EE- What are some times when soaps sent out a bad message to the audience

O-JO-J Posts: 18,845
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edited 01/12/22 - 12:42 in Soaps #1
For a missing person, can’t remember what soap it might of been eastenders or neighbours but the line “Police won’t do anything unless they’ve been missing for 24 hours” was very incorrect
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  • Michelle JonesMichelle Jones Posts: 5,470
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    Corrie are sending out the message that diabetes and bulimia are things that only affect people for certain periods of time (when it’s convenient for storylines) and the rest of the time, no problem, they can just vanish overnight!
  • grangehill1grangehill1 Posts: 1,119
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    EE in particular has an awful track record of making so many female characters victims - domestic abuse, beaten, sexual assault
  • The BearThe Bear Posts: 134
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    That it's not only acceptable for women to slap, punch, abuse and belittle men but that it's apparently hilarious. It's not!

    Men that hit women do it because they know they're physically stronger and the woman can't fight back. Women who do it to men do it because they know the man WON'T hit her back. If a man does it, they're rightly portrayed as an evil scumbag that needs locking up but if it's a woman then we're meant to see them as being a fiesty, no nonsense type character that we should be rooting for. In my book, they're pure scum just the same.

    Loads of examples of this over the years. Most recent one I can think of is Eve immediately decking Martin and Zak when she first rocked up. I actually quite like the character now but this introduction made me dislike her for a good while.

  • Enders85Enders85 Posts: 659
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    Tina’s death. A woman surviving domestic abuse only to be killed off years later by a domestic abuser/killer.
  • human naturehuman nature Posts: 13,304
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    I remember during the Ronnie baby swap story, one of the main criticisms from cot death charities was that it sent out a message that bereaved mothers were dangerous and would steal your baby.

    Ofcom received 13,400 complaints and Mumsnet went into virtual meltdown!

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/aug/01/eastenders-cleared-baby-swap-storyline
  • Ken_ConnellKen_Connell Posts: 3,457
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    That adoption is bad and biological parents can easily regain custody of children that have been adopted.
  • solaresolare Posts: 11,596
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    edited 01/12/22 - 19:06 #9
    I think the way cancer storylines are portrayed in soaps sends out a bad message. They re-enforce the idea that it is always something to be feared and basically a death sentence. We have characters living in fear/afraid to go for results/putting off necessary treatment/etc. I understand that some people react this way but I don't think it's useful that soaps portray this as expected behaviour.

    I wish soaps would sometimes show a character who receives a diagnosis having a positive attitude. Someone who is keen to learn all they can and eager to get the necessary treatment as soon as possible. Many cancers are entirely treatable, especially if caught and treated early and showing characters understanding this would be a good message.
  • Mindy-MooMindy-Moo Posts: 20,353
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    Geoff Corrie and Gray EE turning decent abuse storylines in just big farces
  • InterstellarSoulInterstellarSoul Posts: 631
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    People getting whacked on the head to the point of unconsciousness, only to be up and about, back to normal within 24 hours with absolutely no after affects whatsoever. Very dangerous!
  • SecretLifeoBeesSecretLifeoBees Posts: 50,865
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    You can get away with murder and other heinous crimes and the community welcome you back with open arms

    You must always give in to blackmail

    Children are objects which can be bought, sold, passed around and used as bargaining chips

    If you have your child adopted you will always get them back years later

    If you are in financial dire straits after losing your job it is more honourable to commit crime to make ends meet than it is to ask for government assistance
  • QueenshazzaQueenshazza Posts: 2,515
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    The double standards of assault. It’s (rightfully) treated horrifically if a man hits a woman but when the roles are reversed it’s meant to be hilarious

  • grasstractorgrasstractor Posts: 4,441
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    Completely agree that it's disgusting the ways soaps treat abuse/assault towards men as comedy. They will only take it seriously if they are actually trying to portray an issue based story.

    I think a lot of the writers must buy into the myth that the worst thing a woman can do to a man is laugh at him, and that they would never be able to do any real physical/mental damage.

    It seems like on the occasions when they do have an abuse story with a male victim, they prefer to also make the abuser male too rather than female. There are exceptions of course, but it does seem like soaps are often scared to portray women as the abuser towards men.

    When they have scenes like Eve punching Zack and Martin. They really should stop and think what if the roles were reversed. If say a new male cast member had walked up and punched two of the female cast. Would this still be considered comedy. Would this be acceptable. Would this now be viewed as a crime.
  • Nova8221Nova8221 Posts: 1,443
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    Violence against men being treated comical. Last year Karen kicked Billy in the privates and Eve punched both Martin and Zack.
    Those scenes were portrayed as comedy but in reality, those kinds of attacks could cause serious damage.

    Also in Neighbours last year Susan, a school teacher claimed that it's OK to make fun of someone if you don't like them.
  • O-JO-J Posts: 18,845
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    edited 01/12/22 - 22:38 #16
    The double standards of assault. It’s (rightfully) treated horrifically if a man hits a woman but when the roles are reversed it’s meant to be hilarious

    I remember when Karen violently kneed billy in the balls and everyone sided with her
  • ZzlyonsZzlyons Posts: 2,043
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    I didn't like the way corrie handled Audrey's storyline this year. They highlighted an important issue with older people feeling lonely and that turning to depression, which is important to highlight. However the solution was for her to come out of retirement and go back to hairdressing at 82 years old, which seemed in bad taste to all the people who realistically that's just not an option.
  • MaksonMakson Posts: 30,476
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    Promoting toxic relationships as “romantic” - see Ben and Callum.
  • AshleyCrystal11AshleyCrystal11 Posts: 516
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    Enders85 wrote: »
    Tina’s death. A woman surviving domestic abuse only to be killed off years later by a domestic abuser/killer.

