Kevin Spacey on the Survival of the Arts

Why everyone in our society should care about the survival of soap operas

(I published a more detailed version of this on my One Life to Live Examiner page.)

Here are my thoughts on the so-called impending end of daytime dramas/soap operas:

First of all, we're not too stupid to know that soap operas aren't limited to daytime programming. If you look up the definition of soap opera, it is "a television or radio drama series dealing typically with daily events in the lives of the same group of characters." They were named soap operas in the beginning because soap manufacturers sponsored them, or were their first advertisers.

Well, what do you know? Many of the hit shows during evening programming and on cable channels are soap operas, too, by definition. The only difference I, as a common viewer, note between these evening and cable shows and the daytime dramas on major networks is that not only do the daytime shows seem to have a lower production value, but they also tend to still be just slightly unbelievable.

Why the audience can believe that a drug-addicted doctor has one special patient a week that he manages to save the life of while battling his own demons, or that an antique dealer helps families by talking to ghosts, or that a writer can stumble into any murder scene and help solve it, or that a sociopathic serial killer helps save the world one murder at a time while working for the police and raising a baby … but can't believe the ludicrous things that happen on daytime soap operas … I don't know.

Maybe it is because soap operas have too many characters or jump from place to place too much? I am told that during the "glory days" of soap operas, the shows tended to focus on a few families at a time and the transitions from scene to scene were smooth, connected, and made sense. I almost find it hard to believe the fantastic idea that all the characters on these idealistic soap operas were somehow tied together in one common story as each individual character dealt with their own issues and opinions concerning that main story.

Or maybe it is because, since more people are working these days, there are less daytime viewers, so there are fewer sponsors and therefore less advertising money, and therefore less financial backing from the network and as a result a lower quality style of creating a show?

(For anyone who says it is because soaps don't tell original stories, it has been said that there is nothing original. It is all in how you tell the story.)

It is funny though, because ever since I started watching soaps and listening to what soap opera fans had to say, they have been screaming, pleading and begging for soaps to showcase less characters and stick to those few families that the show is based on -- like in the "glory days."

And since I have been watching soaps and listening to what their fans have to say, I have heard it explained numerous times from people "in the biz" that the most sought-after demographic are females age 18-49, which is also odd because … most of the soap fans I know are that age. Granted, I know of many die-hard soap viewers who have been watching since the 70s that are in their 50s and 60s, and many started watching with their grandmothers who are now in their 70s and 80s.

There is a really odd phenomenon happening here, and I have witnessed it first-hand from this side of the television screen. Soaps are going crazy to attract young females and add them to their viewership, but aren't able to keep them watching.

Here's why -- they attract them with story lines involving teenagers or with actors hired as publicity stunts. Young people tune in to see the soap opera version of a young girl not getting along with her father, a girl finding out that her parents are actually her grandparents, or to see their favorite reality TV star or pop singer step in for a couple of days. In the long run, they are confused by the way the show jumps from character to character and they realize that the person they were tuning in to see isn't even on every day -- no, not only are they not on every day, they don't even seem to matter to the show at all on the days when they aren't on! They aren't mentioned, and if their family is on without them, then that family doesn't seem to be concerned about the missing character. If, in the meantime, they become invested in a different character, the same thing happens!

This is very baffling to the 18-49 year old who may be used to watching primetime dramas with fewer characters to keep up with where families and friends matter to one another and there is a central storyline. So, they fulfill their need for drama with a cable show about a pregnant teenager or a lawyer who fights injustice in the ghetto, or if they're so inclined, a reality show where it is acceptable to act as trashy as you want because you aren't on network television in the middle of the day.

Here's the thing. The more you treat people like idiots, the more idiotic they're going to be. The less they have to think for themselves or form their own opinions about the events unfolding in front of them, the dumber and trashier our society is going to be.

States are already cutting so much funding to schools that the Arts are disappearing from education, and the federal government right now is trying to eliminate funding for free public television (also known as PBS) where you can tune in for educational programming, geographic shows, historic documentaries, cooking shows, concerts, travel shows … you name it … without having to pay for that cable channel or watch advertisements.

