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Soap Operas
January 22, 2000
Jessie Coffey
For many it is a daily ritual. Everyday, at the same time, millions of dedicated soap opera fans enter the world of their favourite soap to become entangled in the complicated narrative that has, in most cases, been evolving for decades.
While the longevity of the show is a substantial part of its attraction, it is also a main drawback. Story lines become twisted, true identities are forgotten, central plots are finished, forgotten, and then ignored-an occurrence that often causes plot inconsistencies for the truly dedicated viewer.
The Internet offers a way to strengthen the relationship a viewer has with his or her soap opera. Web savvy fans have created pages in admiration and condemnation of every soap opera. People who are unable to appreciate the culture behind the soap opera genre usually develop those written in condemnation. But those written in admiration are a treasure trove of information.
The webmasters have conducted meticulous research. The best sites provide character sketches and plot reviews for the entire length of the series.
One particular site dedicated to Days of Our Lives clearly illustrates the wealth of supplementary information available. Located at http://www.soapoperafan.com/days/, Dustin's Days Page provides a complete synopsis from the 1965 series beginning to the most recent episode.
A character list details main events such as marriages, divorces, children, criminal records, and any sensational plot twists-the ever popular kidnapping, switched identities, or demon possession plots. Links are also provided to information about actors who are leaving or joining the show, rumours about upcoming stories, and archival information such as letters, poems, wedding vows, and songs from the program.
From Dustin's Days Page, it is possible to follow a link to a page created by a group known as "The Spoiler Three" (http://www.spoiler3.homepage.com/index.htm). Satellite television has provided these three people with the opportunity to see the episodes a day in advance. Each day they update their site with the complete details of the next day's episode. This provides viewers with enormous potential. Is Stephano in the process of kidnapping Marlena, again? Is Gina pretending to be Hope, or is Hope pretending to be Gina? Is the suspense of the plane crash preying on your mind?
If you must know what will happen, it will be on the Spoiler Three's site. And if you must know what already happened, visit Dustin's Days Page.
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