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"In their quest for success, the mightiest men fall swiftly from grace and will surely fail if they forget their benefactors."
Carol Wiepert, 2009
One of the greatest things about America is there's power in numbers and we know how to band together for a common cause. Few things in life seriously affect me to the point of taking public action. However, when you mess with my my loved ones or my personal space, all I can say is.... "Honey, you've got a tiger by the tail. Hear me roar!" (...and look out for the ones behind me)
My beef is with Proctor & Gamble (P&G). They are cancelling my all-time favorite soap opera, Guiding Light (GL), and with that action, they take away my daily hiatus of love, joy, sorrow, pain, romance, comedy and fantasy. While I may watch other CBS soaps, GL has been a mainstay in my life, something I relied on and have watched above all others without fail.
There are many who say that soap operas are nothing more than mindless dribble. To those naysayers, I refer them to the billions made yearly on books about romance, murder, drama, intrigue, psychology, medicine, law, fantasy and social commentary. For many decades, we, the fans of GL have had the ability to experience all the above topics on a daily basis. And it never ends! It's like candy for the weary heart. It’s also a moment to do my nails, curl my hair, mend my clothes or any of a number of other rote tasks one does while watching television. It's that time of day I get to take a breather and catch my second wind. In today’s world it’s called multi-tasking and the pleasure GL brings while performing those tasks is now taken from me. I will be forced to rearrange my schedule of many decades without so much as a "by your leave" for my loyalty and there will be a void.
P&G executives lost sight of a few things. Perhaps it's a new generation of executives who have lost sight of their audience, or perhaps alzheimers is setting in for the senior executives who either don't realize or have forgotten how we rely on this particular hour each day for moments of pleasure in our lives. Regardless of why, the decision makers forgot something very important.The one thing women (and many men) share, above all else in life, is a passion for love and romance. This passion is the single most genuine, base emotion we carry within us. It is a common thread no matter what our nationality or our faith. It is also the singular most passion for which we would all fight vehemently to the death.
It's not just the memories
My first memories of childhood are watching my mother clean our home, wash and iron daily. Every day, when it was time for ironing, along came the "soaps." I grew up watching them. When we visited my grandmother (or other relatives and friends) and ran out of ho-hum news from home, we had our soaps to share. As I grew older, the majority of my family, friends and I still found time to watch. While we may have missed others, GL was not optional, it was a must!
I huddled in a community dorm room around a small t.v. set in college with my roommates every day to watch them. We scheduled classes around soaps just so we could share that time and the ensuing discussions which came when the show was over. And what lively conversation it would create. The most watched was GL. As I began my adult life and my career, I continued to watch. And when I couldn't watch, I continued my tradition of relaxation through VCRS, DVRS, and now, the internet.
In my sphere, I frequently discuss every known socially relevant issue of the day. I remember few gatherings I have attended that at least some comment or discussion was not opened with or centered around a soap opera, in particular, GL. It is a common denominator that provides the catalyst for discussions on life, friendship and understanding regardless of our age or where we came from. In a sense, GL is a calling card. For women especially, GL brings issues to the forefront of our lives which otherwise may have remained unspoken in "polite society" for decades.
While initially meant for entertainment, soaps opened doors for dialogue and thus became a very distinct and relevant part of our history. Many storylines have been centered around public service issues too many to list here. It may seem odd to say soap operas helped shape American culture for women but it is still a fact we can't deny and it is an institution which should continue.
And now we have it. GL is scheduled to become nothing more than a memory with no concern that it has been the most constant daily getaway millions have enjoyed for decades. To those of us who have been loyal fans, we can, for one hour a day, slip from the harsh realities of life and immerse ourselves into the familiar characters we loved. We could engage in and experience their lives and their problems, and for a brief moment, forget our own trials and tribulations. It is a gift we give ourselves which we share readily and with glee with others who watch. And for newcomers, it is always a joy to share the rich history and storylines to get them up to speed.
