On Breaking the Fourth Wall
ON BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL
by Moni
This past week, news of Chris Engen’s sudden departure from Y&R, during one of his best performances and storylines, left me reeling in a way that surprised me. I haven’t been a fan of the actor or his “Adumb” character as I like to call him, but when several in the soap press rushed with few facts or statements from principals in the case, to implicitly and explicitly label Chris Engen a “homophobe,” given the light speed of hiring of his replacement, I was left ambivalent about the role of the modern “soap press” and their long term impact on the genre.
Historically, Breaking the fourth wall, was a reference to an actor breaking character, passing through the invisible fourth wall that exists between the theatre stage, and the audience. Today, it is used more liberally to refer to action that breaks the boundary between fiction and reality, compromising the audience’s ability to suspend disbelief. My observation, is that the fourth wall is a boundary more sacred in the soap genre than any other acting genre, because of the numerous impressions that serial drama stars make in the same character, and the increased necessity to suspend disbelief with soaps. The new cyber soap press with inside information, provides more opportunities for those in this genre to break the fourth wall, both willingly, and increasingly against their will.
The bottom line for me as a soap fan however, is whether this inside information is compromising my ability to enjoy soaps and the characters I love. I find myself wanting less and less to know spoilers, or inside information. The following tidbits had me really wishing I could put the genie back in the bottle as a soap fan:
1) Chris Engen labeled as a homophobe, for walking off set, supposedly after being asked to kiss a man, even though all accounts point to a pattern of dissatisfaction, and the instantaneous hiring of his replacement makes this allegation even more questionable.
2) Christel Khalil labeled as a hair model who doesn’t identify as black, but plays black (or not black enough according to some) on tv.
3) Contract wars with Melody Scott Thomas, Jess Walton, Joshua Morrow
4) Maria Arena Bell as the card carrying Republican, who writes the weakest women in soaps, touted as “Auntie Maria” and the Barack Obama of soaps, by gay men of color.
5) Lynne Marie Latham as the tree-hugging, new age, destroyer of soaps.
6) Michelle Stafford spitting on Victoria Rowell
7) Every Victoria Rowell Interview about Y&R since she left Y&R.
With increasing penetration of soap fans on the internet, behind the scenes information on soaps has never been more pervasive or readily available. Where the 80s and 90s saw soap magazines as the primary soap press, the new millennium has ushered in the next generation “soap press” with real time reporting capability, all in a hybrid blogger/journalist style (Daytime Confidential/Suds Report). This hybrid style allows bloggers to trade on their journalistic credentials, while simultaneously absolving them of journalistic codes of ethics, because after all, it’s just a blog.
It’s a formula that works, after all, just look at the success of Perez Hilton, who’s damaged the brands of countless actors, and is loathe to credit photographers for the pictures he uses, with nary a retraction, or a profit share, because what he does is a blog, and is not required to meet the standards of ethics that journalists must. Perez, while admittedly not a trained journalist, keeps his pimp hand strong, and his lawyers on retainer, to ensure he gets the scoop, but never has to meet the standards of a journalist, even if he plays one in cyberspace.
What further puzzles me, is that soap industry executives, and actors, legitimize these pseudo-journalists, by giving them inside information, or exclusive interviews. As popular as Perez Hilton is, Hillary Clinton might have thanked him for his endorsement, but I don’t see her condescending to break news on his website. In contrast, Soap executives writers, and actors regularly give exclusives and inside information to these press outlets, which appears to have legitimized them as journalists in the soap world.
I am expressly not a journalist, and I write only as a soap fan who makes no profit from my contributions, however, when I see “journalists” who wave their degrees in journalism as credentials, but then write in pseudo journalistic styles, with no vetting process; who pass their opinions and political stances off as a breaking news, and show a propensity towards unwavering loyalty or disdain towards executives, writers and actors, who’s work they need to objectively critique, that does ring false for me.
Please don’t misunderstand me, I think the Nelson Branco and Daytime Confidential websites absolutely have value in the soap world. I do however, think given the extreme bias displayed in their coverage of soaps, they should provide more disclosure about the nature of their soap commentary and reporting, and I must admit I find any bravado about their credentials in journalism while blogging, somewhat disingenuous.
I admit to my ambivalence on this issue. With recent news I’m pretty outraged, but I’m open to changing my mind, and would love to hear how other soap fans feel about this issue. All comers are welcome.
