11.19.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
As much as I adore B&B with every fiber of my being, it annoyed me a little this week to see Ann (the fabulous Betty White) get dropped off at Paradise Cove by a South Asian cabbie.
I know what you’re thinking: “Mala, shouldn’t you be happy there was a brown person on the show? And one who had lines, at that?” Okay, yes. It’s nice. But it’s also really frustrating because B&B’s idea of proper representation for a person of color is…as a cab driver? That’s the natural assumption? Let me clarify: This is like when Marcus showed up at the Forrester mansion last year and Eric thought he was a waiter. It’s relegating characters of color to a socioeconomic status “befitting” their race or ethnicity. Like, “of COURSE a Bangladeshi/Indian guy is going to be Ann’s taxi driver.”
Look, I live in New York. I will not deny that every other cab I get into is driven by someone from my parents’ homeland, but there are also other jobs that South Asians fill. We’re journalists, doctors, students, Dunkin Donuts’ cashiers, shoe salesmen, etc. We’re in every walk of life. When you have B&B’s whitewashed Los Angeles, where up until Justin and Marcus joined the show every contract character was Caucasian, it’s a different story. There is no other minority representation on the show. And theonly South Asian character with actual lines being such a stereotype definitely tripped my perimeter alarms.
Here’s the thing: Those of us in the viewing audience don’t just notice people like ourselves onscreen, we long for it. If I can get this keyed up about a dayplayer cabbie, imagine how I might react to a Mumbai businessman jetting in and sweeping Steffy off her feet or Dr. Caspary consulting with an Indian physician about the fruit of Sandy and Bridget’s wombs?
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
09.23.09
Out of the Fishbowl and into the sea
One Life to Live, as I’ve probably praised before, is doing a great job of integrating its characters. There’s no black character bubble, no Latin character oasis, and no gay character island. Sure, characters of color or the same sexual orientation have scenes with each other, but that’s not all we see. As every week passes, more people get connected to each other and set up to be in each other’s storylines. Greg’s pain over botching Shaun’s surgery has a direct impact on Matthew, Bo and Nora. And it’s extra complicated because Rachel is Nora’s daughter and Destiny is Matthew’s best friend. John, Fish and Kyle interacted this week within the confines of the Jessica/Brody/Jared/Natalie stalker arc. And Dorian’s mayoral bid will only further pull Kyle, Nick and Fish into OLTL’s bigger arcs. Good.
Isolating characters, forgetting that they have a place on the canvas is a whole, is a kiss of death. Uninterrupted couple time or no interlopers is the fastest track to No Storyville on a soap. I mean, as much as it pains me that The Bold and the Beautiful’s Owen and Jackie are having issues, the fact that Whip and Steffy provide conflict for them is a good thing. It gives them more to do than just have racy romps and make googly eyes. People don’t exist in a vacuum, and the more you see characters in each other’s business, the better it is for not only the characters involved, but for the overall story and the health of the show.
09.18.09
Calgon take me away…to daytime.
Today was a great day of soap. Of quintessential soap. Beginning with the end of Guiding Light, moving on to The Bold and the Beautiful, and then capping off with great stuff on One Life to Live.
I started the day sobbing, saying farewell to a show that I’ve watched for twenty years. Some people had problems with this final week, and I have nitpicks myself (no mentions of SEVERAL key Coopers and Spauldings who are off canvas?!), but overall, it was the kind of goodbye that most longtime soap fans dream of. Happy endings all around, family and children and romance. All the losers at love finally winning. Any sour notes were from what they left out, not what they included. Everybody got closure and yet there was enough left open that you know life in Springfield will never be boring. And fantastic performances were threaded throughout the whole week. Grant Aleksander (Phillip), Ron Raines (Alan), Tina Sloan (Lillian), and Marj Dusay (Alexandra) are just a few of the stand outs. And Robert Newman (Josh) is the one who kicked off my waterworks.
I was so sad that I couldn’t even conceive of turning on another soap today, but then I remembered how invested I am in B&B and OLTL lately. B&B continues to build the romance of Bill and Katie, and their love scene today was equal parts hot and tactful. I’m prudish, and too much skin often freaks me out. I watch many of B&B’s love scenes turning crimson with embarrassment. That wasn’t the case today. It was sweet, romantic, and yet sexy. And how good were Donna and Justin dancing around the subject of Marcus’ paternity and finally stopping the footwork to just put it out there? Jennifer Gareis and Aaron D. Spears are great together.
Also great are OLTL’s twenty-somethings. I cannot say enough about how the Fish/Layla/Kyle/Cris/Nick story is playing out. Oh, hell, I’m just going to call them the Fishbowl for short, okay? So, yes, the Fishbowl today was fab. I had feared that the scenes with Oliver and his parents would be, well, a lot like the jaunty orange How To Tell Your Parents You’re Gay book: glaring, a little tacky, and an obvious prop. But they weren’t, and Fish’s father didn’t come off nearly as much of a caricature as, say, ATWT’s Col. Mayer. The surprise hit of the ep was David Fumero, as Cristian staunchly stood up for Fish and went toe-to-toe with George as if he was the gay one and not his pal. Best. Friend. Ever. And, of course, that leading into Fish’s confession was achingly painful. Much like Layla, my instinct was to go to Fish and wrap him in a hug. Oh, Scott Evans. You rock.
OLTL also featured a little more intimacy than hugging, when Kyle and Nick made out. I don’t want to turn it into a political statement every time a same sex couple kisses, and honestly it shouldn’t be, but go, OLTL! Good. Bravo. Treat them like anybody else…complete with a believable roadblock to them hitting the sheets: Kyle’s feelings for Oliver. I’m not one of those people who thinks a couple has to be chaste on a soap and cleave only unto each other. To me, the fact that Nick and Kyle are together only makes the anticipation for Kish all the more sweet. That’s how you tell a story.
This was the kind of soap opera Friday that would send me rushing home from school as a kid. Must-see, skip-last-period, character-driven drama.
08.25.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Can you believe I actually went four whole days without watching a soap? I don’t know how! Actually, wait, I do. First, I made sure to check in on the one storyline that left me on the edge of my seat before I left for vacation: Owen’s odd behavior on BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL. Right around 1:45 on Friday, I contact my colleague Joe and asked him whether or not Owen has an evil twin. (He does!) With that burning question answered, I was relatively at peace with my time away from soaps.
And for the rest of my withdrawal symptoms…? There was Twitter! Yes, Twitter. I change my username every once in a while, but I do have an account. I follow several people, including some daytime actors. And watching the likes of Brandon Barash (Johnny, GH), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, GH), and Chrishell Stause (Amanda, AMC) tweet about whatever they were up to over the weekend helped me feel as though I was still connected to the world of soaps. (Not to mention that Brandon made me start craving Frito Pie.)
Then there’s the guys from Y&R…arguably THE funniest tweeters, at least to me, in the soap Twitterverse. Between all the photos from the makeup chairs, the movement to change #followfridays to #nakedfridays, and the adorable family chatter they engage in, it’s never a dull moment. At this point, I’d call Daniel Goddard (Cane) and Michael Muhney’s (Adam) online bromance “epic.” They certainly have more going on than Adam and Rafe ever did! LOL! Then, if you fold in their pals Brandon Beemer (Owen, B&B), Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R), and Greg Vaughan (Lucky, GH), it’s like soap opera meets reality TV…except in 140 characters or less. I really get a kick out of how warm and funny and wonderful their friendships obviously are and how willing they are to share that with the public.
Here’s a few choice items that kept me looped into the land o’ suds during my four-day weekend:
@greg_vaughan Lucky?? Is trying to continue putting the past behind them & rebuilding the foundation that he & Liz once shared!
@lisalocicerogh Almost had it…Both Dominic AND Brandon were here running lines last night..Heated up the hot tub…camera was ready… No dice, no photo.
