Sunday, January 25, 2009

Me and My Stories

So, it's not really news because I saw it announced somewhere else a couple of months ago, but Entertainment Weekly just did a story on the fact that Days of Our Lives just let John and Marlena go, and frankly I am still shocked. Days used to MY show. Granted, John and Marlena were never my favorites, but still, they were an institution.

Days wasn't actually the first soap I ever watched. The very, very first would have to have been Guiding Light, which was guaranteed to be on every day at my Grandma's house (along with The Price is Right, of course). But I was young then and the stories really did nothing for me.

The first soap that really hooked me was General Hospital. I started watching it at my after school sitter's house. Keep in mind that this is the same sitter who wouldn't let us watch Three's Company because it was too raunchy, but didn't seem to mind if we sat and watched GH with her. I came in after the days of Noah Webster (or Rick Springfield to the uninitiated), but I watched Blackie (aka John Stamos) accidentally kill his girlfriend and go to prison for it. His bandmates discovered a new talent, Frisco (Jack Wagner) who fell in love -- over and over again -- with Felicia. I loved Frisco and Felicia. And Tony and Tanya. And Holly and Scorpio. And Scorpio and Anna (or Anner, as he called her).

Frankly, I'm not sure how I got hooked on Days since it came on while I was at school. But I remember getting hooked on the romance between good girl Hope and motorcyle riding, long-hair wearing Bo. In fact, I even skipped school the day they got married -- the first time. Because I never took advantage, occasionally my mom would let me have a "day off" from school and there was NO WAY I was missing that wedding. How could I have missed this?

My obsession with Bo and Hope was eventually overshadowed by my infatuation with Days other good girl/bad guy combo -- Kayla and Patch. And then of course Jack and Jen. I guess I quit watching sometime around middle school, but occasionally I'd check in. It usually wasn't too hard to catch up with the storyline since there were always Hortons and always Bradys. Heck, most of the characters I was watching were children of the characters my mom used to watch, so occasionally I'd catch her up on what was happening in Salem.

I couldn't even tell you the last time I turned on Days. There were a few characters I recognized, but most of them were new to me. And I couldn't really catch up. And now that John and Marlena are gone, well, that's just two more reasons for me not to tune in.

Did you have a favorite soap? Did you ever do anything crazy (like skipping school!) for one of yours? And OMG, you WOULD NOT BELIEVE the family trees, storyline recaps, and wiki entries for soaps that I found out there. It made me feel a lot better about my soap addiction!

10 comments:

for a different kind of girl said...

I started watching Days in college, thanks to a couple guys I hung out with who watched from childhood. They got me hooked. It was definitely during the hey days of Bo and Hope, Patch and Kayla, and most definitely John and Marlena. I've not seen the show in ages (when I've flipped it over and seen it now, I have no idea what it is...unless Stefano is on, and he always seems to pop up!). I can't even fathom how it will be DAYS without John and Marlena! For now, I'll stick with my Young and The Restless!

HalfAsstic.com said...

That is so funny that you posted this now. Just the other day I was reminiscing about the beginning of the soap watching in this household. I grew up with my mom never having it on and no one watched it at my house. One day after John and I got married we decided we were going to see what all the hoopla was about and we recorded General Hospital to watch that night. We started watching it every night and rapidly got hooked. It was kinda fun. Then I watched it for a long time and somehow, at a point where it got really goofy for a while and was so far fetched it wasn't even entertaining, I quit and years later started watching All My Children. Now Henrietta is hooked on it and we both sit here and tune in every weekday. She can't miss her "story"!
But, I absolutely WILL NOT watch more than one. I would never get anything done! ;-)

Laurel said...

My mom watched Guiding Light when I was a kid, but have you seen how they are shooting it lately? Like some sort of reality show. It's just too weird. I can't believe Days is getting rid of Marlena and John. There should be some sort of revolt. They should have a lifetime spot.

I'm not really a soap watcher anymore, but my mom is driving me crazy with her obsession over The Young and The Restless. Hell or highwater, she is watching that show! And she talks about the people like they are real! Oy! She's killin' me!

Laura said...

did you ever read my post about JENNIFER HORTON???? Go now and look for it.
Started with GH...mmmmmmm...Frisco....sing it with me, ladies!!!......all I need is just a little more time to be sure what I feel is it all in my mind cause it feels so hard to believe
that you're all I need.........

die hard DAYS fan

calicobebop said...

I used to watch Days in college - back when Stephano was really evil. Bwahh ha ha ha... My first and favorite soap will always be Santa Barbara. I still don't know why they cancelled it!

Oh, and I tagged you on my blog today! :)

el-e-e said...

One semester in college, all the girls on my hall (well, a good batch of us anyway) SCHEDULED OUR CLASSES around Days. It was on at, what, 11:30 or 12:30? So we all took a morning class or two, met at the caf and got lunches to go, and hurried back to one of our dorm rooms to eat around the TV.

Because we were there at college for the higher learning, and all.

I can't believe about John and Marlena! Haven't watched soaps in years. And my 'first' was also Guiding Light - watched with my Mom when I was little, in the summers. awesome. :)

Anonymous said...

I totally remember watching Bo and Hope's wedding on Days!

I watched Days when I was really little and then my sister and I watched All My Children for a while. My great-grandmother watch Young and the Restless so i remember some of that too.

I couldn't tell you the last time I watched a daytime soap though.

Lauren said...

I was obsessed with Days of our lives, ("Like Sand Through the Hourglass...So, are the Days of Our Lives") for a while...i started watching during the time that Marlena had the evil twin (whose name will come to me in the middle of the night im sure) and Stefano was plotting evil all the time. Bo and Hope were there of course as were John and Marlena...funny how none of them ever change the way they look..they must have excellent genes! ;)

Anonymous said...

I've never been a Soap person. (Wow, that could sound wrong without all this context.) BUT, my neighbor was, and when we went to art class at her house, she had Days on. It was very helpful that one summer (ten years later) when Joe Lando was on and I watched just to drool over him. A little disturbing, actually, that I remembered some of the people. :)

Debbie said...

I grew up on Days and loved all the couples you mentioned. No Marlena? No John? I just can't imagine.