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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not quite understand the fuss over Eastenders

199 replies

MistletoeMush · 06/01/2011 14:58

This may have already been done, but I just don't understand all the fuss. Its a story, the people involved are not real. Surely one of the purposes of drama is to explore situations, dilemas, emotions etc which it would not be possible to explore in real life. Also are soaps not famous for tackiling difficult issues, murder, teen pregnancy, rape, kidnap, violence, disasters, adultary, death by various means. Why is this storyline so much worse?

OP posts:
wukter · 06/01/2011 16:18

Excellently put Confuzled.

pagwatch · 06/01/2011 16:18

And every fucking event is held at the pub.

And let us also think on the fact that every character is deeply stupid and determinedly uneducated. They all scream abuse at each other and that is seen as a Good Thing.
The shit lowest common denominator representation of the working classes as stuoid selfish and aggresive annoys the crap out of me.

I stopped watching while I was living in the east end

ledkr · 06/01/2011 16:19

id like to live in a street where you can murder people and only get a couple of yrs in prison.

meantosay · 06/01/2011 16:20

Or where people go to the pub and don't seem to notice that their ex husband, first lover and the son of the person who tried to murder them are also sitting there having a friendly pint.

MassiveKnob · 06/01/2011 16:22

And the whole street lives behind drawn curtains. You rarely get a scene where the curtains are open , day or night.

mommmmyof2 · 06/01/2011 16:24

I think EE is there to give majority of people watching it a bit of satisfaction that all this does not happen in day to day normal life!
Well i should hope not!

MassiveKnob · 06/01/2011 16:24

And when just when is Janine going to say something without shaking her head about. Now that is worthy of complaint.

wukter · 06/01/2011 16:25

If you lived on one of those streets massiveknob you'd grab any chance of privacy too! That's ONE realistic portrayal of normal human interaction, right there. Unbeknowst to themselves, no doubt.

pagwatch · 06/01/2011 16:26

And no one ever says
'why don't we discuss this in a reasonable way. Neither of us want to have a screaming match in public surely. That would be so undignified'

Or 'well I am a bit annoyed but making a fuss would just be childish wouldn't it'

mommmmyof2 · 06/01/2011 16:26

janine, now that is a character!

Confuzled · 06/01/2011 16:27

ledkr - I'm curious, who'd be your top 3 victims? G'wan, tell. Grin

sadiesadiemarriedlady · 06/01/2011 16:27

I stopped watching it years ago and my life is by far the better without it.

Swedes1 · 06/01/2011 16:30

I have personal experience of neonatal death (I lost a third son shortly after his birth) and I really don't understand what people are complaining about. I can't say I identify with the babyswap but it doesn't upset me in the least: I certainly don't feel it's a slight on everyone unfortunate enough to lose a baby.

I am traumatised at Kat Slater with no make-up though. Grin

PaisleyLeaf · 06/01/2011 16:31

Like swanandduck, I agree with Ephiny, and think the soaps are rubbish and that EE is getting what it wants through all this fuss.
I felt the same about Frankie Boyle, with the long threads and newspaper articles about how offensive he is. I'm happy to just ignore things I find rubbish rather than be giving them a load of attention.
Somehow though, some people can't seem to help themselves but watch soaps - even if they're finding it offensive, like it's a part of their routine or something.
It'd be interesting to know how many more viewers they get through all this.

fallot · 06/01/2011 16:35

YANBU at all.

People are totally confusing real life with soap - it's just a bloody story ffs!

As for people being up in arms because a woman wouldn't so what ronnie did in real life...well ronnie would do it! She has form. If you have watched any of the past episodes - she was buying baby clothes when she wasn't pregnant, she was sticking pins in her condoms and she took louise ( phil's daughter) home for a while before she let phil know she was around.And let's not forget she was a victim of incest from the age of around 12. She unstable before the SIDS so of course she is going to do something stupid!

You can look at any number of issues dealt with in soaps and make self references to them but they are not supposed to be accurate or cathartic. They are for entertainment. And yes...the episode did entertain over 10 million viewers.

It goes without saying that the death of a child is unimaginable and I don't know how these women can continue with their lives as normal afterwards. But there are a lot of unimaginable horrific things that go on in the world and are covered by soaps - not necessarily accurately. Things like rape, repeated sexual abuse, incest, the anguish of drug abuse, infertility etc etc. The melancholy list could go on and on.

I think the real reason why a lot of people watch these soaps so avidly is

  1. escapism - because they are so far fetched
  2. to make themselves feel better as usually their lives are not as bad as the ones portrayed in soaps.

But I don't think the BBC and EE deserve the backlash they have received.

SantosLHalper · 06/01/2011 16:36

11 million according to the news Paisley! So people may be offended, but are watching it to make sure.

JakeBrake · 06/01/2011 16:37

I agree. Pile of shit. Surely if people got so agitated about el issues that would be a goodcthing. Sad fuckers all

diddl · 06/01/2011 16:40

Is the issue for Ronnie that she has become focussed on having a baby at any cost & therefore it would be a plausible reaction for her?

fallot · 06/01/2011 16:41

yes diddl - it is completely in character for ronnie.

PaisleyLeaf · 06/01/2011 16:42

Ah, so she was inhinged TTCing too?

deemented · 06/01/2011 16:42

I know it's only a soap.

I know it's not real.

I know i could switch the TV off.

BUT

Have you ever seen or been affected by something that's so abhorrent, that's so offensive and crass, and just well... plain wrong that you feel you have to do something, anything?

There comes a time when you have to stand up and be counted, when you have to say 'This is wrong, and i want my voice to be heard'

Ok, they may not listen. They may sweep you under the carpet because it's easier than actually being answerable or accountable...

But we have to try.

Because if we don't... if we do nothing and say nothing, then we are in effect saying 'Oh, it's ok, do as you like' and next time they will do more, go further.

We have to try.

fallot · 06/01/2011 16:44

Deemented- I know you are bereaved and I am so sorry for your loss. This is why I didn't post on the other thread as I did not want to cause offence to all the bereaved mothers.

But I do not think producers of EE are at fault here - they are just doinf their jobs.

diddl · 06/01/2011 16:47

"Have you ever seen or been affected by something that's so abhorrent, that's so offensive and crass, and just well... plain wrong that you feel you have to do something, anything?"

Yes of course.

And I have said, I do understand why people are pissed off at Ronnie being portrayed in this way.

And those who feel that should complain.

Equally there are those of us who feel that it is not being "sold" as being representative of all or indeed any bereaved mothers.

SantosLHalper · 06/01/2011 16:48

Paisley,

The charchter was not insane TTC she has;

been sexually abused by her father
had baby with teenage bf and baby was adopted
she was told baby had died
baby then found her as adult
she then died after being run over infront of Ronnie
her dad was murdered
etc etc

so she has been through quite a lot and therefore one presumes somewhat inclined to MH problems/irrational behaviour....

TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 06/01/2011 16:49

God, can you imagine a soap opera that tried to be realistic? It would be like watching paint dry.