The genre of "soap opera" is still in its infancy in Hungarian Television. Besides Dallas we have only a few more Hungarian soap operas, among which the most favourite series is the "Neighbours".
We have had the chance to watch the episodes of Dallas for quite a few years, and there are still such enthusiastic viewers who follow the parts on every Friday evening with attention.
Dallas is always a central topic in everyday conversations: at home, in the family, at workplaces and even on buses and trams.
People call Dallas in different ways, depending on their interest. The constant viewers say it is a TV series but they would never term it soap-opera. The other group of people, the opposing party, call it "junk" or "non-sense".
Everybody has got opinion on Dallas and people like expressing their thoughts.
Dallas is a well tried way of entertaining the 20th century people. It seems to be never ending, the writers never run out of ideas, they are always able to roll on the story line wich is quite cylical: some events are repeated many times.
The actors and actresses have signed long-term contracts with the television company: they do not have to worry about supporting their families for many years. Dallas is a profitable business for the TV company: there will always be enough number of people who subscribe to their channel so that they would not miss any episode of the soap opera. Many people work for them with the back-ground work, assistance. Moreover, television companies of other countries - like the Hungarian - also buys the episode and broadcast the on their channels.
So, making soap operas must be a great and very profitable business all over the world which does not seem to stop.
Another important use of Dallas is that the media are also concerned about the current topics, opinions and its influences on the different generations.
Many articles appear in newspapers and magazines about Dallas, you can easily follow the lives, love affairs, scandals and families of the different characters. These articles are always published amid colourful pictures of Hagman, Duffy, Principal or Kercheval. I have just read a writing about the happiness of the Americans: new episodes of Dallas are being shot with the same actors and actresses. This article was published in "Kiskegyed" - the weekly magazine, so Hungarian fans might also appreciate the news.
Practical businessmen make a considerable profit from retelling the story of the next episode on telephone. These businessmen exploit those curious viewers who have nothing else to do except waiting for the following episode.
I hear many people say that Dallas is a useless, stupid, meaningless soap opera without any literary value; a "sob stuff". Does it have any use? Is it worth watching for any reason? Are these any ideas in it which could benefit us or make our brains work?
I wonder if the viewers ever thought about the problems coming up in Dallas.
The caracters play their roles in a kind of "dream-world" which is free from politics, economics, world news. You only know about the period from the style of their clothes and the type of their cars.
One of the advanteges of watching Dallas is that it provides real relaxation for the viewers. They do not have to meditate about politics and difficulties in their own lives. The characters are always the same and their life engage the viewers' interest for at least an hour while they do not have to concentrate on anything else, only Dallas.
Moreover, this soap opera gives safety to the viewers: Friday night is a secure point in everybody's life, a certain measure which may be the end of the week. People like safety: they are aware of the continuing of the story so they can look forward to something during the whole week. They do not have to feel sorry for the end of the episode because the next one will arrive the following week.
Dallas is also a great topic of chats in cafés and workplaces. Yo can always find people among your colleagues who prefer Jockey's style while another one will fight for Cliff. Women may also discuss the new suit of Samatha, or the dirty clothes of the neglected Ray. Those who never watch Dallas have quite a hard life at working places because they are generally left out from these exciting discussions. You can always find colleagues who only watch Dallas to laugh at the bad jokes of the episodes, the old-fashioned clothes or the dot of sweat on Ray's shirt.
These viewers have also important role during the Dallas-debates, where they represent the role of the "unreliable" viewer who does not take Dallas seriously.
You can often be the ear-witness of conversations on buses or trams when people, who have never met before, start debates about the previous episode and tell their opinions to each other. Momentary friendships or enemies are born during these conversations. You can observe this incident especially in the case of elderly women who live alone and have not opportunity to reveal their opinions. This is always a great chance to start a chat: "Did you see the last episode of Dallas on Friday?"
Dallas is not only a pretext to get enganged in conversation but also a good psychological practice to examine different chacarters. The personalities are well-created in this soap-opera, there are usually no contradictions. The actors and actresses form characters which are taken from real life: strong-willed, weak, impressionable, smart and less intelligent.
The viewers can learn from it and can turn this experience to his advantage. These portraits may help us to recognize wiched or shifty personalities.
As Dallas is also about oil business in the United States, businessmen may also make use of the tricks which spice the episodes. They may learn quite a lot from the constant hostility of Jockey and Cliff. Their techniques are indicative or clever businessmen who know a thing or two.
And if you want to dream about Dallas, either should you watch an episode or write an essay about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment