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Y&R’s Jermaine Rivers Sounds Off on Toxic and ‘Mean-Spirited’ Fans, and Asks, “What Happened to Watching Soaps For the Love of It?”

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: JPI

Jermaine Rivers (Damian, The Young and the Restless) has a point and a serious question to ponder, “What happened to watching soaps for the love of it?” We all have been privy to some fans who take to social media and use it as a platform to just spew negativity, and to take it to the extreme, as opposed to those who may offer up constructive criticism.

For Rivers, who debuted on the top-rated soap opera as Damian Kane back in February of this year, being on a daytime drama comes with some things that take getting used to, including: reading threads of sometimes venomous comments on social media, about you, your show, your castmates or other shows, and the genre as a whole.

On Tuesday, Jermaine took to his account on X and shared his sentiments, explaining his take on the situation: “I’m convinced that most (Not all) of today’s so called soap fans are far removed from the sweet old ladies who watched it back in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s. The internet has created some Straight Savages who are mean spirited and tune in to just complain about the show’s they watch. What happened to watching Soaps for the love of it? Why are Y’all so mad, hateful and triggered for?”

Photo: JPI

As fans joined in the thread with their comments on Rivers initial post, one wrote, “To be fair, lets put some of this on the shows esp, Bold who’s given us much to complain about. When the shows are good we praise them.”

Jermaine replied, “It comes down to Emotional Intelligence… if someone gets triggered by watching a Soap there’s a deeper problem that’s not being addressed in their personal life. It’s clearly evidence of some unhealed trauma that the viewer hasn’t worked through. Let’s not place blame on a fictional TV character or storyline that’s being played out for entertainment purposes as an excuse for toxic behavior. We’re not dodging accountability over here!”

Photo: JPI

Later, soap fan, Stini the Great responded, “I blame social media. It allows a person to hide behind a keyboard (or phone) and say things that they would never dare to say to someone’s face.” To which Rivers, replied, “Bingo” with an accompanying applause gif.

Later, Rivers qualified that the reason he took to X to air his grievance with the online haters is not about hate he may or may not be receiving about the pairing of Damian and Lily. Rivers responded, “I’m not talking about me… I rarely look at the comments and when I do I shrug it off. But looking across the board … the stuff that I’m seeing online about all Soaps in general is just nasty work. There’s a lot of toxicity out there.”

Photo: JPI

After his initial comments and the remarks made by fans in his thread, Rivers concluded and posted, “Love the fact that we can all have an open, honest and respectful discussion. This is what Social Media is supposed to look like.”

So, what do you think of the point Jermaine is making? Do we all need to go back and remember why we watched soaps in the first place? Is there too much negativity towards the shows and its cast members? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

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Hey, I am beginning to like the character and I can see him with Lily. He can hold his own and I think can exist outside of the Dumas/Cane storyline. The brother is handsome and has a strong personality. I loved it when he put Audra on notice! I hope he is not one of the victims in the coming week/weeks.

I agree. I took a disliking to him when he was so harsh with his mom and Nate at the beginning. I also did not like the way he seemed to almost leer at Lily from glance one.

From those inauspicious beginnings, the actor has slowly won me over. He’s very good and I am now enjoying the character as well. I can see Damien with Lily as well, he is quite handsome. Damien and Lily would be beautiful paired together.

I must say however, that I do have a soft spot for OG Lane. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

There are too many miserable people who only get joy when they can bring others down.

Oh please, fans are allowed to express their opinions. Treating fans like this actor does it. No but seriously, he thinks he’s who. What would happen it if fans stopped to watch ? And of course that comes from a newbie. Actors portraying longtime characters never would act like that. No they even like & retweet our posts. They understand our feelings because they know the show is bad. We don’t blame the actors, we blame the writing. Fans aren’t forced to love the characters or everything they make or every storyline.

Fans should always express their opinions but far too many behave as though they cannot distinguish between a scripted series and reality. So many mean spirited comments are targeted at the actors when they are simply doing a job like anyone else. I understand fans being invested but that doesn’t give license to be cruel or inconsiderate. It’s as if soap viewing causes some fans misery and if that’s the case they need to seek entertainment elsewhere.

A M E N!!! You hit the nail on the head.

But too many fans express their opinions disrespectfully. That’s the problem. People have forgotten to be civil and that actors and, yes, the writers are also human beings with feelings.

