Well, the Luke exit story is getting worse by the day.

Re-writes of re-writes, actors changing lines with no control over what is actually being filmed. I have spent much of the time since 2012 being insulted by the writing, now I have finally crossed over. It is now laughable. Belly laughable (and I don’t mean when intended).

Honestly, I would lay odds on this show not being broadcast next year at this time.

I stopped watching GH years ago, but recently have tuned in here
and there to see Luke’s exit storyline. Don’t watch for more than a few
mins whenever I watch, though, as it is stupid and boring to me. Like
many others, I had hopes that Laura would make it more interesting,
but nope.

James, I hope AJ answers. This is a tad bit before my time but it sounds fascinating.

Harry, thanks for your response as well as your always enjoyable and thoughtful posts!

I know that very few viewers who watched in the 70s (particularly the early 70s) are still around. And the show started in 1963, so maybe there are even some who watched from the beginning…

I realize that I am talking ancient history here and thus giving away my age (or ballpark anyway)! But Diana and Peter got me hooked as a kid back then, and so I always think fondly of them. If I could start a thread on how things were different on soaps in the 70s versus today, I would love to do so and read what others have to say. One huge difference is the length of individual scenes. In the past, individual scenes would go on for 5 or more minutes, whereas today, one scene can last far less than 1 minute. And, in general, the stories are much faster paced, most of them anyway!

I welcome anyone to respond, especially those who might have been watching GH before the Luke and Laura era, and I’d love to read their thoughts and remembrances. Thanks for reading…

James, my late maternal grandma watched GH in the 1960s and id sometimes watched with her…i think Diana was there before my Grandma passed away in Summer of 1970…i think she was a waitress or a cook…one character i liked was Audreys sister Lucille which happened to be my late grandmas name too…i only seen GH a little in the 1970s when Diana was involved in a murder but the man was killed by another nurse…watched Another World mostly which was opposite at the time i believe…i was always turning channels to see what was happening on other serials…i wish i had a remote back then…just like Val was replaced with Brooke, AW dropped Jackie Courtney as Alice and replaced her with Susan Harney…Jackie was on the show for 11 years and and her Alice and George Reinholts Steve Frame was that shows front burner starcrossed lovers until both were fired in 1975…so just like Peter and Diana, the loss of Steve and the original Alice on AW angered their many fans too!!!

@jimh: Jim, thanks for your reply! It is great to read about your memories of GH and Another World from that time. I started watching GH with my mother who watched a variety of soaps. Yes, George Reinholt and Jackie Courtney were extremely popular as well. I didn’t watch AW back then, but I knew of them and their popularity. When the actors came to OLTL, I really enjoyed their characters and the attempt by OLTL to capitalize on their AW popularity.

Before Soap Opera Digest was launched, there were other soap magazines, such as Daytime TV and Afternoon TV. I used to buy Daytime TV and I would vote in their reader’s poll and mail in my entry (how the world has changed….), always voting for Valerie Starrett. So I guess I am coming full circle by writing about her now at a website for soaps… Starrett, Courtney, and Reinholt did very well in these polls. They featured lists of the Top 10 Actors and Top 10 Actresses and, I think, 15 male and 15 female actors who were right behind them.

Regarding Diana on GH, I am thrilled that you remember her, and your memory is quite good! When she first came on the show, Diana was a waitress where she met Phil Brewer (Martin West) who was going by a different name then (I think, Harold Williamson). So she first became involved with Phil. At one point, he raped her… and Diana suffered by keeping the rape a secret and trying to pass off the baby as Peter’s…

The murder plot was a great one. Diana was one of the five suspects. Jessie went on trial for the murder, but it was nurse Augusta McCleod (Judith McConnell) who murdered Phil Brewer because he threatened to expose Augusta’s affair with Peter Taylor, Diana’s husband. The murder weapon: a geode (stone with crystals inside). Augusta was also a fun character. They always played this sexy music for her (the melody of which I can still remember), similar to the type of music they play for Eve on DOOL.

PS: I liked Lucille, too. She was quite a character and a devoted sister to Audrey.

One more PS (because I can’t help myself). This is one soap staple I really enjoyed: Back in the 70s, there were star-crossed lovers who were always fighting obstacles to get to each other, but even when apart, the viewer rooted for them to get back together. Some of those include AW’s Alice and Steve, GH’s Diana and Peter, GH’s Steve and Audrey, ATWT’s Dan and Kim, among several others.