@michaelmuhney Y’all should C me now: icepacks on my feet laying on the couch. Had my weekly soccer league today. Got an assist from corner kick & a goal!
@Chrishell7 Just got done running in the TX heat-now room service! To all the fans that came out today-you are amazing!! Sorry the lines are so rushed!
@BrandonBarash What’s that u say, Mr. Concession Stand Worker? You have Frito Pie??? ONE PLEASE!
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
08.21.09
Double trouble
On Wednesday, when The Bold and the Beautiful’s Owen went AWOL in San Diego for a bit before a crucial interview for Jackie M, my Spidey senses started tingling. Then, as he returned just in time to sprawl carelessly in a chair and be both callous and flip about his marriage to Jackie, the alarm bells really began to blare. “Evil Twin! Evil Twin!” is the exact nature of said blaring. (Maybe with a side of “OMG! What is wrong with sweet, darling Owen?”) I mean, he was just too out of character, absolutely ice-cold, without a single trace of the nerves he was displaying before the interview…and, of course, without a single trace of his devotion to Jackie. So, duh. Evil Twin!
Well, today, I’m proud to say, “I told you so!” and “HA!”
I’m blogging “on location” from my parents’ place, so I didn’t get to see that my theory had been proven correct. I actually briefly logged on just to confer with Joe, my co-worker at WEEKLY. He flipped away from Days just to sate my curiosity. What a mensch! LOL! Suffice it to say, I can’t wait to get back to the city in a couple of days, watch my tape, and meet Owen’s tattooed, bad boy twin.
I also have to give massive, massive props to Brandon Beemer, who didn’t let a single tidbit drop in advance. Way to keep viewers on their toes!
08.18.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Good soap isn’t just about one thing or the other. Truly good soap is a collaborative effort between talented writers, actors, directors and crew. If even one of those elements is off, it does make a difference. You can have the best script in the world, but a weak actor may not be able to sell it. A stellar actor can sell dreck, but you still know it’s dreck. And sometimes, the right camera angle is all you need to make a scene resonate…and the wrong one is all you need to make a viewer seasick!
And all of that pontificating on my part boils down to yesterday’s OLTL being incredibly watchable. I loved Blair and Cris talking at Capricorn, Bo, Nora and Matthew at the courthouse, and Roxy reaching out to Rex. Heck, I hate having to admit this, but Stacy and Kim cracked me up as they compiled the list of Stacy’s baby daddies. And, of course, there was Kyle and Fish. Of course.
The Serenity Springs locker room, with its tight, cramped quarters proved to be the perfect reflection of Oliver’s discomfort with his own skin, and the camera emphasized how much bigger he is than Kyle … if only so the script and the actors could showcase that physical strength had no bearing on how emotionally weak he felt. Fish’s verbal denials of his pull to Kyle was accompanied by the fear and heartbreak in Scott Evans‘ expressive eyes. And Kyle’s hoarse, fierce whisper and the way he physically reached out to Oliver, acknowledging how difficult this struggle is for him, was wrenching.
It would be so easy to write these scenes flat, with both characters being selfish and only concerned with their own needs. But Kyle was willing to put his feelings aside for Fish, whose own compassion took the form of how desperately he held into Kyle’s hand and leaned in to his touch. That’s the kind of thing that only enriches a story that’s already being told well.
And while I’m flailing over story and grounded characters and great scripts, I have to talk about B&B’s Bill Spencer, Jr. When did Don Diamont become my Kryptonite? Never having been a Brad Carlton gal — not even when he was in badass Navy SEAL “I will snap your neck with my thighs” mode — I am flummoxed by how Bill has gotten under my skin. Just like he’s gotten under Katie’s.
Diamont’s Bill has this wonderful combination of confidence, arrogance and tentative vulnerability.
