2/27

I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures is a soap opera. It’s ridiculous I know but I can’t help it. What is it about these shows that suck us in? I mean the story lines are ridiculous and often completely absurd, not to mention the acting. I mean only in a soap opera can a person “come back from the dead” multiple times, or a town can survive disaster after disaster, and women can be pregnant and have a baby in a matter of mere months. In my defense I only watch one, General Hospital. I would have to say it has some of the most realistic story lines and some of the better acting that I’ve seen compared to other ones. It also happens to have some very famous story lines and characters such as Luke and Laura, and mob boss Sonny Corinthos. One thing I do appreciate about this soap opera is that it touches on some very real and difficult subject matters. There have been episode and story lines such as teen pregnancy, kidnapping, and mental health. The latter is one that working in the field of psychology that I can appreciate. While there are the occasional clichés such as multiple personalities there are other more common mental health issues. Depression, suicide, and bipolar disorder are some of the bigger story lines that have been on this show. They are also well known for promoting awareness for such issues as well as things like (currently) the Shriner’s Hospital for children. I remember one of the most memorable story lines was back in the 1990’s and was the story of a young man names Stone who was HIV positive and eventually died of AIDS. At the times this was a very controversial subject and they handled the delicate subject in a way that was educational about the disease and they showed the very harsh reality that it brings. So as I am watching my DVR recording of today’s episode I am reminded of why I love this show. The complex characters draw you in and you find yourself rooting for even the mob boss himself, who happens to suffer from bipolar as does the actor who portrays him. The writing is done in such a way that makes you fall in love with the characters. Don’t get me wrong there are better things to watch but there is also a lot worse such as these “reality shows” that exploit people. To each his own I guess. So here’s to Monday and the next episode.