May 05 2010

Welcome to the Future

Posted in daytime soaps, Hybrid Mom, Mary Beth Evans, Steve & Kayla 5 comments

-By Giddy

Can you imagine how many ‘friends’ Elvis might have had on Facebook? Or how many would have ‘followed’ Paul, John, Ringo and George on Twitter? How quickly would a server have crashed from traffic overload if James Dean had posted a blog?

I dare say many a trembling teenage girl would have been camped out in front of their computer monitor, never leaving the confines of their bedroom oasis, where the walls undoubtedly served as a shrine dedicated to their favorite big screen idol.

I will reluctantly fess up that my room boasted what was essentially Shaun Cassidy wallpaper. Yes, I was a Shaun Cassidy groupie, okay? At least I’m brave enough to admit it. (C’mon, how many of you right now are mentally singing DaDoRonRon?). Much to my parents’ dismay, not a spot of plaster remained free of my pre-pubescent obsession with Mr. Cassidy. If only they had owned stock in Tiger Beat and Teen Scene, they could have long since retired to the Bahamas on my contribution alone.

As long as I am confessing my long guarded secrets I will go ahead and share with you that I was, in fact, a card carrying member of the Shaun Cassidy Fan Club (yes, there were actually membership cards…and for those of us who were not yet old enough for a driver’s license, it was quite a coo having that little card prominently displayed behind the plastic window). I also dabbled with membership in the Adrian Zmed fan club (any other T.J. Hooker fans out there? Anyone?…Bueller?…Bueller?). But I digress.

I still remember the days of waiting impatiently for the mail to arrive so I could see what wonderfully cheesy token I would receive for being such a true and devoted fan. Keychain? Check…Refrigerator magnet? Check…Glow in the dark bracelet? Check…Anything with an image that proudly advertised my allegiance to my favorite singer/ actor was priceless to me.

Even now when I look at my 5th grade picture, where I sit poised like a queen on her throne, Shaun Cassidy’s face staring back from the front of my t-shirt, I try and remember what I thought when I looked in the mirror back then. Perhaps I was too distracted by my mountain of bangs and my multi-colored leg warmers. Why did I find it essential that everyone be keenly aware that I was one day going to marry Shaun Cassidy? That is, assuming I survived the stroke I would surely have suffered if I ever met him in person.

For those of us who grew up in the 70’s, 80’s, and even the 90’s, we have a certain mentality when it comes to celebrities, and usually that mentality is one where we think they are somehow untouchable. We wait for our favorite magazines to come out, we join their fan club, we write them long gushing letters never actually expecting a response, and we admire them from afar.

For soap fans in particular, things have certainly changed over the last few decades, haven’t they? It seems like only yesterday when the only spoilers to be found came from the soap magazines. How many times did I stand around waiting for the guy at the local grocery store to finally stock the magazine rack so I could grab a copy of Soap Opera Magazine (anyone else remember that one?) and find out whether or not Steve and Kayla were finally going to hook up? There was no Internet, no chat rooms, and no online community to snag little tidbits of information. We never had a clue what our favorite actor was up to unless we were lucky enough to get a feature story about them in one of the mags. We could join their fan club, but that entailed little more than the occasional newsletter, a few gaudy trinkets and a mass-produced birthday card once a year.

It continues to amaze me the amount of personal contact fans have with their favorite actors these days. Between Facebook, Twitter and other online communities, soap actors are more visible than they have ever been. Charles Shaughnessy, Melissa Reeves, Anthony Herrera, and Darin Brooks are but a few of the ones who maintain their own Facebook pages and who routinely communicate with their fans. Y&R’s Michael Muhney (ex-Adam) has been referred to as ‘marketing genius’ simply because he takes the time to post on a couple of the soap boards. His fan base continues to grow, and he’s no longer on the show. Smart man.

Sign on to Twitter at almost any time of the day and you will catch tweets from Alison Sweeney, Nancy Lee Grahn, Crystal Chappell and Daniel Goddard among others. The amazing part is that they don’t have anything necessarily earth shattering to share. They simply want to connect with their fans, and I for one find that extremely admirable. It’s interesting how a post like “off to the gym” elicits such a positive response, almost a sense of gratitude from fans who appreciate that they have some small connection to someone that they might never have the opportunity to meet in person.

Soap fan events are few and far between these days, and tend to be somewhat impersonal anyway. Add to that the fact that not every fan has the financial means or the time to fly across the country to have a photo signed and spend 2 minutes chatting with the actor, and it becomes even more obvious how important these new social networks have become. It’s important not just for the fans, but for the actors as well.

