"YOU CAN NOT BE SERIOUS!"It's Joshua Morrow and Sharon Case on the cover of the new Soap Opera Digest (June 9 issue). Why am I always surprised by this? Case has now surpassed Eric Braeden as the second most "covered" soap star behind Morrow over the past year.
These two must really sell. It's six out of the last eight issues for Morrow. I have not received my subscriber copy yet, but was really expecting a full cover of Thom Bierdz now that SOD has had enough time to go to print with his return. These redundant Y&R covers featuring the same actors, similiar pictures and rotating headlines (Nick Wants Sharon, Nick Chooses Phyllis, Nick Leaves Phyllis, Why Sharon Must Be With Nick - I'm not making these up, these are the actual headlines from SOD over the past two months) are just becoming ridiculous.
There seems to be a general consensus among online soap fans that Y&R is the most consistently written and produced daytime soaps. I certainly agree with that. The show is also number one in the Nielsen ratings. So if they are truly the only show that will sell magazines (I still have my doubt but will go along with it for argument's sake), how about giving Melody Thomas Scott (contract negotiations), Thom Bierdz (most shocking return this decade) or Chris Engen (shocking exit and even before that was driving major twisted story) a cover?
When I complained about Eric Braeden being on the cover every other week, this was not the alternative I had in mind.
UPDATE: The home subscriber cover is almost identical but there is no picture of Thom Bierdz. Only the text of his return appears in the bottom right corner.
RELATED:
- Joshua Morrow Digest...Again
It's just another symptom of the disease that's killing the soap opera industry. That which does not evolve dies, and the soap industry is afraid of doing anything differently. Guiding Light has spent the last two years evolving - 21st century technologies, modern stories, modern style and real emotions - and received hardly more than disdain from most of the industry. If they find a new home, maybe soaps will evolve for the new century (and soap journalism as well). If not, expect to see the same ole Y&R cover gracing the last issue of SOD in the not too distant future.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a general consensus among online soap fans that Y&R is the most consistently written and produced daytime soaps. I certainly agree with that. The show is also number one in the Nielsen ratings. So if they are truly the only show that will sell magazines (I still have my doubt but will go along with it for argument's sake), how about giving Melody Thomas Scott (contract negotiations), Thom Bierdz (most shocking return this decade) or Chris Engen (shocking exit and even before that was driving major twisted story) a cover?Absolutely! The very specific honing in on Case, Morrow,and Braeden puts the lie to the idea that "Y&R moves copies"...because most of Y&R is neglected.
ReplyDeleteI'm now wondering if the much maligned "Shick fangurls" actually buy magazines, and if they exist in sufficient numbers that the presence of their favorite couple makes an appreciable difference in the bottom line.
But that wouldn't explain why Victor sells, then. Or maybe he doesn't anymore...if he's slipping out of the front of the race.
I'm a Y&R uber-fan, and to be clear, even I feel this is ridiculous.
But this week, where did I get what I WANTED from a soap magazine?
- Nelson Branco gave me the gossip
- WLS brought me ... everything ... but especially obscure local pieces and historical pieces that I COULD not find anywhere else
- Michael Fairman brought me some of the coolest interviews in a long time...so did Soap Opera Network's "FrenchFan"..and Marlena's Soap Shrink Damon Jacobs
- Sara Bibel and Patrick Erwin brought me insightful analysis and opinion...so did many others
- Soap Opera Network brought me real-time ratings
- I could get "synopses" all over the web...spoilers too.
If I wanted "photos", I could get them all over the place too (including here at WLS, with the "out and about" features).
The only thing SOD offers that I couldn't get (and that I don't miss) are hair/makeup/clothing tips/critiques, and also goofy roundups like "What is your worst high school memory?" or "The top ten villains on each soap".
As Zenobia said, their day is done. These recurring covers show a desperate clinging to stability...change NOTHING because change might kill us.
I will miss SOD...at least what it once was.
ETA: I guess I kind of get hair/makeup/clothing critiques from Becca and Mallory at Serial Drama :-)...and all over the message boards.
ReplyDeleteMark, I really like how you laid it out there. I feel like SOD, who probably has more access to the behind the scenes folks than most of us in the blogosphere, could be doing some great journalism on the behind the scenes happenings, how these shows are put together, what the stories mean in the grand scheme of life, more insight into the actors/producers/writers/crew, in depth ratings analysis, longer and more thought out critical pieces and SO much more.
ReplyDeleteBecause as you stated so well, most of the current content is stuff we can find all over the web.
I still hold out hope for SOD, like I do with many of my soaps, that a switch will flip and new ideas and real journalism will become fashionable again.
And these folks get paid full-time salaries for watching and reporting on soaps so they have to be held to the highest standards.
What it boils down to is that Braeden Case and Morrow have a ferocious publicist.
ReplyDeleteBraeden's publicist pimps him for everything and all three of them have probably told SOD to feature them a lot or they'd NEVER appear on SOD again.
What it boils down to is that Braeden Case and Morrow have a ferocious publicist.
ReplyDeleteBraeden's publicist pimps him for everything and all three of them have probably told SOD to feature them a lot or they'd NEVER appear on SOD again.Braeden's publicist is Charles Sherman. Sherman definitely insists on a cover for every interview Braeden gives. I am positive that not even Sherman can dictate a NUMBER of covers. I'll bet Sherman doesn't even pitch Braeden (except when Braeden was doing publicity for The Man Who Came Back...where Sherman even got Braeden a New York Times article!)...he just enforces the cover rule.
But I have no clue who represents Morrow/Case. Maybe they have the same "cover" rule. Or maybe the Shick fans just buy those issues enough to make it worthwhile.
This is getting ridiciolus. Is there no one in soap land with a storyline that doesn't revolve around Nick/Sharon/Phyllis?
ReplyDelete