10 Responses to “On Breaking the Fourth Wall”
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Moni,
My dear, you have to get out of my head! I was thinking this on all of this late breaking news. I enjoy spoilers from time to time, but sometimes, some of this information is damaging to these actors, storylines and soaps. It allows people to form an opinion on how they feel the actor is as a person, not recognizing: person, persona, role, etc. When that fourth wall is broken it damages what entertainment is about and the art of the craft-on the creative end and the actor’s end. I could go on and on about the negatives of this.
Thank you for your view on this subject. I do agree with the points that you touched on.
Been a lurker on your blog for quite some time. I agree that there’s more to the Chris Engen thing but I wanted to know if you think that Daytime Confidential and Nelson Branco are bias why visit them in the first place? I think they do come off a bit hard on CK and maybe they do come off as praising everything Maria Bell does as the second coming but, why go to DC and Nelson if you feel that they are one sided? To be fair though, DC never called Chris a homophobe. That would be Nelson and Perez.
Hey Y&R Lover. Thanks for reading and posting a comment.
I've seen many DC writers ask posters who disagree with them on their site the same question, and must admit I don't understand why someone would write an opinion piece or publish anything editorial, and then tell people who disagree with them they should stop reading if they disagree. I've often seen the immature way that the writers get into it with their posters, and it just smacks of intolerance to me.
Critical assessment is a key part of why our country is so great, and in this Fox News vs. CNN generation, I hope people become more comfortable about having intelligent arguments with those they disagree with. It doesn't have to be a boycott or unconditional love thing. I've said their sites have valuable content, I just think they should be more honest about the biased nature of their commentary.
I would disagree with you on the Chris Engen subject, if you compare the article Michael Fairman wrote on the Chris Engen's walk-off set (just the facts) vs. the inuendo laced "reporting" on DC and NB, I think you'll find a big difference.
I just asked because it seems as though it bothers you about DC and Nelson. Now if someone tells DC something like, "I quit DC" I can see them asking the poster why bother showing up. Makes sense and your right if they do say that to people in general its stupid.
As for Michael Fairmam,he's not a real journalist in my book. He steals everyone's info and just claims it as his own. Your right though we'll never know what happened until Chris says something. I doubt we'll hear it any time soon though.
I liked Lynn Marie on Y&R she gave it a new type of vibe but to older vieers it would come off as not sticking to their past.
I completely understand the idea that too much information can be a terrible thing. I have always felt that knowing too much about an actor’s personal life and ideologies can at times get in the way of the enjoyment of a character. I think gifted actors can get away with this but for others, the less known the better.
Moni,
great commentary, and criticism of soap media is fair game just as criticism of soaps and soap actors is fair game.
Very well written article, it is insightful, thoughtful and intelligent.
I was disheartened and alarmed at the rush, and push, to label CE as a homophobe.
I have lost a lot of respect for the soap press in the last few months. I have been dismayed by the portrayl of MAB as the greatest soap writer in history. In my view instead of moving the show forward she has been focused on re-writing and re-using storylines from the past and not worried or given any thought to the future of the show and it shows.
I dislike what she has done to the characters of Y&R the woman are all sitting around thinking about how they can please and keep the men in their lives. While the men are just thinking about sex….don't care who…just as long as they get some.
For someone who is supposed to care about the history of the show MAB has destoryed more of the characters and the history of the show in the short time that she has been there than LML did in the years that she was there.
One of the reasons that I love this article is because you take the time to read what is written about the soaps. You based your opinion, not, on what is being said by someone else but on the research that you have done.
Thank you.
K
Thank you for your thoughtful comments K. I have been disheartened by the weak women I've seen on this soap lately myself. I have been surprised that this is coming from a writing team with a middle-aged woman at the helm.
I think that I am more disappointed that because it is coming from a writing team with a woman at the helm and she did not become the head writer of Y&R by being weak. That she would portray every woman on the show as just a male appendage is an insult.
Even on Leave It To Beaver June was really in charge she just let Ward think he was the big strong man steering the ship.
K
One of my followers directed me to your blog. I blog about Days of Our Lives. I see we have a lot in common when it comes to the soap press. I have a popular series of blogs I refer to as "Nelson Branco is a Douchebag" that has 11 separate blog entries.
I don't watch Y&R, but because of the net I've heard the same rumors you mentioned. I'd rather not know this info either. It's not fair to the actors, because they never respond to the garbage in the Suds Report. It's hard to watch the soaps now because you hear so many rumors about the actors that it gets hard to enjoy their characters. You can't forget the rumors while watching the shows.
I can go on and on about this, but I won't. lol I could take your blog entry, change it to DOOL instead of Y&R and include Nelson's DOOL actor rumors for the Y&R ones. The song would remain the same.
Keep up the good work. I'm going to start lurking!