James, you have a great memory too…now that you mentioned the trial and Augusta, it brings back memories…i must have watched more eps at the time then i originally thought…now i recall Beth, Diana’s sister…on AW, Steve, Alice and Rachel was a love triangle…Alice was good and Rachel was bad…this storyline was so good it didnt matter if Steve was with Alice or Rachel…Rachel was a great villian who didnt have to kill someone to get what she wanted like they do on GH today and she was redeemed and became a better nicer person…And speaking of Daytime Magazine, i recently found two from 1971 in a free box at a garage sale…in it features the cancellation of the original Dark Shadows and many photos of soap stars and soaps from the 60s and 70s…finding these was like finding gold…i used to have every issue of Soap Opera Digest from the first issue 1975 to the early 80s but they got lost when i moved…take care!!!

I wasn’t a regular watcher of GH at the time (I started watching AMC with my grandmother when I was 12) but I have a vague recollection of Heather stalking Diana?
I am trying to shore up my memory from murky waters–am I even close?

@ Jimh: Thanks! It’s nice to hear more about your AW faves! I like the description of how AW redeemed Rachel. And, yes, GH brought Diana’s sister Beth to the story as well as Diana’s mother. With regard to the murder of Phil Brewer, GH issued a promotional picture, featuring Phil along with the five suspects: Jessie, Diana, Peter, Jim Hobart (Audrey’s husband), and Augusta.

Your find of that Daytime Magazine at a garage sale is awesome! Also cool is that you collected years of issues of Soap Opera Digest. A few years ago, I bought a few old issue of Daytime TV and Afternoon TV on eBay, after doing a search for Valerie Starrett. It’s so nice to see these issues, like you said, “like finding gold.” The nostalgic impact is immeasurable… Take care.

@ Harry: Thanks to you as well! Also, thanks for looking into those “murky waters,” and, yes, your memory is correct! The murder of Diana Taylor was preceded by Heather’s (Robin Mattson) stalking of Diana. She indeed wanted to kill Diana; and when Diana was killed, the audience had just assumed that Heather did the deed and tried to frame Anne Logan by making it look like a dying Diana wrote Anne’s name in her own blood. I don’t know whether the writers had a change of heart, direction, or what, but after a while it was disclosed that Heather’s mother murdered Diana to protect Heather. (My memory of the rationale is a bit hazy.)

At the time of Diana’s death, the role was played by Brooke Bundy. Incidentally, the terrific Robin Mattson was the third actress to play Heather. Georgianne LaPierre (Cher’s sister) originated the role opposite Valerie Starrett. Mary O’Brien was the second Heather; the notable thing about her was that she was the Heather to Bundy’s Diana when Heather laced Diana’s iced tea with LSD. Yet, in a major plot twist, Heather ended up accidentally drinking the glass of iced tea laced with LSD and went crazy.

@ Jimh, @ Harry, and @ interested others: Please don’t think that Jamesj75 is crazy because (1) he has such heightened fanaticism for all things 70s and the GH Diana and Peter Taylor storyline; and (2) he is speaking of himself in the third person! Best wishes to all of you, as you have given me quite the reason to smile these last few days… 🙂

James…if you think it makes you crazy being a fantac for all things 70s, then lock me up with Heather Webber because i must be crazy too…i’d glady join your Crazy ‘Everything 70s’ Club!!!

Jimh, thanks so much for that! LOL! I like your “Crazy ‘Everything 70s’ Club!” And we haven’t even touched on the music… With regard to Heather Webber, as she has repeatedly shown, being locked up is never a permanent state… Also, I meant to say that I have always enjoyed your posts!

Oh, my God, you guys! I got so involved with your writing, such a vivid description, I felt as if I were there. I really was transported….halcyon days; simpler times? I hear that from Gran so much. You are lucky to have lived those memorable days.
I remember the last few years of AW. I just loved it. Rachel was good, though, not the manipulator she had been. I remember being in Middle School.
My favorite couple was Vicky and Ryan.
Thanks, James and Jim.

@ CeeCee: Thanks so much for your comments! As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I always enjoy your terrific comments and wonderful outlook! When I read your comment in my e-mail inbox (which doesn’t show the name of the poster), I had a feeling it was you!

Glad to hear you enjoyed the last few years of the late, great soap, AW. And, yes, for me anyway, the 70s were the “halcyon days” of GH, perhaps for the genre as a whole, given that there were so many soaps on the air: there was always something for everyone to enjoy. Many great stories, many great families. And, as I’ve also said, a refreshing link to my youth… Take care.

I’m with Cee Cee–you folks are doing a damn good job of putting us in the moment. That is no easy feat either! I actually found myself interested in the plot and I eagerly read waiting to see what happened next (and gee, James thanks for the spoilers).
All kidding aside, I remember when it came out that Heather’s poor, put upon mother was responsible for Diana’s death.
Heather was a fascinating, complex character and her therapy sessions with Dr Katz were compelling. Sadly, I don’t find Heather to be all that interesting anymore because she doesn’t strike an affinity with reality. James and Jim, I am also a sucker for a star crossed romance where you have two lovers yearning for the other and all these obstacles orbit around their sphere running interference.
To me, one of the most powerful things about Luke and Laura wasn’t really when they were together–it was when they were apart thinking of the other and yearning and waiting….oh the endless waiting.

