past. Boy, I can still see my MIL ironing and watching her shows. My grandma too and now me. I’ve gotten attached to Erica Kane. What can I say?? They were saying that game shows and judge shows are much cheaper to produce so that’s what they were going to. Just what we need, more judge shows! I don’t know about you but when Monty Hall did Let’s Make A Deal, it seemed so much better to me than Dwayne Brady now. Now when I see an adult with a diaper on and a pacifier, it just seems stupid to me so I’ve only taken one glimpse of that new show and I just couldn’t stand it.
Can you remember your mom or grandma watching the soaps? Does it give you warm feelings or do you just think they are dumb? I sure hope they don’t end up taking them all off the air. I know they aren’t like real life but hey, that’s what fantasy is and I’ve gotten so attached to my 3 shows. I’d be lost without them on at night. Do you watch any soaps?
Us Girls..Our Views 
My mom was usually a “working mom” so she didn’t watch soaps for most of my childhood. There was a time period when she was not working, and I used to watch 3 soaps with her in the summer (AMF, General Hospital, and whichever one was on between those two). I was 13. I felt like it was some sort of “rite of passage.” I thought they were really dumb (with AMF being the “least worst”), but somehow they were extremely addictive. They would always take you to a suspenseful moment and then leave you hanging. At the end of the summer, I wondered how I could ever go back to school and miss my soaps. But in fact, I forgot about them pretty quickly, and never went back. I just feel like there are so many productive things I could be doing, and parking myself in front of the TV would be taking me away from something else.
I have to say it dismays me to know that many young kids are watching soaps instead of doing what kids do. When my sister was 2-3, her babysitter used to watch the soaps and Sis would sit with her and watch too, because Sitter would get on her butt if she played and made a mess. Pretty soon Sis was telling everyone exactly what happened to each character on the soaps. It was disturbing. I assume adults know how to digest that stuff, but one would hope they would find something age-appropriate for their tots/preschoolers to do at that time.
I mean AMC, not AMF, duh.
My mom never watched soaps. My great-great aunt watched them – they were her “stories.” I never watched them until a couple years ago, and then it was Dark Shadows on DVD, which had been off the air for 30 years. Otherwise, I never got into them.
I can’t remember which one my mom watched but I remember watching it with her ..she got home from her job before it came on and it was “our thing” to sit and watch it.
in the 70’s – 80’s..we would ditch school early to get home to watch General Hospital cuz that is when it was good.
also was glued to and have the big book to All My Children. OMG who can forget Tad and his sister Jenny…and Angie and Jessie….that soap always had GREAT story lines. Adam and his brother Stuart. I so miss that show back when it was good!
It still is good jj. I’ve been watching it since it started and still love it. Jesse and Angie are back on it and Tad has never left. Adam is still a dink….yep, it’s still good.
I haven’t watched soaps in years, but oh I use to! My mom never watched them, but my oldest sister watched Days of Our Lives so that’s what got me started. I started watching them in the summer of 6th grade. We never taped them, but it’s not like you miss much if you miss a whole week! When I went to college my roommate and I watched Passions from the begining. That was such a crazy show! We’d rush back to our room at 1pm to catch it in between classes! We still laugh about that.
I think they were big back in the day because it showed women in a more powerful roll then what most women were use to. And there was that fantasy detail. Everybody was rich, had a beautiful home and never seemed to go to work! Who doesn’t want that?! It does not surprise me that they are going out of style, but maybe they’ll come up with a better drama during the day that’s not so fake!
I used to! When Bailey was little, like you I watched so many soaps. I watched General Hospital, All My Children, One Life to Live. You got me watching B&B!!! Now I don’t watch any, I have kids here all day most days so I just can’t. I don’t really miss them though. When my mom was here she watched them occasionally. I can see how someone is easily sucked in!!! I’ve always been fasinated in the life of the rich and famous. With soaps they have a lifestyle that I could only dream of. It’s a fantasy that almost becomes a part of you. You get involved in the stories and characters and get attached to them. I watched GH since I was very young, when Lucky was Lucky! The original Lucky! I loved him, then they changed the actor. That’s what I HATE! Carly too…I have a niece named after her character, but it was when Sarah Brown was Carly. I have always love Luck & Laura too…they have just changed somuch. BUT they have to, with times changing and actors aging…I don’t think they are written as well as they used to be. I would hate for them to all go away. I know my grandma still watches all of hers and like that’s her entertainment!!! I’m with ya, even though I don’t watch them now, I don’t want them going away.
Just fopr the record…I cannot stand any of the judge shows….they’ll give anyone a show these days. Reality shows are killing actors careers!
