| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on OLTL | |
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REFLECTIONS
BY JILL…..
I recently started a new job in a field about which I basically knew nothing.
Needless to say, I have been wiped out every day at 5:00 p.m. and have had very
little time to surf the Net, or I should say, very little time that I’m awake at
night these days to surf the Net.
Last weekend, I finally decided to chill out and spend some time on my computer at home and I must say that I was SHOCKED! I visited a lot of the soap opera websites that I used to frequent, checking out all the message boards. I can sum up my experience for you very simply. IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE! This week I feel the need to talk about COMMON DECENCY ON THE INTERNET!!!!! I have pulled several posts from the boards and since the boards are public, I feel justified in using some of them. No names of posters will be mentioned here. Some posters may very well be recognized, but with no help in identification from this writer.
I visited several message boards on about four websites and spent time at the boards of several OLTL characters…such as Sam/Nora/Bo…Lindsay…Todd & Blair…and of course, Ben and Viki. Now in my travels last weekend, I noticed of course, that there was a lot of disagreement on the boards regarding Todd and Blair versus Todd and Tea….for Sam and Nora versus Bo and Nora. On the general comment boards a lot of characters get bashed and a lot of the time it is about something personal to do with the actor. People say terrible things about Darlene Vogel and are ready to throw a party to celebrate her being let go. The young actors are bashed all the time. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t think any of them will win an Oscar any time soon, but to criticize them personally is not really very nice. I even had one person write to me and ask if the studio would pay for plastic surgery for one of the young actresses to have her ears done. How nasty is that?
I get the biggest kick out of the Todd boards because they make me laugh and they freak me out at the same time. I love the dedication of Roger’s fans, although the ones who are craving a return to the violent Todd creep me out just a little bit…LOL. What I found on most of these boards was that people have healthy disagreements, and sometimes it gets a bit heated, but a lot of the time people would make comments, tempered with one of my favorite little acronyms….IMVHO (which translates to “In my very humble opinion” for those who aren’t familiar with all the crazy Net language). That phrase always softens the blow somewhat, which I like a lot. The thing that shocked me the most however, was that my visits to the Ben and Viki boards and the general comment boards, except for only two that I can think of, were like stepping through a minefield with 100-pound boots on. This couple seems to get such an excessive amount of mean posts and I just don’t understand it. I don’t encounter people going from the boards of the characters they love to other boards just to insult other peoples’ favorites…but they do it all the time to Ben and Viki. Reading those boards is like being in between Ali and Frazier during the “Thrilla from Manilla.” And for those of you who don’t know what the Thrilla From Manilla was, when I get over feeling old, I’ll fill you in.
Anyway, I have to say that never in my life have I seen more meanness, bashing, cruel thoughts and bitterness expressed by people who must have forgotten somewhere along the line, that message boards are for sharing ideas, for constructive disagreements, and for just having fun. What I find sad is that some people have very strange ideas about what fun is.
Being a Ben and Viki fan, I do have a strong bias here, and I admit it, but I have to say that I never make a point of going to boards where people who love other characters post, just to plant a nasty remark about that character…and especially about the actors personally. I think that bashing the actors is especially mean and uncalled for.
I recently received the following e-mail from a reader who very eloquently said a lot of what I’ve been thinking and feeling about the Internet. Some of you may recognize her writing style…she is blatantly honest, yet very fair. She writes:
“Hi Jill: I've got a question about what happened
to common decency when I visit the various chat sites on the Internet. What
almost scares me is the "fan" that attacks (on the boards and in virulent hate
mail to the shows) the actors not the characters. What I find is 99% of the
general areas are sites that are filled with hate filled posters who seem to
think it is a place to vilify the actor/actress, intimidate one and all with
name calling, ugly words intended to hurt everyone and ruin it for all. There
are many characters on the show that I am not fond of -- character wise -- as
well as lame storylines. Other actors I feel are not hired to act but to flex
their muscles or show cleavage. IF I complain on message boards I try to do so
with humor and tact and make it about the way the character is written. I NEVER
would think of going to the character's site because then I would be
deliberately trying to make trouble and create hatred and it matters to me how I
conduct myself even if I use a phony name. SOOO that said I have to ask all
those (whether one or more since names can be changed from message to message)
anti-Ben posters can tell me what Mr. Derwin has done to them personally to
justify him being attacked? Give me one time he ran down your dog, robbed your
store, called you a vile name in public, personally ruined your life? He's an
actor, hired to act a part. Can a few fans believe they can dictate to everyone
from the network to the rest of us what will be shown? Most of the posters that
are anti-Ben for example claim to be Clint fans. I've responded saying the
actor (Mr. Ritchie) decided to retire, it was his decision and Mr. Derwin had no
part in that decision, so what's the deal? They don't seem to care about logic
they just want what they want and too bad if you don't like it so there. There
is no room for hate anywhere in this world and especially when it comes to
entertainment areas. If those few who must spread hate cannot learn decency
then we all pay the price.”
