Soapy Blogs

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living."

-Dr. Seuss

The other day I was doing a little research online, and came across a blog that had absolutely nothing to do with what I had been originally looking for, but it was a nifty little find all the same. It is called, "Split Reflections," and it is being written by a young mother living in Llanview, Pennsylvania, who's name is Jessica Buchanan...or Tess Buchanan...you see...she has a complicated life to say the least. It seems, she is suffering from D.I.D (Disociative Idenity Disorder) so while life can be hectic and confusing, she is facing her trials with strength and courage and the two hunky men who are madly in love with her, Antonio and Nash. Sound a bit outrageous? Think this couldn't possibly be real...well sparky...you're right! LOL. Jess/Tess Buchanan is actually a character, played to perfection, by actress Bree Williamson, on the ABC daytime drama, "One Life To Live."

I have been a fan of daytime dramas most of my life. I remember watching "All My Children" on the day it debuted, and even before that, there was General Hospital which had my mother hopelessly hooked. Now my sister preferred something a bit more off beat, so she would hurry home from school each day to watch "Dark Shadows." Lots of folks were hooked on that one, which is why today it is still enjoying a healthy fan base through it's conventions and fan sites. That show scared the Downey Flakes right out of me as a child, but I still showed up in front of the TV, Jiffy Pop in hand every afternoon, right alongside my sister to see what new adventure would visit the residents of Collinsport, Maine. The beautiful witch, Angelique (Lara Parker), was my favorite character. How spooky was she?

I was thinking the other day, about how cool it was to be able to interact with either Jess or Tess and how far things have come for the fan. Each entry into Jess/Tess's blog is a short recap of recent events in the characters life, with enough seemingly genuine bloggy style thrown in to make it interesting for the reader. As an example, Tess/Jess has recently given birth to a baby girl, and is not sure what she should name her child. OK, I thought...I'll play along, and so I left a suggestion or two as if I were reading a blog by the average blog author one would encounter on the Internet. It was a fun thought to ponder, stepping even for just a moment, into the town of Llanview, and the life of a character I have watched grow up. I can't help but wonder what it would have been like to have read the blog of vampire Barnabas Collins, of Dark Shadows, as he went through so many changes and situations. Things were tough for a vampire.

I guess the thought intrigues me so much because of the close encounter I had some years back with Tom Eplin, who at the time was playing HUNK-O-LUSCIOUS Jake McKinnon on the NBC soap, "Another World." Why did fate have to make it such a surreal moment? There I was, at the salon, with my head upside down in a bowl of warm water, having my hair washed, when he walked in...and stood over me, chatting with the person doing my hair. For a moment...just a moment...I was somehow transported to the fictional town of Bay City, and Jake was there, and he was just another customer. Weird...very weird.

So, I decided I would have a closer look at the ABC web site for other shows, and what I found out was that several shows on the ABC network which now have characters with blogs, like Dr. Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough) resident of Port Charles and physician at "General Hospital." And there are a few nighttime shows with blogs as well, such as "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy." So tell me, would you visit these blogs and leave your thoughts, good wishes, advice, support and care for fictional characters, same as if they were real folks you meet through Blog/Journal Land? Would you step inside the fantasy, or would you simply address the blogs author by saying you enjoy the show? Is it a good idea to have blogs that look like the real thing, and don't really indicate too readily that it is intended as a site for fans of a certain show to visit? Tell me what you think.

PS: If you visit the blog of Robin Scorpio, don't tell her that her mother Anna Devane is on her way back to Port Charles...shhhhhh...it's a secret! :)

-OndineMonet
"Keys"
Berkeley, California
May 10, 2006
Late Evening