The Male Soap Opera

Characteristics of The Traditional Soap Opera

Serialized/Open-Ended Text Character Driven Inspired by Woman’s Domestic Fiction of the 19th Century—Jane Austin/Emily Bronte The Events of Every Day Life Elevated to an

Operatic Form—Heightened Melodrama Considered a “woman’s” genre—situated on

the low rung of the culture hierarchy Relationships/Romance /Family—Central

Focus Love Triangles, Weddings, Far-Fetched (Back

from the Dead)

Traditional Soap Opera

Feminist media scholars state that soap operas have a direct correlation to the flow of women’s work.

Like a daytime drama, a woman’s housework is devoid of completion. In her essay, The Rhythms of Reception: Daytime Television and Women’s Work, Tania Modleski states that soap operas such as All My Children One Life to Live, and Days of Our Lives contain multiple plot lines that fixate the viewer on a number of characters and their various fates simultaneously.

They also deal only “large” problems such as crime, death, love, and dying.

Traditional Soap Opera

The housewife is constantly interrupted or distracted whether it’s tending to her children, the food she’s preparing, or any other household chore that demands her attention. Modleski states that soap operas tend to make interruption, distraction, and repetition pleasurable.

The reason being is that the woman’s consumption of these shows must occur while she is fulfilling her duty as a homemaker. The scriptwriters realize that the soap viewer’s reception often takes place in the midst of distraction

Therefore, they constantly repeat story elements several times.

Traditional Soap Opera

When a plot threatens to become too absorbing, it is interrupted by another storyline resuming or a commercial break.

These shows also engage in repetitive and monotonous storytelling to present the viewers with the ability to maintain an adequate comprehension of storylines and character development

The Traditional Soap Opera

The Guiding Light (1937) began as radio drama which eventually transferred to television.

Soap Operas reached their peak in the 1980’s.

Luke and Laura’s Wedding on General Hospital still remains highest rated episode of daytime television.

From Romance to Action In 1981, General Hospital’ s “ICE

PRINCESS” storyline generated a large number of male viewers with it’s action/adventure/sci-fi plot elements.

Since the mid-90’s, the show has become mob-centric with Sonny Corinthos (A Tony-Soprano type character) as its central character. The show incorporates action/violence in attempts to draw a male audience. However, the traditional soap elements override and fail to shed the daytime soap stigma.

DAYTIME GOES PRIMETIME

Prime-Time Soap Operas prevailed in the 80’s with Knots Landing, Dallas, Dynasty, and Falcon Crest becoming long-running rating sensations.

Utilized elements of the traditional soap opera.

In the 90’s traditional soaps displaced themselves into the teen soap-Beverly Hills 90210, Dawson’s Creek

1981-The Male Soap Opera Enters Network Prime-Time TV

HILL STREET BLUES (1981-1987)

Combined the elements of a serialized soap opera with the police procedural drama.

Each episode featured intertwined storylines—some self-contained, some open-texted.

Intertwined urban action/violence elements(masculine driven) with exploration of personal lives, romantic interests, other forms of melodrama (traditional soap opera)

Characteristics of The Male Soap Opera

Utilizes the Elements of Masculine-Driven Films Action/Adventure/

Violence/Crime

The Sopranos (The Godfather/Goodfellas)

24 (Die Hard/Clear and Present Danger/Air Force One)

The Shield (Dirty Harry)

Deadwood (Westerns)

Hill Street Blues/NYPD Blue (French Connection/In The Heat of the Night)

THE MALE SOAP OPERA

Serialized—Follows criteria of complex narrative-arcs/open-text

Protagonist exudes ultra-masculinity, Morally ambiguous Fleeting Moments of Sensitivity Physically aggressive many consume excessive amounts of

alcohol or are in recovery (ex Andy Sipowicz-alcoholic/Jack Bauer-Heroin Addiction)

Occupations are male-dominated

Densely plotted--generally opposes the repetitive and slow paced storytelling of the traditional soap opera

Hyper-sexuality and male bonding overrides romance

Unlike the traditional daytime soap opera-these shows are generally respected by critics –many are multiple Emmy-winners (NYPD BLUE/THE SOPRANOS/24)

Bada Bing! Cable Further Masculinizes The Soap

Prior to 1998, NBC’s Hill Street Blues and ABC’s NYPD Blue were the most

successful male soap operas.

