Much of the fun of being a soap opera fan is in the sense of community. Fans of daytime scripted drama, like fans of other dramatic programming and literature, enjoy the comradery of the fan culture. It is in this culture that they exchange opinions, insight, and conjecture. It's special in daytime because it was, until recently, a lifetime commitment. Fans were not just fans for a season or a few seasons, but forever. They came to this experience with a lifetime of knowledge and insight into the characters, the actors, and the creative teams.
With the introduction of the internet, a new player emerged into the field. We call this person the "insider" and said insider possesses what soap fans crave- information. And, unfortunately, this insider wields some power over the fans and often uses that to market the show, gauge fan reaction, or, most notably, gain power for their own reasons. I have noticed in the last few years, the "insider" has gone from simple to complex and, lately, can be more problematic not just for the fan experience but for the show itself. These people need to be stopped as daytime is at a crisis point and these schmucks aren't helping anyone but themselves.
Possibly what fans enjoy more than anything is the speculation of
what will happen next. We love to go back and forth, compare history
and character and writer and try to predict future story. Will there be
consequences for the actions? Will there be retribution for the evil
deed? Will the betrayal be found out and, when it is, what will happen
next? In other words, we all want to know what will happen before it
happens because, well, in Yiddish, we're a bunch of "Yentas". This means we
can't stop gossiping and need to know all now and then won't shut up
about it!! In some ways, we're traditional stereotypes
of women and gay men. Hey, if the shoe fits, we gotta wear it, Ladies and very hip Dudes.
So,
due to our need to know, and know first, BTW, this gives an alleged
"insider" a privileged position. They are then in a power position
over the fans. In interpersonal communication, they define power as
having the means to meet the needs of others. If you can fulfill the
needs of people, you have power over them. If you can prove that you
ALONE can fulfill those needs, then you have the ultimate power and can
use that in any fashion you choose. Often that power leads to a fascistic use and allows for abuse.
Recently, it seems that the "insiders" seem to feel that they have this authoritarian form of power over the fans. Rather than promote the show and tease the fans, this form of insider tends to use his moment in the spotlight to torment them, chastise them, insult them, and possibly use the forum as a bully pulpit for their own grudges and ideas. In other words, the insider turns into a megalomaniac. And, in my opinion, they need to stop. Possibly for therapy.
They are no longer helping these shows but causing serious unrest in the fanbase. At a time when all shows need as many viewers as possible and even more support, these insiders are undercutting that enthusiasm and driving fans away. It seems that maybe it's time to drive the "insider" away and let the fans think for themselves.
It's been discussed that one specific insider is using his "forum" to not help the show he speaks about but actually hurt it. Rumor is he is no longer employed and is attempting to exact revenge on those who fired him. This is purely conjecture but it is an interesting theory. Attempting to abuse fans and destroy the good will the show is attempting to build would achieve that nefarious end. It's evil but effective.
It has been mentioned that this information is not only destructive, but false. And, in disseminating it, it will drive away future viewers who wanted another outcome and then the show will sink even further. This is a particularly hateful tactic as it tends to hurt everyone. The fans are distraught as their hopes are dashed. The show is hurt as the ratings surge they hoped this story may give them won't happen as the fans are not supportive. In the long run, the insider who is allegedly "marketing" the show is in fact destroying it. People are then fired, shows are cancelled, and fans are unhappy. Who wins here? I guess the "insider" who possibly has some bad intentions.
But what if the information is true? Do the fans need to be "warned"? I would argue that is ridiculous. It achieves the negative outcome outlined above instead of the opposite. The goal here is to get people to watch. If you want people to watch, even if they'll eventually be disappointed, you still want them to watch!!! Otherwise, this is an exercise in futility. Dashing their hopes and pissing on their joy is not going to achieve this end. People who are told that they will not be getting what they want will NOT watch. In other words, there is no reason for this behavior. It should be stopped.
If anyone with any power is reading this, put a cork in these guys. They're not helping you. Website Administrators, they're driving people OFF your site, not to it. If they hate the info they get, they don't care if it's juicy or not. They still hate it. They'll lose interest or resent the "insider". Either way, you lose traffic. Ban these people. They're hurting the experience.
Now, there are legit insiders who simply drop info and run. That's one thing. They're not there for the power or the "glory", such as it is. That's not what I'm discussing here. But the "insider" who returns over and over, some of them daily, are not there just to share. They're there, well, I don't know why they're there. But there's some reason and it can't be good. If they really were working on the sets and in the industry, shouldn't they be too busy to show up on a message board every day? Don't they have better things to do than argue that they're right and the fans are stupid and should listen to them- not the actors, not other insiders, and not to their own internal knowledge of the characters. But to THEM- the insider.
Now, come on, that's sick. And creepy.
But what do I know? I'm just a moronic fan and silly professor. All I have is an office full of diplomas, a lot of letters after my name, and years of scholarly research and study under my belt. I'm too stupid. I need an insider to learn me them facts!! It's good that I have one or I'd be lost in enjoying the last days of a genre I love. Thank God they showed me the error of my ways.
I'd be lost without my insider.
No comments:
Post a Comment