Mary Beth Evans posted on her Hybrid Mom blog last week that she was going to be returning to ATWT for a stint this summer and within an hour, it was all over the Internet. Folks like Soap Opera Digest, Soap Central and Soaps.com were talking about it almost immediately. Dang, you can’t get that kind of positive publicity anywhere else…and it was free!

Very few actors bother with fan clubs these days because, quite frankly, they have become out-dated and frivolous in this age of the Internet. Fans are no longer satisfied with the dime store souvenir and 8×10 glossies that gather dust in some over-stuffed desk drawer. They expect (and deserve) a little more effort from their favorites. They want to feel appreciated and they want to feel like they matter enough to be “in touch”, even if it’s something as insignificant as knowing that Daniel Goddard had chicken noodle soup for dinner.

You know the old saying, “it’s not the gift but the thought behind it that counts”? The same sentiment holds true for fans who are members of Facebook and Twitter, and those who surf the Internet daily espousing their love for their favorite actors/characters. As soaps continue their struggle to maintain their place on television, it seems only logical that the actors should be reaching out to their fans and embracing them; connecting with them and showing them they are appreciated.

To those who have yet to jump on the Facebook and Twitter bandwagon, take the leap. Welcome to the future, because the future is now.

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5 comments

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Sherry S. - May 5, 2010 - 9:53 am

I have to agree with much of what you’ve said in this blog. Michael Muhney is the first that comes to mind for me when staying in contact with his fans. I’ve read many posts from him at several different websites…and it’s refreshing to say the least. His contact, even though no longer on Y&R, has done wonders for his popularity.

As of fan of Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans, both could take a lesson from MM. I do have to give Mary Beth some kudos…she is consistent with updating her blog at Hybrid Mom…and much of our information comes through that blog. As for Stephen, much of the information we receive comes through interviews at SOD or one of the other major soap magazines. Personal contact with fans is relevant in a soap actor’s popularity…especially in this technological world we live in.

Miahappy - May 5, 2010 - 9:55 am

Well, I can’t relate to the Shaun Cassidy thing (that was WAY before my time – ok, well maybe just a couple years – my sister had a thing for him, though). I hate to confess, my obsession as a young teeny bopper was Michael Jackson… My, how times have changed!

The only soap I ever watched was Days, so I didn’t get much into the soap mags, but I was totally into the Teen Beat types… I remember sitting on my bed with a friend writing letters to all our favorites and send them away to the addresses in the back of the magazine. To take the time to actually hand-write a letter to someone…you’d think that would be worth something! But, alas, no answers would ever come.

Until…that glorious day! I actually got a response from one of my all time favorites – Harrison Ford! I was convinced I was going to marry him (let’s not mention he’s older than my father by 2 years) and was completely envious of Princess Leia in the movie, despite the fact I would look SO much better in that gold bikini!

He had sent an envelope address to “The Harrison Ford Fan at…” with my address on it. SO exciting! Inside was an autographed 5×7 black and white picture. Now, I was old enough to know that he, himself, had not sent the picture, but it didn’t matter. My life, at that moment, was complete. That photo, complete with envelope, is now matted and framed and is adorning my office wall as we speak, 25+ years after I received it.

Technology can be great. Facebook is awesome…it’s help me connect to friends I have not seen in decades. It is fantastic in so many ways, but nothing will ever compare to the day I received the best piece of mail I can imagine.

Thanks, Harrison! I’m STILL a huge fan!!!

Jen - May 5, 2010 - 10:30 am

What a great blog this week! I couldn’t agree with you any more. It is no secret that I am a social media whore, I love it! Can’t get enough of it. With this age of the internet and even our smart phones, we are always in some contact with the world. Mostly with people we have never met, but only know by screen names and common interests that we love to talk about. I have to admit, I got a little giggly the first time a “celebrity” tweeted back to me. It was Nancy Lee Grahn and we were talking about ageism on television, it was a thoughtful conversation, not just “hey I had a grilled cheese.. me too”. While there are many pros and cons to social media, for the fans that can keep their “fandom” in check, it is just a wonderful way to stay in touch with some of their favorites. It’s a two way street also, celebrities can use it to their advantage to call upon their fans for support. Look what happens when a national or world disaster happens and the tweets go out for the support, it’s immediate. Diane Neal (http://twitter.com/DianeNeal) uses it to get the support of her fans to up her starmeter on IMDB.com for when casting agents are looking at her for a role. But, her tweets also showed me what a funny intelligent person she really is. I would have never known that about her if not for twitter, makes me want to support her even more for a role.