Every great leader - political, religious or business-oriented - throughout history has known this simple fact -- the stupider the general population is, the easier it will be to get them to buy into whatever you tell them or want them to believe. Societies have fallen because of it; genocide has occurred because of it; people have willingly committed suicide because of it. There are many great tragedies throughout the history of humanity in which people blindly accepted the influence of their leaders.

Now, networks want to replace daytime soap operas with talk shows, game shows, and reality shows. To them, it is just good business. Those shows are cheaper to produce on so many levels, so they are much more profitable. They can take that money that they would have given to an entire cast and crew of people or spent on props, paint, costumes and on-location shoots, and instead just pay a guy with a microphone and his crew and use the exact same set every day. I'm no television expert but I can easily understand how that works.

So, you see, this isn't just about daytime television. That's just the front line right now. Eventually this problem of having nothing to watch but reality shows and human competitions will be everywhere. You can already see it happening now.

Yes, it is hilarious when some idiot jumps off of a two story ledge and bounces off of a giant rubber ball and lands in a 5 foot deep mud puddle only to get up and repeat the process because he thinks he can improve his technique! Yes, watching celebrities discuss why they won't eat at a certain restaurant or deliberate over whether they should buy that $1,000 dinner china or try to rescue their cat from some predicament that the cat obviously prefers to be in … is riveting. But after the show is over, what do we have to show for it?

While soaps have been adapting and adapting again in order to ensure their survival, I am afraid they have been doing the opposite.

We, the television audience, would like the networks to recognize that we are not a stupid people. We value the Arts and we have pride in our country and the products that are produced here -- whether that be the items that are advertised by the sponsors, or the shows themselves. Like fans of a sports team, like members of a church, like unionized workers -- there is a reason we identify with and align ourselves with certain shows, characters and actors, and proudly proclaim our loyalty.

So while, yes, we may stop channel surfing to see what the topic of the day is on a talk show or to find out if the schmuck will risk $10,000 on something completely up to chance, we actually desire to have a connection to something that makes us think and feel deeply and want to be committed to.

Soap operas are an American legacy - like baseball or TV itself. The tradition of soap operas is actually older than television, and these shows have retained fans for years upon years while other shows and other genres fell by the way. The really special ones have even managed to meet the financial demands of the networks and survive recessions while repeatedly adapting to ensure their survival.

Not only that, but they have retained the loyalty of their best actors. Many of the actors on daytime dramas are multiple award-winning actors -- and we're not just talking about daytime Emmys. Many people in these casts also appear on and off Broadway, in independent and big-budget films, and on other network shows.

Will these extremely talented actors be able to survive in their careers without soaps? Of course they will! They stay in the genre because it offers something unique to them, and they consider themselves honored and lucky to be a part of it.

Will America be able to survive without soaps? Of course it will -- but it won't be the same. The end of soaps is synonymous with ending Arts education in our schools. It is a matter of the level of intelligence in our society and what we have to be proud of as a people.

When a family member visits your hometown or city, which product of society do you show them? You could take them to the pool at the nifty new motel in town, or you could take them to historical landmarks with significant meaning, something beautiful in your geography, or something truly incredible and aesthetically pleasing that man has managed to introduce to the landscape. In our country, do we want to be proud of the products on our television screens or just be happy that we have something on them that can make us smile for a half-hour?

That isn't just a question for the daytime viewers. We already know their answer. That's a question for our leaders, the networks, the people who influence how things are done, and everyone else we know.

Hillary B. Smith auctions for the Willie-Coppee Fund

I'm especially proud of today's article on my One Life to Live Examiner page.

I have been in consistent communication with Denise Balcarcel, the Project Manager and Webmaster for the Willie-Coppie Fund, as I've written this article, and she patiently provided tons of information for me to include in my article, "Hillary B. Smith auctions for the Willie-Coppee Fund." Hillary B. Smith portrays Nora on One Life to Live, and the article highlights the organization she co-founded and the work they do in order to raise awareness and funds for this great cause.

I also plan to feature this article on The Living Basket blog soon.

