Continental Fairy

Soap operas: Is it like real life?

I’m not a great lover of soap operas, but last night I found myself parked on the sofa watching Eastenders. For you guys who are not familiar with the soap, I shall give you a quick run down on what it’s all about. Basically, it’s a place in the East End of London where life is mundane, depicting morose lives of characters that spend most of existence in the pub, club or ‘The Cafe”. It’s supposed to represent realistic situations but lately had just become a constant stream of unrelenting misery.

I haven’ t tuned in for months, and last nights episode seem to have people talking.  Some say that they too had become involved and felt emotional about the whole story line, even crying in front of their televisions.

I can never understand why people can get so into their soaps, like it’s another extension of their daily life.

I used to work in a place where the main topic in the staff room used to be the lives of the characters in these soaps. One time I walked in and they were discussing about someones illicit affair, a woman who is having an affair with her sisters’ boyfriend, while she too is also carrying on with another guy, and to top that, her sister is actually her daughter. While I listened engrossed in this unconventional drama, I started to think that my life seems a little dull compared to this woman. She seems to have all things going on, and god knows how she’s going to get out of this pickle. I then asked the woman next to me…

“Do you know what’s shes going to do?” she casually said “Well, we’ll just have to find out at 7.30 on Thursday night to see what happens!”. Then the penny dropped.

But what amazed me was the enthusiasm in their story telling, that made me believe that they were in fact talking about someone that they know. Maybe I’m a little naive, or just a soap opera snob, but it’s interesting how women (especially) can relate to these characters.

Do you think that soap operas are common in women who need some sort of escapism? Does it help them forget about the real drama in their life? The teduim of chores and childcare are livened up by looking forward to the outrageous story lines during the week?  Whatever the reason, these half an hour installments seems  to satisfy many of them, and it brings them joy even if the plots are just a little too far fetched.