Agreed, SonniOrSolita (and yes, I’ve been around to get the reference, ha! good for you!). I’m going to be civil and respectful, or try to be, anyway, but I’m also going to tell the truth. I’ve been watching soaps since the mid-1970s, and most of what’s being put on the air today is far inferior to what we were seeing back in the 70s, 80s, and even the 90s (though the decline in storytelling quality had begun by the middle of that decade). Maybe those “sweet old ladies” (not-so-sweet old man here, but I was a young and middle-aged man watching back then, and I take a little umbrage at his characterization of the audience, which wasn’t entirely female–plus, unless he’s much older than he looks, he wasn’t even alive in the 70s or much of the 80s, so I’m not sure how he’d know) were sweet old ladies because what they were watching didn’t give them so much to be cranky about. The real decline in quality began about the time the internet became accessible to a wider group, so it’s hard to say which caused which; I think it’s true that the anonymity of the internet brings out the super-nasty side of some people, and that’s been appalling to see, but I think it’s also true that the internet started letting previously isolated soap viewers compare notes and realize that, hey, “I’m not the only one who thinks what I’m seeing on my screen is crap compared to a few years ago.” So those “sweet old ladies” might not have been so sweet by the 2000s, regardless. Beyond the Gates is restoring my faith that good soap CAN be made in today’s environment, but that has the corollary effect of making me wonder–AGAIN–why the other four shows have storytelling styles that range from uneven, at best, to absolutely awful. I don’t blame the writers; I suspect they’re doing the best they can to deal with what the networks dictate (as well as doing their best to get hired on BTG, if they’re smart). I don’t blame the actors, who, as others have noted, are just trying to make the scripts work (with even less rehearsal time, apparently, than they used to get).

I think it’s worth pointing out, however, that sometimes, even if you’re civil and respectful in the way you express yourself, sometimes the truth is going to hurt. There are tons of talented actors on the soaps, but there are some genuinely bad ones as well, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise when a show hands a big storyline to an actor who’s not remotely capable of carrying it or when somebody clearly starts phoning it in (though I do have some sympathy for the latter). I think most of the writers are much better than they get credit for, but I’m also not going to pretend otherwise when what I see on the screen isn’t working at any level or when a show’s or character’s history has been so badly violated that I’m looking at my TV and thinking, “This can’t be happening. She’d never say that, she’d never do that” or “Wait a minute; that isn’t what happened” or just plain out “WTF?” I can do a better job of not being quite so blunt sometimes, and I work on that; there are multiple ways to say the same thing, and some of them are softer than others but make the same point less stridently. But even without some of the outrageous nastiness I see in some of the comments, some of what needs to be said simply isn’t pretty or pleasant. “Watching soaps for the love of it” is hard when there’s not nearly as much to love as there used to be, especially if you’re in my position, you’ve watched them for years and you KNOW they can be considerably better than they currently are.

Like a lot of “oldies”, I started watching daytime dramas around 1980 with my mom (who swears she never watched…okay mom, I know better). The shows were very well done back in those days. I was mainly a CBS viewer: Capitol, ATWT, Guiding Light, Y&R and Bold. I would catch a little of some of the other shows when they had storylines about the LGBT community and stories about HIV/AIDS (after all, I’m gay). Slowly, a lot of the older shows were dropping like flies. Watched the series finales for Capitol, the beginning of Bold and the ends of GL and ATWT. I kept on watching Y&R and Bold until Brad Bell at Bold did the unthinkable….he fired Krista Allen from her role as Taylor. That was when I stopped watching Bold for good. I don’t know why he felt that it was necessary to fire her (she was doing a great job I might add), although rumors and gossip was basically saying that Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) told Brad to get rid of her. Whether or not that’s true, who knows. Then, practically a year after KA was let go, her comes her replacement Rebecca Budig! I mean seriously!? She is way too young for that role. I still refuse to watch Bold.

Then along came a brand new daytime drama in the form of Beyond The Gates, the brain child of Michele Val Jean!! After finding out was being cast on the show, I was like….yessss mama! I’m here for it! What took me completely by surprise was the network was more than ready to back a new show that ALSO had the blessing P & G and the NAACP! I was hooked from second 1! Haven’t missed an episode!!

I do agree 100% with Jermaine Rivers and the personal attacks that some of his cast members are getting and attacks that were uncalled for. These are human beings who are playing characters and saying dialogue that is questionable at best.

