[Phil from 62]

[FONT=Verdana]Hi

Well I have one question / observation to make about Soap realism.

Soaps are supposed to be 'like' real life and potray real issues and portray real people...correct!!!??? Real people like us, the woman next door, the bloke up the road etc etc.

Why is it then that in Soaps they do not actully do what so many in people in life spend so much of their time doing....and that is watching and talking about Soaps!

Real people talk about Soaps in the pub, at work, at home, with friends etc whether they like them or not....but no one in Soaps ever talk about a Soap...so by default unrealistic.

What do you think??
(I know its all tounge in cheek stuff, but it is food for thought)[/FONT]

Hi Phil,

That is so true. It hadn't occurred to me before I read your post but, I cannot remember any occasion when an actual programme (Soap or otherwise) was mentioned in a Soap. Just vague references to the "footie"!

You ought to write to the various channels mentioning this; it probably hasn't occurred to them either! If it changes, and Soaps are mentioned in Soaps, it could be down to you!

[Pbryanw]

People in soaps talking about soaps - I can imagine the ratings now

You also don't see them watching tv much or farting to be honest. I suppose people view soaps as escapism (although watching Eastenders is more like torture) and anything that breaks that spell or doesn't contribute towards the drama isn't tolerated.

I don't really think soaps portray real people and real issues or are particular realistic, if you want that watch a documentary not a drama. Real issues - yes - but I don't know many people who go through in a day what a soap character goes through in half an hour.

[Kevo]

The 'gathering places' to get several characters together and to develop plots, i.e the pub (day and night), Cafe and the ('Rag Trade') Factory all look very dated and are from a bygone era that is pretty much non-existent these days in the way they are used in soaps.

[Gary D]

i agree with Kevo soaps are very out moded these days. just look at Corrie it didn't feature a black/asian person for 30 years there was once a woman in Eastenders thathad a problem with noise - she got environmental health out the same day!!!

gary

[Kevo]

Originally Posted by Gary D

i agree with Kevo

[eviljohn2]

Neighbours has an amusing spanish romantic soap opera that they often talk about.

[nero0410]

Going by the ones the other half watches (Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Eastenders)

All stated in my honest opinion

They spend most of their time down the local pub, almost all day every day.

There also isnt one person that suffers from seizures, depression anxiety that I have noticed (all real life problems).

Nobody seems to use a games console or have a pc in their home

Nobody swears, come on. I come from london originally and most londoner's, I mean true cockneys I know have a swear word in their sentance every few words. I mean they argue so much but obviously no one could possibly swear whilst argueing, now that would be silly for them to include.

Idiots, there all blind to the truth of Real Life

tris

[nero0410]

Almost forgot, when someone calls an ambulance or the police etc.... out in a soap there, there in a few minutes. In real life that never happens, your on the phone for half an hour trying to explain in full detail why you need the service called out, then they finally send an ambulance within about 45 mins, police 2+hrs the writers, producers and directors need a reality check

tris

[Mr Cat]

what about mindbenders, sorry, eastenders...the amount of people who use the laundrette...thats unreal!!

[robyoung]

LOL! yes, they are all very unrealistic and Eastenders and Corrie are both very out dated with the laundrette and coffe shop etc. I think out of them i enjoy Hollyoaks most if i'm bored i will watch it, it can be quite amusing, its a bit more light hearted than the doom and gloom of Eastenders.

On the subject of soap charachters watching soaps, although its not technically a soap, on the OC, Summer regularly talks about 'The Valley' which is a programme in the vain of Dawsons Creek/The OC a bit of 'Self-refrentiality' there! (I just made up that word)

Rob

[Gary D]

Originally Posted by robyoung

i enjoy Hollyoaks most if i'm bored i will watch it,

Hollyoaks has some totty at least

www.hollyoaksbabes.net
www.hollyoaks.com

(havent checked those as i'm at work)

EDIT: i've checked the babes one now i'm home - i'm really not sure of the sanity of the webmaster - its obsessive (17.24pm)


Gary

[Phil from 62]

After starting this thread...I can hosestly say I don't even like ANY Soap at all...they are all garbage.

If that much happened in my street every day I think I'd move....

Another thing...when do they but their groceries...you can't tell me that everybody in Corrie buys from the local grocery store, everyone in Eastbenders buys from the market....people in Emmerdale?...well apart from the pub where the hell do they go?? There must be a Tescos, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons etc nearby that they must use?

Why do they need cars when they never seem to go anywhere???

Spooky!!!!

[mjn]

Originally Posted by Phil from 62

Hi

Well I have one question / observation to make about Soap realism.

Soaps are supposed to be 'like' real life and potray real issues and portray real people...correct!!!??? Real people like us, the woman next door, the bloke up the road etc etc.

Why is it then that in Soaps they do not actully do what so many in people in life spend so much of their time doing....and that is watching and talking about Soaps!

The Royle Family!!

[KoThreads]

They have nothing to do with anyone I know at all. No one talks about having a good s*** or anything real at all, there all crap. BUT I was going to say I have managed to avoid all soaps since 1998. I made an effort to avoid every one because of all the years my last, yes it is that bloody long, girlfriend used to watch them all the bloody time.

But about a month ago I discovered Hollyoaks, and I watch it from time to time for all the wrong reasons. Yes I know. I'm a very, very, very sad man. In fact I did contemplate the name Sadman for AVForums

[TonyA]

Brookside had a "Soap" within the soap (towards the end of its run).

Can't remember what it was called as didn't really watch Brookie much after the Grants were out of it.

Corrie is in its own little bubble (but a very funny one at times - Corrie plays comedy extremely well).

Eastenders - my god, that is so dull and depressing.

It's true - if you watch most of the soaps, people tend to spend their lunch breaks in the boozer, and go straight there again after work. *hic*

And why does everyone have to work in the same street, square, village, where they live?

Not a single person in any of the soaps has to commute back and forward to work, like the majority of us!

[Phil from 62]

Originally Posted by mjn

The Royle Family!!

Strictly Speaking this is or was a Sit-Com...so therefore not a Soap.

Sorry!

[mjn]

Originally Posted by Phil from 62

Strictly Speaking this is or was a Sit-Com...so therefore not a Soap.

Sorry!

Close enough!

[Kevo]

Originally Posted by Phil from 62

Another thing...when do they but their groceries...you can't tell me that everybody in Corrie buys from the local grocery store, everyone in Eastbenders buys from the market....people in Emmerdale?...well apart from the pub where the hell do they go?? There must be a Tescos, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons etc nearby that they must use?

Same reason I mentioned in my first post, they're ideal locations (if out of date) to allow several characters to congregate and develop the story.

A supermarket (albeit more of a realistic location) is not your usual or ideal 'meeting place'.

[TonyA]

Well don't forget Corrie had the "Bettabuys" Supermarket where Reg Holdsworth, Curly Watts, and Vera Duckworth (to name only a few) worked for a while.

This was the setting for the infamous seige, and where Ann Malone froze to death in the frozen food freezer, after going doo-lalley on Andy McDonald/Curly.

Oh, thems were the days!

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Phil from 62

Soaps are supposed to be 'like' real life and potray real issues and portray real people...correct!!!??? Real people like us, the woman next door, the bloke up the road etc etc.

The original soaps were supposed to be loosely based around real life but with the big difference that as the target audience was housewives looking to escape from their dreary lives, the women were usually dominant whilst the men were either wimps or scoundrels.

That ceased to be the case a number of years ago when the producers realised that times had changed and that many men, unable to find a life outside television were also watching these soaps so they dumbed them down to suit this new breed of male couch potato and since then they have born no resemblance whatsoever to real life.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by robyoung

On the subject of soap charachters watching soaps, although its not technically a soap, on the OC, Summer regularly talks about 'The Valley' which is a programme in the vain of Dawsons Creek/The OC a bit of 'Self-refrentiality' there! (I just made up that word)

Rob

true. Seth and Ryan also play console games regularly and talk about real movies like hellboy. i love this show