Bill: When I say that I want something, I mean that I want it in my name: money, property, Forrester. But I don’t want you in that way. I want you under my eyes. I want you in my arms. Maybe you look like a doorway to someplace I’ve never been, to feelings that I’ve never experienced. I know you’re going to hurt me. That’s right, it can be done. You see, I’m going to go about this all wrong, and then I’m going to drive you away. I’m going to lose you. And don’t tell me I won’t. And then I’ll close up like a fist. And knowing all that, I still find myself thinking…I need you, Katie Logan. And I’ve never needed anybody.
I mean, good gravy, it’s no wonder Katie’s a goner!
That confession left me an inarticulate mushpile, struggling to remember what I was working on. Again, proof that when you have the right actor, the right dialogue, and a crew who knows how to showcase that combination to its best advantage, you get some brilliant results!
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
08.16.09
Soaps, sense and sexuality
Sexual orientation is a hot button topic in soaps these days, which is refreshing considering it used to never be discussed at all. But it also brings to light a lot of misconceptions about the Kinsey Scale and being gay vs. being bisexual. Many One Life to Live fans, for instance, are hoping for Oliver to turn out bi because he was able to perform with Stacy and Layla. But I think if Fish were bi, his struggle would be vastly different…perhaps just that of choosing between his ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. That’s not the story that OLTL is telling. They’re telling one of deep denial, of repression, of self-loathing and anger. If he was genuinely in love with both Kyle and Layla, genuinely attracted to them both, he wouldn’t be lying so much and so petrified of Cristian telling Layla what he saw between Kish in the alley. And as for being able to perform…plenty of people, gay or straight, get through sexual encounters when they’re not completely invested, and even manage to have a little fun while doing so. “Close your eyes and think of the queen,” etc.
Take a different case: Verbotene Liebe’s Oliver and Christian are both bisexual. And Christian’s journey was about accepting that he didn’t just like girls, but liked guys, too. Specifically Olli. He desperately tried to convince himself that he wasn’t attracted to Oliver (unlike Fish desperately trying to convince himself that he is attracted to Layla) but eventually came to terms with it. Now, they’re in a committed relationship. And when Christian recently kissed Miriam while plastered, it wasn’t so much an issue of “OMG! You’re straight again!” as it was, “Oh, you idiot.”
Whenever I have a conundrum about post-work plans, my colleague Joe asks, “Are you trying to talk yourself out of doing it, or talk yourself into doing it?” His rationale being that if I’m trying to talk myself into it, my heart’s not really in it. And that, I think, is apt for both OLTL’s Fish and VL’s Christian. The former is trying to talk himself into being with a woman, the latter tried to talk himself out of being with a man.
Switching gears just slightly, The Bold and the Beautiful, long criticized for never featuring a gay character actually had one last week — in the form of the ex-wedding planner and fashion show judge played by veteran comic actor Jim J. Bullock. And just in case the flamboyant, fluttering Serge’s orientation is up for debate, his name is pronounced…”Sir Gay.” Oh, brother. I’m not saying it’s wrong to camp it up and go all queen. That’s an absolutely valid choice; I know plenty of flamboyant guys. But if that is the only gay representation in your show’s 22 year history, it’s a little hinky. So, you know what? I’m calling Jarrett the Eye on Fashion reporter for the LGBT team, too. I love Jarrett. He’s funny, has a conscience, and I’m so glad to see his portrayer Andrew Collins get more of a role these days. He works so well as Bill’s Jiminy Cricket. I suppose you could use the ol’ “he’s not gay, he’s just British!” excuse but since the object here is to amp up faux LA’s LGBT community, why would we want to? So, yes, in the B&B that plays only in my head, Jarrett’s gay and it’s no big deal. At least until he falls for Thorne… LOL. (It’ll give Thorne an option besides dating his sister, right?)
08.12.09
The rake and the ingenue, B&B-style.
I’m closing in on the home stretch of Written on Your Skin, by Meredith Duran, and while this particular novel doesn’t actually play with the typical romantic tropes of the bad boy and the pure-of-heart lady who gets past his defenses, I’ve still got The Bold and the Beautiful’s Bill and Katie on the brain. Blame today’s episode, which featured some stuff that feels like it could’ve been lifted out of a classic romance novel…
Bill: I pay my employees well. I pay them to work for me. If they don’t do their jobs, I fire them. Better off that I know them as numbers on a page, salaries, responsibilities. I don’t know about their personal lives, and I don’t want to know.
