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media type="youtube" key="FB8XdyXdOtE" height="222" width="274" align="center" == =Allan Johnson= February 14, 2010 Allan Johnson would agree that there is an enormous amount of patriarchy in the daytime drama General Hospital. Male dominance is a big part of General Hospital, this can be seen because most of the male characters hold the higher positions in society and dominate over the women in the show. Johnson says on page 5 that "patriarchy is male dominated in that positions of authority -- political, economic, legal, religious, educational, military, domestic-- are generally reserved for men." This holds true for General Hospital because the mayor, police commissioner, all the police officers, the mob boss, and chief of staff at the hospital are all men. It is interesting that General Hospital and all soap operas are aired in the late morning and afternoon gearing them more toward stay at home women. The men in their lives would then be the "bread winner" of the family and the most dominant. Therefore, these women would be able to relate to having male dominance on General Hospital. There are a few exceptions where a woman co-owns a business but never solely owns one. One of the characters, Kate, is a magazine editor and when she first started into the business she was in a relationship with a man who could help her climb the ladder. When she wanted to end things with him he tried to convince her that she would never make it on her own. The mob boss, Sonny, tends to dominate over the whole town. He has the most power and always gets his way, even with the law. He tends to tell everyone in his life what to do.

Male identification can also be seen in General Hospital through Sonny. Sonny definitely has the qualities of control, strength, competitiveness, toughness, and forcefulness as described on page 7. These qualities allow him to run a smooth business and strategize against his enemies. Johnson states that “women are often prized for their beauty as objects of male sexual desire…often possessed and controlled in ways that ultimately devalue them.” Sonny tends to pursue “beautiful” women, even when they don’t want to be pursued. He displays strong male entitlement because he believes that he is the object of every woman’s desire and that the women he pursues truly want to be with him. He would never harm or force himself onto a woman but if they deny him he will just try to win them over again at another time.

Johnson described male centeredness on page 10 as when the focus of attention is primarily on men and what they do. He explains that when there is a crisis in movies “what we see is what men did to create it and how men dealt with it” and that “women are …along for the ride…providing something for men to fight over.” This also holds true for General Hospital. If Sonny is invited to an event in town he somehow manages to make it about him. If a crisis arises, it is usually due to Sonny and his business. He is always a target for danger, which puts his family in danger as well. When someone else in his family is injured from his business he always takes matters into his own hands to make things “right” again. Johnson also states on page 10 that "women are...maintaining love relationships, providing something for men to fight over, or being foils that reflect or amplify men's heroic struggle with the human condition. Rarely in this show are there two women fighting over the same man but there is almost always two men fighting over the same woman.

The fourth characteristic of patriarchy that Johnson describes is the obsession with control on page 14 which is when "men maintain their privilege by controlling women and anyone else who might threaten it." He also says that “men are assumed to be in control at all times, to be unemotional, to present themselves as invulnerable, autonomous…” Again, Johnson would see these characteristics in Sonny. Whenever Sonny is threatened he always tries to take control of the situation, which usually results in making that person “disappear” and he tries to never expose his weaknesses. There are occasions, however, that Sonny does cry in private when his loved ones are hurt. Johnson states “the more men see control as central to their sense of self, well-being, worth, and safety, the more driven they feel to go after it and to organize their inner and outer lives around it.” Sonny has tried to leave the mob business numerous times but the power he receives from it is too much for him to give up.

media type="youtube" key="yl-07aJPCzo" height="344" width="425" align="center" = = =Linda Parsons= February 21, 2010

Linda Parsons would agree that there are many “princesses” and fairy tale romances in General Hospital. There have been two prominent fairy tale relationships in Port Charles: Elizabeth and Lucky, and Emily and Nikolas.


