From BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY
The Department of Popular Culture and the School of Cultural and Critical Studies at Bowling Green State University have announced the Soap Operas in Popular Culture Conference, Oct. 31 – Nov. 1.
Soap operas are serialized dramatic programs that are characterized by a permanent cast of actors, continuing storylines, an emphasis on dialogue instead of action, a slow pace, and a consistently sentimental or melodramatic treatment. These programs began in the early 1930s with 15-minutes daytime radio episodes that were often sponsored by manufacturers of soap and detergents.
By the 1950s, soap operas dominated late morning and early afternoon weekday television programming as they had dominated a similar time period in radio programming during the previous decade. Plots emphasized romantic entanglements and marital problems.
By the 1970s and 1980s, the style and content of soap operas had been revolutionized. Controversial or previously taboo topics, such as abortion, drug use, domestic violence, and sexually transmitted diseases, were now openly discussed. Episodes also dealt more directly with promiscuous behavior, violence, and criminal activity, The format eventually moved into primetime viewing hours.
A key feature of the genre has been its understanding of the feminine perspective, often portraying their central female characters as strong embodiments of womanhood. Starting in the early 2000s, daytime soap operas experienced an overall decline in viewership, with several programs being canceled between 2007 – 2012, due to flagging ratings. Part of the reason for this decline is increased competition from other TV genres, like talk shows, tabloid news programs, and reality shows, that have drawn viewers away from soaps.
The scope of this conference is deliberately broad with the intention of highlighting the interdisciplinary nature and many avenues of research possible withing popular culture studies. For this conference, “soap opera” is being defined within the broadest possible terms to include both daytime and primetime serialized programming, international programs and formats like telenovelas, Internet-based programming, and more.
Keynote Speaker: Alan Locher
Soap opera fan and long-time publicist for “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light,” Alan Locher, will be the keynote speaker at the conference. Locher has spent the last three decades working in communications and marketing in the film, TV, and tourism industries.
Locher began his career at Walt Disney Studios in film promotions, before finding his niche in publicity. In his eight-year-tenure at Disney, he worked closely with talent and studio executives on marketing more than 200 films. Following Disney, he transitioned to the agency side of the business, serving as the senior account director for Rubenstein Public Relations.
Locher later led the PR team for two Procter & Gamble productions, “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light.” From November 2010 up until the pandemic, he managed a team of 30 across marketing, sales, and operations for On Location Tours, one of the world’s largest TV and movie tour companies.
At the start of the pandemic, Locher created “The Locher Room,” a virtual talk show on YouTube, featuring celebrity guests from daytime, primetime, and film. He also created a sub-series, “Conversations with Alan,” dedicated to having honest discussions about hate, racism, and antisemitism. Locher has produced over 500 episodes to date and has raised more than $130,000 for various charities.
Locher spent two years as the vice president, sales for Truescope, a media intelligence company, and joined Fotostori, a photo organizing company, earlier this year as the director of operations. He is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Special guest virtual appearances by:
Claudia Lamb
Claudia Lamb is an American actress, award-winning journalist, and writer. She is best known for her television work playing Heather Hartman in both “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and “Forever Fernwood.”
After her acting career, Lamb worked for 25 years in radio as a talk show host, traffic reporter, news reporter, news anchor, and producer. While at the ABC News Radio flagship station FGO, Lamb won four Associated Press Mark Twain Awards and five Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in broadcast journalism.
Lamb was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in North Hollywood. Her first modeling work came at age 3, and she subsequently did print work in dozens of magazines, newspapers, calendars, and catalogs. Lamb did her first television commercial at age 5, and she had her SAG and AFTRA union cards by age 7.
By the time Lamb was cast as Heather Hartman, she had already appeared in more than 50 television commercials, as well as several industrial films, radio commercials, and television guest spots.
Constance McCashin
Constance McCashin is a psychotherapist and former actress, best known for her role as Laura Avery Sumner in the CBS primetime soap opera, “Knots Landing.” McCashin was born in Chicago. During her career, she starred in a number of made-for-television movies. She also appeared in several episodes of the CBS series, “Brooklyn Bridge,” playing the role of Rosemary Monahan. Other television programs on which she has appeared include “Family,” “Family Ties,” “Who’s Watching the Kids?” and “In the Heat of the Night.” After her Hollywood career, she made her final screen appearance playing a supporting role in the 1999 comedy, “The Out-of-Towners.”
McCashin became a social worker and therapist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders and body image issues. She is married to producer and director Sam Weisman. The couple reside in Massachusetts and have two children.
Kin Shriner
Kin Shriner is an actor best known for his portrayal of Scott Baldwin in the ABS soap opera “General Hospital” and its spin-off “Port Charles.” He and his twin brother, actor and writer, Wil Shriner, were born in New York City. Their father was Herb Shriner, the American humorist, radio personality, actor, and television host. The brothers were orphaned when their parents died in an automobile accident when the twins were teenagers.
Shriner was originally cast as Scott Baldwin on “General Hospital” in 1977. He also played the character in the 1997 spin-off “Port Charles.” Over the years, Shriner has had an extensive career within the soap opera genre, appearing on programs such as “Texas,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Young and the Restless,” “As the World Turns,” and “Rituals,” a syndicated daily soap.
Shriner has also appeared in television programs beyond the soaps, including “The Six-Million Dollar Man,” “The Waltons,” “Eight is Enough,” “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” “The Love Boat,” “Full House,” “Baywatch Nights,” “Melrose Place,” and the miniseries “War and Remembrance.” He provided the voice of the superhero Green Arrow on the animated series “Justice League Unlimited.”