How valid is it to regard soap opera as television for women

Why is it that more women watch soap operas than men? Are soap operas supposed to be geared mainly towards women, or is it just a coincidence that women find more interest in them? To me these questions are interesting.

Soap operas began around the 1930’s as radio serials in America. For the first ten years of soap operas the BBC offered only 20% entertainment and 80% talks, classical music and serious drama on the radio. Most listeners objected and wanted more entertainment.

The word ‘Soap’ came from the soap manufacturer Proctor and Gamble; this was because they sponsored nearly 20 radio serials in America around the 1030’s.

The term ‘Opera’ came from the opera-like melodrama and romance in the radio sets.

It is extremely rare to find many men recording their favourite soap opera during the day while they are at work. It is commonly found that females will sit and talk amongst other females about their favourite soaps. Most women I have spoke to about soap operas admit to have started watching them when they were children.

Most people will not admit to watching Soaps because, as a gentleman called Pe

ter Buckman, author of ‘All For Love’ once said, “Soap Opera is like sex outside of the marriage: many have tried it but most are ashamed of being caught”.

However, soap operas contain an enormous amount of emotionality which is definitely feminine. As Patricia Burrell, author of a book review on Women and Soap Operas states “Soaps offer emotional release in four particular venues, Venting, Truth, Justice and Romance” Emotionality leads women to get in touch with themselves and this is often achieved through soap operas. Self understanding and emotional truth is dependant upon their favourite soap opera characters. Usually, most men are not interested in being emotional, for that reason they think there is no reason why they should get involved in the show.

Because women are socialized to become helpmates and mothers, not creative individuals (Deckard 1975) they have difficulty in clearly defining a sense of self. Rachel Hare-Mustin has described how the social imperative of pleasing others usually men, functions in women’s day to day lives. If the show contains certain problems between married couples, more women would be interested in the sensitive situation.

Some topics in this essay:
Rachel Hare-Mustin, Characters Grandmothers, Unites Kingdom, Peter Buckman, Soap Opera, Romance” Emotionality, Nancy Chodrow, Proctor Gamble, soap operas, Beth Olson, Ellen Brown, soap opera, watching soap, women soap, wide range, range female, wide range female, watching soap operas, radio serials, range female characters, aimed women, favourite soap, serials america, women soap operas, women’s gender socialization,