 * Elizabeth and Lucky[[image:http://soapoperadigest.com/features/general-hospital/GHLuckyElizabethWedding2005L.jpg align="right" caption="Lucky & Elizabeth"]]**

Elizabeth and Lucky have been in love since they were teenagers. It all started on Valentine’s Day when Lucky took Elizabeth’s sister, Sarah, to the school dance. Elizabeth was disappointed that Lucky took Sarah instead of her. Elizabeth got all dressed up and went to a movie instead. On her way back home she was walking through the park and a man raped her. Lucky found Elizabeth in the bushes, picked her up, and took care of her. Elizabeth completely shut down after the rape and Lucky was the only one able to piece her back together and help her feel comfortable with herself again. From that day on, their love for each other was unquestionable. This is an example of Parsons' statement on page 137 that "women must suffer, if not be humiliated, before they are rewarded." Later, the same man that raped her, kidnapped her and Lucky came to her rescue again. This would agree with Parsons idea that women play the victim and are in need of saving; she has said on page 137 that "fairy tales in the patriarchal tradition portray women as weak, submissive, dependent, and self-sacrificing, while men are powerful, active, and dominant."

At one point it is believed that Lucky was killed in a fire. It turned out that Lucky was kidnapped for about year when he came back he was not the same person. He kept on pushing Elizabeth away when they would start to connect but Elizabeth didn’t give up. Eventually, they were able to get back to the way things were and had a fairy tale wedding. This would conflict with Parsons patriarchal fairy tale idea and more toward the second wave of feminist fairy tales found on page 139 because there was a reversal of roles. The woman was saving the man.

Elizabeth and Lucky have traveled a rocky road and have broken up a few times but whenever a crisis arises they are always there for each other. Lucky is Elizabeth’s “rock” that she depends on and always feels safe around. You can see this in recent episodes. Elizabeth and Lucky went through a break-up and they are both taking it pretty hard. Elizabeth began to have hallucinations and thoughts of jumping off buildings. Lucky was able to calm her and bring her down from the edge. He was also able to convince her that she needed medical help and she signed herself into the clinic. This is another example that Parsons would agree that women are portrayed as needing to be saved. media type="youtube" key="WrbWNgORJg4" height="344" width="425" align="center"

** Emily and Nikolas **

The romance of Emily and Nikolas is very fairy tale like. Emily came to Port Charles after her mother died and she didn’t know anyone in town. She became friends with Elizabeth, Lucky, and Nikolas. Emily started crushing on Nikolas, who is, in fact, a real-life prince.

Years later, Emily was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through some aggressive treatment and was on the brink of death. She had a dream of Nikolas by her side and they kissed. She told him that the dream is what made her fight to live. Nikolas had the same dream.

Since Nikolas is a prince and lives in a mansion on a private island, they truly had a fairy tale wedding. Nikolas’ grandmother, Helena, was not welcoming to the idea of Emily and Nikolas’ love. Parsons’ article stated on mpage 138 that “when real trouble is created, it is usually by a witch or wicked stepmother...women suffer at the hands of other women.” Helena was definitely fits that, she tried many times to sabotage Nikolas’ and Emily’s relationship. Helena didn’t think that Emily was “good” enough for her grandson, which is why she tried to kill Emily on countless occasions but Nikolas always saved her. This again reflects the point in Parsons’ article that women are victims and need saving. Parsons states on page 138 that "when real help comes to the female protagnoist, it is usually from a fairy godmother or other wise woman." Whenever Emily needed someone to talk to or seek advice from she would go to her adopted grandmother Lila Quartermaine who was always supportive of Emily. 

Unfortunately, Nikolas and Emily never had their happily ever after. Emily died and Nikolas was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was seeing Emily everywhere he went; she was even talking to him. When it came time for his brain surgery he didn’t want to have it because he didn’t want to lose Emily again. But in the end, it was Emily who convinced him to go through with the surgery. The reversal of fairy tales is also shown here because Emily is helping Nikolas through his struggle.

Even now that Emily is dead, their love lives on forever. Nikolas will never get past the love they shared.

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There is a major part of fairy tales that is lacking in General Hospital. There is never happily ever after. Couples don't stay together for long. Marriages usually end due to infidelity, lies, or death.



=Holly Hassel= March 7, 2010

Carly Jacks is a very strong-willed, semi-independent, stubborn woman. She is a mother to three children, a wife, and co-owns (with her husband) a successful hotel. Hassel would argue that Carly “reflects the post, second-wave feminist sensibility in which the female protagonist, according to Roberta Trites, plays a variety of roles, takes an active part in shaping her destiny, and does not relinquish her personal power.” which is found on page 6. Carly always fights for what she wants and she will do whatever it takes to get it. She has committed perjury, cheated on her husband, stole, anything you can imagine she’s probably done in the name of getting what she wants.

