From: vickie@carina.unm.edu (Victoria Hamilton)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps
Subject: DOOL -- The Jack Discussion
Date: 21 Jan 1993 17:15:01 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: carina.unm.edu


 
Whew!  How could you all have had such a wild discussion without me?
I'd like to add my $0.02 on the Matt Ashford/Jack Devereaux issue.
 
First, I think Matt Ashford is one of the finest actors on this show.  His
only real competition comes from Peggy McKay.  Secondly, I do not think
he is anywhere near great-looking.  He's pleasant, but he can't compete
in the looks department with the likes of Drake or Lizardo for that matter.
Third, I'd prefer he wasn't paired with Jennifer although let's face
facts.  If J&J weren't a duo, Matt would no longer be on the show.  He is
great without her and OK with her.  She needs him to be even watchable.
Having said this I will say that I really admire Melissa Reeves integrity
in terms of her character.  One or two of the "actresses" on this show
could stand to take a page from her book.
 
Jack is a great character and different from the standard bad guys on
this show in that he is not bad on a grandious level.  He doesn't murder
people, but he is slimy.  Matt is probably one of the few actors on this
show who can show such fine degrees of character.  I remember back when
Cal first came to the show.  Jack was a scumwad.  I HATED him like I never
hated any character on this show.  I loved Matt.  He was great.
 
Recently (oh, so it's been the last two years), the writing for Jack has
been pathetic.  Don't start whining at me about why I say the writing
for him has been bad and then consistently ream out the likes of the 
St. Carly of the Camel Herd, BillyGoat, Asstin, and my all time least
loved, Icky.  There is a BIG difference.  This bunch has never proven
to me that they can act their way out of a paper bag.  Matt has.  When
they prove themselves, I'll blame their mess on the writers too, but
until that time, they are lousy actors in my book. 
 
Finally, you guys have gone on and on and on about how terrible it is
that Jack lies to poor Jennifer.  I have now waited five days to hear
you guys say the same about her with regard to what she did to Drake
and Deidre on her talk show.  It was despicable.  Marlena is married
with children.  Drake is recovering from the death (yippee) of his
wife.  And their dear friend Jennifer, in true tabloid television (didn't
she scream at Jack for turning the Spectator into a tabloid) style, raked
them over the coals and didn't even bother to apologize.  She felt
sorry for about one minute until she found out that the audience loved
it and then that was that.  So guys, where are your complaints about
Jennifer's lack of integrity or the way she treats her friends?  My
feed must be slow or something because I haven't seen one damn post
on the topic.
 
When I got a call from the GrapeNut this weekend, we discussed this latest
net.discussion.  I pointed out to her that there were some interesting
opinions on the opposite side in general.  For instance:
 
1.  We have the 9 1/2 weeks fan.  I found this movie to be abhorrent and
    trashy.  Perhaps I missed the significant symbolism of the whole thing.
    Maybe it was the casting of those superb actors, Kim Bassinger and
    Mickey Rourke.  Clearly I am a prude with no appreciation of great
    art films.
 
2.  We have the Kim lover.  Sorry.  I feel bad for her, but she still sucks
    as an actress in my book.
 
3.  We have the CarpetBagger fan.  Oh yes, I'll hate Jack when this person
    admits that there is a big problem with a mother leaving the only child
    she'll ever have with a murderer and a rapist and show some regret for
    lusting after the rapist of her best friend in all the world.  By 
    comparison, Jack is a hero.
 
4.  We have the Asstin fan who says he never flubs his lines.  Last night
    I got out four old episodes from December.  Asstin was in five scenes
    in each one.  He flubbed his lines at least once in ten scenes and in
    one scene he flubbed his lines a record of four times.  I don't know
    what dimension this person is watching Days in, but I'd stay there.
    Here, Patrick Muldoon flubs his lines in 50% of his scenes.  And Asstin
    is complex??!  Hee, hee, hee.  Best joke I've heard all year.  As for
    the comments made on who has pathetic diction, allow me to point out
    how often Carpy slurs her speech.  I'm beginning to think she has
    a thing for Jack Daniels.
 
Based on these opinions and how I truly disagree with each and every one
of them, I'd be horrified if these people did like Jack.  That is not
to say that these opinions are not valid.  I just don't agree.  But
I don't agree that Jack is a saint (thank goodness) or that Jack is a
studmuffin either.
 
We'll chalk Rose's delusions up to being sick lately.  I too am a diehard
Nick fan.
 
Vickie