Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Thursday, 31 Dec 1992 08:05:59 MST
From: <IDSWB@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps
Subject: Re: DOOL: TAN: My Letter
Distribution: world

In article <hzuds*iz1@cecily.UUCP>, rose@cecily.UUCP (Rose M. Delckum) says:
>
>Okay folks, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and write a letter

Good for you Rose.  Welcome onboard the Bandwagon!

>to NBC.  I plan to send it to Warren Littlefield (Umm...the hard
>drive crashed again....I don't suppose anyone could email me his

I'll look and see but, I'm not so sure I have it.

>address?)  Well, it was really hard.  I tried really hard to be
>calm and polite, and not to say things like 'what idiot came up
>with these idiotic ideas?!?!?' and 'who is Crystal Chappell
>sleeping with anyway?!?!?!'.  As a result, I personally think the

It's hard, isn't it?  I know it took me at three rough drafts
until I decided on a game plan without the crap.

>letter sucks.  I was trying to get my feelings out in a dignified
>way, and I don't think it worked.  So, I figured I'd post it and
>beg for input.  Should I scrap it and avoid making a fool of
>myself?  (I know, too late! :-)  I do it every day!)  Start over?

I'll give it a shot.

>Keep some, lose some?  There's at least one place where I need a
>word, any ideas?  Help!
>
>Roserooni
>
>================================================================
>
>Dear ?,
>
>[who should I address this to?  Warren Littlefield?]
>
>I would first like to apologize if this letter sounds somewhat
>awkward.  I just have so many ideas and feelings that I am trying
>to communicate, I don't know if I can do it effectively.

First word of advise.  Never apologize for what you're about to write.
These are your feelings and you should never be ashamed of them.  If you
start with an apology, then you're starting off negatively.  If you
really feel that this should be included, put it in the end.  At least
try it first without the apology and see if it works for you.
>
>I remember when I was in high school, everyone I knew watched
>Days of our Lives.  Having been raised in a very 'intellectual'
>atmosphere, I thought they were pretty silly for watching
>something as dumb as a soap opera.  But I spent several days with
>a friens while my parents were out of town, and she made me watch
>it with her.  I found myself interested against my will.  This
>was back around 1985, when Bo and Hope were getting ready to
>marry.  I tuned in occasionally when my folks weren't around, but
>that was pretty much it.  In the fall of 1986 I went off to
>college.  We were in th emountains, and I had one of the few
>television sets in the dorm that could get a clear signal.  So,
>my room became the place everyone watched Days.  I was hooked.  I
>had a class from 1:30-2:30 (Days aired from 1:00-2:00) and would
>watch the beginning of each show and have someone fill me in on
>the ending.  Then, I came up with the brilliant idea of having my
>parents tape the show.  I would go home for the weekend and spend
>about 4 hours parked in front of the tv catching up on Days.
>
Good!  I really like how you get them captured on how you began watching
and how exciting it was to watch in the beginning.  It shows how much
class this show once had.

>I'm not sure exactly what attracted me to the show.  Early on, I
>was fascinated by Steve and Kayla, who were just getting started.
>They were a beautiful, romantic couple, and in watching them I
>saw the development of a true friendship and a strong love.  I
>was also attracted by the angst in Adrienne and Justin's
>relationship, and all the melodrama.  And, of course, I was
>always hysterical when Calliope, Tom and Ethan hit the screen.  I
>liked the new characters who were introduced also.  The Devereaux
>clan was classy, yet slimy.  And Anjelica was a joy to watch.
>Nick and Eve's evolving relationship was completely mesmerizing.
>The acting during this period was uniformly excellent, and the
>stories were magical, full of romance, intrigue, suspense, and
>humor.
>
Yippee!  Another good point.  You brought up all the new, good actors
and how they were developed and I really like the last line.  Please
don't ever think of changing it.

>I was forced to quit watching in 1988 when my parents vcr broke
>down.  It was hard at first, but I survived.  Then, in 1989, I
>visited a friend while she was watching and was hooked again.
>This was during the 'Phantom' period, and I was just fascinated
>by the whole idea.  I grew up on old movies from the 30's and
>40's, and this whole storyline had the same feel as the movies I

What a terrific idea.  Relating it to the old movies of the 30's &
40's.  It really relates again to how Tom Corday wanted this show
to be.  With a twist, of course.

>loved.  We had a new vcr, so I started taping again.  George
>Jenesky's Nick became my hero, like watching a modern Errol Flynn
>or Cary Grant.  The story had style, jazz, romance, music,
>dancing, all the elements I loved.  But I noticed that there
>seemed to be something wrong.  Characters were acting, well, out
>of character.  Steve had a wife and didn't tell Kayla?  Tjis was
>totally wrong for him!  Kayla didn't trust Steve with Marina?
>What happened to the strong bond of love and trust I remembered?

I love this part.  It's about the time they were having major writing
problems.  And yes, it's also when the major inconsistiencies started
occuring.

