Soap operas are among the most popular genres of television today. Originally introduced as an American radio program over seventy years ago, Soap Opera’s were transmitted via television (sponsored by soap manufacturing companies) in the 1950s. This year, viewers young and old await the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
So just what is it about the “Soaps” that continues to spark interest and gain new viewers? In the broadest sense, the popularity of daytime serial dramas can be attributed to its entertainment value. It is not the content, but how the audience relates to a show that makes it accepted (Lewis, 1997).
Narrowing, our favorite shows provides for a means of escapism – the opportunity to break our daily routine and delve into a “parallel life”. This allows for viewers to find their own sense of identity with a show that progresses as their own lives do, with fictional characters that share the same opinions, lifestyles, and experiences-but with different scenarios. Furthering the appeal, melodramatic storylines encompass the presence of suspense and the ability to predict future events.
Dynamically, viewers can join a soap opera at any point. Story lines are woven over 265 episodes annually, and the plots are not linear. Particularly open to individual interpretation, Prime-time serials highlight stereotypical figures. It is not difficult to identify the grandmother type, the rogues, the withdrawn men, the “good girls”, the career women, and the gossip-givers. (Dyer, 1981).
References:
Dyer, Jordan. (1981). Stereotypes. T.V.Soap Opera Genre. Retrieved on May 31st, 2009 from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/TF33120/soaps.html
Lewis, Paula. (November, 1997). Why are Soap Operas so Popular? Retrieved on May 30th 2009 from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/pjl9601.html
[Turnitin.com Submission: Weekly Analysis [3-1] 05-31-09]
