Soap Talk- A Break from the Challenge for a Guest

Today I bring you the wonderful Gina Vetrone Wilson. She is a Soap Opera Blogger. She writes recaps and interacts in the Daytime Drama world as bother author and fan. She brings a unique perspective as she is what we hope to have one day-a devoted fan who tunes in next time to see what we have written. She can be found on twitter @SourceGina and she is a delightful if not passionate to the point of salty viewer. But get her on your side and she's a great friend to have in your corner. Without further ado I bring you Gina Vetrone Wilson.

Watching soaps has been part of my daily routine since I was a little girl. I dreamt of one day starring on Young and the Restless alongside Scott Reeves….and then I grew up, but my love of soaps never wavered. In fact, it only increased. So, I started a website with the purpose of blogging about soaps and my life has changed immensely since. A major factor in this change is the abundance of social networking sites that allow me to reach out to a variety of soap fans and soap stars alike including Twitter and Facebook. While my soap site didn’t work out the way I had desired due to creative differences between partners, I wouldn’t be a part of the great soap writing crew that I am now had it not been for that experience.

Being a soap blogger has its ups and downs. Some soap fans are so serious about their favorite characters that they will literally curse you out if you say anything negative about that character or their storylines. It matters very little to me because of the convenience of the unfollow button but the negativity can sometimes take a toll if my mood is a little on the dark side.  The positive elements of soap blogging far outweigh the negative elements.

The best part about being a soap blogger is being part of a huge group of people, men and women, who love the same shows as I do and have the same thoughts and theories that I do. When I meet new people while I am out and about one of the first questions I ask is “Do you watch soap operas?”. Surprisingly to me, I always get a “No, but I used to a long time ago” response. Now I can just turn on my computer or text one of my soapsters and chat about my stories as much as I please.

Sadly, it is almost impossible for someone like me to break into the soap business for financial gain. However, I don’t think that is my real motivation. Soaps are a dying breed, a genre that is sure to no longer exist in years to come. This is a gloomy prediction, yes. If we look at how things have been going though, I think you can agree that I am not totally off with my theory. Many of my favorite soap operas have been canceled over the years. Each time it is like losing a little piece of myself. Another World, Sunset Beach, Passions, Guiding Light, As the World Turns…. These cancelations affect every soap fan, even if they don’t watch the shows. It breaks my heart. My motivation comes from my love of soaps. I get “paid” with good friends and feelings of accomplishment. *Insert cheesiness here*

Rumors have been hitting the web in regards to One Life to Live or All My Children being canceled. At this time, I doubt that will happen. I hope it won’t happen. Game shows and talk shows do not do it for me. I know that is how a lot of soap fans feel, so why do the networks feel the need to mess up a good thing? We can watch Drew Carey and Wayne Brady all day long but it will never give us the satisfaction that a good three hours of soaps will. If you ask me, and I know you didn’t, the networks should ignore daytime altogether and stop trying to change it. Unless changing daytime involves adding more drama, more sexiness, and more characters we love to hate via more soap operas. I am just saying.  

One of the most frustrating things about soap blogging is fan negativity.  Very few soap fans are uber positive about soaps ALL the time, which is perfectly understandable. But when fans are constantly bitching about storylines, actors, characters, hirings, firings, writers, head writers, producers, etc. on Twitter and other forums, I think that the execs take notice. If the fans are not invested in the shows, why should the execs? And if the fans aren’t invested, why are they still watching? It takes more energy to bitch about it than to maybe laugh about it. We all know how soaps work. Soaps are bipolar. One week it’s a snooze-fest, the next week you find yourself not wanting to walk away from the tv for a second. That is how it has always been.  That is how it should stay.

The BEST part about soap blogging is being able to interact with soap stars from every soap and every generation. Everyone from Jeanne Cooper, Susan Lucci, and Steve Burton to Lexi Ainsworth, Chad Duell, and Kevin Schmidt are on Twitter now. Some soapies such as Michael Muhney, Alison Sweeney, Sarah J. Brown, Brandon Barash, Kristen Storms, Laura Wright, and a few others respond to fans on a normal basis (luckily me included!). If you are not following these actors, maybe you should. Talking to your faves can be a delightful experience. (All stalkers excluded)

I think I have rattled on long enough. So, in conclusion, as long as the soap world will have me, I will continue to write about my stories with pleasure.