Tales from the Soap Revolution

Yesterday, I was proud to be one of the many fans of All My Children and One Life to Live protesting outside of the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, NYC. The protest was held right across from where ABC was presenting its 2011-2012 schedule to its stations, affiliates, advertising partners and press outlets. Colleen Zenk (ex-Barbara Ryan, ATWT), Ilene Kristen (Roxy Balsom, OLTL), Mimi Torchin (founding Editor in Chief of Soap Opera Weekly) and the Broadcast Television Union NABET CWA Local 16 were all there as well.

All in all, about 30 to 50 people were at the protest. No, we were not a league of thousands...but our voices were heard through bullhorns and whistles. As we shouted "SAVE THE SOAPS!", "SCREW THE CHEW!", "BOYCOTT ABC!" and such across the street, the network executives and advertisers hobnobbing in front of Lincoln Center could not ignore the protest. At the end of the ABC event, it was gratifying when many of those across the street were taking pictures of us with their cell phones. Along with being covered by the usual soap opera media, the protest also made its way into the news of Deadline TV and The Hollywood Reporter.

Work commitments forced me to leave the protest early (sorry, anonymous commenter of The Hollywood Reporter; no, I'm not a "welfare mom")...so sadly I missed the grand spectacle of ABC head of daytime programming Brian Frons reportedly walking by the protestors, laughing and sneering. But what a perfect representation of what soap operas, soap actors and soap fans have been going through! Two Daytime Emmy Award-nominated actresses and a passionate group of viewers committed enough to stand out in the rain for their cause...to be sneered at by a guy in a suit. Yep, sums it up pretty well.

For more information about how to fight for the soaps, go to http://www.soapfansunited.com/.

For more pictures of the protest, check out the album at "OutTakes Interviews" on Facebook.