Currently, Carly’s ex-husband and father of her two sons, Sonny Corinthos, is on trial for murder. Carly’s current husband and father of her daughter, Jasper “Jax” Jacks does not like Sonny or the danger that his business imposes on Jax’s family. Jax has even gone so far as to help the police investigate this murder trial. Carly is furious with Jax and accuses him of trying to break apart their family. She decides to seduce Jax before pushing him away to make him realize what he will lose if he continues to help the investigation against Sonny. (See video for this clip. Start at 5 minutes in). Therefore, Hassel could relate Parsons' idea on page 5 that “girls come to know that their value lies in men’s desire for them and the characteristics and qualities that will assure their desirability are revealed in cultural storylines” with Carly also. Carly knows that Jax has a sexual desire for her and uses that to persuade him onto her "team."

Jax claims that he is helping the investigation for Carly and the children, in order to keep them safe. A large part of it, though, has to do with his ego and long-standing vendetta against Sonny. Hassel would say that this relates to “…women’s identification with a male partner as “partnership” rather than the male domination it actually is, and it reinforces stereotypical gender dynamics…” on page 5. Jax wants Carly to believe that he is doing it for them but she knows that there is more to it.

Hassel would agree that there are intra-filmic conflicts for General Hospital. An intra-filmic conflict is that the show tries to portray Carly as an independent woman but the major influences in her life are male. Besides Jax and Sonny, her best friend is also male. His name is Jason Morgan and he will always drop whatever he is doing to come to her aide. Whenever Carly is presented with a conflict she seeks Jason for guidance. media type="youtube" key="GokeZNcToR8" height="307" width="512" align="center"

=Lisa Hager= March 7, 2010

Although there are no “superheroes” in General Hospital, Hager would have a lot to say about the character Kristina Davis and the people in her life. Kristina is the teenage daughter of Alexis Davis, a lawyer, and Sonny Corinthos, the mob king pin. Alexis didn’t want Kristina growing up around the violence of Sonny’s business so Sonny was not involved in Kristina’s childhood. Because of this, Kristina has some major daddy issues. Alexis pressures Kristina to be the “perfect” child and she is generally a very smart girl, except when it comes to boys. I will begin with the idea of the “perfect” little girl. Lisa Hager addresses the issue of creating the “perfect” little girl in //The Powerpuff Girls//. It was stated on page 67 that “I cut that shot (of the perfect little girl) from the original because I didn’t want to represent what a perfect little girl was. The omission of the shot serves to create the right conditions for girls who do not conform to the usual idea of the perfect little girl. Still, the trace of this perfect little girl remains a key element in the show in its continual attention to what defines girls as girls, which necessarily and inevitably recalls this absent yet ghostly image.” Alexis harps on Kristina to do well in school and expects her to go to Yale because that’s where she went. Kristina is also involved in numerous school activities. I don’t recall a time that Alexis asked Kristina what she wants to do, it’s just always assumed that academics are her life. Hager would say that it is as if General Hospital wants the viewers to think that this is how a “perfect” child should be. Although Kristina is thought of as a “perfect” little girl by everyone, she secretly rebels against her parents. Kristina has been going to parties, driving without a license, and having sex with her boyfriend because she doesn’t like the pressure of being “perfect.” When Kristina rebels like this, it is challenging the idea of the “perfect” little girl. It makes one wonder if the “perfect” little girl even exists.

Hager would say that Kristina and Alexis display a form of diva and infantile citizenship. Hager’s article defines diva citizenship on page 64 as “ a moment in which a previously abject citizen “stages a dramatic coup in the public sphere in which she does not have privilege” and temporarily makes her radical critique central to the dominant discourse, thereby disrupting its fictional universality. Through her naïveté, the infantile citizen makes visible the State’s inability to live up to its ethical principles.” This is displayed in General Hospital when a distraught Kristina got behind the wheel of her mother’s car (without a license) and ran her pregnant step-mother, Claudia, off the road. Claudia’s car flipped and she had a miscarriage. Kristina drove off and didn’t tell anyone and since she is such a “perfect” child no one suspected her. Eventually, the police ID Alexis’ car and Alexis, being the district attorney at the time, doesn’t want her daughter’s life to be ruined by this incident. Alexis then decides to take the blame and Kristina is off the hook. Alexis should have been punished with six months in county lock-up or wearing an ankle monitor for a year but instead, she was only punished with six months of community service performing probono legal services. The only reasons that Alexis received less punishment is because she was the district attorney and had connections. This storyline also agrees with Hager’s statements on page 71 “Demonstrating the lawlessness inherent in taking the law to extremes, even Blossom has her moment of lawlessness brought on by her need to please her ultimate authority figure…she may try to give her sisters a smug lecture on why they should not escape from jail…she quickly joins in the prison break.” Kristina hates her father because he is a criminal and never pays for his crimes. When Kristina commits a crime, she doesn’t pay for it either.

On page 64 Hager defines girls cool vs boys cool. “Girls cool was still largely defined as subdued sexuality, fashionable display, and unabashed consumerism. For boys, the cool was purified, violence shorn of the dross of reality, emotion, and moral message.” Hager would say that this relates to Kristina’s relationship with her boyfriend, Kiefer. Before Kristina started dating Kiefer she was very innocent in terms of her sexuality. She also wore fashionable, yet conservative clothing. Kiefer was the one who wanted a sexual relationship and for Kristina to wear more “attractive” clothes. Hager would say that Kiefer goes along with the //Sailor Moon// ideology on page 69. “In uncensored versions of cartoons like //Sailor Moon//, anime often focuses on the nude schoolgirl-aged female body as an object of desire for the adolescent male gaze…” Referring back to boys cool, Keifer can be a violent person. Kiefer often becomes angry with Kristina and hits her when he doesn’t get what he wants. She was admitted to the hospital twice becasue he brutally beat her when she didn't do what he asked. Hager would say that this could relate to //The Powerpuff Girls// episode “The Rowdyruff Boys.”as described on page 73, “…the boys are too strong for them…Rather than competing against their male counterparts as equal superheroes and villains, they have been relegated to the subordinate position of feminine sexual objects.” Kiefer is too strong for Kristina to fight back against so she decides to give in to his desires in order to avoid being beaten. For this reason, she continues to have sex with him even though she wants a relationship that is more than that. media type="youtube" key="rhM1fFq1HSM" height="305" width="511" align="center"



=Kelly Schrum= March 14, 2010

Kelly Schrum would say that General Hospital passively enforces the same values on its viewers as //Seventeen// magazine. Schrum stated on page 150 that “//Seventeen// was no exception to the general emphasis of women’s magazines on fashion, beauty, health, and the continual need to improve oneself.” Schrum would say that this is also true of General Hospital. All of the characters, no matter what their social class, always wear fashionable clothes and are beautiful. The characters are rarely seen in sweat pants or even regular shirts. They are most often wearing “attractive” clothing. It is also rare that anyone is seen without make-up on. Even when the character has been trapped for days, months, or years, they may be covered in dirt but they still manage to look good. Schrum would say that General Hospital puts emphasis on being thin. Schrum said on page 151 that “//Seventeen//, however, strongly encourages wearing a girdle through articles and advertising.” Although nobody wears girdles on General Hospital, Schrum would say that, for the most part, the show values thin/average size people. There is only one major exception, nurse Epiphany Johnson. Epiphany is the only heavyset person on the show. The only time that Epiphany is seen is at the hospital while she is working. She also only had one flirtatious relationship which didn’t last very long. Schrum would say that General Hospital attempted to show that weight doesn’t matter but thinner people have a better chance at having a life.

Schrum would say that General Hospital does a good job at making sure that the women of Port Charles please themselves before others, particularly men. This goes along with Schrum’s statement about //Seventeen// magazine on page 152. “Ignore the statistics that college-educated women never marry, //Seventeen// warned, and never change just to attract a boy. A girl cannot please every man she meets, “So why not decide to suit yourself and be sure of pleasing one person at least.”” Almost none of the women on the show change themselves to be with a guy. They all aim to please themselves first. Carly is a prime example of this. She never backs down from what she wants even if her husband’s wants the opposite. Unfortunately, there is now one person that is the exception to not changing oneself. Kristina has a crush on Ethan, who is much older than her. She overheard Ethan saying that Kristina was too young and had a lot of maturing to do so she decided to dress to impress Ethan so that he would be attracted to her.

Although General Hospital may not intentionally be advertising fashion values, the viewers are passively seeing what women “should” look like and act. Schrum would say that, according to General Hospital, women should always look presentable no matter what they are going through.

=Joan Jacobs Brumberg= March 21, 2010

Brumberg would agree that menstruation and puberty are never openly discussed on General Hospital. This has a lot to do with the fact that most of the children on the show go from being toddlers, straight to being teenagers or adults. Most of the women only talk about menstruation if they think they could be pregnant. Even then, they never really go out and say “I’ve missed my period.”

The sure sign that a character has reached puberty is their desire to dress more risqué and have sex. Menstrual hygiene is not a main concern on General Hospital because they never talk about menstruation. Brumberg would say that this goes against the statement that “in contemporary American society, menarche has become more of an economic ritual than a social one.” She would say that General Hospital goes more along the lines of the Victorian era when menstruation implied sexuality, fertility, and reproduction. Kristina is one of those characters who went from being a toddler to being a teenager. She is currently seventeen and is mommy’s prefect little girl. There was never the discussion of menstruation but there was the discussion of birth control. When Kristina’s boyfriend Kiefer wanted to have sex she went to her older sister Sam instead of her mother. Kristina asked Sam for her advice on having sex. Sam thought that Kristina was too young but took her to a clinic to get birth control pills. Brumberg would say that it is more difficult to talk to a mother and that it is easier to talk to a sister because there is less age difference and less judgment. Sam is far from being the perfect daughter and has been through a lot of bad situations. This is why Kristina feels more comfortable talking to her because Sam can give Kristina good advice on how to avoid those situations. Also, little can be worse than the things that Sam’s done so it would be unfair for Sam to pass judgment on her little sister. Kristina did not want to see the disappointment that she would have caused her mother if she knew that Kristina was having sex. She was also afraid that her mother wouldn’t allow her to see Kiefer anymore.

Brumberg discussed that “the script that we follow in the late-twentieth-century America involves mothers, doctors, and the producers of new technologies. Brumberg would say that General Hospital would go against this because Kristina didn’t talk to her mother and although Dr. Kelly Lee was shown for a brief scene, she did not talk to Kristina about the consequences of having sex.

Brumberg would, however, say that General Hospital goes along with the twentieth century ideals that American girls should remain active and energetic during their periods and that it is rarely talked about. All of the characters on General Hospital are always active so it would be hard to determine if they were having their period or not, especially since it is never discussed.

media type="youtube" key="ucRKOpdPAWw" height="268" width="336" align="center" =Jack Zipes= April 4, 2010

Jack Zipes would have a lot to say about General Hospital. Zipes describes phenomena in his article. He states “whether an occurrence or person, there is something incredible about the phenomenon that draws our attention… The ordinary becomes extraordinary, and we are so taken by the phenomenon that we admire, worship, and idolize it without grasping fully why we regard it with so much reverence and awe except to say that so many others regard it as a phenomenon and, therefore, it must be a phenomenon.” Therefore, Zipes would say that General Hospital is a phenomenon. He would say this because General Hospital bases its storylines off of ordinary, everyday things, it doesn’t go to the extremes of magical creatures and such. The storylines happen to real people every day, just not as often all in the same little town. It becomes extraordinary because thousands of people admire and idolize the show and its characters so it must be a phenomenon according to Zipes.

