Wordsmoker

Last week, because of James Franco working on General Hospital, lady blogger Willa Paskin of XX/Slate wrote a needlessly bitter takedown of the show, calling it the most violent show on tv. (this via the awl)

I watch a lot of TV and I disagree.

Of course, the show requires a huge suspension of disbelief! That is the good part. Soap operas are not meant to be taken seriously. They are camp. Wardrobes, sets, plotlines and most performances are way over the top. 12-3 p.m. on network television is neither the time nor place for subtlety or restraint. Plot points are drawn out and morals are hammered home. What they accomplish is a particular form of storytelling and a sort of broad mythology.

Read the rest of this entry →