Cable is responsible for the influx of a new wave of male soap operas.

In 1997, HBO launched OZ, a year later-The Sopranos—followed by The Wire, Deadwood, Entourage

Showtime-Californication

FX- The Shield, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy.

Network-24, The West Wing, Prison Break, Life on Mars

Subgenre—geek soap opera—Smallville, LOST, Supernatural, Heroes, Chuck

Cell Mates/Writers/Mobsters/Cowboys/CopsDrug Lords/ C0unter-Terrorists /Bromance

Oz (Prison Drama) Californication (Sexualized

drama focused on amoral sex addict)

Entourage (Bromance/amoral Hollywood lifestyle)

The Sopranos (Mob-centric) Deadwood (western) The Wire (crime drama) 24 (counter-terrorism)

Reboot of the Traditional Prime- Time Soap

With Male Soap Operas and Procedurals taking prominence, ABC decided to reboot the traditional prime time soap format in 2004 with an 18-34 year-old sensibility—launching Desperate Housewives and (later in the season) Grey’s Anatomy to commercial and critical success.

Did the male soap opera help give the female soap opera critical respectability?

Behind The Shield

Aired on FX March 12, 2002-November 25, 2008 (7 Seasons)

Emmy nominated Michael Chiklis (Best Actor

2002) The series revolves around an

experimental division of the LAPD set up in the fictional Farmington district ("the Farm") of L.A.

Converted church ("the Barn") serves as the police station.

Strike Team (Vic Mackey, Shane Vendrell, Curtis Lemansky (Lem), and Ronnie Gardocki)

Cross legal and moral boundaries to maintain justice on the streets of Los Angeles.

Profile: Vic Mackey

Rogue Police Detective—Can Be Both Good and Bad (referred to as “Al Capone with a Badge.”)

Rude, Sexists, Obnoxious, Adulterer, Murderer, Liar,

Thief, Self-Serving

Divorced (3 Children-autistic son) pursues illegal money to support his family.

In pilot episode, Vic shot fellow cop, Terry Crowley, point blank in the face, because Crowley was assigned to bust Vic for being a dirty cop. This event became the impetus for the show’s enormously complex series arc.

Good Cop/Bad Cop When Vic discovered that Julien, one of

the cops in the squad, was gay, he threatened to reveal the man‘s secret unless the cop decided to give false witness in a case to protect Vic and another dirty cop who stole some cocaine confiscated during a drug bust.

Vic can be a good cop like -he gives a prostitute money to get off the street for the night and go home to see her kid. He also protects his Strike Team (as long as his interests are fulfilled)

Vic has a troubled marriage with his wife, Corrine. They have a son who is autistic. For romance outside the home, Vic carries on an affair with fellow police officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer.

Screening “Of Mice And Lem”The Shield: Season 5 episode 10

Penultimate Episode of Season Internal Affairs Lt .Kavanaugh (Forrest Whitaker) is determined to

bring down Vic for his crimes. Vic and Kavanaugh have been playing game of cat and mouse

throughout the season. As a result of Kavanaugh turning one of Vic's informants, IAD

became aware of Lem stealing heroin which he never turned in. Having found the heroin, IAD is capable of arresting Lem, but

Kavanaugh wants him to incriminate the whole team . Lem remains loyal to Mackey-he looks to him as a surrogate

father. Vic is worried that if Lem goes to prison, that he will be killed by

one of Vic’s nemesis—Antwon Mitchell. Prior to this episode, Kavanuagh tried but eventually withheld

from raping Vic’s ex-wife. Vic realizes Kavanaugh’s ex-wife is his achilles heel.

Of Mice and Lem

Subplot—recurring investigation into a series of hate crimes against the homosexual community.

Romance is displaced by the father/brother relationship Vic possesses with his strike team.

Dialogue is extremely coarse, sexually graphic

Sexual objectification of Kavanaugh’s ex-wife

Danielle “Danny” is carrying Vic’s baby

Julien’s denial of his homosexuality-extends through the entire run of the series.