Wasted time or Addiction?

Category: Weird times | Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:38 pm

My mother is addicted to "The Days of our Lives"!
I have no time or the finest inkling to watch soapies on TV. Personally I find it a waste of valuable time, but my mother have this thing with "The Days of our Lives" They even go so far as to record it on tape and watch then when they know that they will not make it in time to watch an episode.

I dropped in at my mother's the other night and guess what I encountered: "If you talk while this is on, I'll kill you." So there - I had to watch.

When it was finally over my mom sighed and said: "You know why I like soaps? It is so realistic."
WHAT realistic, you mean like in real people?? Mom who raised you, someone living in a trailer at Warner Bros or somewhere in Hollywood? There is absolutely nothing real about soapies.

"How can you say that?"
Just take a look at how 'real' they are - they wear Armani at the breakfast table, they sit around in Donna Karan. They do not even have realistic jobs. Can you honestly tell me that is how working adults look during the day?

"So what - they dress up"
And have you noticed that the only time that they do not have makeup on is when they are in a coma - gosh maybe not even because to portray in character in a come they make do with half the usual amount of make-up. Besides how can you keep up with the never-ending love-triangles and twists and turns in the story?

"OK I admit - some instances in the story is a bit farfetched, but I can relate to the story. Like ... the destruction of Gina's jewelry (Don't ask me who or why) while she was a patient. The demon in Marlena being foiled in its seduction of John, but creating a wind storm to prevent Marlena getting away from John. Carrie and Austin so overcome that they even renewed their romance with Carrie blissfully unaware that Austin's tryst had been with her own sister."
I just stared at my mother. - She remembers all these trivial details and cannot even remember to water her plants regularly.
"I know...." she replied.

Then another program started. What is this one I stupidly asked.
"This one is quite fascinating ...."
Is it only me who find that people watching soapies could rather have spent their time better?
To crown it all I get home just to witness my daughter watching Pop Idols.

I give up.

Do they not realize that they are wasting their time or could it be that they are addicted?

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Droopy wrote on Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:45 pm:

I'm laughing, and laughing hard too! We all have our little weird things we like to do, and I try to be chevalier about people addicted to soaps. I really can't see the fascination either. I have tried, and failed, to follow a couple that people praised highly, but I find them uninteresting and very often irritating. Well, that's me. If they take so much pleasure in the soaps, leave them to enjoy themselves and go spend your time with something you like.

Frank wrote on Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:58 pm:

You have me laughing here also Palm. Soaps serve a purpose only when you want to completely space out for a 30 minute period or so. I used to watch them a lot in college but that was because I had nothing else to do. Now whenever "The Bold and the Beautiful" is on I may watch for a few minutes just to soak up some of the hilarity. Dramatic music followed by 5-6 second long shot of a face looking completely aghast cracks me up every time.

"Mrs Winterbum, your husband has been been injected with a mystery poison and the only one who knows the antidote is your step-daughter whose husband you happened to have a affair with."

DUM DUM DUUUUUUM!

Biita wrote on Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:07 pm:

I'm sitting here laughing and blushing,,

I just don't get soaps, but lately every monday night i find myself telling even the dog to hush because of a Danish drama series called Sommer, and on Thursday a Swedish one that the name changes with each episode when the crime is solved.. ohh wait the Norwegian one called BerlinPoplene, can't wait until that comes back on,,,, geeez summer better get back here quick, so i have something to do,,,,lol.

dirt2diamonds wrote on Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:20 pm:

Soaps were good in the 'good ole days.' Why, there was the cliff-hanger each day. Now, it is so unrealistic and no one can keep a secret or suspence for more than 30 minutes. There were people on soaps that on a very good day you could mayber look like. Now, the people are so botoxed and surgeried that beauty is a thing of an operation tables and morality is now called "oops, I got caught." Soaps are now a slow death of brain cells and self esteem. The men are extremely feminine which I find disturbing because I want to be the pretty one.

But, the people that watch seem to enjoy talking back at the t.v. without feeling like an oddball. And soapies tend to tell each other what they told the characters while the 'unbelieveable' events were taking place.

I don't have any harsh words for soapies, I just can't believe how they think it is entertaining or even close to real. It is funny wasted time to onlookers. No need for the police though.

eileen wrote on Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:29 pm:

Can't help chortling to myself as I don't do soaps but know a few 'addicts' like your mum. I have stood and listened to a woman in the street as she told me about all the soap stars as if they actually existed in real life!! LOL

I do like to watch veterinary programmes though and wildlife documentaries.

Palm Tree wrote on Tue Feb 26, 2008 3:08 pm:

Oh my D2D I love the way you put that : , the people are so botoxed and surgeried that beauty is a thing of an operation tables and morality is now called "oops, I got caught." '
And Frank I realize that in the event of one actually having time to kill then it is another case. It was not like you have to study all the time (In my day we used to make an excuse to open a bottle.)
Biita - you are a different case - being in the Arctic circle comes with its "hazards".
But thanks to all for the responses - it makes me feel a bit better.

petunia wrote on Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:30 pm:

Myself in my 20's used to watch 'General Hospital' couldn't miss how Vickie would always change into her differant personalities. Now to watch them seems a waste of time. Though if its the same thing, I'll sit before bedtime and watch any good detective movie or crime watch movie that ends up being continued to the next week and usually don't even have a sensible ending.

kuntrygal wrote on Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:33 am:

I watch 3 soaps (so I am an addict), but I also spend a lot of time on the Stew, so that makes me an addict, as it does others that spend time here. I think everyone has some type of addition!!