The director also tries to foreground the belief that all people are equal and that Australia is a multicultural society by sometimes introducing a non- white character in the soap opera. This creates harmony between people in society because more people can relate to the show and also shows that Australia is becoming a more multicultural country as we see it physically in this generation. .
"People don't just watch soap operas, they live with them. Day after day, "as the world turns," soap characters bare their struggles without making any real-life demands upon the viewer. With almost no effort at all, the viewer can participate vicariously in love affairs, friendships, and intrigue that seem intimate but are safely remote." (GLITLIN 1986).
Soap operas also function as a didactic medium, having hidden messages and morals for viewers to encounter. For example Neighbours, the title and theme song have a religious undertone. .
Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours. .
With a little understanding, we can find the perfect place.
Neighbours should be there for one another.
That's when good neighbours become good friends.
It foregrounds one of the Ten Commandments from the bible-love thy neighbour, presenting a religious ideology to the audience. .
You usually don't see a fat, ugly, pimply character in TV shows. They are all slim, spotless, healthy looking and beautiful in there own unique way. The media has a great influence on how people should look like and how they should act. Media heavily promote unhealthy foods while at the same time telling people they need to lose weight and be thin. .
"Soaps can ease the pain of loneliness and boredom of life. They do offer advise, sometimes implicitly, often explicitly, on what to wear, how to conduct love affairs, how to save a marriage, how to handle one's children, how to cope with heartache, how to enjoy the intrigue of romance." (GLITIN 1986).
It is the same with magazines.