I do have to agree with the writer that the majority of fans who don’t like Ben
and Viki together are Clint Buchanan/Ritchie fans. Being a member of two very
fair and friendly boards, I can honestly say that the controversies always come
about when someone who is a “Ben-hater” comes to pay a visit and doles out some
hatred for Ben and some disgust for Viki for what she has become because of her
association with Ben. I respect the rights of the Clint fans to adore their
favorite star, but I wonder if they ever consider the fact that Clint left the
show voluntarily, a long time ago, and he was out of Viki’s life way before Ben
ever came on the scene. I know that Viki was about to agree to marry him again
back then, but I feel it was for all the wrong reasons and it certainly is water
under the proverbial bridge and it still had nothing to do with Ben. It’s kind
of silly to me that they hate Ben so much, but what’s worse is the hatred they
proclaim for the actor himself. I don’t know what they have against Mark
Derwin, since of course, they don’t know him personally, but considering the
“real life” past history of the actor they so adore, I would have to remind them
of the old adage about “people who live in glass houses……”
You know, I’m all for a good argument and I have a very sharp tongue myself (Had you guessed that already?). I do not, however, believe in being vicious, hateful and hurtful and that’s what has happened in the past when anti-Ben and Viki fans visit the Ben and Viki boards. They posts messages that are completely untrue, saying that Mark Derwin’s contract has not been renewed and he’s been fired….that Erika hates working with him…that the character of Ben is being recast. You know what I mean…all the things that they know will greatly upset the Ben and Viki fans. To me, it’s unnecessary and petty and it’s just downright mean.
I don’t want to just go on and on without giving you a sample of what I’m talking about, so here is just a taste of some of the nastiness I’ve encountered. Maybe you can see what I mean when I say….UNNECESSARY!
-“I read so many soap boards and on everyone of them there is an overwhelming consensus that this 'Blondie' persona of Viki is yet another one of her alters. Ben has ruined the character of Viki. I agree with the majority of posters on these boards. Please writers, give us back our Viki! Without Ben. Make the last 2 years a dream.”
-”Derwin is the worst actor I've ever seen on daytime & I would tell him that to his face if he asked me my opinion.”
-“Why would the new writers delete "Blondie" from the dialogue? Probably because they realize how juvenile it was. Ben calling her Blondie was like nails on a chalkboard.
-“Ben has ruined Viki's character. I know their scenes aren't meant to be laughed at, but I have 2 friends that I sometimes watch the show with and we laugh AT Mark Derwin and his bumbling scenes with Erika Slezak, not with him. It's a shame Erika Slezak has been reduced to being paired with this fool.”
-“Clint has made it clear to me, as recently as yesterday, that he wouldn't want anything to do with the train wreck that OLTL has become. He can't even sit through a whole episode (nor can I or anybody else I know, for that matter), so why would he want to re-join the cast??? He is quite happy at his beloved ranch, taking care of his animals.”
-“ Watching Viki with Ben is like watching Erika Slezak drag around 200 lbs. of dead weight (and the curly sideburns are downright creepy).”
-“It was the Niki alter that wanted Ben & that part of Viki was the alter that married Ben. Then Viki being not her real self (she didn't know exactly what she was doing) In that way the marriage can be declared invalid.”
-“The worst Viki Ben scenes have to be anything that puts them up in that stupid attic full of things that really burned down in the various fires at Llanfair. The best would have to be whenever they are apart.”
-“The worst scene for Ben and Viki is each and every scene they have had together. The best scene for Ben and Viki will be a scene we haven't seen yet where he either dies or leaves town forever.”
Well, have you had enough yet? That was a small sample of what’s out there. I had over 15 pages of garbage collected, but I figured I’d spare you. In my book, pretty nasty. They want Ben dead??? What’s wrong with this picture? Oh, and one more thing…can I just say that I have seen Mark Derwin in person and if Erika is dragging around 200 pounds of dead weight, it sure isn’t Mark. If he weighs 200 pounds, then I’m Ernest Hemmingway.
I would also like to say that it strikes me that maybe there aren’t a lot of Clint fans out there…just a small group of fans that can’t bear to see him gone. I say this because when I read the tons of posts they write, so many of them make the same spelling errors and have the same writing style. Maybe they have more alters than Viki does.
