Soaps such as Eastenders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale have recently been given a lot of criticisms about their storylines they have produced such as in Coronation Street they are showing a male rape and it leading to male mental health in which are both big taboos in society.
One criticism of this is that some people believe that these storylines are too controversial and should not be for family viewings as often these soaps are before 9 o’clock, critics have suggested that if these soaps continue with these storylines it should be shown after 9 when children are asleep so they are not exposed to the realities of society as some parents suggest that children are too young for them to be seeing what happens. As Sarah argues “it is not the soap’s job to be talking about these issues, it should be only for entertainment values” it has been suggested that storylines should go back to the way they were before.
However, soaps have always had controversial storylines in the past such as Kathy’s rape in Eastenders. Deborah suggests that “soaps show the real issues of society and helps people open up conversations in which can encourage other individuals in the same position to speak out and get help.” This shows that soaps help individuals identify what is happening to them and it can give them a sense of comfort that they are not alone in this. Moreover it can give them a sense of hope that if the character is going through it and comes out the other side they can too. Furthermore, soaps can help inform individuals and give them knowledge on how to tackle these issues in which opens up discussion for family members and friends.
Overall, many people will have their own opinions on soaps and the storylines they focus on. Some will disagree with the way soaps decide to show their storylines as a lot of the storylines are taboo subjects where eventually can start to open people’s minds and get them informed on certain topics, such as how it makes them feel and how it has impacted them. Soaps have helped change society’s social attitudes and perspectives on than the ‘abnormal’ topics, as they are given huge coverage so more people are aware of what is happening in the world.
By Sevil Osmanogullari – Eltham Hill