Thank you, James. I mean it when I say your deconstruction of GH history is fascinating. This must be a labor of love on your part and you do it so well.
Now an embarrassing admission–when GH was on my television during the aforementioned time period, and I constantly heard all these GH characters speak of Steven Lars, I THOUGHT they were saying Steve and Lars. I was under the impression that Heather had twin boys names Steve and Lars.
I thought this for the longest time.

Oh, I’m always with you, James. You are so good at narrating…you should compile everything in some kind of book-form.
Thank you…I enjoy reading your well-rounded synopsis much better than what I read online.
“Thanks for the memories?”, albeit I don’t have any of GH…LOL.
Nonetheless, you have that rare talent of taking me there; making me walk in your shoes and seeing ‘what was’ through your eyes. Thanks!! Later, friend.

Harry and CeeCee, thanks again! I appreciate your kind and generous words, more than I can tell you! I am with you both as well!

At the risk of boring you or anyone else further, I have a couple of other brief observations and a real-life plot twist (at the end of this post) to share:

1. When Steven (Lars) Webber was brought to the show as an adult, he was played by two different actors: first Shaun Benson and later Scott Reeves. Harry, your comment about “twin boys named Steve and Lars” is quite amusing, but understandable! The adult Steve Webber wanted to be called Steve, not Steven Lars, which is the name for him used only by his birth mother, Heather. “Steve” referenced grandfather Steve Hardy. “Lars” referenced grandfather Lars Webber.

2. For me, as a longtime (though in recent years, off and on) fan, I am always thrilled when they bring on Heather because she is the only real link to Diana Taylor. Similarly, I am also thrilled that the character of Elizabeth is still on the show because (a) I do like her and (b) she is the only link to Audrey, who sometimes even mentions “Gramm.”

3. Speaking of which, it may surprise (and perhaps comfort) fans to know that Valerie Starrett (Diana Taylor) and Rachel Ames (Audrey Hardy) have been best friends for decades. Starrett gave an interview just a few years ago to Tom Lisanti of “Sixties Cinema” (before starring on GH, she appeared in the cult biker film, “Run Angel Run”). In the interview, she discussed her role in the movie and on GH, and she explained that new (at the time) GH director Tom Donovan fired her because he wanted the character of Diana to go in a different direction (desperate, bitchy) and Starrett didn’t want to play Diana that way; she enjoyed playing her as the heroine. In a follow-up, Starrett thanked the fans and mentioned her friendship with Ames. Both ladies were also good friends of Emily McLaughlin (Jessie Brewer), and tended to McLaughlin in her final days.

4. My own personal link to Valerie Starrett: In 2007, I tried to find Valerie by using her name with a variety of e-mail providers, and one of them worked! So I got to correspond with her briefly, let her know she was appreciated and still missed, and she replied with surprise that anyone would remember her after all this time and that she appreciated me. As you can imagine, that made my day, to say the least.

Finally, sorry to be so long-winded, and thanks again for your interest!

“Heartfelt” and “indepth”: I like those words!

And I agree with your words: “a big lack of disrespect from ABC & GH to viewers.”

Waltzing Matilda is spot on right here. Bravo Matilda!
The problem is they trotted out a dizzying array of mind numbingly bad characters with their mind numbingly bad stories the same week as Genie Frances’s return. Like most viewers, I fast forward through any scenes involving Nina, Franco, Ava/Denise, Kiki, Morgan, Valerie and Donna Mills.
I don’t give a rat’s ass behind about any of the aforementioned characters. I refuse to sit through this horrific maze of crap just to get to the Luke and Laura story. And while Maura West is a good actress, her character is an abysmal failure in my opinion. Ava was campy and cartoon like from the get go and then she battles cancer and suddenly the character is evolving and what we have here folks is character development–something you don’t see much anymore. Then she exits without a strategy and re enters as Denise–a gum chomping moron with a New Jersey accent. Denise is even more of a cartoon character than Ava.

Agree about TJ story. So a big department store racially profiles a innocent young black man and they don’t sue but the DA wants to put TJ is prison? What the f? Some lame security guard gets away with it? And what do we get in return, more stupid stories with Franco and Nina. I thought I’d seen it all when low and behold Nina is married to a character (Rick) I don’t remember her ever meeting. I freaking dizzy and my head is spinning out of control.

I agree with you: “good writing and fleshed out characters.”

Nancy, you make excellent points about the expectations of discerning viewers and fan loyalty! The ratings speak volumes but TPTB at GH appear to be tone deaf.