I never really got “hooked” on soaps. Never watched them except for one summer during college when I worked with a “school crew”. Our job – a disgusting one – was to go through grade schools in our community and clean the classrooms, desks, etc. (man those things were nasty. kids stick all KINDS of crap to the bottoms of their desks!)
Well, we’d take our lunch break to coincide with whatever soap was on at 1:00, ’cause our Crew Boss was hooked on it. So we’d eat and watch with her. But when summer was done, I quit watching them.
I did get hooked on 90210, and the beginning seasons of Melrose Place, when I was in college. Does that count?
I think that 90210 and the Melrose Place type shows ARE soaps. They are just on at night. I remember when Dallas, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest and Dynasty were on, men watched them too but god forbid anyone said they were a soap! Men couldn’t admit to watching them although quite a few men did. I know for a few years Paul watched Young and Restless with me when I used to tape it and watch it after the news at night. You can’t help but get attached to anything you watch everyday. But I did hear a lot of people who’d profess to hate the soaps, like they were beneath them, couldn’t miss an episode of Dallas and ol’ JR.
When I was little my mom and I would go lay down on her bed after lunch for my nap time. She would turn on Ryan’s Hope. She would fall asleep and I would stay awake and watch the soaps.
I used to watch All My Children, loved the Jenny & Greg story line, One Life to Live, especially the Megan and Jake story line and General Hospital the summer of the great Ice Princess.
I know I am sad!
I still watch General Hospital and my oldest daughter watches One Life to Live thanks to Soap Net. I can still turn on AMC and still know who is who and what is going on!
In my opinion there is still an audience out there for Soap Operas. But that’s just my sad little opinion!
I LOVED Ryan’s Hope. I’ve been thinking of starting to DVR that one on Soapnet. Do you by any chance know what time it’s on?
I went to Soapnet.com and they have it listed as being on at 5am and 5:30am I assume Eastern time.
Thanks. I’ll check out our times. I loved that show.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with soaps – I used to love these Argentinian kids’ soap operas [I ended up knowing Spanish quite well for a few years because of them, too!] and at times when I was into watching TV I got some guilty pleasure out of All My Children once in a while.
I like what you said about how it’s fantasy – that’s so true. Just like some people indulge in romance novels, some watch soaps. I think it’s fun, and shouldn’t be judged!
I am addicted.Since 1976 i have watched Days of Our Lives.I live Bo and hope.Yes,I remember my mom watching Y&R.I only remember her watching it when my boys were young.And I remember my Grandma and her General Hospital.Shewould come stay with me for a week in Winnipeg.We sat and watched her soap and then mine.She would be knitting as we did.That was a great time.Discussing the woes of our soaps.Istill watch Days.There were times in my life I would slack,but I always go back 🙂
I maent to say I love Bo and Hope.Not Live 🙂 Gotta go.I soap is on 🙂
I meant to say “meant”,not maent!!!! I must be excited for my show 🙂 HE HE HE
LOL Pam. Good to see you so excited for your soap. My Bold & Beautiful is on now so off I go!!!!
I don’t and never have watched soaps myself but my mother and several girlfriends I had in the past watched them. I remember my mom watching her soaps during the day why she was taking care of the house or taking a break. I’m not sure which ones she watched??
It’s hard to believe that some are going off the air. I didn’t know anything about that. Seems as shame because they have been on the air for such a long time.
You guys are reminding me about old times. In the summer when I was watching AMC with my mom, Nina died. My mom was so upset. She actually called whoever it was that makes the show, talked to the writer, and told them to bring Nina back. Which they eventually did, though it was a different actress, so it was never the same again. It’s so weird to think my no-nonsense, hard-working mom would have gotten so into a soap that she called the writer, LOL.
Oh, and I have an aunt who is in her 60s who was named after a soap opera character. Apparently this mania goes way back!
I just loved the first Nina. Oh, her and Cliff, that was such a wonderful love story. The actor who played Cliff now plays Jack Abbott on Y&R. He’s not “nice” like Cliff was.
I started watching AMC when I stopped working about 11/2yrs ago.I love that one!!I used to watch Days years ago but I just cant seem to stick to watching that one now…the story lines are so horrendously outragious I find!As Pam said our Mom watched Y&R and my grandpa,my moms dad watched soaps too.Now anyone who knew him but didnt know that fact would have a hard time believing it but I lived with them for a time and saw it with my own eyes.Just too funny!!
Yes, I loved your grandpa and can’t imagine him sitting and watching a soap but I do believe you.
Josh and I were just making fun of soaps today actually, LOL. Neither of us can believe that people really watch those! No offense to anyone, I really just don’t GET it! They kind of embarrass me. They are so corny and the acting is so bad and the men all have such goofy hair!