Now, let us all stop being cruel to the actors….PLEASE! It’s not their fault that the writing is bad (looking at you Brad Bell and Josh Griffith). Let just enjoy the show(s). Because we never should take them for granted….they’re on our screens one minute and gone the next.

agree.

Well said. He speaks out of insecurity. He knows he is too old for this role and not a sexy bone in his body. Wrong character role. As I have sad many sites ago. He is almost as old as his mother. He does not turn my head.—Holden fits this role to the max. He is fire. . ❤️

Damian’s arrival in GC is a very good thing. Jermaine’s portrayal has a similar essence to when Neil arrived, though not saying anything about him replacing KSJ. I think his arrival is finally moving the Younger of YandR generation forward. He’s grounding yet complex. This character is developing nicely, and yes, he will be a good choice for Lily.

I’d like to see Sally end up with the “new” Cane – I fully see Courtney Hope and Billy Flynn rocking that combo.

And it seems that Chance will probably be the one departing to the heavens since Connor is taking over the DOOL role of Chad DiMero that Flynn left.

I just want to see some on-screen chemistry – not so interested in all of the business sellings and acquisitions.

Agreed with everything you ve mentioned! Hes given the Winters a worthy male head of the fam. Devon wasnt cutting it. Jermaine s been a excellent invaluable addition since the moment he arrived with an attitude, charm and some real acting chops!
I hope he and Lily become a solid couple!

Good for him. Too many soap message boards are full of people making nasty comments and arguing savagely over fictional characters. If you’re full of that much hatred, find another outlet to vent!

Nothing to do with hate, but everything to do with opinion—-Seems to me YOU are expressing hate. This is an opinion piece—If you don’t like it, don’t read it. I can express whether I think this actor fits the role. He definitely does not. It is my truth and you do not have to like it.

Fortunately, I have not seen the nasty comments and don’t want to. People should not be saying nasty stuff. I don’t always enjoy the stories or actors or characters, but I like my soaps overall.

Sorry, but calling/insinuating “most” mentally ill was a poor choice of words. It really was. The concept of what he’s talking about rings true… but his execution was entirely too poor and leaves a poor taste in my mouth.

Last edited 11 months ago by Scott (ATWT fan)

Saying that someone lacks emotional intelligence is not the same as saying they are mentally ill. You are putting words into his mouth and might want to re-read that statement again.

This started with “participation trophies”. Everyone being coddled to. Now when things don’t go the way they want, they throw a temper tantrum to get their “trophy”. Add that to social media allowing people to have no filter (or decency) in the name of free speech and it has all gone crazy!

I’ve watched Y&R since it’s inception in the 70’s. As I’m getting closer to retirement, I have a little more time to record or watch online to see what’s happening in Genoa City. I remember the days they left you with a cliffhanger on Friday, and you couldn’t wait til Monday. Not just Y&R, but mostly all of the soaps were written so much better years ago. We got hooked on soaps not because it was something to watch on tv, but because the writing was so good. The script writers knew what they were doing. People tuned in.

The networks (at least CBS) seems to have little interest in improving the products because in the world of daytime, they are still number 1. But the writing has suffered, especially on Y&R. Story lines start and stop on a dime, some with no resolutions. Having the same person be the Executive Producer AND Head Writer is a big mistake. I always hope Y&R gets better. The actors are top notch. But they are only as good as the material they are given, and frankly, the material over the last few seasons has been mediocre at best. Sorry if those of us who complain bother some posters, but we really do care about the QUALITY of the show, and it’s severely lacking. The fact that Y&R brought in a new wardrobe person to spruce up the actors is good, but it doesn’t solve the problem with poor story telling.

Michael did you forget your interview with Jeanne Cooper? It was on July 26, 2012.

This is what she said:
When there was the ‘Who Killed Phillip?’ storyline and our characters were in court, and being thrown about, a faction of fans lined up at CBS with posters marching, and this group flew in from the east coast. And they were pro- Brenda (Jill). Then, I in turn said to her, ‘Well all these people must have gotten pregnant by someone else’s husband.’ They had to get us out of the studio because we had death threats! They would say that I or she ‘deserved to die.’ Oh, the studio was very quiet about that, and they had police stand there. It was wild!”

