Academic Research - Response to ‘Soap Opera’ by Dorothy Hobson

Dorothy Hobson’s book focuses on taking an analytical approach to how television soap operas have impacted western society and popular culture- namely in Britain, America and Australia.

                All soap operas run in consecutive order; with the same core set of characters, locations and ongoing plots from one episode to the next. They can be broadcast more than 3 times per week, 52 weeks of the year. Audiences grow so fond of them because people become familiar with the storylines of fictional character’s personal lives that may relate to their own- like a social mirror, and hence form an emotional attachment to the soap and its qualities. A soap opera's purpose, after all, is to entertain.

Hobson references that watching the same soaps unites the people of society, from all backgrounds, ages and beliefs, because it gives them a common topic to discuss and give their opinions on in everyday conversations; whether it be with work colleagues or your own mother.

An example of this dedication can be seen, as Hobson reminds us, in certain Eastenders storylines where the audience have shown their enthusiasm for the storylines. Such as an episode shown on BBC1 in October 1999, a character named Mathew has been wrongly accused of a crime, when in fact it had been committed by the character of Steve. Apparently y members of the public began putting up signs claiming “Mathew is innocent, Steve is guilty”, a statement which only viewers of the show would have understood.

Hobson also provides us with her own little anecdote concerning this matter as an example, such as when she was shopping in Tesco Express and eavesdropped on two fellow young shoppers’ conversation. Apparently they were discussing an Eastenders storyline where Grant Mitchell’s car crashes into the River Thames, one of them says “I think Grant may be doing a Harold Bishop”, “Could be!” replied the other. She and the strangers shared a smile of recognition she claims, as she knew exactly what they were referring to, a former Neighbours storyline where the character of Harold Bishop was thought to have drowned, but returns later on suffering from amnesia.

Hobson refers to statistics that claim over 32 million people during that time in the UK watched soap operas per week, and that averages out to the typical budding soap fan watching 45 hours of soaps a week. Also ¾ of the adult population watch a soap opera at least once a month. This just goes to show how many people actually devote their lives to watching soaps.

Now, thanks to the introduction of omnibuses for certain soaps, people are now able to catch up with any episodes they may have missed by watching them in order all at once- usually on Sunday afternoons.