Zipes said “…if you’ve read one, you’ve read them all: the plots are the same, and in my opinion, the story lines become tedious and grating after you have read the first.” He would also say this about General Hospital. The show reuses storylines so much it’s kind of pathetic, but then again, when a show airs over 12,000 episodes they are bound to run out of material. The most common story lines that are reused are infidelity. Not one couple has ever had a lasting marriage. Also, whenever there is a large gathering in Port Charles it always ends in catastrophe, usually because someone is trying to take down Sonny. These family gatherings are the times when people should feel the most safe. Zipes quote “Are we living in such a paranoid world, in which children and adults feel violence might occur at any moment, that we must live our lives constantly on guard? Are pedophiles, kidnappers, serial killers, and mass murderers all around us? Do the mass media create an atmosphere of hysteria so that white England and white America paint dark forces surrounding them, seeking to invade their homes and steal their children.” would describe General Hospital well. There have been numerous kidnapping, serial killers and murderers on General Hospital, therefore they are constantly on guard for the next attack. This could be sending the image that no matter how good life is disaster is close behind.

Zipes would also say that General Hospital is sexist and the majority of the characters fulfill stereotypical roles. Although the show is originated and called General Hospital, the show is now pretty much centered on the mob and Sonny Corinthos. Zipes would say that it is sexists because the mob is male dominated. There have only been a few female mobsters and they were never taken seriously, always criticized on their tactic and eventually killed. The male mobsters tend to go through women as though they were a commodity, Sonny especially. This relates with Zipes quote from Christine Schoefer “…perfectly mirrors the assumption that men do and should run the world.”



=Elizabeth Heilman and Trevor Donaldson= April 4, 2010

In the section G ender by Numbers, Heilman and Donaldson analyzed Harry Potter by the ratio of males to females. They could also do this with the actors on contract with General Hospital. Currently, there are 15 males and 12 females on contract. By looking at these numbers, they would say that General Hospital was sexist but by actually watching the show they are pretty much equal because not everyone that is on contract is seen regularly. They also state on page 141 that “the characters that are frightening, evil, or suspected of evil, are overwhelmingly male…and primarily male in the later.” This is also true of General Hospital. The characters that are deemed frightening and evil are those that are involved with the mob. In the earlier years the mob was run by men like Sonny Corinthos, Luis and Lorenzo Alcazar, Joe Scully, and Hernando Rivera to name a few. In the more recent years, although still primarily run by men, women have taken their turn running the mob. This is seen with the characters Faith Rosco and Claudia Zacchara.

In the section Final Verdict: Feminist or Sexist? on page 144, Heilman and Donaldson say “Female characters become more prevalent as the series continues, their pragmatic femininity develops beyond strictly feminine attributes, and their roles may be more representative of an equally distributed gender hierarchy.” I would have to say that General Hospital contradicts this statement because there are less physically strong/aggressive women than there were six-eight years ago. At that time Faith Rosco, Carly Corinthos, Courtney Matthews, Sam McCall, Reese Marshall, and Helena Cassadine could all fight their way out of anything. Today, Carly, Sam, and occasionally Helena are still great fighters with the recent addition of Olivia Falconeri.

Heilman and Donaldson discussed the issue of emotional females and lack of emotion in males starting on page 149. They state “the females are emotional and cry readily…yet males rarely touch or cry…Even death is an occasion for female, but not male emotional outburst.” They would say that General Hospital makes a good effort to give emotional scenes to not only the females but the males as well. If a male is in an emotional scene most of the time they at least get tears in their eyes, sometimes they even let them fall. The character Lucky is a very good example of this. He is going through a very tough time right now and becomes teary or cries in pretty much every scene. They said on page 150 that in Harry Potter females “are typically mentioned in masse and give identical response to situations.” General Hospital would definitely contradict this because while most of the men get along fine together, the women don’t really have friends and if they do, they are rarely seen together and seldom see eye to eye.

Heilman and Donaldson discussed on page 146 that “males are represented more often, but they are also depicted as wiser, braver, more powerful…At the height of action, females are not typically very involved, and they are always fearful and emotional. Although this is generally true with General Hospital, there are also some exceptions as seen with Spinelli, Carly, and Sam. Spinelli is a very intelligent male character when it comes to books, computers, and strategizing. When it comes to the actual adventures he usually gets himself into a mess and needs saving from another male character or his girlfriend Maxie. On the other hand, there are some female characters that enjoy the adventure and can beat up anyone who tries to mess with them. These characters include Sam and Carly. Sam is always going on adventures with mob enforcer Jason Morgan and she is also a private investigator. Carly was married to Sonny so she’s definitely had her share of fighting off the enemy. They can both be physical when it is needed.