Katie: That is so sad. I mean, that… you must be missing so much. No wonder you’re so lonely.
Bill: Did I ever say I was lonely?
Katie: Well, I think you are. You don’t talk to your employees. You don’t talk to your associates. I mean, do you even have any friends?
Bill: Friends are overrated. They try to take advantage.
Katie: That’s a terrible way to live. And how do you know if you’ve never let anyone get close enough to find out? Someone convinced you a long time ago that nice guys finish last, and you wanna win. You equate money with winning and emotion with weakness.
Bill: Look, Katie, you can’t make decisions with your heart if you want to be successful in the business.
Katie: That’s ridiculous. Look, I may not know you very well, but I know that you’re never gonna be happy if you’re purely motivated by money. You may think you will be, but you won’t, because you have way too much going on inside that heart. I can tell.
Bill: You overestimate me.
It loses a little something without the performances attached, because Don Diamont has this incredible way of smoldering… of looking dangerous and wolfish and predatory… and then his eyes soften just a tad when Katie gets to him. And Heather Tom, whose Katie has been all over the place since she joined the show, looks like she’s having a blast…being sweet, feisty and funny and yet driven enough to match Bill’s relentless passion. And they had a whole hilarious bit about doughnuts leading up to the more serious conversation above that could’ve been taken right out of a Jennifer Crusie novel. (And I wouldn’t say no to doughnuts being revisited and Katie feeding Bill some ala Cal and Min in Bet Me. Because…yes.)
I love this trope, I really do. I love watching a woman get the best of a bastard and show him there’s more to life than existing in a cold, hard shell. I think I even told Diamont that during one of our interviews for WEEKLY. I love it because it’s always a beautiful case of the characters’ strengths and weaknesses filling in the spaces in each other. And the woman, despite being smaller or younger or poorer or less empowered or what have you, inevitably holds the power, because she has his heart in the palm of her hand. Whether it’s Nicholas and Clare in Mary Jo Putney’s Thunder and Roses or Calder and Francesca in Brenda Joyce’s Deadly series, I’m a sucker for it.
And I’m a sucker for Bill and Katie, too.
Plus, dude, they’re hot. Yesterday’s episode made me fear for his office furniture, because despite absolutely nothing happening, I could’ve sworn Bill wanted to ravish Katie on his desk.
07.20.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
I’m going to try and hit a few different shows in this entry, including Y&R, NBC’s MERLIN, and B&B — with no mentions of Rafe/Adam, babies or hats!
Holy HIPAA violation, Batman! Y&R’s Olivia told Neil and Devon about Lily’s cancer diagnosis before telling the patient herself? Last I checked, Lily is a twice married, grown woman. First Neil brings her a teddy bear to make her feel better, and then he tells her about her biopsy coming back positive? All the while insisting that Cane should be kept away from her? I know daughters are their daddy’s little girls forever (Hi, Dad! I love you!) but that is ridiculous. She’s not a child. Neil’s righteous indignation about Cane rings extra hollow considering he’s dating Tyra, who lied about her identity for years! However, I’m glad we got a Dru mention out of today’s scenes. Neil and Olivia’s bittersweet scenes about Lily and her mother were incredibly poignant.
And in a note not relating to the Winters family, why are we watching talented actors like Greg Rikaart (Kevin), Emily O’Brien (Jana), and Christian LeBlanc (Michael) talk about marketing chipmunk merchandise? How about seeing Kevin in therapy instead? That’s where the real payoff for the character should be!
