Slapping. Scratching. Hair pulling. Rolling around on the ground. Falling into bodies of water and/or mud. Classic soap catfights have been a soap staple ever since the start of classic soaps.
But soaps premiered in the 20th century. And now we’re in the 21st. Is this really how we want to present modern day women? What a whopping 17,000 of you had to say about the trope!
Lighten Up!
Catfights are fun, cheer 64% of you. Soaps are usually so serious, everyone sobbing and wailing and ranting and suffering. Catfights break up the monotony with some good, old-fashioned camp.
They also allow people to express how they REALLY feel about another character. Often, it’s the way the audience feels, too. And they’re cathartic.
Sometimes, the tension builds to a pressure point where the only way to let off steam is to let loose. Besides, you get tired of everyone looking so perfect all the time, whether they’re just waking up or stranded on a desert island. It’s nice to see some mussed hair once in a while.
Grow Up
Catfights are silly and immature, counter a dissenting 35%. You watch soaps for romance, family drama, and corporate intrigue.
You don’t want to watch Quinn (Rena Sofer) and Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) taking turns trying to kill each other on The Bold and the Beautiful (BB), or whatever that tug-of-war over a sweater between Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and Hilary (Mishael Morgan) was on The Young and the Restless (YR).
Catfights never move a story forward or reveal something new about a character. And they certainly never, ever make anyone involved look good. Soaps already have an unsteady reputation in the mainstream media. Slap-fests are not the way to change that.
And, honestly, isn’t 2017 uncivil enough? Why should the soaps contribute to the negativity?
Video Credit: Leanne Koch
Video Credit: Todd Manning69
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