From: millersa@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Stacy Miller)
Subject: DOOL: Minorities (or rather, lack of)
Keywords: No ethnic minorities on DOOL
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 00:15:30 GMT

I read somewhere (I think it was Prodigy but I'm not sure) that Richard
Biggs (Marcus) is supposed to be leaving DOOL soon.  Can anyone comfirm
this?  I think that this is really pathetic.  If he does leave, this means
that Abe and Lexie will be the ONLY non-Caucasian contract members on DOOL.
This is riduculous!  Does Corday belong to the KKK or something?  After all,
Bo is supposed to get a new partner instead of Willie, the short
Asian-American policewoman, who will probably be white.  
	
Also, what about Hispanics?  There hasn't been a single one I can think of,
unless the show needs a criminal (apparently all drug dealers are Hispanic,
according to the show's history).  Why can't the show make more of an effort
to hire or promote their minority cast members?  For years viewers have
complained about the treatment that Richard Biggs has received from the
show.  He has been very loyal to the show (which is quite rare for soaps) and
has always had so much potential if Corday would allow the writers to give
him material rather than giving it away to newer cast members whose
characters don't fit in with the storyline (can you guess what I'm talking
about?  Why yes!  The Wonder "Doctor" Carly Manning).  

The storyline with Carly being so concerned about people that can't get
medical needs taken care of is stupid (anyone notice how the "poor" family
was wearing pretty nice clothing and were *white*.  Of course the show
chose to ignore that Salem, being close to Chicago, would probably have a
large black population.  Given that Chicago has been known for its more
prevalent racism and that racism results in poverty for many blacks, it's
more likely that the family would have been black.  Also, remember the
Lombards are white, too.).  After all, Carly was born to a rich "royal"
family, grew up spoiled, and was probably used to being catered to by
servants.  She hardly seems the type to fit the storyline, whereas Marcus
would be perfect since he grew up in an orphanage and would want to give
others like him the chance at health care.

I'm also ticked off at the way the writers are planning to make Stella a
dangerous nutcase.  Of course, they are trying to make Roger (child and wife
abuser, alcoholic, drunk driver) into a sensitive misunderstood artist and
make his wife the "bad" guy.  I like Stella; she looks like an ordinary
woman, doesn't have the perfect hair and wardrobe, doesn't wear a lot of
make-up, and loves her kid without having to continuously argue with him.  I
think the writers really messed up this one.  Stella was the one to become
friendly to Marlena in the first place and was the one to admit that the
lawsuit was frivolous (although it really wasn't).  She was the one who
wanted to keep Jesse out of jail while Roger didn't give a d***.  She is a
much more caring person than Roger or Marlena.  I'm really mad that the writers
are creating a "it's actually the woman's fault that the man is an alcoholic
and a violent person" storyline.

I'm also going to defend Crystal Chappell for a moment (I think I may get
burned to a crisp on this one).  Due to an experience of one of my sisters
and Anita Hill, I think we should hold off the idea that Crystal is a diva
using sex with Ken Corday to get storylines.  First of all, I have read from
people who have actually have met her that she is a very nice person.  I don't
think Michael Sabatino would be the type to date a snotty wench.  Second of
all, I think Ken Corday should be the sole bearer of the blame for the
show's demise.  He is the one that is pushing the multiple Carly storylines.
I see it as this...Corday thinks that Crystal is the hottest thing ever.
He starts insisting that the writers keep giving her a lot of storylines
after Peter Reckell leaves.  She has to go to work five days a week for
several weeks and is starting to get a little cranky (from what I've heard,
you have to get up at 5 every morning and you work until 6 p.m. or later).
She starts complaining about it, and one of the other cast members, angry
because he/she hasn't had a single line for months, tells her off.  So now
all the other cast members, seeing how Corday is always praising her and
such, hate her.  Also, the viewers by this time are sick of watching Carly
whine about Bo every day.  Once Bo comes back, they are forced to endure sex
scenes every day, due to Corday's insistence that Bo and Carly are "hot."
At this time, Crystal begins to get hate-mail from viewers that makes fun of
her physical being.  She tries out for a part in "Lady Boss," and is offered
it, but Corday won't allow her out.  She has no idea what to do; she can't
tell Corday off because she could get fired or he could try to fire her
boyfriend (Michael Sabatino).  She can't tell the press about Corday's
obsession with her because she'll probably be called a whiny diva and will
get the reputation of being a "difficult" actress to work with.  She then
thinks up an idea..."maybe if I change the character to be a real b*tch,
maybe I won't have to pretend I enjoy sex on pool tables."  After all,
Michael S. has fun being a villian.  So she goes to Corday and tells him her
idea of turning Carly into a villian (the character is selfish anyway) by
making her go back to Lawrence.  Corday says "great idea" and then decides
to have her in a triangle, but go back to Bo (I can remember when I posted
saying that I thought it would be lot more interesting if Carly went back to
Lawrence because I always thought the character was selfish and
melodramatic, but for Corday to expect that he can have her torn between Bo
and Lawrence and still remain a "good" person, that is stupid.)  So now it
appears in the paper that she wanted the triangle rather than the
evil-Katerina stuff, she's back to working five days a week, people are
getting fired because Corday wants her to have more airtime, and the
hate-mail keeps pouring in.  I would think that she would be ready to have a
mental breakdown.

Of course this is all conjecture;  I have no real evidence that Corday is
sexually harrassing her, but it is a possible scenario as to what Crystal
Chappell is going through.  Even if Corday has no sexual intention, he still
is the one pulling the strings at DOOL, not Crystal, and is wreaking havoc
with the morale at the set.  I think that we should hold off on the insults
about her physical features at least.  I realize that many of you think that
she is the worst actress you know, but I personally don't think so.  I
enjoyed her on Friday when she was talking to Lawrence.  Either way, I think
we should blame Corday rather than an actress for the way the show
is going.

And now...

LET THE FLAMES BEGIN!

Have fun! 


-- 
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
 Stacy Miller                | I have made good judgements in the Past.
 millersa@ucsu.colorado.edu  | I have made good judgements in the Future.
 University of Colorado      |                  -Dan Quayle
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps