THE STATUS OF MINORITIES ON DAYTIME
HOW DOES YOUR SOAP RATE?
How accurately do soap operas represent the diverse ethnic and racial population of the United States? Do their characters exist in a white middle or upper-class vacuum? Do they perpetuate damaging, dated stereotypes about minorities including people with disabilities? Have the shows been successful in integrating their casts? Or are minorities merely tokens? A good way to measure a character's Importance is to look at their home. Many minor characters are only seen in the workplace. Having a family, a place to live and romantic problems is the sign of a front-burner character. We took a good hard look at the daytime serials and graded them according to how well they scored against that criteria. Keep in mind that we are giving marks for effort as well as success .
(Editor's note: Later this month, a new half-hour serial, GENERATIONS, will debut on NBC. The show has announced one of the two core families will be black. We applaud their decision to create a serial that is racially balanced from the start. )
ALL MY CHILDREN: A
AMC exists in an integrated world. Extras and under-fives are always racially diverse. The show created an extremely popular and viable black romance that endured for years as the characters, Angie (Debbi Morgan) and Jesse (Darnell Williams), matured. More importantly, their story was not back burner, and therefore introduced their families in extended story lines. Even in the aftermath of Jesse's death, Angle remains a major character and the show is exploring a black/white love triangle with her, Cliff (Peter Bergman) and Remy (Eddie Earl Hatch). Remy's interest in black history and culture gives AMC the opportunity to expose viewers to the same values. AMC has always tried to present three generations in balance, so that older characters receive good treatment on AMC. Simple-minded, but emotionally open Stuart Chandler (David Canary) provides direct contrast to his ruthless twin brother, Adam (also played by David Canary), while incidentally presenting some of the problems faced by a person with limited mental capacities. The introduction of AIDS patient Cindy Parker (Ellen Wheeler) and the thorough treatment of her story reflects AMC's serious interest in social issues.
ANOTHER WORLD: B+
The show is currently presenting an interracial romance, and exploring some of the social pressures experienced by the couple both privately and socially. In addition, a viable black community is developing on AW: The introduction of the Lawrence family — Ronnie (B.J. Jefferson), Reuben (Clayton Prince) and Jesse (Dondre Whitfield) — fills a gap on AW created by the departure of Quinn and the Todds. Attorney Zack Edwards (James Pickens, Jr.) interacts with all the major characters in Bay City and has been dating two attractive women. Because they have a number of black characters, AW has been able to deal with racial prejudice directly. The show is still feeling the loss of small-statured, big-hearted Wallingford (Brent Collins), a little person whose comic touches made him a major presence. AW also has given its characters ethnic and social backgrounds that range beyond inherited wealth and position.
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