Les & Nancy- how do you even begin to blame ABC and TPTB when obviously everyone at ABC and GH were held hostage by TG — who self admittedly hates his fans and is very bitter about the 8 yrs he left GH, never being able to strike it big as a mainstream actor. Combine that with script approval, GH and the writers never had a fighting chance. TG and GF made it clear in order for them to agree to be in scenes together, they absolutely 100% refused to allow ABC or GH writers to write a happily ever after story for them. So please do not spew your hate towards the writers and the network, when in reality all who is to blame for the L&L love story fans so want, will not happen because of Mr Geary & Ms Francis. If you have any anger you should direct your middle finger to the crazy talent. I’m not saying the rest of the series isn’t flawed but you are just so out of line with your wild accusations in this particular manner.

Kay, that’s it exactly. The feeling is gone and I can’t get it back.
I am tuning in to see Luke and Laura and every now and then the feeling resurfaces but then it is snuffed out by some really horrible writing. Why was Nina foisted on us the same week of Laura’s return?
I think you are correct in your summation that Douglas Marland could have given Tony an exit story worthy of his history and his talent.
Nancy, of course I agree with you. Luke and Laura belong together–that is self evident in these precious few scenes we have seen.

k/kay–So true what you say. “the magic is gone”!

Oh, yes, to have a Doug Marland today–wow, I can only imagine! Makes me sad!

Dear friends, the magic is gone because let’s face it, television has become very advanced and due to sad small budgets and dwindling audiences, soaps were quite frankly left in the dust. You’ve lost the feeling of magic because these daytime shows are antiquated. You are used to watching slick Primetime drama series with 5 mil dollar budgets per episode which are filmed using the highest quality HD film and sets along with realistic location shoots. Plus you are now used to watching between 8-13 episodes of a series, not a staggering 260 episodes per year. The world has changed and soaps sadly didn’t keep up with the times. No wonder viewers are bored and end of fast forwarding half the show. You’re asking audiences to basically sit and watch a slow moving 38 minute play instead of a slick fast paced limited episode order tv show. Could you make House of Cards, Scandal, Empire interesting if confined to old interior sets and a tiny budget, no way, no how. That feeling you’ve lost is not the fault of the producers and writers but the fault of the TV industry making soaps look obsolete to the general TV audience member.

Hi AJQ..
yes, I do love my GH..
But!!!!
The past 2 weeks haven been hard for me..
I can get into the Luke and Laura stuff.. YAWN..
I know RC and Team will not let me down and bring it back up !!
There is so much to do in so little time and impossible for writers to please everybody, but they darn well better not disappoint me, there will be WAR!!

I’m looking forward to new developing stories, much yet to come .. 🙂

Fantastic explanation, AJQ. We all get it. However, methinks it went right over Su’s head. Right su.? As Harry says, she has it in her head to use Laura as a football and nothing will budge that intractable notion. Obstinate girl…LOL. ‘Gotta’ love her. She amuses me.

You are bang on here, Harry. I came back to GH because of Laura’s return and the hope that the writers would finally give us a story that was worthy of two iconic soap characters – Luke and Laura. Given the way things are going, not even Genie staying will keep me watching. It’s sad because there are some very talented actors/actresses in the cast who could bring it home with some good, solid writing like you speak of.

Did it ever occur to anybody that maybe people are not tuning in because they have Luke fatigue?

They interviewed her because her publicist did their job. No one is out there seeking Genie Francis out, her people whom she pays are doing this. And no I don’t have a problem with GF at all. I’m fine with her and I do agree I don’t give a damn about the old characters coming back. I don’t know their history and I don’t care to know it. BUT, I am happing for the loyal fans who do know their history and love seeing the back on their screens. I just ff when they are on. We can’t always get what we want.

SU0000 – Are you RC or FV? If so, HI!! Seriously, we old timers are not clamoring for the past, we just want some damn good writing. RC loves campy and that is fine, but I don’t want to feel as though I am watching a bad B movie from the 50s, 60s or 70s. GH has an excellent cast, but the storylines do not match the talent. Say what you will, but for me, Fluke flunked! It seemed they made it up as they went along. Genie is not the reason the ratings have dropped. It’s the introduction of boring ass characters and established characters acting out of character and stories that do not move. I want GH to succeed, but it ain’t gonna happen this way. RC learn from the mistakes made with OLTL and FV, the best years of OLTL didn’t not include the Paul Rauch years – The years of total camp and the ridiculous! Please slow it down and develop the characters and stories you have. I beg you!!

Lew I have often said Su is someone connected with the show. Ron, or Frank, or maybe TG too. Paid Abc intern, whatever. Whoever Su is….its not a normal rational liking of a show. It’s not. No one is thaT hostile, or defensive, or protective of such a disturbing, disgusting television program that is written to appeal to the lowest common denominator. And for this person to vehemently despise only two soap actresses/characters….both luminous talented blondes who have been thrown under the bus repeatedly by their shows…Sharon Case and Genie Francis…is very telling. This post will probably be deleted or seriously edited, but I hope not!