OK, for those of you who are ready to slice and dice me for writing this article, let me just say that the Ben and Viki fans have also done their fair share of “shooting back.” We are not all blameless, however I do feel that there was a great deal of provocation on the part of the Ben and Viki detractors and had they not come out hating Ben from Day 1 for no good reason, there wouldn’t be any rivalry at all. These are fictitious characters…Clint is fictitious…Viki is fictitious…Ben is fictitious…let’s all get a grip here. Viki has moved on with her life and she’s happy…and if Clint Ritchie is so happy on his beloved ranch with his animals, then why the animosity. And if he finds it painful to get through an entire episode of OLTL then why bother trying? Let’s just all move on!
To be honest, I wouldn’t care if Clint came back to OLTL. I’d prefer that if he did, he came back with another actor playing the role because if Mr. Ritchie thinks OLTL is a train wreck then frankly, who needs him? I have heard rumors that TPTB are trying to get Clint back and if the “Allison” story necessitates that Clint be in the picture, then bring him back. He surely isn’t a threat to Viki and Ben’s relationship. If it is decided that Clint Ritchie is going to reprise the role, I have no problem with that. Just tell him that the goats and pigs would not be too comfortable with New York’s mass transit system.
After I wrote my first few articles, a friend wrote and told me that at one of the Todd sites my name was being kicked around like a dirty old can…LOL! So of course, I had to go and check it out and sure enough, they hate me over there for calling Todd a villain…duh…! My first impulse was to post and give them a piece of my mind, but I didn’t…and do you know why? I didn’t post there because it’s their message board…they love Todd, good or bad, and I respect that. I sure as heck never said everyone had to like me, or what I write. That would surely be unrealistic. They did not come to a Ben and Viki board (where they know they can find me) and bash me or my fellow fans and I respect that completely. The Clint fans need to do the same thing. And by the way, for all you Todd fans, let me just say this…the scenes between Todd and Gabby this week were right at the top of the list of my favorite moments of the week. I loved the way Todd turned her off and practically made steam come out of her ears. If Gabby has to meet her match, I hope it continues to be Todd.
In the past several weeks, many of the Ben and Viki fans have been up in arms about the fact that Ben doesn’t call Viki “Blondie” any more. To their fans, this means quite a lot and it has been mocked endlessly by the detractors. Following is a post I just found the other night on the Ben and Viki Board. Before I read it I thought this article might be a bit harsh…and after I read it, I no longer thought that:
-“After reading all your comments about Ben not calling Viki “Blondie” any more, and seeing all of you so upset by this, I just had to LMAO. You people need to get off the couch and go outside. You know there is a whole big beautiful world out there, and it is quite obvious to me that you people are letting it pass you by while you sit in front of your TV screens, munching on whatever snacks you can get your chubby little hands on and getting fatter by the minute. Get a life.”
Now I ask you…is this kind of trash necessary? I won’t even print the responses of the people on the board. As you can probably imagine, they gave back what thy got and rightfully so. Was it necessary for this “single digit IQ” person to do this? I am appalled at the behavior of these people. Who, in reality, is the one who doesn’t have a life? All I can say is that I would love to blast your name in print right here for the tons of About.com readers to see, but it’s way beneath my standards of decency.
Why make fun of what many people feel is important? The Ben and Viki fans are quite sincere in their desire for Ben to continue calling Viki “Blondie” as the following posts exhibit…and I’d like to know why this is fodder for those who feel it’s silly.
-“I think it’s cute and sweet when Ben calls her “Blondie.”
-“I hope the writers aren’t dumb enough to listen to the ramblings of some irate Ben and Viki haters who find the name annoying. Blondie is the whole woman, the woman who fell in love with Ben.”
-“I love when he calls her “Blondie” all the time and I miss it.”
-“He’s not calling her “Blondie”…he’s not calling her “Viki”…he’s calling her “Hey” and coming from Ben it sounds foreign to my ears.”
-“I miss Blondie. It’s what makes Ben and Viki who they are.”
-“I have to say that I truly miss Ben calling Viki “Blondie”…it’s part of who they are.”
-“I can say that I wrote to Gary Tomlin and the writers and politely asked them to put “Blondie” back in. The lack of “Blondie” bothers me more than I thought it would.”-
-“It’s blatantly obvious that he isn’t calling her “Blondie.” I also notice he doesn’t call Sam “Chip” and Todd doesn’t call Sam “Coach.” I wonder if it’s all nicknames. It’s ridiculous that a married couple would not use pet names…it makes them look stiff and not as connected.”
I suppose it gives some people a sick pleasure to make fun of other peoples’ feelings. I find it immature and insensitive.
