In a world dominated by pollutants in all various shapes and forms, I believe that soap opera is one of the subtlest to exist. If one does not watch it, he can get hopelessly hooked. It doesn’t take a genius to figure this one out. I may get frowns from majority of the population considering the vast audience of different tele novelas existing both in local and cable television.
What’s in the name anyway? Soap opera was coined by the United States press to identify the serialized radio dramas in the 1930’s. The term “soap” was used to emphasize the majority of their sponsors are of those manufacturers of household cleaning products. While “opera” would suggest the ironic difference between the everyday concerns of the daytime radio serial and the real “opera.”
Fast forward to the 21st century, this didn’t just go around the globe but also progressed from radio to the television screen. Today it has dominated the number of hours in our local airwaves. If I’m not mistaken I believe it was given a jump start in the Philippines when “Marimar” was imported to our local boob tube. I think I was in college then, and for a time, I also got hooked in it. I know how addicting this is that’s why I believe I know what I am saying here.
I see how people would just stop and get non-functional to switch on their “zombie” stance mode and glue on the television set. Producers and big time capitalists are all cozy in this bandwagon, and I can’t blame them. If it’s selling, produce it. Right!
I guess what I’m saying is, we’ve got to stop awhile and think this over. I have a valid sentiment here even as I see how relationships go down unnecessarily over soap opera. We should give more importance to people than things, soap opera for this matter. We don’t frown on visitors who go to our place because we get disturbed watching Juday and Piolo hold hands. (I’m really so out of touch with the existing tele seryes of this age that I even have to google “juday and piolo teleserye pictures” for me to be able to get ahold of the above photo clip.)
What’s so sad is we have stopped “living” our lives in exchange of immersing ourselves around the characters of our favorites soaps. It just saddens me and I have wondered why people can’t just enjoy the shows (that is if they really can’t drop the addiction) then snap out of it when the moment arises (like “supposed” loved one needs to talk, or something important has come up and needs to be done immediately). I know of households getting their calls on hold during their teleserye time. You’ll know because you’d call endlessly and no one will answer but you definitely know they are all home. This process of mind setting and telling your brain to get up and go. Juday and Piolo will just go ahead with their scripts doing what they do best but you also have a life to live and better things to do.
For me it was more than just that, mind setting, that is. Years ago I have decided to evaluate my life and jettison the rubbish and press on to what the Lord calls me to do, trivial or not. Surrender. This is the keyword to all this.
Despite the belief that this particular form of media is a pollutant in itself, I am open to the fact that it’s not easy to rehabilitate yourself from. I have read a countless number of times that soaps are women’s porn and I so do agree. Even as dirty magazine is to a man’s eyes, soaps are to a woman’s heart. And I guess if one would think it over, that’s more dangerous. Because even as men’s porn would first be feasted upon by their eyes, women would go straight and indulge their hearts over the whole drama. Creating a fantasy world that will never be theirs to start with.