Viewers were like this from day one! They were flying across the country and threatening actors and protesting stories in person. It’s no worse now. Social media

I tend to be patient when my soaps enter a period of lackluster writing. It helps that the acting on the shows is almost uniformly excellent. When you consider the tremendous pressure and workload that is presented by preparing more than 250 fresh hours (mostly) of drama each year, it’s truly remarkable that these shows ever achieve aspired heights. That said, while I deplore attacks on specific actors, I think that it’s useful for the producers of these shows to have a way to monitor how their stories are impacting their fans and allow for adjustments. There is tremendous value in constructive criticism, and I urge my fellow fans to focus on that.

Maybe, it’s because you are in the wrong role, sir—I , for one, do not question your performance. I question TPTB trying to couple you with Lily—no tension, no sexiness—Holden would have been a better choice. My opinion.

Not a good look when you bite the hand that feeds you. He makes some good points, but don’t attack your customer base!

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Jere Burns Joins ‘The Young and the Restless’ in Multiple-Episode Arc with Emmy Winner Susan Walters

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Next week, beginning on Monday, June 15, Jere Burns will make his debut in his new role on The Young and the Restless as Dr. Laurence Markham. The veteran actor who has appeared in numerous television and motion pictures will share scenes with Susan Walters (Diane Jenkins).

In an ironic twist, fans of the late 80s-early 90s, NBC sitcom Dear John will recall that Burns and Walters appeared together in the cast. Walters played the role of Mary Beth Sutton, while Burns took on the role of smooth-talking and quirky ladies’ man Kirk Morris. 

This marks the first time in Jere’s career that he has appeared on a network television soap opera. His most recent credits include his recurring role on CBS’ FBI, and the Hulu series, Death and Other Details.

Photo: JPI

Now fast-forward to Y&R, and TV Insider has the inside scoop of what how these two link up. Dr. Markham comes into the story as Diane’s whereabouts remain in question after the falling out with her husband Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman).

A LITTLE DITTY ABOUT JACK AND DIANE

Jack and Diane’s marriage has fallen on hard time, after Diane caught Jack in bed with Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) while drugged; all thanks to the machinations of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). Although, Jack has tried to salvage his marriage, Diane moved out of the Abbott mansion and has stayed away from Jack.

The last time anyone heard from Diane in Genoa City was back in the May 14 episode when she left a voicemail for Jack, telling him although she is hurt and confused over what happened with Patty, she wants to try and find a path forward. However, since that time no one has seen her. Does Diane’s disappearance have to do with Patty and now the incoming Dr. Markham?

Currently, Susan Walters is appearing this week on Beyond the Gates as part of the crossover event between the two CBS soaps.  As a result of production timelines between the two series, things are not in line with the story of Diane and Jack on both soaps. On Beyond the Gates, the two are attending Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) political fundraiser together and get caught in a tornado that hits Fairmont Crest, even as her disappearance remains unsolved back in Genoa City.

Walters shared on working with Jere Burns again decades later, “He was a fantastic scene partner in this upcoming story arc.”

So, do you think Dr. Markham will harm or help Diane? Is Patty behind Diane’s disappearance? Do you feel a bit discombobulated watching Diane and Jack seemingly OK with each other on Beyond the Gates, while on Y&R she is MIA? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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Y&R’s Melody Thomas Scott and Sean Dominic Talk on Nikki’s Mystery Health Crisis, ‘She Reaches Out to Nate!’

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What is happening to The Young and the Restless Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott)? Recently, Nikki who previously had been diagnosed with MS, has been experiencing blinding headaches, but this week be on the lookout as her vision also begins to deteriorate.

Now trying to put the pieces together of what could be happening to Nikki begins a health crisis and mystery. Is she suffering vision issues which can be related to MS, which can be a symptom? A brain tumor? Something else?

While Stephanie Sloane spoke to Melody Thomas Scott in her Soap Steph’s Daytime Dish Newsletter, Michael Fairman TV caught up with Sean Dominic (Nate Hastings) at Monday night, June 8th’s A Toast to Black Excellence event in Los Angeles, featuring cast members of Beyond the Gates and The Young and the Restless as a precursor to their multi-arc crossover event that starts today. As it turns out, it looks like Dr. Nate Hastings will indeed cross paths with Nikki Newman in this storyline.

Photo: JPI

CAN DR. NATE HASTINGS HELP NIKKI NEWMAN?

