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Are Soaps and tv dramas educational at representing past and current social issues?


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Old 11-01-2016, 06:00
Mr_David_Brent
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From the 60's to present soaps have had to move with the times. Any plots or characters that you think your watched soap has failed at or wowed you.

Do you think soaps should be around to just entertain us and not take themselves so seriously?

Any soap in the world count as and long running drama past and present.
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Old 11-01-2016, 06:26
Ouroboros
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They should just be there to entertain in a lighthearted and mildly humorous way and in that respect they don't need to be 100% realistic they should not be there to deal with social and real life issues as that can get boring if people want information on real issues they should look elsewhere for that information and not at fictional TV dramas like soaps.
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Old 11-01-2016, 06:45
ChatterFace
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They should just be there to entertain in a lighthearted and mildly humorous way and in that respect they don't need to be 100% realistic they should not be there to deal with social and real life issues as that can get boring if people want information on real issues they should look elsewhere for that information and not at fictional TV dramas like soaps.
I disagree with this. Yes, I think if someone wants information on a real life issue they shouldn't go to a fictional TV show for that information as there are much better and more reliable ways of getting accurate information. However, soaps cover the everyday lives of their characters and real life issues are a part of life for people, so covering real issues makes it more relatable for the viewer and in my personal opinion more interesting too. I believe there has to be a balance between lighthearted, 'sensational' and issue based storylines to make well balanced viewing.

To answer the OP's question, I think to an extent they are educational, yes. But more so in the sense of raising awareness than actually teaching the details of certain issues... For example Stacey's current storyline in EastEnders of postpartum psychosis, I haven't learned the ins-and-outs of the condition completely from what we've seen on screen so far but it did inspire me to look it up for myself... Which I wouldn't have done had the storyline not aired and inspired me to do so.
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Old 11-01-2016, 07:20
Andybear
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They should just be there to entertain in a lighthearted and mildly humorous way and in that respect they don't need to be 100% realistic they should not be there to deal with social and real life issues as that can get boring if people want information on real issues they should look elsewhere for that information and not at fictional TV dramas like soaps.
I agree with this. I have always looked on soaps purely as entertainment, nothing else. If I want information about 'issues' I look for it elsewhere.
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Old 11-01-2016, 07:55
davejc64
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They should just be there to entertain in a lighthearted and mildly humorous way and in that respect they don't need to be 100% realistic they should not be there to deal with social and real life issues as that can get boring if people want information on real issues they should look elsewhere for that information and not at fictional TV dramas like soaps.
A spot on analysis of what soaps should be, they don't need to tackle real life issues the majority of the time they fail miserably when they try to anyway, they are much better when being light hearted and humorous they need to leave the real life boring and miserable stuff out.
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Old 11-01-2016, 07:56
Steve Soapbox
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As much as I want to be entertained, I can get this elsewhere.

I think the power of UK soaps is in their dramatising contemporary issues, and when they do it well they set the screen alight. Brookside was the best soap ever in its day - early to mid 1990's - as it did it so well. Recent EastEnders episodes show how great a soap it can be when doing this.

When they focus on filler plots, like EastEnders has done far too much recently, they descend into sensationalist dross. I put the 'Who Killed Lucy Beale' plot in this category.
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Old 11-01-2016, 08:00
Scrabbler
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I agree with this. I have always looked on soaps purely as entertainment, nothing else. If I want information about 'issues' I look for it elsewhere.
I agree that they are there for entertainment, but they do need to ensure that the information they give on social issues has to be mostly accurate otherwise they can cause more harm than good.
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Old 11-01-2016, 08:04
Ouroboros
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I agree that they are there for entertainment, but they do need to ensure that the information they give on social issues has to be mostly accurate otherwise they can cause more harm than good.
That's why it's better when they don't try to cover real and social issues.
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Old 11-01-2016, 08:55
Janet43
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One problem is that some people will believe that anything they see in a soap is how it is in real life, when it usually isn't.

