Soap opera basics
- 1. Soap opera basics Originated 1920’s USA Broadcast radio Advertise soap pwder to American housewives Soap is a feminine genre is primarily aimed at women This affects scheduling- because traditional female roles are beades in the home soaps are aired after mealtimes when there is a lull in the day. Target audience also affects storylines, narrative perspective, characterisation, settings, costumes. Soap operas run continuously, in the same time slots, on the same days, broadcasts by the same institutions, for years. Because they are repeated so often, they become part of the culture psyche. They become part of who ‘’we’’ are. The characters become ‘people’. Story lines are relatable- audiences can watch and understand what is happening, and emphathise with characters. Or hate them. Some storylines can be outageous- e.g. baby swapping in Eastenders. Most soaps have between 10-15 main characters, with overlapping interweaving story lines. Storylines overlap to keep audiences interested. Different strands can run alongside each other but develop at different times. Catharsis: emotional cleansing.the purgine of negative emotions by watching another person go through something similar/worse. Soap becomes therapy when it is cathartic- people deal with their problems vivariously. Soap operas become a form of escapism for ceratain audiences.