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Carol Perkins: Addicted to the Soaps The true life, tell-all confession of beautiful and famous author from the little town on the banks of Rogers Creek, with intimate details of romance at a time when her marriage seemed filled to the limits with bliss, but grew more when couple found shared happiness in the magic world of daytime television and one of mankind's truly great advances, the VCR. -CM The next earlier Carol Perkins story: The Money Line By Carol Perkins "The Guiding Light" and now "As The World Turns." What will women do to ease the doldrums of real life? "The Gulding Light" blew out earlier this year. "As the World Turns" will stop spinning in September. What will we do? To say I was addicted to both shows would be the truth. I began watching when I was young, the black and white days, and came to feel a part of the famous families. The Bauers (GL) and the Hughes (ATWT) were the founding families of the soaps. Nancy Hughes (I only know her by that name), now in her eighties, has continued to play her role, off and on, since the show premiered in 1956. I remember when they were only thirty minute episodes. Theme is love A common thread was the theme of love. Unlike real-life love, these characters loved and loved and loved. For instance, Lisa (ATWT) Miller Hughes Eldridge Shea Colman McColl Mitchell Grimaldi married more than the average lady. Although many of us would have liked for her to have remarried Bob Hughes, she never did. Reva on GL married eight or nine times, but her marriages were off and on to the same man or within the same family. She married the Lewis daddy and then both of the Lewis sons, marrying Josh Lewis three times. This was definitely outlandish! In the real world, not everyone we know is a doctor, lawyer, business tycoon, or detective. Very seldom were blue collar workers thrown in the mix, and if they were, they were usually from the "other side of the tracks." Frankly, the writers knew the common folks had rather see mansions, fine clothes, and lavish parties than toys all over the floor, the wife picking up clothes, and the husband hauling in wood. We know that storyline. Characters were Barbie/Ken types The characters were typically Barbie/Ken types. In the beginning, there were no overweight men or women and no African Americans. They continue to back away from big people. Gradually, black actors were merged into storylines, but it wasn't until James Earl Jones joined the cast of ATWT and then later to GL did a black man have a leading role in a soap (he was a doctor on both shows). Not until a few years ago did a soap introduce interracial couples. "My" soaps, as we fans call them, have dealt with every disease and affliction known to man. Very few soap stars die of one of these diseases; they are more likely to die from a gunshot wound. Some of them have driven off bridges and disappeared for five or six years; others have had mysterious mental conditions that gave them the ability to walk through paintings and travel back in time. Outlandish! Characters in this world reached a certain age quickly and stayed there for a long time. Children go from children to preteens overnight. I remember how Rick and Phillip (ATWT) went from barely walking to stealing each others' girls. For those who've never watched, love of shows is inexplicable Those who never watched soaps usually don't understand why anyone would waste their time on such "trash." It's hard to explain. No matter where my friends and I went (years ago), we rehashed that week's soaps on the way there and back. I clearly recall a time when one of us said to the other, "Did you know Neal died?" The non-watcher listened as she rode along with us, trying to figure out if she knew him. She had moved away years ago. Perplexed, she asked, "Who is Neil?" "He's one of our soap people." "FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" she yelled. "YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A SOAP OPERA?" Guy always made fun of my soaps until he was "laid up" with something for days. It was then that he learned the characters and followed the plot, thinking I didn't notice. Even now, when he sees a former star, he'll say, "There's one of your soap people." Taping shows was like getting gift every night The VCR was a wonderful invention for the soap fan. Taping "my" soaps was like having a gift every night. However, that didn't last forever. It was only when we switched to our present cable company did I stop watching my soaps because I could never learn how to program the TV with the VCR. After two technicians came to the house to show me and I still couldn't learn, I gave up. I quit cold turkey. Now, I will never have a chance to watch again. I will miss knowing my soap people are no longer in Oakdale or Springfield, USA. I still can't program my VCR. (email Carol at cperkins@scrtc.com. Her book, Let's Talk About, is available at Ivy Bookstore, 402 Rogers RD, Glasgow, KY) This story was posted on 2010-03-07 05:17:27
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Carol Perkins:
Carol Perkins: The Money Line Carol Perkins: The Lizard in the Playroom Carol Perkins: Growing older Carol Perkins: The day he died Carol Perkins: The New Year Carol Perkins: When I was a kid Carol Perkins: The Caretakers Carol Perkins: A Second Christmas Carol Perkins: The taxi ride Carol Perkins: Christmas on Christmas Island? View even more articles in topic Carol Perkins |
 
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