Joe’s usually our primetime guy, but since I’m the one who told him to watch MERLIN, it’s only fair that I get to talk about it, too! It’s a total guilty pleasure series that I’ve really grown to enjoy. Sure, there’s a pat “enchantment of the week” element, and the special effects are B-grade, but the cast is so darn charming that the show puts a smile on my face. Colin Morgan, who plays the title role of the young, budding sorcerer, is a cutie pie. His contagious grin lends the character a mischievous, child-like quality. You just want to take him home and feed him soup, even when he manages to pull off a fantastic feat of magic. Bradley James, as the spoiled but well-meaning “once and future king,” Arthur, is the perfect counterpoint to Merlin. This Sunday’s episode put a little more focus on Morgana, played by the stunning Katie McGrath, who is starting to become aware of the powers that will eventually turn her into a sorceress of legend. And following in the path of other multiracial British shows like TORCHWOOD and ROBIN HOOD, MERLIN features black actress Angel Coulby as the headstrong and passionate Gwen (aka Guinevere!). I can’t wait to see who ends up with who, because right now the romantic possibilities are endless!
The possibilities are also endless with Whip back on B&B. There’s a reason B&B is #1 in the world, and that’s because it has a hilarious, universal, over-the-top quality that transcends language. It’s just plain fun. And the return of Rick Hearst as Whip illustrates that beautifully. His scenes at Jackie M on Friday, with Nick shutting the door in his face and then Pam’s infamous lemon bars, were incredibly entertaining. You can just tell that Hearst is having a good time — and he’s said as much to me in our interviews. Today’s cute little tease of Whip/Brooke was great! Consummate soap heroine Katherine Kelly Lang has been giving the waterproof mascara a workout lately, thanks to Brooke’s drama with Ridge, and it’s about time we saw Brooke’s radiant smile again!
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
07.15.09
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Hey, Y&R, what’s the dealio? Why wait till now to flesh out Rafe? Just because Colleen is back to be his talk-to? Couldn’t we have seen the flashes of depth we saw yesterday before he got busy with Adam? Viewers tend to like a little dimension to characters, especially when they’re suddenly part of a front-burner story. Yesterday was the first time I felt like Rafe was a character and not just a plot point, a simple device in Adam’s Grand Scheme. And — I’m about to freak even myself out here — I actually saw a flicker of heat between him and Adam. Their Very Meaningful But Chaste Hug was nice. Mind you, I’m still not rooting for them or suggesting pairing names and fan campaigns. I’m just acknowledging that Adam’s crazy plot is actually developing a mildly believable component now that Rafe has more to do than just react like a deer in headlights. BTW…? If Rafe were to hook up with John Driscoll’s soon-to-debut Chance, we could call them “Chafe.” LOL! In fact, I don’t care if they hook up or not, I’m going to call them that anyway!
On another relationship front, there’s B&B’s Bill and Katie, who are mighty hot. I can’t help it, I have a thing for tales of heartless bastards and the ingenues who love them. (I read a lot of romance novels.) Watching Katie get to jaded Bill is kinda swoonworthy, and Heather Tom and Don Diamont look like they’re having so much fun. I’ve actually talked to them both about the pairing, and they’re definitely psyched! So am I!
Last but not least, I have to give props to ATWT for tying off Carly’s alcoholism storyline with genuinely well-written scenes and powerhouse performances. My heart broke watching Rosanna, Parker, Craig and Jack all reach out to a desperate, desolate Carly. Mick Hazen (Parker) has grown into quite the actor; I loved when Parker blocked the door and confronted his mom. Jon Lindstrom (Craig), Cady McClain (Rosanna), and Julie Pinson (Janet) all brought their A games, conveying Craig’s helpless anguish, Ro’s levelheaded compassion, and Janet’s conflict over helping her husband’s ex-wife. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that yesterdaybelonged to Maura West and Michael Park. Call it a bias, call it what you want, but I feel like Carly and Jack have something truly special: that magical, dysfunctional, achy thing that makes a soap couple truly stand out. The entire intervention was emotionally wrenching, but it was Jack getting through to Carly that choked me up. It’s that kind of connection that keeps me coming back to Carjack over and over in this blog!
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
