• Originated 1920’s USA
• Broadcast on the radio
• Made originally to advertise soap powder to American housewives
• Soap is a feminine genre- the genre is primarily aimed at women
• This affects scheduling- because traditional female roles are based in the home soaps are aired after mealtimes when there is a lull in the day
• Target audience also affects story lines, narrative perspective, characterisation, settings, and costume.
• Soap operas run continuously, in the same time slot, on the same days, broadcast by the same institutions, for years. Because they are repeated so often, they become part of the cultural psyche. They become part of who “we” are.
• The characters become “people”
• Storylines are relatable- audiences can watch and understand what is happening, and empathise with characters. Or hate them.
• Some storylines can be outrageous- e.g. baby-swapping in Eastenders.
• Most soaps have between 10-15 main characters, with overlapping, interweaving storylines
• Storylines overlap to keep audiences interesting. Different strands can run alongside each other but develop at different times
• Catharsis: emotional cleansing. The purging of negative emotions by watching another person go through something similar/worse.
• Soap becomes therapy when it is cathartic – people deal with their problems vicariously
• Soap operas become a form of escapism for certain audiences
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