Essay about Soap Opera Genre - 2899 Words

Soap Opera Genre Before I saw Neighbours, I didn’t know there was an Australia (Jerry Hall, The Clive James Show, UK, 31 December, 1989) The soap opera genre originated in American radio serials of the 1930s, and owes the name to the sponsorship of some of these programs by major soap powder companies. Proctor and Gamble and other soap companies were the most common sponsors, and soon the genre of soap opera had been labeled. Like many television genres (e.g. news and quiz shows), the soap opera is a genre originally drawn from radio rather than film. Television soap operas are long-running serials traditionally based on the close study of personal relationships within the everyday life of its characters. Soaps are a consistent†¦show more content†¦Like the melodrama genre, the soap opera genre shares such features as moral polarization, strong emotions, female orientation, unlikely coincidences, and excess. Another related genre is the literary romance, with which it shares features such as simplified characters, female orientation and episodic narrative. However, soaps do not share with these forms the happy ending or the idealized characters. Some media theorists distinguish between styles of TV programs, which are broadly masculine or feminine. Those seen as typically masculine include action/adventure programs, police shows and westerns; those seen as more feminine include soap operas and sitcoms. Action-adventures define men in relation to power, authority, aggression and technology. Soap operas define women in relation to a concern with the family. For example in Neighbours the love triangle between Karl Kennedy, a married man and his secretary Sarah. Viewers knew the secret of the affair however; it was not by Susan Kennedy, or the Ramsey Street community. Therefore allowing the secret to maintain it’s status and continue to be a valid plot thread. Although Karl has attemp ted to institute some redressive action, by taking a holiday with his wife, the crisis still exists. As there has been no redressive action directed towards Sarah the crisis still exists inShow MoreRelatedThe Conventions of the Soap Opera Genre with Reference to at Least Two Programmes2537 Words   |  11 PagesThe Conventions of the Soap Opera Genre with Reference to at Least Two Programmes The soap opera genre originated in America in the 1930s as a radio programme. It was targeted at housewives who tuned in while doing their household chores. Soaps included many domestic issues to keep the audience interested. The name â€Å"soaps† came from advertising slots between programmes. As the soaps were aimed at housewives, the adverts mainly consisted of products of a domestic natureRead MoreCodes and Conventions of Genres Essay1260 Words   |  6 PagesCodes and Conventions of Genres A genre is a particular type of commodity . 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