One Life, Many Voices

One Life, Many Voices One Life, Many Voices started with a simple idea -- to compile an album to honor the people and places affected by Hurricane Katrina, and to donate the proceeds from sales of the CD to help fund and rebuild the arts in those areas.  Though it has been over four years and the nation's focus may have shifted to more recent disasters, OLMV has not forgotten their commitment and continues to make donations of art, music and scholarships to the people, schools, and venues that are still recovering from the Katrina disaster.  Please click here to learn more about their work and efforts.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS

BC/EFA Image

Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS This organization uses the unique abilities that the entertainment industry provides to lessen the suffering of people affected by HIV/AIDS, and the theatre community to do a number of fundraising projects for that cause.  They support other organizations that provide treatment and services to people with HIV/AIDS and their families, and strive to increase awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS.  A number of exciting projects that include stars of stage and screen and an eStore are featured on their site.

Exotic Animals and Shambala Preserve

I'm sure if I thought hard enough, I might be able to remember how I heard of Shambala. It was probably during my early 20's when I was reading a lot of magazines and getting really interested in lots of good causes for the first time in my life.

Shambala Preserve is a wild and wonderful place in southern California where big cats and other wild animals live in safety and peace after being rescued, abandoned or confiscated.

Many of these animals are illegally obtained or owned, and very difficult to take care of.  The stories of what their lives were like before coming to Shambala are often frightening and tragic.

A beautiful black leopard named Kara was confiscated from an unheated garage in Wyoming, where she had no food or water, but did have frostbitten ears, paws and tail.

A bobcat named Elsie was bottle-fed by a good citizen when her mother was shot.  Her brothers and sisters stayed in the wild, but Elsie stayed behind in civilization and grew accustomed to interacting with humans.  When the good Samaritan who took care of her had to move, he feared that new people in his home would have Elsie destroyed, so he found a home for her at Shambala.  She did not want to live in captivity at first, but now enjoys playing with the other small cats at the Preserve and living a healthy, safe life.

Tamara and her sister were being sold out of the back of a car in a mall parking lot when they were cubs.  They were cute, but they were sad and sickly, and after several days in a shelter, Tamara's sister died.  Tamara survived her ordeal and now lives happily at Shambala.

Perhaps one of the most disturbing stories of animals that Shambala helps protect and care for involves a "Tiger Rescue" operation in which the animals were far from rescued.  Several news sources covered the story when the animals at the "Rescue" were confiscated from the deplorable conditions they were forced to live in.  Many of the cats who lived there did not survive, as graphically illustrated by the news stories that covered the operation and this website: http://www.savethetigers.com/.

It is amazing how often exotic animals are traded, sold, and owned (even illegally) in the United States.  Innocent people think they make beautiful and unique pets before realizing that wild, undomesticated breeds of animals are extremely difficult if not impossible to take care of.  More sinister people have exotic animals - especially big cats - for the sole purpose of making money.  Sometimes they keep them in roadside zoos that they do not maintain, illegally breed them to sell their babies, or use them as guard animals to scare off other criminals -- drug dealers find them useful, for example.

Tippi Hedren, star of the Hitchcock classic, "The Birds," and mother of actress Melanie Griffith, is the founder and president of The Roar Foundation --  the non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Shambala Preserve.  Their mission is to educate the public about exotic animals and the dangers of their ownership, and to support legislation that protects those animals.  Tippi Hedren lives on the Preserve, as well, and takes an active part in caring for the animals there.  As educating the public is a priority, the Preserve also gives tours and hosts special events with their "wild ones."

The majority of the animals that live at Shambala have no trust fund or financial support, as they often come from state agencies, zoos, or private owners who can no longer care for them.  The Roar Foundation depends on members, donations, and adoptive "parents" for support.

The majority of the time, Shambala is a happy sanctuary, free from the suffering and concern these animals would face elsewhere.  However, the wildfires that are so frequent to southern California often threaten the beautiful haven.  To move these wild animals from their home, they would have to be tranquillized for their own safety, and the safety of the volunteers who offer their help.  It would be a stressful ordeal that is never taken lightly, and in such a situation the workers and Ms. Hedren always wait to make sure an evacuation is absolutely necessary before making that call.  Fortunately, the Shambala Preserve narrowly missed an evacuation just recently.  (Click here to read more about the preventative measures Shambala takes to protect itself.)