At this time I would very much like to happily highlight a wonderful post that I came across on the Ben and Viki board last weekend. To my surprise, it came from a Clint fan whose name I would really like to use so that everyone would know to look for this person when the want to have a great conversation…but he or she knows who they are and so do all the Ben and Viki fans. Regarding the “Blondie” conversation, he…or she…stated:
-“I have come back to this topic over and over in my lurking wanting to intrude and ask you all a question, but I’ve hesitated, because I don’t want you to in any way think I’m trying to start something. I’m not exactly what you’d call a Ben and Viki fan. I think they are a very pleasant couple, and am seriously annoyed by all the bashes the couple get on some of the boards I read. Since many of the bashers seem to focus on Ben calling Viki “Blondie”, I’m wondering if the real Ben and Viki fans would be willing to give up hearing “Blondie” if it would lower the resistance of so many viewers to this couple….Or do you think that Ben calling Viki “Blondie” is just an excuse to bash the couple? I hope I haven’t angered anyone with this question, but I have been wanting to discuss it.”
I completely admire this person for his or her honestly, candor and decency in truly wanting to discuss the issue. This person’s post, I might add, was greeted and welcomed by the Ben and Viki Board posters wholeheartedly. There was not one answer to this person’s post that did not express gratitude for he or she coming around to have a constructive conversation…and there was not even one poster who responded in a negative way. The discourse with this poster reminded all of us of why we came to love that board in the first place. It’s a place to go to make friends, talk about issues and treat everyone with the respect that you expect in return. This poster confronted the issue in a mature and friendly way and no one denied this person the right to feel the way they feel, even if they don’t love Ben and Viki the way we do. This person, who I am sure is a fan of Clint, can play in my yard any day and I’ll be happy to squeeze the lemons for the lemonade. I’d be proud to consider this person one of my online buddies. By the way, most of the Ben and Viki fans did answer that they believe that it’s not the “Blondie” issue that is the problem and that it’s just another reason to bash the couple. I don’t think you can blame them for feeling that way.
You know, I have been writing this column for almost five months now and I have avoided this subject like the plague because I didn’t want to start World War III, however, it’s time everyone grew up and allowed their fellow soap fans to LIVE AND LET LIVE and I felt it was time to make the statement. My sincere wish is that when and if TPTB read the message boards, they realize that the bitterness expressed so generously on these boards comes from within people who for some reason are not happy within their own skin and therefore choose to drag everyone down with them. The vast majority of the actors on daytime TV give most of us a lot of pleasure and like anything else in life, we have to live with some things we don’t like…that doesn’t mean we have to destroy the enjoyment of others.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I am now taking applications for bodyguards. Anyone interested in a full-time position?
See
ya next week…..
Jill
FAN FEEDBACK AND
QUESTIONS
_______________
Christina writes: “Lindsay is in rare form and that's a hard place for her to be since she is always in rare form. But we all know that she is NEVER going to get caught, she does it so well. Cris, Bo, Melanie, Sam - the list goes on and on for those who know that she is responsible for A LOT of things but no one has NEVER been able to prove her guilt......because she is GOOD at what she does. That's my girl LINZ!!”
Dear
Christina: I love when you write to me because unless you do, I never get to
post anything from anyone who likes Lindsay. I will admit, as I already have
humbly done, that I did shed tears when she said goodbye to Will and said, “If
you leave there won’t be anyone left who loves me.” She did touch me and I
honestly felt for her, for 5 minutes, because she was like the child and Will
was like the parent consoling her.
_______________
Rita writes: “I don't agree with you assessment of Natalie. I think she is one of the most talented young actors to come on OLTL in a long time. I think that she is Viki's real daughter and that Jessica is Mitch Laurence's daughter. When Allison kidnapped Jessica she switched the babies. What better way for Mitch to get revenge against Viki and Clint, from beyond the grave, then to have them raise his daughter.”
Dear
Rita: I don’t think I said that Natalie wasn’t a good actress. Actually, I’ve
never named names in criticizing anyone’s acting ability, even though I have had
those thoughts many times. I don’t have a problem with Natalie’s acting
ability. She’s a troublemaker and I’m very anxious to see how her story plays
out. I hope she’s not Viki’s daughter…but we’ll find out just how hairy this
story gets in the fall, I’m sure.
_______________
Salma writes: “I was wondering what your thoughts are on Todd and Blair. I can tell that you are not a Todd fan, but I wanted to know how you felt about that couple. I’m sure they elicit some kind of response from you. Do you think they have chemistry, or that their storyline is working? Do you want to see them together?”
Dear Salma: You know, I don’t really dislike Todd. To me, he’s a problem-riddled person who does some very mean things to innocent people, but I enjoy when he shows his vulnerability and I absolutely love when he gets the better of people like Gabrielle, Asa and Max. I definitely think Todd and Blair belong together. I like Blair a lot and I love the two of them so much in scenes with Starr, who is my favorite little troublemaker. And by the way, whomever it was who posted that he looks great with the tan was right. As you can see from my comments on Todd in the above article, when I see him like he was with Gabrielle, I could watch him all day long…he is hysterical when he’s beating up on the bad guys.