Aden, I don’t know you but I love you.
I hope that doesn’t freak you out.

Lol Harry. No its cool! Love is great! Su would disagree though. Su doesnt like love. he/she only likes rape and murder and unnecessary violence. He/she SHOULD be loving Y & R right now!!! But then again, CBS isnt paying the bills….

I hear you, jimh!!!! Today I took a few minutes to get my Holly and Laura nostalgia fix, then tuned out. I knew what was coming….(thank God for spoilers!) and couldn’t bear the thought of having to break out the extra-large barf bag when the “Shagging Sappy the Babysitter, Part Deux” commenced! Do these show runners EVER have an original thought when it comes to this banal albatross???? She already conveys a certain conceit and now that she’s landed a genuine Quartermaine in her bed, she’s really going to be an insufferable twit. If this idiocy is what will monopolize the show’s considerable void after TG’s departure, I predict his will not be the only big farewell to all things Port Charles……

@Smoochie.
Hi, Smoochie.
I can understand how su’s comments may rile you? But, she does not deserve to be referred to as ‘IT’. She is definitely a human being….and, a girl. Her style of writing gives her gender away.
If you may have noticed, the rest of our fellow-posters ‘reprimand’ ( for lack of a better word) Su, but never, ever call her names or refer to her as an object. You have no right.
Furthermore, Su is a person with feelings. I have no idea who she is, but I do not like to see or hear anyone be vilified or abased in such a manner. Perhaps you should read some of her heartfelt posts on other sites. She is of flesh and blood. You could have communicated your thoughts without calling her illiterate…..and, whatever else.
I do not agree with some of the stuff Su writes, but , I respect her enough, as a person, not to make her feel less than.
Furthermore, her name has four zeros.
What hits me the most, as a bucket of ice-water in the face, is that you are doing exactly the same thing you are accusing her of doing. Is the shoe on the other foot?
Now, if you feel you must do the same to me, have at it. Tell me how illiterate I am. I could care less.
I am surprised your insults actually got by the moderators.

Someone ought to lock you in a cellar.
Honestly, the disdain you have for Laura is just odd and blaming her return for the bad ratings is illogical.
As much as I love Luke, the Fluke debacle turned many long time fans off due to the disjointed, non sensical writing. Honestly, it seemed like damage control was going on the entire time. Yes, it gave me something I had never experienced before–Luke Burnout.
Get it through your head–the ratings have not dropped because of Laura’s return–they were down already. They stayed down despite her return while people like me tuned in just to watch her return which was so badly written.
Just because you repeat the same erroneous belief over and over does not make it true.

Dear Harry..
”disdain” is a strong word..
I do not like Laura she is nothing to me.. Not everyone likes a newbie, it takes time but still so far gotta give a thumbs down.
So far she has done nothing but bore me.
I don’t see her as being good..
I do not like her, but ”disdain” nawwww..

Thing is; if Laura was such a big deal, as many are making her to be, people would be tuning in no matter what just to see her again. Fans have watched through many a bad story and not tuned out..
Seems Laura is not a big draw as thought she would be.
(the ratings have not gone up with her return)

I’m sure the best is yet to come… RC will make it good, I just have to wait for it it will come..
I like the writing and do not see it as being ”disjointed” ..
I also see some really good upcoming stories ..

The Fluke story was good and bad.. It became very good when Fluke turned back to Luke.. After Fluke, the Luke story, his journey back was awesome..
(Fluke and then later Luke)

GH is the best soap 🙂 It will rise again 🙂

But, Su. When you FF Laura, you also FF Luke, whom you love so much. Could it be???? You would sacrifice skipping over your beloved just to not see Laura? Makes no sense, LOL.
And, how do you know that after the year 2000, people’s interest in Laura is non-existent?
C’mon, Su. How old are you? I’m 29. Are you younger than I or older? I like Laura. You can’t make such a blatant generalization that younger viewers to not watch because of Laura, ergo the ratings went down!
I am tired of Luke. Just as k/kay said, some of us have Luke fatigue. But, I can’t say everyone wants Luke gone. That is an arrogant assumption. You cannot speak for everyone, my friend. Give Genie some credit. Many fans of days-gone-by have stated that Luke became LUKE because of Laura. Without her, the Luke ‘flavor/phenomenon’ would not have caught on. And, please, do not tell me Luke would have evolved into what he is today with any other actress. Not all actors/actresses mesh. These two, as a couple, undeniably had the IT factor, otherwise the characters could not have lasted for so long. The same could be said for Victor and Nikki Newman..
Luke and Laura gave the fans what they wanted…romance and intrigue. Luke could not have projected that without Laura.
Am I making any sense to you, Su? There must be an intrinsic reason why you feel this unfounded antipathy you have towards Laura and Sharon.
I understand it is your opinion and you have a right to give it. But, usually an explanation follows. Yes?
I still like you…albeit your off-the-wall remarks regarding Laura. Later.

Do you hear AJQ, SUoo? In other words, you’re WRONG!! WRONG as socks worn with sandals, WRONG as Bermuda shorts worn on a SF cable car with their foggy summers and as WRONG as jeggings worn to the opera. You are WRONG!
You do not get to pass GO and you do not get to collect 200 dollars!
What is that you’re saying SU000? I can’t hear you through the heavy cellar door.
I’ll go get help. I promise!
In the meantime, hear my words ricochet in your mind–you are WRONG!

This is a vent. I started watching General Hospital in the mid 60’s, with my Grandmother and Mother. I don’t understand how this SU000 (not a wonder 3 zeros says it all) who has proclaimed him/herself the ultimate and only connoisseur of soap operadom and anything else under the sun I am guessing, is not banned from this or any other forum. Whoever this is, is a condescending, illiterate who obviously knows very little of GH beyond her/his own little narcissistic world. Although posters are entitled to their opinions, it is inappropriate to put people down because they are “old timers”. It’s obvious this SuOOO has no interest in General Hospital. It just likes to rile people up and tries to sound intelligent but doesn’t achieve the latter.
I am so glad we have “old timers’- You know we who have kept GH on the map all this time. Yes and we are the one’s who keep track of the show from it’s inception and have the right to complain when history and characters integrities have been revised and eradicated or demolished beyond recognition. We were and are around to keep the show going through thick and thin. So this Su OOO person,who purports to love G.H. just loves to hear itself dribble on and thinks no one else but it, understands what soaps are about. It’s famous caption is “gets it” Talk about fast-forwarding, I fast scroll in this forum anytime I see Su000’s mostly condescending, smirking comments coming from the least intelligent person who writes on this board. It’s the main reason I hardly comment anymore. And it amazes me how many people cow tow to it/her/him. I apologize to all poster if this comes off as flaming, but I just had to vent. There are many intelligent posters on this board whose opinions have weight and are written so well that it’s hard to keep away. It’s too bad there’s always a rotten apple.

AJQ.. and dear Harry..
I said absolutely nothing about the rating numbers, what they were or weren’t for you rant on me about your numbers, I posted none/nothing about the last weeks numbers.
Check my post, it is empty of statistics, no numbers from me about Laura’s return …
I said, in essence, she did not bring in what was expected in so many words, I don’t care about this or that week numbers are down since her return.
And AJQ was posting her numbers at me lol
Fact is, the numbers went down since her return beit after the first week or the second week, whenever they went down .. Said without numbers. lol

I so far I do not like Laura,, I have not posted a 5 page rant, as some do eh, I simply said I do not like her and lock her in the cellar lol
I do not have disdain for Laura nor hate her, she irritates and bores me the same as many characters irritates Harry, he just post his character hate list and I like them all, but I let it roll,, Harry’s taste in characters are WRONG <-lol opposite of mine yet I never jumped on his back over it, as much as Harry would love that lol ..
hey Harry, lock me in the cellar LOL 🙂

Dislikes have been said about other characters, many times by many, and it goes unnoticed, but not when said about Laura..
She is a newbie to me. I don't have to like her heh
(but- as times goes go I may change my mind)

I enjoy posting with you AJQ and Harry and with all. but never take it to personal banter.
carry on. have fun 🙂

Long Live GH !!!!

Rebecca, where have you been?
We’ve missed you. Even those with whom you have disagreed quite often have missed you.
I hope all is well with you.
And of course you know this ONE time I agree with you on this point.
Take care.

LOL, Harry! You and I have agreed on many points! Curious that you don’t remember that…agism, our love for but disappointment in Alexis (minus your and others Alexis/cleavage obsession), our love of AJ and our disgust that they killed him off…same with Duke…the list goes on…

Where have I been. Very busy with “real” life. The free time I had was used binge watching True Blood. Literally, every waking at-home moment I was glued. Loved it! Was way behind in GH.

LOL. I doubt those (two) I have disagreed with missed me. Nor would I miss them. Unless I felt like having a round of animosity. Not so much…

I’m still judging Laura.. I may end up liking her..
you said; ”“us” vs “them” conflict. ”
you saying that^^ puts you in the ”them” in conflict with the ”us” .. 😉 What the?? lol
What I said is not a one versus the other, it is a fact that newer viewers do not know Laura. No conflict there..It’s nothing personal to not know and not care for a character..
I listen to all who love Laura to pieces and let them carry on with their love for her and I let roll.
I have fun seeing Harry all giggly over Laura.. It’s cool the vets are enjoying her.