In our country, where so many of us keep small, domesticated pets and love animals dearly, it is easy to remember to support causes which help prevent cruelty to all animals, and to remember to support our local organizations for cats and dogs.  When we see exotic animals being cared for or happily playing in local zoos or preserves, and teach our children about them and other wonderful places in the world, it is easy to forget that some of these animals are not only living in captivity - but being treated in the most inhumane and cruel ways by their captors, owners, or other human neighbors.

It is so important to support the people who care for exotic animals that cannot be released into the wild and all the people throughout our country who dedicate their lives and work to educating the public about the wondrous creatures in our world.

To learn more about sponsoring an animal in care, Tippi Hedren, The Roar Foundation and Shambala Preserve, CLICK HERE.

National Yoga Month- Awareness Campaign

National Yoga Month Awareness Campaign In honor of National Yoga Month and Robin Strasser, who is a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher, this month’s featured cause is the National Yoga Month Awareness Campaign!

Etsy for Charity and American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society Concurrent with Etsy For Charity's August Charity, and in honor of all the people and families that have been affected by cancer - especially future survivors - this month's featured cause is the American Cancer Society.  Education, support, and ways to help can be found at their website.

This month, 100% of the Etsy for Charity store sales will go to the American Cancer Society. If you are buying a gift this month or in the mood to shop, or if you have crafts to donate, please visit Etsy for Charity.  More Info.

I Love Fair Trade - Part 2 (Global Community)

Fair Trade products are more than just good coffee and tea. My favorite thing about Fair Trade is the unity you feel with the rest of the world when you responsibly learn about the products you see and the people who made them.

Fair Trade products are hand made locally, by someone in another part of the world who is working to make a living that will sustain them. Not only that, but the products they are making are traditional -- the native artisans and craftsmen are making baskets, jewelry, paper, pottery, and other goods that are original to their people and region. (Granted, they must adjust to the fact that demand requires them to make a product that conforms to a pattern.) That is what makes Fair Trade fair -- people are being paid wages that will allow them to provide for themselves and their families for making crafts and goods that are traditional and native to their own culture.

Not only that, but many Fair Trade products come from organizations that are set up specifically to benefit people in need. For example, women in the INEZA cooperative in Rwanda, who are genocide survivors and are receiving HIV treatment, are living productive and positive lives. They empower themselves, other women, and their community by earning a living and benefits making beautiful, useful products out of traditional, native Rwandan fabrics. When you buy one of these products, you know you aren’t just paying for “a portion of the proceeds to benefit” but are helping to keep these beautiful and deserving women employed and sustained.

At the Fair Trade online store, my favorite way to browse is by country. We all hear about disasters and tragedies in other countries, but there is something about looking at something that has come directly from that country’s people that helps you connect with them. When you click on a product, you can read where it came from and what it is made with.

By far, my favorite thing about Fair Trade is the sense of global community I feel when I see for myself the beauty of a handmade craft from another part of the world and know that somehow, there are people out there that are working to make this one small world a better place for us all. When you see these useful items and you know what hands they came from, it really does seem like this world isn’t so big.

Here are some other points of view on Fair Trade:

From “The Christian Science Monitor”
From BBC News

For more information:

Global Exchange: Fair Trade Online Store
I Love Fair Trade - Part 1 (Coffee)

Children was taken by Anna Cervova.

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I Love Fair Trade - Part 1 (Coffee)

I first learned about Fair Trade products when I read an article by Katherine Ellison called “Can Great Coffee Save The Jungle?” in Smithsonian magazine (June 2004).  Before this article, I had no idea that billions of pounds of over-produced coffee go to waste each year.  This means that big coffee producing companies are driving the prices of coffee down - giving us cheaper coffee that lacks quality - and putting small coffee farmers out of business.