No book, no movie, no television "series" can compare. They just can't touch such a richly woven tapestry of so many lives known to us over generations. We could say it is a "sisterhood" of fans except I've known many men just as caught up in the storylines over the years.
72 years is a long time. People were born, lived and died counting on the enrichment, inspiration and relaxation of Guiding Light. It was and has been a constant in many lives. We ARE emotional about GL. That means they accomplished their goal to keep us watching. I, along with millions of others, have been engaged and addicted to GL for decades. Since they created the addiction, should they not have some obligation to the fans?
Now we must mourn the loss of all the GL characters and we are expected to quit "cold turkey." How can we do that when several families and generations of storytelling are now being decimated? Do they REALLY think we'll forget so easily? It seems we are powerless to stop it.... or are we?
The Betrayal
Today I pondered how many years my great grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, my daughter, my family, my friends and I have supported GL (a.k.a P&G). I wondered how many billions they made on our loyalty. Based on all I have read, the articles, the press, the myriad forums and the myriad protests, I thought about just how betrayed we all feel and I got angry. This amounts to 5 generations of BENEFACTORS who supported P&G and allowed them to thrive. I was insulted they did't think we were important enough to POLL before they decided irrevocably to cancel GL. How do they justify it?
With all those thoughts in mind, I walked through my house this morning on a mission. I wanted to see how many P&G products I actually use on a regular basis. At the age of 54 (soon to be 55), I don't really think much about WHY I buy certain products. These days I make purchases as a creature of habit.
My morning cruise was a complete eye opener. From the “best part of waking up” until I lay my head on my "downy fresh" pillow to sleep, I have used P&G products for decades or as long as they've been available.
And here's what I found: Aussie, Bounty, Cascade, Cover Girl, Clairol, Clear Blue Easy, Dawn, Duracell, Febreeze, Folgers, Gain, Gillette, Head and Shoulders, Infusium 23, Max Factor, Mr. Clean, Noxema, Pringles, Satin Care Shave Cream, Scope, Smuckers, Sure, Swiffer, Tampax, and Vicks products. There are more which weren't currently in stock but which I buy frequently. I have a Tassimo espresso maker, and a Braun hair dryer. In prior years I wouldn't buy anything but Pampers and I have given them as gifts by the CASE load to every new mother I have known.
While a few of these products have been sold off by P&G, it is important to remember where I got the "taste" for them. My tastes and preferences were formed over 5 decades of advertising. In a sense, there are 5 generations of the "P&G Buyers Club" squarely based upon the loyalty of soap opera fans.
Even though generics are just as good and much less expensive, I have been loyal to P&G brands. On many products, substitution isn't allowed because I want to support my soaps, the actors, the production staff and their families who depend upon us for their welfare. It is my simple contribution to keeping the institution going. And do not fool yourself, Guding Light IS an institution.
*There are only 31 cast members listed on the GL site. That doesn't count the ones who have come and gone over the years (in particular, the last 5 years). Add to that the writers and production staff. When you count family members of those who have given their time and loyalty to the show, you are talking about hundreds, if not thousands, of people touched by the cancellation of Guiding Light . Toss in the "mere" fans (oh wait, aren't we the "benefactors") and you begin to realize the magnitude of loss. So again I say, it's not just about entertainment. They are killing an institution.
The Protest
If you put it all together, in a year's time, I spend thousands of dollars keeping my home stocked with P&G products. There are millions of loyal GL fans who do the same. I don't want this change in my life. I should have a choice in the matter. Millions of fans feel the same way. They tried to break GL and couldn't do it. We remained steadfast and loyal. They need to fix it! If they need help, I dare say there are millions of us ready to step up and volunteer to save GL.
So I say, "How quickly and how far will they fall if we, the benefactors, withdraw our support?" I, for one, am boycotting P&G until the executives who made this awful decision acknowledge they made a mistake and correct it. When sales drop due to our efforts, rather than recession, perhaps they will listen. If not, I'll save some money.
I hope and pray other fans who agree will join me in that effort. Amen!
Category: HIDDEN HOLLOW