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Post by Tom Horton on Nov 7, 2011 15:50:32 GMT -5
^^ thatsenough, pretty much sums up my own thoughts on the promo. I really think that scene is intentionally misleading and will either be a dream of Nicole or EJ or more likely what others have speculated, that the promo scene cuts off just before Sami decks him. I'm going to give Days the benefit of the doubt until this airs. I have to say though that even using such a scene as a ploy to get lots of buzz going offends me... it shows that Days still trivializes rape and violence against women as nothing more than a way to "get people talking about the promo". That's pretty sick in itself... but if Days really tries another rapist/rape victim pairing I give up all hope for this show to ever recover. Even after major changes in adminstration and cast, 18 months after Sami moved back into the Dimera mansion, Days still has not recovered the million plus viewers lost. |
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Post by thatsenough on Nov 7, 2011 16:53:55 GMT -5
Seems like that's exactly why they showed the scene in the promo because there has been a huge amount of talk about it. This is a tweet from Darrell Ray Thomas, one of the new headwriters. His twitter handle is @kittydaddy: Hey, was there a promo video shown at the DOOL fan event on Sat? What did people think of it?  He and Marlene McPherson have been bombarded with tweets ever since this was shown at Day of Days. I don't care for the way he's trying to be funny about the whole thing. I suppose he thinks any publicity is good publicity. |
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Post by Tom Horton on Nov 7, 2011 17:25:26 GMT -5
^^^ I saw that tweet too and took it the same way you did, that stupid winking symbol at the end is what really set me off. That is what convinced me that Days expected the promo ending to cause a stir and if they had chosen nearly anything else to "shock and awe" with I would have said kudos, but the fact that they cannot grasp how wrong it is to treat rape as a joke never ceases to suprise, disgust and anger me. I sent him a response that said as much (but limited to 125 characters of course - freaking twitter.) I also reminded him of what happened to Days the last time they tried out that pairing and the fact that Days still hasn't recovered from it.
ETA: Days should have learned by now that if "all publicity is good publicity", the last attempt to pair EJ/Sami wouldn't have sent them plummeting from 2nd to last place in the ratings in less than 6 months time, a slot that Days hasn't managed to move out of for more than a week or two ever since.
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Post by Trey on Nov 7, 2011 18:58:53 GMT -5
I think it definitely creates the what factor, and I also agree that there's going to be a huge slap for EJ at the end of that.
However, the writers have been doing a decent job in righting the wrongs of the past regime, so maybe that'll be the way that Sami confronts EJ on the rape, and addressing it for all of us to have some sort of resolution.
IDK. Maybe it's wishful thinking?
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Post by DancingDays on Nov 7, 2011 19:07:47 GMT -5
I like your wishful thinking, Trey. Nicole confronted EJ about a few things today (and even though it wasn't finished, I liked how it went down). It gives me hope that he'll be faced with many of his evil deeds very soon.
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Post by mae00 on Nov 7, 2011 22:51:10 GMT -5
not only do I want him to face his evil deeds, I want him to pay and pay severely for them!!! I'm tired of EJ manhandling his way through women only to continue to have the manhandled ones fall at his feet.  |
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Post by Tom Horton on Nov 7, 2011 23:57:24 GMT -5
Trey, I've had similar optimistic thoughts that maybe Days will finally address the rape in a responsible way. Those moments are brief but I would love for your scenario to come true. One of the headwriters practically begging for controversy over the promo and laughing about it has led me to a horrific thought about what Days could likely consider "addressing the rape issue". What if they show pieces of scenes between EJ/Sami that are intentionally set up to be ambigous so that most of the audience will interpret it as forcible rape, while fans of the pairing will claim it was angry but consentual sex. I can't shake the thought that Days would be stupid enough to think that stirring up more drama off screen than onscreen is a good move for a show already struggling to move out of last place. But like I said earlier, I'll give Days the benefit of the doubt for now (even though they've done nothing to deserve it in the past 5 years).
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Post by Carla on Nov 8, 2011 4:53:35 GMT -5
*gets a mop and bucket of hot water for the vomit all over the floor*
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Post by rockfordfosgate on Nov 8, 2011 6:35:33 GMT -5
If done right, this could be believable and very complex for both characters. But that line of 'if done right' is tough, especially with the subject matter. On the show Rescue Me, they did an angry sex type scene and it raised a lot of drama over how it was done because it bordered so close to rape. We also had the Nicole/Brady angry sex which was his anger/her thinking he's passionate so they were on uneven ground. For this to work, EJ and Sami have to be on even ground, common feelings (be it anger or grief or whatever). He has to get pushed around if she gets pushed around and it has to be more than her initial hitting at the beginning of that confrontation to show that she's just not being dominated into sex yet again.