Dominic shared, “I do have some scenes coming up with Melody that you will see soon. She reaches out to Nate.” Putting two and two together, Dr. Nate Hastings is a world-renowned surgeon, so will Nikki need surgery for her condition? Stay tuned.

Previously, Melody Thomas Scott explained, “I’ve never played a character with this new diagnosis that Nikki will receive, so I spent more time than usual doing research and prepping. I wanted to make sure my portrayal of Nikki’s experience was as authentic as possible.”

As to why Nikki is having horrendous headaches now, with being on the outs with her husband, Victor Newman, and trying to help her son, Nick battle his drug addiction, (and let’s not forget Nikki has a her own demons with booze), one would think it’s stress related. But think again!

Photo: JPI

VICTOR AND NIKKI: FROM STAR-CROSSED LOVERS TO EMBATTLED SPOUSES

The longtime star of the series expressed, “The timing of Nikki’s headaches lines up with recent stress from her problems with Victor along with Nicholas issues, so it’s easy for Nikki to attribute her headaches to these current events. Nikki a full plate, so she initially brushes them off, thinking they are tension headaches. Unfortunately, Nikki’s condition will soon get progressively worse to the point where she will be forced to get medical attention.”

With Victor and Nikki going through a very rough patch, in part, because Victor is so jealous and unhinged over the mere mention of Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), stemming from the incident almost two years ago where he overdosed while trying to stop Nikki’s bender, and he was her sponsor. Victor believes more happened between Jack and Nikki, but it didn’t.

Melody shared it’s fun to not always be happy on the soaps : “As much as Eric and I enjoy the romantic moments, we also savor the opportunity to play the not-so-happy times in the marriage. Our characters have so much rich history.”

So, what do you think is happening to Nikki? How will Dr. Nate be involved? Give us your thoughts on what will be Nikki’s ultimate diagnosis from her headaches and vion problems via the comment section below.

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‘The Young and the Restless’ and ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Cast Attending Monte-Carlo TV Festival 2026 Revealed

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Each year in June, various cast members from CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful are appointed as the representatives of their shows to attend the biggest TV event in Europe, the Monte-Carlo TV Festival.

Now in its 65th year, and beginning this coming weekend June 12-15, the annual event brings television stars, producers and more from around the globe, for interactive fan events, and the annual Golden Nymph Awards which concludes the competition.

Attending from The Young and the Restless will be the on-screen mother/son duo of Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) and Michael Graziadei (Daniel). The two will have their own autograph signing and fan event on June 15, where according to the official TV festival website, they are capacity and no tickets are currently available.

Courtesy/MonteCarloFilmFestival

BIG BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL NAMES

Then, the most recognized soap opera in the world, The Bold and the Beautiful brings with it, series legacy star, Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke), along with Thorsten Kaye (Ridge), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) Tanner Novlan (Finn) and Kimberlin Brown (Sheila). The B&B fan event is also on June 15 and at capacity and no tickets are currently available. As B&B fans know, many times the soap will schedule a remote or scenes to be taped in Europe around the same time as the actors trip to Monaco. No word yet if that is true this year, or not.

OPENING CEREMONIES

The 65th Monte-Carlo Television Festival will open at the Grimaldi Forum on June 12, with the prestigious Opening Ceremony. An exceptional Red Carpet with international stars – actors, directors and producers – of the most popular series worldwide followed by the Ceremony with the Golden Nymph Awards Jury presentation.

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas will receive the prestigious Crystal Nymph Award recognizes a prominent figure in the television industry for their outstanding career and lasting impact on the industry.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN NYMPH AWARDS

At the heart of the Festival the Golden Nymph Awards Competition gives the opportunity to present to the public, the press and professionals, a selection of high level and unreleased programs.

The Competition is divided into four categories: Fiction, Feature Reports & News, Digital and Prince Rainier III Special Prize. It is complemented by two Special Prizes, awarded by partner organizations, the winners of which are selected among all the programs entered in the Golden Nymph Awards Competition. The Competition is open to all formats specially produced for television and new steaming platforms.

The Bold and the Beautiful had previously won the Golden Nymph Award at the festival 13 times in the International TV Audience Award category for “Telenovela/Soap Opera.” The American daytime drama historically dominated the category, picking up its 13th Golden Nymph at the 58th annual festival back in 2018.

So, what do you think about the line-up of stars who are heading to Monaco from The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful? Let us know via the comment section below.

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