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Thursday, 13 October 2011

Can we read soaps as Social Documents?

Soaps are 'junk TV', easy to follow and limited in stimulation of the mind.

  • Because soaps are 'easy viewing', they do not demand any intellectual activity on the part of the viewer. 
  • Soaps are ridiculously far fetched, with an incredible number of incidents constantly happening to a small number of people. 
  • Soaps encourage to see life in very simple, black and white ways.
  • The tabloid press focus so heavily on events in soaps that people lose sight of the distinction between reality and television, characters and actors/actresses. 
However, defense of soap operas say:

  • Soaps reflect the society in which we live and encourage us to reflect on our own lives and attitudes.
  • Soaps are hugely popular because they are relevant to the lives of the audience.
  • Soaps reflect social issues in a topical, challenging and responsible way, maintaining a balance between drama and realism.
  • Soaps depict ordinary people, different genders, and people from different ethnic backgrounds in positive ways.

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