Topic: Is every character now mentally challenged?
Topic Posted by: torontofan
Date Posted: Fri Sep 26 17:59:11 2008
Additional Comments: Is it just me or is this whole town a little slow? Way back when, Ed Bauer was written as a great doctor with some personal issues. Ross Marler was a sharp attorney. Even Rusty Shayne was a smart cop. Is there anyone left in that town that exhibits excellence at anything? These people all seem to be borderline retarded. Montgomery Burns' nuclear plant must have poisoned the waters of Springfield.
Posted by: Spaulding Butler Date posted: Sat Sep 27 21:06:12 2008
Message: Yes, TPTB have managed to almost completely obliterate all our beloved characters. (The performers, however, have done the best they can with the generally substandard material they've been handed.) And the nonexistent production values only contribute to the show's overall state of being unwatchable.
Posted by: L.A. Date posted: Sat Sep 27 12:31:05 2008
Message: Look for a three-eyed fish special to show up on Buzz' Early Boid Menu!! LMAO.
Posted by: Roxie Date posted: Fri Sep 26 21:07:18 2008
Message: I know exactly what you mean! There is no one on this show to respect and admire any more. It's a shame that Buzz Cooper is the wise elder that people go to for advice in SF these days!
Posted by: Rosebud1 Date posted: Fri Sep 26 18:58:38 2008
Message: The lack of intelligent characters on soaps, overall, is a direct reflection of the misconceptions of Corp. decision makers about who is watching soaps & what soaps are about. Their lack of passion & general apathy has been the source of most of the problems soaps have had for more than 20 yrs.
Yes, there used to be intelligent characters in compelling dramas, but that hasn't been the case for a very long time & the dwindling audience is proof of the unwatchability of the shows these days. Soaps have the potential to be intelligent & compelling, but that isn't what is being mandated. Until it is, we are just going to see the same, sad state of affairs being misrepresented as 'the best' soaps can offer. Just as the same Suits blame the current state of soaps on the fans when the fans are the last ones to be blamed for the deminishing numbers & market share. Unreasonable expectations, comparing apples to oranges (daytime to primetime) & devaluing the soap opera audience's influence in the marketplace are all much more at the root cause of the problems. Just as there are good storytellers and actors out there, but when they have them, TPTB (Corp) insist on dumbing things down & taking creative control out of the hands of the storytellers, actors, producers, etc., leaving it all up to non-storytellers & non-soap oriented folks. It isn't about individuals either, but a Corp. mindset that has been in place for almost 20 yrs now. The individuals can come & go, but as long as the Corp. mindset & mandates exist so will the problems.