So if someone is diagnosed with ADHD in a couple of episodes, which it isn't in real life, they're given pills and within a day they're back to normal and it isn't mentioned again.

If someone is convicted of a crime and goes to prison, they are seen issuing visiting orders and getting visits from someone virtually every day, when this doesn't happen in real life.

If a couple want to adopt, this happens over a few short weeks, when it can actually take years.

Characters suddenly (like next day) go to live and work in another country with no mention of any requirements before being allowed to do so or even getting a passport, visa or vaccinations if required.

There are loads of examples where soap life and real life are totally different, so really shouldn't be tackled.
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Old 11-01-2016, 11:43
David the Wavid
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One problem is that some people will believe that anything they see in a soap is how it is in real life, when it usually isn't.

So if someone is diagnosed with ADHD in a couple of episodes, which it isn't in real life, they're given pills and within a day they're back to normal and it isn't mentioned again.

If someone is convicted of a crime and goes to prison, they are seen issuing visiting orders and getting visits from someone virtually every day, when this doesn't happen in real life.

If a couple want to adopt, this happens over a few short weeks, when it can actually take years.

Characters suddenly (like next day) go to live and work in another country with no mention of any requirements before being allowed to do so or even getting a passport, visa or vaccinations if required.

There are loads of examples where soap life and real life are totally different, so really shouldn't be tackled.
Very true. Excellent post. Soaps have received praise for raising awareness of real life issues but they constantly trivialise them (in your examples, by necessity - viewers would be bored to death if it took months to get a medical diagnosis). To the people saying soaps aren't or shouldn't be just entertainment - yes they are. Even when they tackle real life issues they are presented as entertainment.

I will say though that 'real life issues' probably means something different to different people. Showing the problems people face in their everyday lives with work, money, family etc should be a soap's bread and butter. Anything where they put a helpline at the end is a turn-off.
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Old 11-01-2016, 11:56
Ouroboros
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Very true. Excellent post. Soaps have received praise for raising awareness of real life issues but they constantly trivialise them (in your examples, by necessity - viewers would be bored to death if it took months to get a medical diagnosis). To the people saying soaps aren't or shouldn't be just entertainment - yes they are. Even when they tackle real life issues they are presented as entertainment.

I will say though that 'real life issues' probably means something different to different people. Showing the problems people face in their everyday lives with work, money, family etc should be a soap's bread and butter. Anything where they put a helpline at the end is a turn-off.
For me whenever they put up a help line or such number it's just them taking their selves way too seriously.
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Old 11-01-2016, 20:07
Mr_David_Brent
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Which soap has been the worst show to try and tackle social issues.
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Old 11-01-2016, 21:02
BadLadAsh
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EastEnders is the best for this, the others not so much
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Old 12-01-2016, 01:28
IWasBored
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Some people seem to think that they are/or should portray issue led like they were documentaries. I don't think that they should or can be. Sitting down for a quick half an hour on most weeknights doesn't work for social issues. Besides the word opera implies to me that Melodrama is the main theme. Probably Brookside was the last soap to accurately portray domestic violence in the 90's. Even with Stacey's Bipolar, which I thought was very good, still isn't as good as the biography of a real life sufferer called Kay Redfield Jamison in her book An Unquiet Mind. Even with Tyrone's abuse in Corrie a few years ago went melodramatic and unbelievable.
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Old 12-01-2016, 23:10
Mr_David_Brent
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I think Trevor Morgan and Little Mo Slater were fantastic characters in the domestic abuse plot. Well written and well acted with some stand out moments.
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Old 17-01-2016, 21:40
Mr_David_Brent
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Any other views?
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Old 17-01-2016, 22:36
sderr123
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Actually I think soaps can be a good place for raising social issues. Yes they are entertainment programs but they do raise awareness. The criticism that they trivialize problems is a bit misplaced. The assumption being that instead of watching EE a person would get information by reading biographies or other more serious sources. I think most people would just remain ignorant to be honest, which I don't think is better.

