Once upon a time, soap operas like General Hospital were considered a women’s medium. For women, by women. Now, there are only four daytime dramas left on the air, and all of them are executive produced and head written by men. Under those circumstances, it’s not surprising that this formerly female-centered medium has taken on a whiff of serious misogyny, and, while it’s visible across all three networks, GH currently appears to be the worst offender.
General Hospital: Where Has All the Strength Gone?
Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) is a former international spy turned double agent turned single mom turned police chief turned all-around badass. Now, she is dancing around a man who has tormented her for years — granted he looks like Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart), but have some standards! And, worst of all, he’s lying to her — and our intrepid Anna can’t figure it out?
Been Through Worse
Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) didn’t just survive being more or less abandoned by her parents, a terrifying rape, the “death” of her first love, Lucky Spencer, and, most crushing of all, the “death” of her preschool-aged son…only to now start losing her mind and falling apart?
Granted, she lost her most recent husband, Franco Baldwin (Roger Howarth) and we can handwave that it was the culmination of all the above traumas that really got to her, but, come on! Our Liz is stronger than that!
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General Hospital: The Bitch Isn’t Back
Finally, Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) survived being raised by two complete psychos like Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) and Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), and losing the baby she carried, raised, and loved for months (OK, so she stole the embryo to have him, but Britt truly loved baby Ben/Rocco). But the death of a hitman she only knew and “loved” for a few weeks is what’s sending her over the edge? Really?
Your audience wants to see smart, capable women leading romantic, exciting, and aspirational lives. We are not here for your sad sacks; do better Men of Daytime! Or maybe, you know, hire a few women…just for the variety.
General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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