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Post by Tom Horton on Nov 8, 2011 6:54:47 GMT -5
It's not about getting an angry sex scene between any other two characters right. It doesn't matter how it plays out or what outs and justifications the show might try to sell it, Days will once again be promoting the idea that rape is a sexual act rather the violent felony that it is, and once again promoting the dangerous myth that women secretly wanted it and will fall for her rapist afterwards. There is no way to ever make that disgusting message work.
As bad as it may be for EJ to rape Sami again, at least that would be something that Days could get right. Crime happens. It would be another tragic event in Sam's life but tragedy befalling a soap character is part of the genre and showing her as surviving it could actually be an opportunity for Days to redeem themselves for their previous atrociously bad handling of this issue the first timeless around. EJ is already guilty of multiple felonies so adding one more to the list doesn't change anything for his character. On the other hand, showing Sami as voluntarily sleeping with her rapist would be the true tragedy. That is the offensive and dangerous message that Days needs to apologize for doing the first time, not repeat.
ETA: But again, no need to borrow trouble. I'll just stick with the wait and see stance until we learn how this really plays out onscreen. It may be nothing.
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Post by Sparkster on Nov 8, 2011 9:01:40 GMT -5
I thought throwing crumbs to fanbases was over....guess not. If they go "there" again with EJ/Sami this show is definitely over. This had better be nothing more than the two fighting and EJ giving Sami a drunken angry kiss to get her to shut up. After that, Sami needs to punch EJ and leave the house. Supposedly soaps.com is reporting that the kiss leads to angry sex between the two. This has not been confirmed elsewhere and I hope it's just "wishful thinking" on their part. This was the same site that jumped the gun and said Mark Hapka would be reprising his role of Nathan as part of the reset so they've been wrong before. The rest of the promo looks great. I'm glad things are moving along in the Jack/Jen/Dan triangle and John's trial will finally be under way. While I don't like the thought of there being a connection between Alice and Stefano, I am actually intrigued by it. So long as it doesn't involve anymore paternity/maternity switches.  |
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Post by rockfordfosgate on Nov 8, 2011 11:06:35 GMT -5
Kazz, I hate the idea of it as much as you do. I didn't quite finish my thought completely, but I was circling around the idea that if Rescue Me, a show on cable, can't do that type of scene without a lot of controversy, then soap operas on network TV in general, and Days specifically (given its/EJ and Sami's history), shouldn't attempt it unless they have it extremely well-planned. And if they were do it, they need to explicitly show that Sami isn't submissive or overpowered by EJ. We need to see Sami react to EJ in a completely different way and change their dynamic of his dominance/control over her.
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Post by Tom Horton on Nov 8, 2011 13:13:59 GMT -5
@rocky, I agree it would be a huge risk for any show on any network with any set of characters .... but the deeper issue is that there is no set of circumstances that will ever make Sami choosing to sleep with her rapist that makes her empowered or puts them on even footing, it is the surest way of showing that Sami is still under her rapist influence, that instead of surviving a crime committed against her she has decided it is all she's worthy of -it is the weakest possible way to write any character. The worst problem is that Days won't even bother to address that Sami needs psychiatric care. They are so casual about the subject of rape that it would be left as a rape victim choosing to fall into bed with her rapist, completely ignoring the reality of that crime or the long term emotional scars it leaves on the victims. Women don't choose to sleep with their rapists, they are sickened by the very memory of him. Days would once again be serving up the fantasy of every real life rapist. I know I'm preaching to the choir and you already know all this too, but I got the impression that at least one of the headwriters thinks it's a big joke so just in case Days is fool enough to have gone there, I want to be on record for explaining why he can expect a pink slip when Corday panics over the upcoming giant loss of viewers for a show that is still in last place from the last time Days thought rape as romance was an acceptable plot point.
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Post by fluffysmom on Nov 8, 2011 15:53:48 GMT -5
Since I've never watched GH I'm curious to know how they dealt with the great romance of Luke and Laura starting with a rape. I don't know if that was dealt with or not. I'm not trying to go off topic but it seems like the same thing that's being discussed here.
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Post by DancingDays on Nov 8, 2011 16:42:55 GMT -5
I only kept up with GH through SOD, but I'm pretty sure Luke went through hell to prove he had changed, or something to that effect. And it took YEARS. EJ hasn't done anything like that yet, but I understand your comparison. It's fair, to me.
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