Women and their love of soap watching

mollybird · 27-11-2012 11:13AM #1

I was talking to my OH last night and he had the nerve to kinda of ask why can't i just watch one soap. it came up with the whole conversation about what we are paying for our tv when we don't watch it that much.

he doesn't understand why i like to watch most of the soaps on tv. he thinks one should do the trick as the same story lines happen in all of them around the same time. I just found it hard to explain to him about how no woman could just watch one soap.

can anyone help me to explain to him about this whole thing.

IvyTheTerrible · 27-11-2012 11:15AM

I know lots of women who don't watch a single soap, let alone several. Please don't generalise for all women.

27-11-2012 11:16AM

I don't see why it's a nerve to ask, it's just a question. I hate soaps and don't watch them so I don't see the point in generalising, especially this "no woman could watch just one soap" nonsense.

A cynically-minded person might suggest there's so little content in any one soap that just one wouldn't suffice.

cuana · 27-11-2012 11:18AM

I don't own a telly!!

I think your OH had some good points

Malari · 27-11-2012 11:19AM

mollybird wrote: »

can anyone help me to explain to him about this whole thing.

I'd be interested too! I have no idea what holds people's attention with soaps. Ive never watched any of them, I hate them! :P

rainbow kirby · 27-11-2012 11:25AM

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I know lots of women who don't watch a single soap, let alone several. Please don't generalise for all women.

I can't even watch about 10 minutes of one, I just find them mind-numbing. That said, I watch a hell of a lot of sport, which probably wrecks other people's heads just as much.

IvyTheTerrible · 27-11-2012 11:27AM

I watch a French soap. I enjoy it at the end of a stressful day, as it doesn't stretch my braincells too much. I don't drop other things to watch it though. And I understand that other people don't enjoy them.

Princess Peach · 27-11-2012 11:36AM

I watch one soap, Home and Away. And I don't really know why myself. It's a terrible show! But I love it. I watched it for as long as I can remember, since I was a young child.

Maybe it's just habit now? And it's entertaining in a bad way!

MistyCheese · 27-11-2012 11:38AM

I'm sorry but I do just watch one soap. And, as others have said, some women don't watch any so different strokes and all that...

BrensBenz · 27-11-2012 12:03PM

It's voyeurism / peeking, and addictive. People also peek through their curtains at the neighbours, wear shades in Irish winters, buy red-tops and gossip magazines (for the political analysis!), go to Mass to see who's not there, and (mainly young men) like to black out the windows in their cars to facilitate peeking into the lives of others. These are, at least, harmless and profit-free, but soap makers are devious and very well paid b@$t@rd$, expert at manipulating and profiting from their viewers. (See cost of commercials during soaps.)

Maybe soap operas reduce or satisfy the need for these other forms of peeking(?)

Anyway, how is Albert Tatlock getting on? Did he ever sleep with Ena Sharples? Any news on Shoine, Woine and Koylee in Noybaaaahs?

Neyite · 27-11-2012 12:27PM

I dont watch soaps myself. I used to, but then you find the whole evening nearly taken up with them. So I stopped and never missed them. I rarely follow reality shows either.

27-11-2012 12:32PM

No. Hate soaps. I don't watch any tv actually.

I remember in second year of college I was living in a house with 8 other people and I was the only one that didn't watch Home And Away

Meauldsegosha · 27-11-2012 12:43PM

Sorry to burst your bubble OP but I only watch one soap and I know plenty of females who don't watch any. I also know some men who watch them all.

I agree with your husband though a lot of the same storylines run through them all. My mother buys a magazine every week which gives the storylines for all the soaps (I can't explain how ridiculous I think that is) and anytime I've flicked through the magazine all the storylines seem very similar.

MissFlitworth · 27-11-2012 12:52PM

My mam would watch a lot of soaps and it's because she doesn't have much going on in the evenings & she's a bit isolated at the moment. Spent a week with her recently and caught the entire run of them for a week (and wrecked her head because the last time I saw them was in her place Christmas 2 years ago so I had a *lot* of questions to ask as to why people I remember being 7 were old enough to have kids/go to jail/be getting married etc.)

I think in her case she watches all the soaps because it's a bit of an evening ritual for her, she's moving to be closer to family/in a more lively area next year and I'd imagine the soap watching will drop drastically when she has other things to do.