Also I think I disagree that soaps should be mostly lighthearted and comic. My favorite soap went to that format because of money issues. It was pretty bad. I don't think comedy and really ordinary everyday situations work well in a heavily serialized format. I like comedy segments in between the more serious stuff. However, if you end up thinking this happened to me yesterday and I resolved in 10 minutes why have I been watching this for a week that's not entertaining.
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Old 17-01-2016, 23:41
David_Hill
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I think the soaps help raise awareness and can help people who are struggling with issues in their lives. I know the johnny coming out storyline on Eastenders helped people come out of the closet. I don't think they are taking themswlves seriously if they raise awareness of issues, it can help and I do think a lot of people wouldn't get help or be aware of certain issues if the soaps ignored them.
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Old 17-01-2016, 23:50
David the Wavid
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Actually I think soaps can be a good place for raising social issues. Yes they are entertainment programs but they do raise awareness. The criticism that they trivialize problems is a bit misplaced. The assumption being that instead of watching EE a person would get information by reading biographies or other more serious sources. I think most people would just remain ignorant to be honest, which I don't think is better.
I don't think people are assuming that. But doesn't it defeat the purpose of 'raising awareness' if it's not a truthful portrayal of the issue?

The idea that soaps are anything other than pieces of entertainment is ludicrous.

Also I think I disagree that soaps should be mostly lighthearted and comic. My favorite soap went to that format because of money issues. It was pretty bad. I don't think comedy and really ordinary everyday situations work well in a heavily serialized format. I like comedy segments in between the more serious stuff. However, if you end up thinking this happened to me yesterday and I resolved in 10 minutes why have I been watching this for a week that's not entertaining.
I don't get what you're trying to say here?

Regardless, Coronation Street in its prime proves that comedy in soap can work, and work bloody well.

(While we're on that - 'entertainment' doesn't just mean comedy, anyway).
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Old 18-01-2016, 00:48
ThePenkethPedan
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I reckon that TV shows.soaps,dramas etc. can be used as a vehicle to promote the writers' own predilections,views and axes-to-grind, and as such are extremely dangerous. The power that such people have is alarming- they can portray situations and issues in such a way that they intend to be thought of as acceptable and'normal', whereas in fact they can be anything but. It is a form of brainwashing and a not-so-subtle attempt to portray their standards and morals as the norm. They are ruthless and determined and have infiltrated all areas of the media, to the detriment of decency and morality.
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Old 18-01-2016, 04:55
sderr123
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I don't think people are assuming that. But doesn't it defeat the purpose of 'raising awareness' if it's not a truthful portrayal of the issue?

The idea that soaps are anything other than pieces of entertainment is ludicrous.



I don't get what you're trying to say here?

Regardless, Coronation Street in its prime proves that comedy in soap can work, and work bloody well.

(While we're on that - 'entertainment' doesn't just mean comedy, anyway).
What are you saying? That storylines that raise awareness are inherently a trivialization. Of course storylines should be good regardless of topic. I was responding to the people who said that soap storylines should be comic and lighthearted. I don't know what that means other than soaps should avoid "sad" storylines. And its ludicrous for you to believe that no one finds issue stories entertaining.

I watch soaps not see a comedy but to see the sort of storyline that unfolds over weeks or months. That's the only reason I watch a 5 day a week soap. That's usually a realistic dramatic storyline. I don't mind comedy as part of soap, but no I don't think a nightly soap is the best format for great comedy. You can have any opinion you want, that is mine. I thought that is what the op was asking for.
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Old 18-01-2016, 06:50
dee123
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Dramas yes, soaps no. By their very meaning they shouldn't be.
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Old 18-01-2016, 06:50
dee123
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EastEnders is the best for this, the others not so much
15, 20 years ago sure. Now? LOL no!
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Old 23-01-2016, 05:31
Mr_David_Brent
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Why not Dee?
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Old 23-01-2016, 09:42
dee123
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Because as much as people wanna pretend it is that same old show that did tackle issues years ago, nowadays it's a soap just like the rest of them.
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