darkSpyro

I hate soap operas. I make no secret about it. Specifically ones from Ireland, the UK and Australia. Emmerdale, Eastenders, Coronation Street, Fair City, Home & Away, Good Neighbours, etc. To me, they all seem to have the exact same pattern.

• Weirdly shot at 48-60fps.
  
• How everyone constantly talk to one another sound like they're whispering loudly.
  
• They're looking for trouble or look to cause trouble where there isn't any.
  
• People always whine about everything.
  
• Domestic violence just for the sake of domestic violence.
  
• No music as in no tunes or ambiance to suit a mood, making the shows feel like stage plays than TV shows.
  
• The shows are constantly ongoing even after over 30-50 years...
  
• ...with every episode ending on a cliffhanger or bleak note...
  
• ...creating continuity lock-out unless you every single last episode.
  
• Some of the more obvious stuff like rapid aging retcons.
  
• There's always a new episode every single day of the year, which is must be a production nightmare.
  
• No overarching theme or end-goal of each entire series.
  

But these are all nitpicks in comparison in comparison to this last outlandish thought.

All these ones in soaps seem to hate each other to the point that they all look to kill each other. Are they all suffering from kind of hate plague? Is this like the Hinamizawa Syndrome from Higurashi or is it Hinamizawa Syndrome? Why aren't they all contained, quarantined and purged by government and military officials to keep these events from spreading? Are all the soaps in the same universe together? Why can't these people just call each other and have one final Mexican stand-off? Everyone vs everyone.

Note: This is in the "Stuff and Nonsense" section for a reason.

You forgot about American and Canadian soap operas.

Brazilian ones have all this on top of family unfriendly violence and morals(especially "betrayal is ok if you don't really love them" and "the real family yells and fights a lot for no good reason" or brazilian brand "take advantage of everyone, you're just being smart and they ask for it being weak willed") , sickening smugness about being high art (read: there isn't anything better in local channels), and tumblrina-level forced progressiveness that comes off as xenophobic and poor-hating 9 times out of 10.

That's all on top of the really stupid plots and cardboard gimmicky characters, of course.

Quote: Greeble

You forgot about American and Canadian soap operas.

I said specifically ones in Ireland, UK and Australia because those are the ones broadcasted in TVs where I live.

Do they all suffer from Hinamizawa Syndrome?

Quote: StevemacQ

Quote: Greeble

You forgot about American and Canadian soap operas.

I said specifically ones in Ireland, UK and Australia because those are the ones broadcasted in TVs where I live.

Do they all suffer from Hinamizawa Syndrome?

I'll give you Eastenders.

But not Coronation Street, that's one step too far.

Oh god my mum watches Home and Away and it's ****ing awful. The main thing that pisses me off about them is the love triangle/cheating bull****. Like two characters of the opposite gender cannot interact without ending up banging each other, it's so dumb. Do you not understand the concept of friendship??

None of these soaps have unique selling points. There has to be an appeal as a backdrop for human drama. Even then, there must be a beginning, a middle and an end. Good shows usually know when to end.

But can we all at least agree that these soap characters should just get over and kill each other like The Red Wedding... except EVERYONE dies? To me, that's just what it feels the logical conclusion of decades of routine hate in these places.

I usually look at magazines while my mom pays for the groceries. Every week I swear to god its the same two people with the headline "___ Pregnant with HIS baby?! How will____react!?"

They have a selling factor - that's usually the gimmick. We're having a rerun of a soap called The Indian Way here. Gimmick is, half the show happens on India, half in Brazil, and the ~crazy hijnks~ that the culture clash causes. Except it's horribly one sided and basically "look at these last-century ideals and the stupid funny things people in India believe in!", let's not forget that in the same soap we had a woman that regularly drugged her husband to cheat on him and it's seen as a bad thing when she's caught because she totally just loves the guy but likes to break the rules.

Basically I agree with all of you. There is also children-oriented ones (at least here) that are very dumb.

Quote: Bifrost

They have a selling factor - that's usually the gimmick. We're having a rerun of a soap called The Indian Way here. Gimmick is, half the show happens on India, half in Brazil, and the ~crazy hijnks~ that the culture clash causes. Except it's horribly one sided and basically "look at these last-century ideals and the stupid funny things people in India believe in!", let's not forget that in the same soap we had a woman that regularly drugged her husband to cheat on him and it's seen as a bad thing when she's caught because she totally just loves the guy but likes to break the rules.

I remember of this one. The main theme was fun.

I was watching it today. Younger me thought it was the only good soap this last decade but god no it's just as bad.

OH YEAH and since it's on TV right now and the laptop is directly in front of it so every now and then I end up watching a bit, Steve's kinda right in how soaps like to be hate porn, especially the 'late at night' ones. Just had a really graphic torture scene, people having incredibly dramatic breakdowns,and as usual really loud family fights. God just looking at pieces without knowing the plot makes me sick.

Like knowing the plot even matters. Like the plot itself even matters. It's just domestic violence for the sake of it. That doesn't make an entertaining escape from reality. It's not fun. Even if fun isn't the point, add something else to it. People making soaps don't. Let's not even get started on Tabloid Talk Shows like Jeremy Kyle, Steve Wilkos and Dr. Phil.

hey dont bully corrie, i'll fight you

Quote: Blackholes_Wolf

hey dont bully corrie, i'll fight you

*Hands you a bat*

You can take the first swing.

if ur gonna make fun of a british soap, make fun of hollyoaks

Quote: Blackholes_Wolf

if ur gonna make fun of a british soap, make fun of hollyoaks

I like you.