SHOCKER: Why Fans Want to Change the Term ‘Soap Opera’

They’re called soap operas, because the genre was originally created by Procter and Gamble to… sell soap. (Although nobody sang in German. Or wore horns on their head.)

Is the term affectionate or derivative? And if fans had their druthers, would they change it? Here’s how almost 10,000 viewers voted.

Daytime Dilemma
What some call soap operas are just dramas… that air in the daytime. So why not call it Daytime Drama, wonder 61% of you?

That would give The Bold and the Beautiful, Days Of Our Lives, General Hospital and The Young and the Restless the same level of respect as primetime shows like This Is Us, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, and Empire.

They’re as soapy as soapy can be, but folks aren’t ashamed to admit they watch them. And the ratings prove it.

And why are we even still drawing a distinction between daytime and nighttime? The buzziest shows, like House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black, and The Handmaid’s Tale are streaming, which means you can see them any time, day or night, as many episodes at a time as you can handle.

Who cares when a show is on? Whether or not it’s good should be the only criteria for viewing.

Say It Loud, Say It Proud
Soap opera is only a derogatory term if we allow it to be, argue 38% of proud fans. The genre has lasted for over 70 years. That means people love it, no matter what it’s called.

And if soaps are so awful, why are even sitcoms jumping on the serialized bandwagon? Everyone is doing stories that continue from episode to episode now. It’s not soaps that should change their names–it’s everyone else!

Rebranding
And then there’s the 1% that had some out of the box suggestions, including Daytime Stories, My Stories, and Daily Lies. Doing It Daytime was another option, which has an interesting — if awkward — ring to it.

So which is your favorite?

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