>Emilio was on a lot at this time, and he was the first character
>I remember actively getting on my nerves.  Then April slept with
>Mike, and I kept wondering who I should be rooting for.  The show
>seemed to be turning more toward lust and sex, and less toward
>love and romance.  I hung in there, but things got more muddled
>and confused.  I watched every episode during the Cruise of
>Deception and the whole Jencon storyline, and have yet to figure
>out what was going on.  Characters acted completely bizarre.  It
>was like watching familiar actors in new roles.  Suddenly Nick
>was psychotic and didn't love Eve?  Jennifer ran off without
>telling her family to marry a man she never met to help someone
>she hadn't spoken to for 10 years?  Frankie wasn't a runaway, but
>a rich kid?  Bo was sleeping with Emmy and falling in love with
>Carly after about a month of mourning for Hope?  It took less
>time for Shane and KAyla to get together.  I was confused.  What
>happened to the elements of love, trust, romance, humor, and
>family and friendship that I had loved?
>
There ya go!  Sock it to 'em!

>I quit watching regularly when George Jenesky left, and tuned in
>occasionally to watch sickly as Charlotte Ross's Eve was
>destroyed.  When she left, I quit.  Watching left me with a sick
>feeling.  I admit, I now watch occasionally, but it's not out of
>love of the show, it's more like driving by an accident and
>slowing down to look at it.  The sheer awfulness of the show
>today attracts yet repulses me.  Actors like Crystal Chappell and
>Robert Kelker Kelly and Lisa Rinna, who are mediocre at best, get
>front burner stories.  Yet there are still some excellent cast
>members left.  John Aniston is largely ignored, as is Susan
>Seaforth Hayes.  We never see any of the Hortons except Jennifer.
>Tom and Alice have been reduced to delivering homilies to
>Jennifer and Jack.  Matt Ashford's Jack has been reduced from a
>complex character to a whiny, greedy buffoon.  Missy Reeves'
>Jennifer is a harpy who alternates between criticizing her
>husband and supporting him.  Patsy Pease's Kimberly has been
>completely totally destroyed, as well as embarrassing any
>audience members who are mentally ill or know anyone who is.

Remember, these are your feelings about the show.  There are many
people who agree with you.  Therefore, I'm gonna reinstate that their
is no need for apology.  It's not your fault that the show has reduced
itself to where it's at.  You've made it quite clear that you only
watch periodically now because of how bored you are with what used
to mesmerize you.

>Stories are started and dropped or changed to accomodate the
>whims of the latest headwriter, who seems to be a new person
>every week, and none of whem seem to know anything about the show
>or characters they are writing.  Many current stories are
>degrading, offensive, and downright disgusting.  Lawrence Alamain
>raped Jennifer Horton, yet this is being glossed over in favor of
>showcasing him as Carly's great romance.  The storyline with
>Kimberly's MPD took what is a truly terrifying and serious
>disorder and reduced it to a chance to have Patsy Pease parade
>around in skimpy clothes and act like a slut.  Lisa Rinna's
>portrayal of a junkie is pathetically unconvincing.  But now I
>hear that the people who are in charge feel they can't come up
>with a story for Susan Seaforth Hayes, who is arguably one of the
>few decent actors left on the show.  Why is this?  Maybe it's the
>same reason they can't come up with a storyline for Richard
>Biggs' Marcus, who is black?  Are we expected to believe that the
>writers can't come up with a story for a woman who is over thirty
>years old?  Just like they can't create a black female character,
>or any other minority character?  The only black character left
>on the show is Abe Carver, and although he is supposed to be the
>ranking police officer, he is rarely seen and when he is he is
>often taking orders from Roman Brady, his white subordinate.
>
Very good!  I really like how you didn't use the word prejudice here
but, your point that they're prejudice was quite clear.

>In closing, I would like to say that I am a viewer am constantly
>amazed at the level of [I need a word here--synonym for

According to thesaurus:  refuse, waste, waste matter, slops, swill,
uncleanness.  Rubbish, pigsty, contamination, dirty, stained,
insanitary, impurity, bedraggled, filth, feculence, dregs, grime,
mess, muck, ordure, pollution, slime, soot, squalor, offal, abcess, and
phagdena.  There are some more but, maybe one of these in the proper
tense would help.  If one of these doesn't catch your fancy, let me
know and I'd be more than happy to give you some more.

>'garbage'] that the writers constantly put on my tv screen.  I am
>also offended by the racism and sexism and now ageism displayed
>by the people in charge.  To be honest, I don't know if I will
>continue watching.  It's hard to tear one's eyes from the sight
>of a grisly accident, no matter how bad you feel about actually
>watching it.  But I will take care to make note of the sponsors,
>and write to them and let them know exactly what it is their
>money is supporting.
>
Oh, Rose, this last paragraph is a jewel.  Only one more, slight
suggestions.  The last sentence - this sentence says to me that
you're gonna definitely tell the sponsors about this show.  If
that's not what you really intend to do you might change it just
a tad to say something about the possibility of writing to them.
Especially if the show doesn't improve.  That way you're kinda
putting them more on a spot.

Hope this helps.  Also hope that the critiquing I've done in creative
writing classes has taught me not to hurt anyone's feelings about
all the hard work they put into creating a masterpiece like this one.

Good luck and yes, the rewards you'll feel just after mailing the letter
will be trememdous Quince

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