Thursday, April 21, 2011 10:50pm
WoW! One week ago today, thousands of lives were forever changed...and one week later, all those thousands of people from all different walks of life got together to form one big group with one big goal in mind...save our family. Catherine Hickland said it best "Soap actors and audiences dance a dance. We laugh together, cry together, survive together and love together. That's what makes a family." So, love us or hate us, knock us down all you want, we won't give up. We are a family and we are in this together...
On Thursday, April 14, 2011, our family was hit. ABC announced the cancellation of ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN. Can you imagine a day without Erica Kane or Tad Martin? A week without the Buchanans? Now think about all the jobs that were just lost. Think about everyone working for these two shows...actors, lighting, sound, hair, makeup, wardrobe, etc. Think about all the soap opera magazines...now lost without these two shows. Think about the network dedicated to our soaps. 600+ jobs just taken way in the blink of an eye. In NY alone, hundreds of jobs, gone. Well, I don't know about you, but no one messes with my FAMILY! I didn't even begin to mention that ONE LIFE TO LIVE is the LAST soap opera in NYC. And what message does that send to those of us who are in the performing arts? Soap Operas are another reason NYC is what it is and why actors/dancers/singers migrate to this wonderful city!
My heart sank upon hearing the news. I went home and cried...all alone...feeling so sad and depressed and angry. Does nobody understand that these shows ARE my family? These 3 soap operas got me through everything in life, eating disorders, gymnastics, injuries, depression, wanting to die, dance, moving to NYC and so much more I can't even begin to tell you....through every up and down I have ever had in my life....these shows have been there with me. I learned from them. Laughed with them. Cried. Sighed and learned some more. I got on FaceBook and posted on April 14th that that was the saddest day of my life - black thursday - my life was over. But that's when a miracle happened. That's when thousands of others who felt the exact same way I did, stepped up, reached out and we all joined hands.
ABC thought we'd be angry for a day, get over it, and move on....well, ABC was sorely mistaken. We have come together in a way that I have never seen before. All of us, from all over the country...even some from other countries have stepped up and joined in the crusade to save our soaps. We are writing and calling ABC and Disney, we are contacting the sponsors, boycotting ABC, asking everyone and anyone who can do something, to please help. And it's working...we got HOOVER to join the crusade and become a part of our family. Our boycotting of all ABC shows aside from ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE and GENERAL HOSPITAL, brought down ABC's ratings! ABC Monday premiered all new shows in primetime and lost to other stations showing re-runs. There are a lot of us out there. We will not give in until our soaps are safe! Even Nancy Lee Grahn was amazed by the power of soap fans..."If soap fans were on the titanic...it would never have sunk." It's time for ABC to start listening to the viewers...after all, aren't we the paying customers here? Why are we being punished? Just because one person who hates soap operas is in a position of power? Last time I checked, we live in America...don't we have a right to chime in on this decision? It affects my life greatly. Even if you are not a fan of these soaps, I bet you know someone who is.
We all come from different backgrounds, different upbringings, different political views, different religions. But none of that matters M-F at 1pm 2pm and 3pm. For those 3 hours, 5 days a week, all year round, we are one big family. We don't want more reality tv. Who cares. Would you rather see reality tv or 3 hours of talented actors memorizing 50+ pages of dialogue a day and giving a performance that touches people to their core? Talented writers and directors, hair, make up and wardrobe people, all coming together to make these shows what they are. They are so much more than TV shows, they are OUR stories, OUR friends, and most importantly OUR FAMILY.
I'm with Robin Strasser on this one, "It's TOO soon for post-mortem condolences. I could cry, but I'd rather TRY. The good old days are NOW. There's no protection in giving up."
We won't forget and we won't move on. We are not in a race but a marathon. SAVE OUR SOAPS!
Thank you.
