I used to be a big fan of Days of our Lives. Big fan. Watched it on and off (mostly on) for about 15 years. A couple of years ago I went cold turkey. But soaps are in distress, Guiding Light was canceled and cost cutting is the mantra. Days of Our Lives fired Deidre Hall the most popular actress on the show for decades cause they needed to get rid of a big salary off the bottom line.
It looks like something bad is brewing over in Llanview, the home of One Life to Live and it has to do with actress Robin Strasser.
From what I can tell Strasser who left the soap in 2000 and returned in 2003 (with as she said a 63% pay cut) is in contract negotiations and things are not going well. They want her to take another pay cut and she refuses acknowledging that she already makes significantly less than other actors.
Soap opera fans are a pretty rabid and vocal group and they are pissed about the Strasser sitation and the attendant implications of how older people, particularly women are valued. This is from the One Life to Live Examiner:
It is a feeling that reflects what fans of any daytime drama have been speculating about for quite some time, as they feel they have seen a pattern of removing veteran favorites in favor of younger characters; and a deeper issue that resonates through Hollywood, the movie industry, and even across the pond in Great Britain — that somehow actors – especially females – are less valuable the older they get.
I know that the goal of advertising which basically funds soaps is to be the 18-49 demographic but seriously, who do they think is watching these soap operas? Loyal fans who have invested many years and they are not surprisingly, aging. Older women are doing so well in prime time especially on cable that I am kind of surprised that this seems to be such a big deal on daytime TV.
But Strasser refuses to quit and they will have to fire her and if they do hopefully she will be able to get another gig and that her fans will follow her.
Fans Speak Out for Strasser, Against Sexism and Ageism (The One Life to Live Examiner)
I complain about this every time I sit down with my mother to watch “Days of our Lives”. Not only has anyone visibly old been written off (with the exception of Maggie Horton, at the moment), but the older woman are so nipped and tucked and Botoxed to look like their younger counterparts that most of them become boring watch — they can’t even create the requisite soap facial expression anymore (shocked! Angry! Withholding the truth!). This became especially true of Marlena and Kate, and I think it creates a Catch-22 for the older women of the show: they turn to plastic surgery to “stay in the game”, but, in the process, become less interesting (and more uncanny) to watch, thereby lowering their value to producers.
It’s an interesting dynamic.
Soaps are dying. Their days are numbered and all of this is symptomatic of an industry thrashing at anything to try and survive. Everything will end up on Soapnet and eventually, that station will die out, too.
I could write a very long post on the ills of the soap industry but I won’t. Needless to say, it starts at the top of the studio chain.
I believe Susan Lucci has also been nickel and dimed on her last contract. Can anyone see All My Children without Erica Kane? Seriously?
Thanks for covering this topic! Robin Strasser actually talks a bit about plastic surgery on her “blog” at her official website. (www.robinstrasser.com) She is actually aging quite gracefully – look up some of her latest scenes by date on YouTube. (I’d recommend Dorian and Langston: Dorian warns Ray, Part 2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVLQxQRTgQ0)
Read this article again. I don’t think she’s refusing to take another pay cut. I think she just doesn’t want to take the pay cut in the amount they’re asking her to.
I find this interesting as I have never seen a US soap but only UK and Australian ones. In the UK Eastenders and Coronation Street have always had interesting older female characters and seem to value their actresses (except for Wendy Richard whose character was betrayed for “better” storylines). Eastenders’ Dot Cotton played by June Brown is particularly powerful at times and I’m rather fond of Pat Butcher and Peggy Mitchell.
I think of the UK soaps only Hollyoaks doesn’t serve the older viewers and that is because it is firmly aimed at teens. Mind you I am saying this as a sporadic viewer. Maybe regular watchers of Eastenders and Corrie would disagree. Is this to do with class do you think? US soaps tend to depict the middle-upper classes (I am told)and the UK focuses on the working classes.
There seems to be a huge difference between US and UK soaps. As I understand it (and from what I’ve seen), UK soaps tend to show regular people living their lives in the city. US soaps prefer to show beautiful people in extraordinary jobs (fashion/big business conglomerates) living the life many dream of, yet making an utter mess of their lives.
I don’t usually watch soaps, but when I was sick and watching them, I was struck by the constant story plotline of evil older, plotting woman/good wonderful innocent younger woman. Like being older automatically makes you a villian and predator to younger women. How this works to destroy any good image women have to looking forward to getting older is clearly a woman-hating angle. I mean, what if women actually got together and supported older women instead of tearing them down? When they come into power and ownership, they are supported by younger women instead of painted into an evil corner?
Ir have been watching General Hospital since I was 12. I am 45 and still watching. In the 80,s everyone I knew was watching now I don,t know anyone else who watches any soaps. They have to cut the big salaries or close up shop. I like the new younger cast members and story lines. I dont miss most of the old characters. I still love to watch Tracy Quartermaine. She is the only older character I would miss.