LEMON COUPLE?

In the current issue of SOAP OPERA DIGEST Carolyn Hinsey refers to the "lemon couples" of ALL MY CHILDREN: Brot/Natalia, JR/Marissa, Erica /Ryan and...Adam/Annie. REALLY? I dig Adam and Annie a lot -- a crazy old bastard paired with a young psycho, both played by great actors, makes for riveting viewing. If this pairing is a lemon, then it must be lemonade! (I can't believe I just wrote that.)

While I'm on the subject of SOD columnists, I read with interest Mala Bhattacharjee's blog where she expressed dismay at a South Asian actor appearing on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL ...as a cab driver. Being half South Asian myself, I agree that there are much better roles for South Asian actors in soaps and TV, in general. For example, many South Asians work in the medical profession and that needs more representation now that ER is over. Also, 97% of South Asian women are beautiful and would seem a natural choice for soaps. I mostly appreciate color blind casting, where a person's ethnicity has nothing to do with the role, like Rekha Sharma in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and V. More along those lines, please!

DAYS OF OUR LIVES continued to astonish. The confrontation in jail between Mia and Nicole was great because Mia said EVERYTHING you wanted to say to Nicole, and did NOT let up. "You're a MONSTER!" she wailed. I know the actress who plays Mia is like, 3 or something, but she rocked!

I also watched ONE LIFE TO LIVE, which showed off the chemistry between McBain and Natalie to good effect, and GENERAL HOSPITAL, where James Franco made his first appearance to the tune of MAD WORLD while wearing a hoodie. Very DONNIE DARKO.

VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED

...is the fate of all AS THE WORLD TURNS viewers today! Despite the fun of seeing Elizabeth Hubbard and Van Hansis together, the ship-heavy Nuke story is frustrating and out of character. Why would Noah be mad that Luke came to help him??? Why doesn't anything in this story cohere with anything else??? Because the story was started by writer's strike scabs and finished by the show's permanent writers post-strike, who probably don't care about making all the pieces fit.

We had a full day of soaps today. I got up at 11:30 to watch THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, but I wish I hadn't bothered. I am gagging to get a job nowadays, as is the Unemployed Boyfriend, so it was utterly galling to see fucking Professor Adrian Korbel walk into the offices of RESTLESS STYLE (!) and walk away with a job writing an article on the "intersection of fashion and art'"!!! Only Phyllis expressed any reservations, which were quickly shut up by Jack and Sharon. Look, I've had an academic article on Alfred Hitchcock published and you don't see me walking into LUCKY magazine looking to write an article on the intersection of shopping and cinema. Carolyn Hinsey wrote in her opinion column in SOAP OPERA DIGEST how crap and unrealistic the running of RESTLESS STYLE is. She's gonna looooooove this...

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL was much better. Marcus' interview at Forrester had him suitably nervous, yet enthusiastic enough to get a job there. Credibly, he is starting in shipping and receiving instead of immediately being a fashion designer or perfume creator. I also liked his interaction with Steffy, whose new portrayer is immediately at ease and has already earned my respect. Now, I keep on reading in the soap press that Brandon Beemer is joining the cast as someone "connected" to Marcus. Perhaps...his boyfriend??? I can only dream and hope that B&B would actually bring on some gay characters for a show revolving around the FASHION industry!

ONE LIFE TO LIVE was astonishing. Nash's death had The Unemployed Boyfriend in tears and he doesn't even know who Nash is! Rex's one push of Adriana said volumes. And I appreciated that shot of Brody with his shirt open, offering Gigi some whiskey...I would drink that whisky, too!

I didn't see all of GENERAL HOSPITAL but I did manage to catch the opening Maxie/Spinelli stuff and their final clench. The Unemployed Boyfriend remarked that it would have been funny if the show had ended today on a scene of an obviously sexually sated Maxie and Spinelli, post-coital, still on that desk. The Unemployed One has also started referring to me as Marshmallowista. OMG!!! WE ARE MAXIE AND SPINELLI!!!