Soap Opera Spotlight: Should Soaps Ever Tackle Hot Topics?

People getting political happens all around us, but does it have a place on our daytime soaps? Should our favorite shows address politics?

It’s already happened in little ways. Take General Hospital (GH), which recently had Ned (Wally Kurth) and Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) running for Mayor of Port Charles. They gave speeches, said what they stood for, and other characters around them weighed in on the election.

While this isn’t the first time a daytime soap has done such a thing, Soap Hub was wondering how fans feel about it. Considering how important to our times right now, would it be welcomed?

Or because it’s all around us, do you just need a break from it while you watch your favorite soap towns battle corporate takeovers, relatives back from the dead, lovers’ triangles, and all the other run-of-the-mill soap stories? Here are the results.

Voted Out
After almost 3,000 votes were tallied, 69% are completely against soaps incorporating political stories.

You have had enough of it in real life, and you want your reel life to be the one safe place you can retreat to for pure entertainment purposes.

Give you Bill’s (Don Diamont) machinations any day on The Bold and the Beautiful.

On The Fence
For 25% of you, it depends on the issue and what exactly is meant by addressing politics.

For instance, if you’re talking about gay rights, some of you have made it clear that you absolutely don’t want to see their stories on your show while just as many are enthralled by these stories.

After all, you love the Sonny (Freddie Smith), Will (Chandler Massey), and Paul (Christopher Sean) triangle and are really getting into Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and Tessa (Cait Fairbanks). Well, some of you, at least. You see, it just depends…

Bring It On
Only 6% of you want to see politics addressed on your show. Whether you agree with whatever is being presented, it’s more real and that’s what you think could make things really interesting.

What if Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) ran against Victor (Eric Braeden) for Mayor on The Young and the Restless (YR)? It could be fun!