Mandy’s Musings: My Soap Opera Family

Mandy’s Musings: My Soap Opera Family
By Mandy Bates

The other day after class, my family and I went out to lunch and then hung out at my mom’s houseafterward. One o’clock rolled around and I snatched up the remote, I had to watch All My Children! My mom stuck around. She said she wanted to see what “that old bag Erica Kane” is up to (Sorry Royal, mom’s words, I just quoted her!). I told her Erica is on vacation, but she kept watching. I pointed out Erica’s daughter Bianca to her (didn’t I sound like Erica there, lol). Then I had to explain who Caleb was, and Scott, so then she wanted to know where Adam was. Do you have any clue how hard it is to try and catch someone up on the past 25 years of Pine Valley? She watched it a long time ago, but hasn’t seen it in forever. Oh boy, did she remember Liza, though! Now I know where I get it; my mom was yelling at the tv! She was telling Tad to get away from the dirty lying Liza! She then proceeded to tell me all about Liza in her teen years. Then imagine her reaction to Angie being pregnant! She flipped out, she said Angie is way too old to be having babies because she was her age at least or older back when Mom watched. Then I had to try and explain SORAS to her. I told her that Colby (who she also hates) is Liza and Adam’s child, and she used to be 16, then 18, then 20 and now apparently she’s 18 again. She rolled her eyes, but I noticed her still watching, haha.

So right after All My Children is One Life to Live. She kept asking me where Asa was. He was never on the show since I started watching it, but I’ve seen enough to know who he was. She was pretty excited to see Dorian, though. Guess familiar faces are nice.

Then my grandma showed up. She also used to watch the soaps, and occasionally still does when her daughter decides to watch them downstairs instead of in her room, so she knows the actors and characters, but she’s not up to speed. She said Erica Kane must be in her 60’s now. I giggled and said “Maybe, but Susan Lucci is only 45!”, thinking of the Daytime Emmys this year. Then my grandma said, “Susan Lucci is 45?” My mom interrupted with, “No way, she’s been on that show for ahundred years!” I tried to explain myself, but I had to give up. I said, “Susan Lucci is pushing 70 (sorry again Royal!), but Erica Kane is 45!” My grandma said, “Oh, I was confusing her with Erika Slezak! She’s 60 or so, right? Oh wait, she’s on another show.”

This day was quite eventful and fun, but it made me wish I had someone I could actually watch my shows with, aside from my son. He’s grounded, so the only tv he sees is what I’m watching. He pretends he hates soaps, but he’s very interested in Greenlee. And now that I think of it, he loved her when he was a baby, too, lol. He gets mad at me when I yell at the tv, usually at Ryan, or whoever is talking to Ryan. “Kill him! Punch him!” is normal conversation in my house when Ryan is on screen. Although, I have to admit, my son did yell at Jesse to shut up this week when Angie was trying to tell him she’s sick! That was pretty funny. But it would be pretty cool to be able to watch the show live with someone who knows the storylines and won’t tell me spoilers, like certain boards that I can’t go to anymore… I guess I’ll just have to watch it with my family, who at times can give Pine Valley-ians a run for their money!