    And Chantelle’s death.
  • Brummie Girl Brummie Girl Posts: 22,618
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    That adoption is bad and biological parents can easily regain custody of children that have been adopted.

    On a similar note, an adult or older child who discovers a resident of the village, Square, Street etc is their biological parent. They start to call them mum/dad very quickly, move in with them from the off or at least move into the area and the adoptive parent that they’ve known all their life gets forgotten about

    It sends out a message that adoptive parents are surplus to requirements once the child finds their biological parent
  • Michelle JonesMichelle Jones Posts: 5,470
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    People getting whacked on the head to the point of unconsciousness, only to be up and about, back to normal within 24 hours with absolutely no after affects whatsoever. Very dangerous!

    Oh this one is a real bugbear of mine! Particularly with Phil Mitchell. How many times has he been shot, stabbed, whacked on the head now? Only to be up and about within days ready for the next fight.

    Another line the soaps often casually throw in after an head injury is “He has a bleed on the brain” supposedly to make the audience think oh no, will they be alright? Cue next scene, said person is sat up in hospital bed looking fine and dandy with perfectly unaffected speech! Again giving out the wrong message that a brain bleed is about as serious as a cut finger, and that there’s never really any consequences of casual violence😡.
  • grasstractorgrasstractor Posts: 4,441
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    That adoption is bad and biological parents can easily regain custody of children that have been adopted.

    On a similar note, an adult or older child who discovers a resident of the village, Square, Street etc is their biological parent. They start to call them mum/dad very quickly, move in with them from the off or at least move into the area and the adoptive parent that they’ve known all their life gets forgotten about

    It sends out a message that adoptive parents are surplus to requirements once the child finds their biological parent

    I don't like this either. It seems like if someone discovers their biological parent, then the person who loved and raised them then becomes trash and means nothing to them.

    In Hollyoaks Charlie Dean's biological dad is Justin Burton, but his character left the show and hasn't been part of Charlie's life at all. Whilst Darren Osborne has been a father figure to Charlie almost his entire life, raised him, cared for him, treated him like a son.

    However I would say it's certain that if one day Justin returns to the soap. Charlie is suddenly going to adore him and treat him like he has been a proper father to him all his life and is everything he ever needed. Then in turn disowning Darren and treating him like he is nothing to him at all.
  • tfox6tfox6 Posts: 2,932
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    edited 02/12/22 - 08:36 #23
    As already mentioned on this thread, the different approaches to male and female domestic violence. A man hitting a woman is (rightly) portrayed as abusive, whereas a woman hitting a man is often either comedic or seen as justifiable. Recent examples include Kat and Alfie and Honey and Adam. It also depends on the context. Mo hitting back after years of abuse by Trevor was shown to be an act of self defence, but this was also part of a long-running, researched storyline, and the consequences of Mo's self-defence were also explored.
  • Ken_ConnellKen_Connell Posts: 3,457
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    That adoption is bad and biological parents can easily regain custody of children that have been adopted.

    On a similar note, an adult or older child who discovers a resident of the village, Square, Street etc is their biological parent. They start to call them mum/dad very quickly, move in with them from the off or at least move into the area and the adoptive parent that they’ve known all their life gets forgotten about

    It sends out a message that adoptive parents are surplus to requirements once the child finds their biological parent

    I don't like this either. It seems like if someone discovers their biological parent, then the person who loved and raised them then becomes trash and means nothing to them.

    In Hollyoaks Charlie Dean's biological dad is Justin Burton, but his character left the show and hasn't been part of Charlie's life at all. Whilst Darren Osborne has been a father figure to Charlie almost his entire life, raised him, cared for him, treated him like a son.

    However I would say it's certain that if one day Justin returns to the soap. Charlie is suddenly going to adore him and treat him like he has been a proper father to him all his life and is everything he ever needed. Then in turn disowning Darren and treating him like he is nothing to him at all.

    Yep and also soaps in general have a tendency to show characters who in real life would quite rightly have their children adopted for their safety (eg Abbie on Corrie) are actually implied to be wronged and that should have get their kids back.

    Irony is that in real life, social services actually try and keep families together and adoption is a last resort when it is obvious that there is a clear danger to a child remaining with their biological parents. Soaps also seem to be stuck firmly decades in the past and think that children up for adoption are those abandoned on doorsteps or from people who did not want to be parents. The vast majority of those up for adoption are neglected and formally at risk children who are mainly toddlers and older rather than babies.

    Yes there are real life redeemption stories where people turn themselves around and regain custody of their children but this is not common.

    Soaps are terrible for showing adoption as cruel and their depiction of the entire process is completely removed from reality.

  • BobinIslingtonBobinIslington Posts: 6,085
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    edited 02/12/22 - 09:45 #25
    People getting whacked on the head to the point of unconsciousness, only to be up and about, back to normal within 24 hours with absolutely no after affects whatsoever. Very dangerous!

    Adam Barlow syndrome: once when Faye mistook him for Ray in the Bistro, the second time when the nutjob Lydia literally pushed him off the balcony at the shopping centre. The man is indestructable!
  • Jervis_TetchJervis_Tetch Posts: 1,499
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    Women murdering men also seems to be somewhat justified at times. Case in point Tracy murdering Charlie Stubbs in cold blood. I guess it is alright because he was an ass**** so "deserved" it. And once she was released it was treated as funny as characters would often crack jokes (or Tracy herself) about her potentially doing it again to someone else.

    Wonder when it comes to Rob Donovan getting released he will be treated in this manner in regards to killing Tina McIntyre.
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