What’s this -> ”’ newbie vs the ol timer.””’ –‘what??’ lol
the vets are very defensive when it comes to Laura- I’ve no problem with that.

someday Laura might grow on me and I’ll like her but not today 🙂
Enjoy Laura and have a good time watching..
GH is awesome, It’s fun, it is soapy entertainment, GH is good stuff ..

Rebecca1…Just this weekend I picked up a video with one of my favorite actors…Colin Firth of Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones Diary fame, to name a few. I didn’t like the video because of the story.

And talking about the “us and them” you mentioned regarding younger and older fans/actors/characters. Sometimes the comments do have a tone to them that don’t show respect for either age group.

As a big baseball fan, I know it doesn’t have to be that way. The game and history are a living mix of ages from rookies, established players, vets who may be managers and coaches, to those in the Baseball Hall Of Fame…names, stats or antidotes of whom can be heard on any pre /post game show. And the fan’s reflect all kinds of demos. Opinions “yes”…just listen to some call-in shows after a game. And sometimes callers aren’t as nice as those who comment on MF. But I don’t recall how old a fan or player is as part of the conversation.

It happens a lot, Rose. Human nature…I remember a few incidents when I was in my 20s…there were two women I worked with and when I found out they were 40 the pay may as well have been 80. Lol…over and over again I exclaimed, “I can’t believe it!” I also remember these two women who used to go to the same club as I did…(always loved dancing…one of my favorite things) and they, too, were somewhere in their 40s. Once again I was SHOCKED…hahaha…that people in their 40s got, lol, “down wid da sound” and looked so hot doing it! My 20-something mind couldn’t fathom that these “older” people were so “young!”

Hit send by accident…my point is I think people are so hung up on age…you hear it all the time even when an older musician goes on tour, an decades famous rock band, an older actor, athlete on Dancing With The Stars…it’s like we think people just cease singing, dancing, playing sports, having sex, flirt, basically having any signs of life! lol…

Philosophically, I wonder if we’d think differently if one day we all stopped aging physically at a certain youthful point…so a 70 year old wouldn’t look a day over 20-something. Dorian Gray in the flesh. Then we wouldn’t have to hear that so and so’s boobs are too old to be shown, Alexis shouldn’t be wanting Julian so much because she should be home knitting, Luke and Laura are no longer plausible because he has more lines in his face…the beautful Duke looks too old for Anna…even though they’re the same age…and the ” ol’ timers” would simply be referred to as fans who have been watching for a longer time…

There are several posters who allude to age, physical appearance and what one should or shouldn’t be wearing, showing, doing at a particular age. I personally think there are no rules, other than man-made…who’s to say what ANYONE should be wearing, doing, feeling because it doesn’t fit in with someone else’s sense of propriety.

So, yes, there’s a lot of judgement here. I find it laughable, pitiful and REALLY annoying!

Rebecca, my point was that while you and I have disagreed many times before for some odd reason, I never wanted to lock you in a cellar. I guess I like you.
The same holds true for Cee Cee, Shay, Timm, Jim, Nancy, Waltzing Matlida, and so many others.
Su cracks me up and somehow triggers something good in me. I can never ascertain whether she is being serious or not. Yes, she pushes my buttons.
That said, I feel kind of done with GH. I am back to the repeat bitch cycle and don’t want to keep repeating myself.

Oh, Harry. You can’t be done…the time will come when the genre will be completely relegated to the TV museum and we’ll all sit around in some oval auditorium watching a documentary about the soap era. We’ll sit and watch, tissues in hand, and collectively cry. Until…the Q&A part of the exhibit. We will all then fight vehemently about Sabrina’s intentions, Alexis’s cleavage, Sam’s wardrobe, Sonny’s existence…who’s too old to still rock his / her world…and whether Fluke was the Chernobyl of daytime. Then, we will rise from our seats and start throttling each other. If you quit now, you may miss that event. Do you really want to take that chance? No. I didn’t think so. Hahahahah…hmmm…..

Applauding loudly for Nancy while blithely ignoring SU00.

Entirely possible to stick around 30, 40 or more years on soaps and still be ashamed of them. They’re a steady paycheck, after all, in a profession (acting) that doesn’t offer very many of those.

Tony Geary’s been pretty disdainful of both the soaps and soap fans in his public commentary; if you’ve never heard that, you have now. He may indeed be “quite the gentleman” in his interpersonal dealings face to face; I don’t know. But his public commentary on his soap role and soap fans definitely justify what Nancy said about him.

