Should Christians watch soap operas?
After hearing that All My Children and One Life To Live were canceled, I felt compelled to pull this old post from my blog archives. I’ve watched All My Children before, and I used to be somewhat of a fan. However, I’ll admit that I haven’t watched it in years – too time-consuming and the storylines get too weird. I’ve also watched One Life To Life occasionally. Leave a comment answering the following question: Should Christians watch soap operas?
The other day, my husband sent me this link to an article stating that the soap opera, The Guiding Light, will be canceled after 72 YEARS ON THE AIR…this soap opera pre-dates television (I’m assuming it started as a radio show)! He sent me the article because he knows that I used to watch soap operas – but I’ve never watched The Guiding Light.
A few years ago, I blogged about soap operas here.
After I wrote that blog post (I was mostly talking about The Young And The Restless on that post) I stopped watching soap operas. I got into a time crunch and the soap operas didn’t make my TO DO list.
I started watching soap operas in high school because I was bored. I lived in a remote rural area. During the summertime, there was really no place to go. My mom didn’t drive, my dad was at work all day, I had no money, and I had no car to drive. I spent my summer days walking around the neighborhood, reading books, and watching soap operas! Since I read books so quickly – I practically inhaled them, I got most of my titles from the bookmobile that came to town every two weeks. I also fondly remember watching General Hospital while Luke and Laura fell in love and out of love. I recall watching All My Children when Greg and Jenny fell in love and evil forces strove to keep them apart. I also remember Jessie Hubbard and Angie getting together and falling in love. I’d get freaked out when these storybook romances would end, but watching these stories gave me something to do during those boring hot summer days. To top it off, I’d spend the rest of my day reading romance novels. It’s hard for me to get into the soaps nowadays, I guess, because the stories never end. They go on and on…imagine, a 72-year-old story like The Guiding Light?
I’ve sometimes dreamed of having a Christian soap opera on the air where people can talk about finding faith and forgiving others.
Do any of you watch soap operas now, or did you used to watch them? If so, which ones did you watch? Why do you like them? How long have you been watching the soaps? Do you think Christians should watch soap operas? I’ll start by saying I don’t see anything wrong with watching them as long as you don’t get too carried away…it’s kind of like, reading a secular novel or watching a movie. It’s entertainment and overall, soaps aren’t any better or worse than a lot of the other secular entertainment out there.
I enjoyed the soaps because they were entertaining and I’d get caught up in the characters’ lives. Sometimes they were placed in perilous situations and I just wanted them to get rescued! If they were hurt and in the hospital, I wanted them to recuperate and get better! But, if they died, it’s possible they could come back from the dead later! LOL!
Feel free to answer these questions and to throw in any other opinions you have about soap operas. I’m kind of anxious to hear what others have to say!
No. They help keep your mind on things which can lead to adultery, sin etc
Timetogo, I’m glad you stopped by Cecelia’s Christian fiction blog and commented. I understand your point. However, I used to love watching soap operas, especially when I was in high school in college. It was entertainment that filled the daytime hours. I’ve often thought that it would be a neat idea to start a Christian soap opera. I believe I mention this in one of my earlier posts about soap operas.
Soaps seem tame compared to today’s reality television.
My parents forbid me to watch them as a teenager but I had a friend who used to tape Days of Our Lives and loan me the video. I’d then sneak and watch it in the middle of the night.
I think a blanket statement like Christians shouldn’t watch soaps is legalistic.
But kids definitely shouldn’t watch them if it means disobeying their parents like I did.
I don’t watch soap operas anymore, they’ve been replaced with The Real Housewives. LOL.
Hi, Joy
Funny you should mention reality television – that’s one of the reasons why the soap operas are being canceled, from what I can see from the web. The Powers That Be state that soap operas aren’t able to tap into the younger audience because the younger audience is into other things like reality television and Facebook, and other forms of social media. The children nowadays don’t want to be bothered with keeping up with a slow-paced story-line, they can streamline movies without commercials…their entertainment opportunities are virtually endless compared to the olden days! I wonder how long it’ll be before The Young And The Restless is canceled? I know that soap was going strong for years, being the #1 daytime television soap.
I’m a fan of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. I’ve watched these soaps since I was 8. It’s funny that I can skip 6 months to a year of viewing, but quickly be up to speed.
As a Christian, there are some plot elements that I don’t agree with, but I am able to enjoy the stories as a whole. Soaps are just like any other secular television dramas. We can watch them without acting upon what we see. It all goes back to being in the world, but not of the world.
I use to watch soap operas years ago in my twenties and early thirtys. I stopped once i became a full time worker. but always stayed in the soap opera loop cause my christian grandmother loved them and still do. I have not seen those soap operas effect her christianity. I think a lot has to do with where you are spiritually. as a matter of fact when granny (96 now) started watching them spouses probably was not even been shown sleepig together less on plots today. I would say don’t watch if you are not a very strong person in your spirtiual walk. me and granny discuss them and talk but we always sum up some bible verse or story to compare as we do so. i think that has helped us both. lol.