Wow - beautiful throw-back essay. I was addicted to GH, too. But I'd forgotten much of the storyline and the names of characters whom I adored. You are so right about the chemistry between L & L. I'm glad you have happy memories of that special time you shared with your mom. How wise she was, not to mince language.
Thank you!! I had forgotten a lot of the nuances too. I was surprised that the chemistry and writing hold up (and acting, and even the music). Now that most of the episodes are available, they're fun to re-watch. As for my mom, sometimes I wished she had minced a few words, ha ha. Sometimes she told me way too much. But I'm glad we got to watch together. Every summer was something exciting.
Thank you for writing this, Caren. My mom died when she was in her early forties and it was because of her I started watching General Hospital because I knew she was a loyal viewer. (Also, I LOVED Carrie Pilby!).
Wow, thank you for saying that about the book. And I'm so sorry you lost your mom so young. I'm sure she felt very loved by you and it would have made her smile to know you kept watching. The characters do become a bit like family. My mom was very sick when I was little and I didn't think I'd have her long. I just got lucky. Hope your holidays are restful!
My sister was an avid fan, and we talked about this storyline over the years. She died this past spring, and when I read that Anthony Geary had died, I wanted to speak to her about it so badly. This may have been "just a soap," but it completely deserved a thoughtful piece like yours.
(Posted this on FB too). This is fascinating. I use General Hospital as an argument for how I mentally survived being molested in my book How to Plant a Billion Trees. Your understanding parallels mine: that agency makes the difference in fantasy.
Thank you for the recap and analysis of my daughter’s favorite show growing up. I had started watching with my grandmom many years before. Our kiddo started watching with me when she woke up early from her afternoon nap, which may not have been the best idea because whenever she heard Herb Alpert’s Rise, she announced, “That’s the song Luke raped Laura to.” For at least her four years of high school when she didn’t arrive home until after 4, there was a note on my kitchen counter: Don’t forget to tape General!
That made me laugh, her announcement. It's funny how we all called it "General" or sometimes GH. Those characters were in our lives every day. It's nice how it brought families together.
I remember when Luke and Laura were all over "People" and "Us" and "TV Guide"! I wasn't into soap operas, but I always wanted to watch General Hospital, simply because I found hospitals interesting. This is beautiful, Caren, and challenging as well. No way that storyline would happen today, nor should it have happened then. Glad your Mom was there to explain to you what you were too young to know. There's nothing for a Gen X kid - particularly those who, like you and I, were bullied - like bonding with their Mother over a TV show. For me and my mother it was sitcoms like Taxi, WKRP, Benson, and Cheers. Did you experience those afternoons watching General Hospital with your Mom as a safe space, as I did?
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! Yes it did seem safe to me - no worried about fitting in with the others, just me and my mom on the couch. My mom was harder to deal with later, although it wasn't her fault. But when I was a pre-teen, things were good. I felt lucky for what we had then - a suspenseful soap, some great night-time shows, and pop music. I couldn't stay up late enough for Taxi, but did watch Benson and Cheers. My mom wasn't as into the sit-coms, but I'm glad that was a bonding moment for you. Judging from the other comments, that's what a lot of these shows gave us. I'm not sure it's like that today, with kids able to watch on their computer. I certainly learned a lot from the evening news, too - my mom and I definitely watched that together.
Wow - beautiful throw-back essay. I was addicted to GH, too. But I'd forgotten much of the storyline and the names of characters whom I adored. You are so right about the chemistry between L & L. I'm glad you have happy memories of that special time you shared with your mom. How wise she was, not to mince language.
Thank you!! I had forgotten a lot of the nuances too. I was surprised that the chemistry and writing hold up (and acting, and even the music). Now that most of the episodes are available, they're fun to re-watch. As for my mom, sometimes I wished she had minced a few words, ha ha. Sometimes she told me way too much. But I'm glad we got to watch together. Every summer was something exciting.
Thank you for writing this, Caren. My mom died when she was in her early forties and it was because of her I started watching General Hospital because I knew she was a loyal viewer. (Also, I LOVED Carrie Pilby!).
Wow, thank you for saying that about the book. And I'm so sorry you lost your mom so young. I'm sure she felt very loved by you and it would have made her smile to know you kept watching. The characters do become a bit like family. My mom was very sick when I was little and I didn't think I'd have her long. I just got lucky. Hope your holidays are restful!
Thank you for your kind words, Caren. I hope your holidays are also restful, and fun!!
My sister was an avid fan, and we talked about this storyline over the years. She died this past spring, and when I read that Anthony Geary had died, I wanted to speak to her about it so badly. This may have been "just a soap," but it completely deserved a thoughtful piece like yours.
Thank you. That's very kind! I bet your sister enjoyed all of those talks. I'm sorry for your loss.
(Posted this on FB too). This is fascinating. I use General Hospital as an argument for how I mentally survived being molested in my book How to Plant a Billion Trees. Your understanding parallels mine: that agency makes the difference in fantasy.
Thank you for the recap and analysis of my daughter’s favorite show growing up. I had started watching with my grandmom many years before. Our kiddo started watching with me when she woke up early from her afternoon nap, which may not have been the best idea because whenever she heard Herb Alpert’s Rise, she announced, “That’s the song Luke raped Laura to.” For at least her four years of high school when she didn’t arrive home until after 4, there was a note on my kitchen counter: Don’t forget to tape General!
Great show. Great tribute!
That made me laugh, her announcement. It's funny how we all called it "General" or sometimes GH. Those characters were in our lives every day. It's nice how it brought families together.
I remember when Luke and Laura were all over "People" and "Us" and "TV Guide"! I wasn't into soap operas, but I always wanted to watch General Hospital, simply because I found hospitals interesting. This is beautiful, Caren, and challenging as well. No way that storyline would happen today, nor should it have happened then. Glad your Mom was there to explain to you what you were too young to know. There's nothing for a Gen X kid - particularly those who, like you and I, were bullied - like bonding with their Mother over a TV show. For me and my mother it was sitcoms like Taxi, WKRP, Benson, and Cheers. Did you experience those afternoons watching General Hospital with your Mom as a safe space, as I did?
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! Yes it did seem safe to me - no worried about fitting in with the others, just me and my mom on the couch. My mom was harder to deal with later, although it wasn't her fault. But when I was a pre-teen, things were good. I felt lucky for what we had then - a suspenseful soap, some great night-time shows, and pop music. I couldn't stay up late enough for Taxi, but did watch Benson and Cheers. My mom wasn't as into the sit-coms, but I'm glad that was a bonding moment for you. Judging from the other comments, that's what a lot of these shows gave us. I'm not sure it's like that today, with kids able to watch on their computer. I certainly learned a lot from the evening news, too - my mom and I definitely watched that together.