I don't watch soaps at all, and not in a "I'm too smart for them" way because I watch a LOT of bad tv (Extreme Couponing anyone?) but because the drawn out story lines melt my head. I think I gave up the early 2000s when it took Gail a full f**king year to realise Richard was out to kill her despite him basically being Snidely Whiplash

Bubblefett · 27-11-2012 01:10PM

I hate soaps, don't watch any, never want to.
If they're important to you fair enough, to each their own. I suppose could never watch just 1 Star Trek series

. Try explain it to him that it's something you enjoy and chat with about with friends. But please don't make the arguement that no woman can watch only one soap, as the tread so far has shown, it's not true.

krudler · 27-11-2012 01:40PM

I dont get soaps tbh, its like jumping into the middle of a tv show that never ends

Lyaiera · 27-11-2012 01:48PM

Bubblefett wrote: »

I suppose could never watch just 1 Star Trek series ..

Yeah, you have to watch at least two Star Trek series.

Also, you have to watch at most two Star Trek series. :mad:

Malari · 27-11-2012 01:52PM

So out of all the people who have replied so far, have we still to find another woman apart from the OP who actually watches more than one soap?

dearg lady · 27-11-2012 01:56PM

Also hate them. A lot of girls I've worked with over the years are obsessive about them tho. They used to tell me about them, not matter how many times I said I didn't watch them, so feckin annoying.

tomboylady · 27-11-2012 02:07PM

I usually watch soaps (Emmerdale, Coronation St, Eastenders) for two weeks of the year, over Christmas (home with the famly who are obsessed!)! Funnily enough, after one episode I've completely caught up with what's happening and who the characters are. Otherwise, I might watch the odd episode during the year. For example, I watched the live episode of Emmerdale a month or two ago, just because it was live.

Da Shins Kelly · 27-11-2012 02:08PM

Not a fan of soaps myself, although I do get a laugh out of Fair City now and again. My mother enjoys them, and like others said, I think it's just an evening ritual for her. After work, she likes to go home, cook something to eat and watch some fairly mindless television as a means to just chill out. I think most people do this from time to time. I watch what I would consider fairly empty television too when I'm just sitting around, relaxing.

Da Shins Kelly · 27-11-2012 02:10PM

tomboylady wrote: »

I usually watch soaps (Emmerdale, Coronation St, Eastenders) for two weeks of the year, over Christmas (home with the famly who are obsessed!)! Funnily enough, after one episode I've completely caught up with what's happening and who the characters are. Otherwise, I might watch the odd episode during the year. For example, I watched the live episode of Emmerdale a month or two ago, just because it was live.

I remember watching the live episode of Easterenders. It was gas.

daenerysstormborn3 · 27-11-2012 02:12PM

My boyfriend is the soap watcher in our house. He has always watched them all. It stems from when his mum was sick and he used to watch the soaps with her and just got into the habit.

meeeeh · 27-11-2012 02:16PM

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I can't even watch about 10 minutes of one, I just find them mind-numbing. That said, I watch a hell of a lot of sport, which probably wrecks other people's heads just as much.

+1 to this. Everybody should see a bit of some Latin American telenovela though. It makes you appreciate the acting skills of people in Fair City.

pwurple · 27-11-2012 02:21PM

I don't watch them myself, but just wondering why/what you are paying for them?

Surely they are all on Saorview/FreeSat.

FloatingVoter · 27-11-2012 02:25PM

I'm a bloke here and I just watch Coronation St. I get the point about most of the soaps having the same storyline at the same time. They do - its a fact.
I know plenty of women who don't watch any soaps.

Emeraldy Pebbles · 27-11-2012 02:37PM

mollybird wrote: »

I just found it hard to explain to him about how no woman could just watch one soap.

This is very true... I don't watch any.

Emeraldy Pebbles · 27-11-2012 02:56PM

MissFlitworth wrote: »

I don't watch soaps at all, and not in a "I'm too smart for them" way

Oh, it's definitely this for me.

:pac:

27-11-2012 03:25PM

Nope. I don't watch any now.

I used to like Coronation St for Becky, she was good. But then she left and I haven't watched it since.

If I am in my mams when Emmerdale is on then I'll watch it but wouldn't put it on at home.

fatmammycat · 27-11-2012 03:26PM

I don't watch any either.

ppink · 27-11-2012 04:17PM

I watch emmerdale every now and then but I would not record it and would not be bothered if I missed it. I dont know any other female who watches soaps let alone all of them.
Do you not go mad from watching all that tv?

Women and their love of soap watching

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