You brought up a great example of the power of the internet and social media outlets with the example of MB’s blog last week. Boy that one went out like wildfire because of all the information that was in it for the “soap” fans. I will have to say that soap fans are some of the lucky ones in regards to being able to get up and close (even for a fraction of a min)to some of their favorites. Growing up, I can’t even tell you how many Home Shows/Auto Shows/Craft fairs I went to with my Mom just to see those very special “Soap Stars” live and in person. And then the events they put on themselves for their fans. But, you are right, I was very fortunate,that growing up, my parents could not only afford to take me to events, but I had parents that like to do that sort of thing with us (me and my sister that is). Not everyone can do that. But, with the internet, they can come in our lives almost every day. It’s cool to know what they are up to, what they like, what they themselves are watching on TV, or doing. It makes them “real” people, not just someone you see on the TV everyday. I know in this crazy world, people can take it to far, I have seen it personally, but I have also seen a lot of good come out of this social media world we live in. I think for anybody, especially a celebrity of any kind, it is a personal decision on how far you want to go with people knowing what is going on in your life. I don’t necessarily think that entertainers “have to” use social media, but in this climate it seems an easy free way to publicise yourself. I know I personally follow celebrities that I never would have noticed otherwise if not for social media and have come to enjoy their work. Networking does work, you just have to know how to use it to your advantage. Who knows, maybe some just don’t feel their life is all that interesting to “tweet” about LOL. But, for sure the future is here, I don’t think social media is going anywhere. As a matter of fact, it will just continue to grow and expand.

And yes, I was a Shaun Cassidy fan girl also! LOL

Lori - May 5, 2010 - 11:30 am

Boy did you take me back to when I was a kid… Shaun Cassidy? Loved him! Not to mention his brother David! Yikes! There’s showing my age. As for T.J Hooker…Adrian was the reason I watched the show. LOL But I have to admit Sylvester Stallone was all over my walls. I had a drawer full of magazines, books, even the infamous Rockymobile. Yes there was one. LOL…

I have to agree with you, back then it was all about the magazines and writing to all the actors. I’ll never forget how I went on a crusade, my brother and I. Writing to all our favorite actors on Days and Y&R. I was so excited when I recieve autograph pictures of Stephen, Peter and Drake. Yes I still have them. But I have to say my favorite response was from Doug Davidson (Paul from Y&R) he wrote me, in red ink I might add. A really nice letter, responded to all my questions and seemed to really give them some thought before he did. Boy did I love him even more after that. I’ll have to admit I’m not much of a twitter or facebook person so, for me, I get all my information on sites such as this and have to thank all of you ladies for keeping people like me, the not so computer literate person updated on what’s going on out there and Giddy. Thank you for taking me back to the day. What a great read this was!

Aloha,
Lori

wawame - May 5, 2010 - 4:29 pm

I myself was madly in love with Pete Cochran, who in real life is known as Michael Cole. To a young and naive me, the greatest show ever made was ‘The Mod Squad’. Pete Cochran and I were going to save the world, after we got married, of course. Looking back now, I am amazed at how I thought something that is so obviously contrived and cheesy was Emmy worthy material. But to a very young me, it was. I still get all goose bumpy when I hear the theme song to this show… when I pull it up on youtube, that is. Still, I have no doubt that if, at the time, the internet and all its social networking outlets were available to my beloved undercover cop, he would have definitely used them to his advantage. He was so ‘hip’ and ‘groovy’… so ‘with it, man’, I feel sure he would have kept me and his ten million other wannabe girlfriends on the edge of our seats with his anti-establishment banter. But, I grew up, and so did my tastes in what I consider entertainment. I was an adult when Steve and Kayla hit the screen. Adult or not, that didn’t stop me from standing at the magazine rack at the local drug store, desperately searching for any tidbit I could find on the one and only ‘supercouple’ I would fully invest in. Sad thing is, I still do it today. Hubby stacks the groceries on the moving belt while I peruse the magazine racks at the checkout. Needless to say, I am thrilled if I find one sporting a picture of either of my favorite two actors. So, being a grown woman who is willing to scour the grocery store magazine racks, rest assured I would be all over anything they would offer by way of the internet. It brings a whole new meaning to the word ‘connected’. Magazines just don’t offer that same connection. A lot of actors realize that, and are definitely using social networking to their advantage. Many more could stand to learn of that advantage, seeing how fans are a valuable commodity.

And, it would be the groovy thing to do. Yes, I did say groovy, and that’s no jive. 😉

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