I’m not a coffee fanatic, but I can tell you some of the best coffee I’ve ever had has come from small, independent businesses here in the United States.  One of them is worth driving two hours out of the way in eastern Kentucky, and I know for a fact they serve and sell Fair Trade Coffee.  And if you think you drink gourmet coffee, consider the fact that dark roasts sometimes mask the original taste - hints of flavors reminiscent of caramel, various nuts, chocolate and other flavors.

Apparently, the secret to the quality of coffee is both in quality control such as hand-sorting the beans, the right mixture of compost, etc., and in making it from the shade-loving Arabica bean as opposed to the easily-grown Robusta.  Where is there a lot of shade?  The jungle.

Not only does Fair Trade coffee save our environment, it also saves people.  Large coffee companies produce too much coffee, making the cost of coffee lower than the production cost, driving small farmers out of business and pocketing the profit by keeping consumer prices the same.

Fair Trade coffee comes from smaller farms, where more care is put into the product, keeping those who produce good coffee in rural areas in business.  Most Fair Trade coffee is also organic, if you care about your health but still drink coffee.

Basically, it is nice to sit down with a cup of coffee and really feel good about it.  To taste all the subtle flavors of a truly gourmet coffee, while knowing you’ve got a quality product that has helped otherwise impoverished farmers and the environment.  Not only is it delicious, it is also heart-warming!

So how do you get some Fair Trade coffee??  If you are a Starbucks fanatic, you apparently have to specifically ask for it, and probably wait for it to brew.  If you are a Folgers drinker, producer Proctor and Gamble has committed that they will sell Fair Trade coffee to consumers through their Millstone brand (although I’ve yet to see a Millstone package that says so).  If like to roast your own coffee beans, there are green coffee bean suppliers out there who offer Fair Trade beans, including Seven Bridges Cooperative, which can be easily found with a Google search.  You can also buy Fair Trade coffee, in bean or cup form, from all kinds of independently-owned coffee shops, or at Fair Trade’s online store.

There you’ll also find more information about the coffee, where to buy coffee, Fair Trade, and the other Fair Trade products that help people all over the world.

(Read more about Fair Trade and its opponents in Part 2.)

Cup of Coffee was taken by Vojko Kalan.

WHAS Crusade for Children

WHAS Crusade for Children The WHAS Crusade for Children exists to raise funds for children in Kentucky and Indiana with special needs - from critical health issues to debilitating diseases and disabilities - and disperses those funds through grants to hospitals, schools and agencies that help and support those children and their families.

The Living Basket

You may know a living basket as a basket filled with live, growing plants that is usually used as a gift or a centerpiece.

Another, literally, living basket is Venus’ Flower Basket - a deep-sea sponge that serves as rare decor, whether in aquariums or dried.  Each of these unique-looking creatures has a symbiotic relationship with two life-long guests - a male and a female shrimp.  The shrimp live in and clean the “basket” and the sponge catches food for them.  When a family comes along, each baby shrimp must go out and find another Venus’ Flower Basket of its own.

We’ve all heard it said that “you take out what you put in.”  Someone once put it more eloquently with, “Amazing, isn’t it, how some people see the basket half empty and others see it half full?  Some see life hopeless, others hopeful.  Even when things are less than perfect, if you can think of the good, the beautiful, the hopeful, you’ll be more than sustained -- you’ll conquer.”

Many of us have heard the story of the boy in the Bible with the five loaves and two fish.  Thousands of people had come to listen to Jesus teach and only this one boy had brought food.  When the crowd became hungry, and Jesus learned that this one boy had food in his basket, he asked for it.  The boy gave Jesus the food, and Jesus fed the whole crowd with one boy’s lunch.  Not only that, but the leftovers filled several baskets!  This isn’t just a story of a miracle.  It is a story of how, by sharing the contents of your basket, you can sustain others as well.

If your life is a basket filled with beautiful things, you can count on it.

“And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the alter of the Lord thy God.”  (Deuteronomy 26:4)

"Heather in basket" was taken by Petr Kratochvil.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Established by Dolly Parton in the mid-90s and overseen by the Dollywood Foundation, this organization sends free books to young children in order to promote literacy. She announced this month that the Imagination Library is partnering with the United Way of America with the intent of giving books to one million children a month by the year 2014.