As far as fans expecting “too much” from writers, actors, stories: here’s where your age does you a disservice, su0000. Most of what people are asking for used to be pretty routine, and had you been around for the soaps back in the day, you might be aware of that. If we’re not getting it now, it’s because the writers and producers (and networks; I actually fault the networks more than anybody else, because they’re the ones ultimately determining what we see on the air) are choosing not to give it to us. And I think we have a right to point that out. Very little of what I see people asking for involves something I haven’t seen done; occasionally, yes, I do see people getting ridiculous in what they expect, but only occasionally—the majority of complaints seem pretty justified. What we see on the air today is exactly what one would expect from executives who don’t respect the soap genre: if you don’t think soaps can be good in the first place, you tend to think anything you want to throw up there on the screen is perfectly acceptable. Back when soaps were written and produced by people who believed in them—and the network executives respected those people and let them do their jobs—they included most of the elements that people complain are lacking today, and that you find so unrealistic.

I agree, Rose.
I have never thought of, or heard of the soap-watcher stereotype
Nancy described. I remember my mom, much like the picture you
painted, of a busy suburban stay-at-home mom with a lot on her plate. When
she sat to relax and watch Guiding Light and As the World Turns,
it was her time, and no one dared to interrupt her, lol.

I agree with Nancy. Whenever I mention I watch a soap I say it with a ready- made quip to defend myself…and was surprised and amused to find out several magazine editors I’ve worked with also watched! I just think soaps were originally written for the stay-at-home housewife…who probably wasn’t as respected as she is today. It was for the “little woman” who was probably thought to have little education, no goals. And a lot of time to gobble up romance, adventure, etc. I think from there the stereotype spread out to less than physically attractive, etc.

Then, people started watching in colleges. It advanced and broadened the image of the viewer to incorporate female AND male students…so to some extent the higher degreed viewer took hold. Still, I think there is a misconception, even among the soap fan his/her self…that the audience isn’t the same that would be watching PBS. I admittedly was surprised to find such a high caliber of discussion here. I was! So I’m guilty, too, of preconceived notions of the soap fan.

With the deluge of imbecilic reality shows, no one can any longer look down at soap fans. We are waaaay higher on the food chain!

Most College students, if not all, (both sexes) watch soaps. So, that is a distorted point of view some people have.
Furthermore, I have been watching ever since I can remember. Did not understand stand most of the dialogue, but I had my favorites. My son is only six. He loves Maxie…don’t ask me why,he just does. LOL.

I thought my hyperbole OVERSTATED my point, but let me put it plainly for you: soap fans have been historically disparaged.

I’m not buying your characterization of soaps nor your opinion that sponsors wouldn’t support those kinds of stories.

Soaps may have “always been” unrealistic, impractical, illogical, senseless and totally foolish/cartoonish while you’ve been watching them, su0000, but they have not always been that way.

What was is no longer..
I believe that goes for all the soaps..
Times changed, formats changed, time and the media has changed..
The soaps will never be what they were.
It was a different era/a different time with different storytellers.
A different era ..
This is now, 21st century soaps, not only GH..

I am happy I am not a long time vet and I can watch and enjoy GH without comparing it to days of yore..
GH ROCKS !!

Nancy..
There is not soap sponsors that would allow a racial profiling story, a racial anything story..
It would/could be too controversial for selling their products..
Sponsors would never lean one way or the other ..
When it come to;
… religion, politics, racial.. to talk of them their will be a fight..
tabu to sponsors especially on daytime tv..

@nancy dillingham.
Sorry, Nancy. But, Su has done her homework here. Advertisers and executives both have a say in what can or cannot be aired. (AAC…Advertisers Accountability Campaign) . Not all programming, mind you. But there is an effort to sanctionIng said programs.
I beg you please, not to talk down to Su. I am sorry, Nancy. But, you are in the habit of doing that. To me and to Su because you feel you can. You remind me of someone else on these threads.
I respectfully ask you to stop. I bite!

Amen, Harry! And a big shout out to you!

Thanks, I’ve loved GH for so long. I just hope they can improve the quality so that we can fall in love with the show again and new viewers can see why we have been so faithful to this show for all these years!

We viewers are caught between a rock and a hard place. If we stop watching and ratings go down we lose the show; if we continue to watch less than engaging stories we encourage the writers to go in the same wrong direction. Instead of talking amongst themselves at creative meetings, they really need to have a pulse on viewer opinion…newer viewers as well as long-time fans. Sounds simple. Apparently not simple enough.

Sabrina and Patrick was the worst pairing of the GH. I don’t like none of RC pairing, too many newbies we could care less about, no character driven stories, just a plot point mess and that why the rating are low.

I am happy for Caitlyn, but sad for her for not feeling herself
for 65 years.
Having said that, it sure did not take long to get a reality series
in the works! I think “I am Cait” begins next month.
Isnt there enough Kardashian/Jenner stuff on TV already?
So right, CeeCee, even this is about money.