= Sherrie Inness = April 25, 2010

“Anti-Barbies”

In this article, Sherrie Inness discusses politics according to Sutherland. She states on page 171 and 172 that “the first form discussed by Sutherland is the politics of advocacy, which he describes as “pleading for and promoting a specific cause, or upholding a particular point of view or course of action as being valid and right” he argues that “the politics of advocacy serves the aims of indoctrination //urging// a particular value system or course of action, or attempting to enforce conformity to a set of behavioral norms.” Inness would say that General Hospital challenges the behavioral norms of society. The characters of general hospital are mostly male dominated but there are some strong female characters such as Carly. She is not the typical story book woman, she is very independent and although she occasionally plays the victim she is always able to survive whatever comes her way. Inness would also agree that General Hospital also challenges the male behavioral norms with the character Damian Spinelli. The male behavioral norms are to be strong and heroic. Spinelli is anything but, he tries to be heroic and save the day but he always makes things worse and needs saving himself.



Inness also discusses politics of attack. She states on page 173 “the politics of attack is what Sutherland calls “the reverse side of coin” to the politics of advocacy. The politics of attack is generated by the author’s sense of amusement, outrage, or contempt when they encounter something that runs counter to their concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, justice, fair play, decency, or truth.” She also states that “girls need to recognize that some actions are not generally tolerated by the larger society and deserve censure.” Inness would say that General Hospital challenges this as well. General Hospital is practically all about Sonny and the mob. Sonny and Jason commit many, many crimes and they are never convicted. This does not help viewers recognize that their actions are wrong because Sonny and Jason are never punished for their crimes.

The third politics that Sherrie Inness discusses is the politics of assent. Inness says on page 175 “the politics of assent is often hidden. The politics of assent, according to Sutherland works to affirm “ideologies generally prevalent in the society.” “The politics of assent not only affirms the status quo but continually reinforces it,” he urges. “by inhibiting change and supporting tradition, it has great potential impact on the shape of society—for good or ill.”” Inness would say that General Hospital tries to challenge tradition by switching the traditional male/female roles. As previously stated, this seen with Carly and Spinelli, among other characters.

= Sherrie Inness = April 25, 2010

“It’s a Girl Thing”: Tough Female Action Figures in the Toy Store

Sherrie Inness would agree that General Hospital has its share of tough female characters, most notably Carly Jacks and Samantha McCall. On page 83 Inness discusses that “Second-wave feminism caused many women to rethink their lives. In the workplace, women recognized that they could perform many of the jobs that men had dominated in the past, and millions of women were eager to adopt new responsibilities. In the home, women questioned gender stereotypes that made them responsible for cooking, cleaning, shopping for groceries, taking care of children, and a host of other chores that were considered “women’s work.”” She also discussed on page 85 how Princess Leia “did not serve as merely a man’s sidekick or love interest…however, had two males who could step in if the fighting grew too fierce.” Carly would be the perfect example of Inness’ theory. Carly is very unconventional when it comes to feminist theories. She is a horrible cook and is never shown doing any of the housework. She is, however, fearless when faced with danger. Carly has fought her way out of being kidnapped and from being held at gunpoint, she's even done both of these things while in labor. She is not anyone’s sidekick, nor does she take orders from anyone but she does have three men that can protect her if she needs it. Jason Morgan is her best friend and is the mob enforcer; he is always on Carly’s side even if she is wrong. Sonny Corinthos, her ex-husband/mob boss, and Jasper “Jax” Jacks, her current husband, would also protect her from anything.

Samantha McCall is also fearless in danger. She has also fought her way out of a kidnapping and being held at gunpoint. She is a private investigator and is dating Jason Morgan. She is routinely going into dangerous situations, by her self and with Jason, and feels more alive when faced with danger. Although Carly and Sam are portrayed as tough female heroes Inness would agree that as stated of page 91 “more women are taking up the hero role, but the majority of heroes remain men.”

Inness stated on page 91 that “we imagine boys growing up with the belief that violence is a good answer to any problem” and on page 79 “boys learn that most problems can be solved by aggression.” Inness would agree that this is shown in General Hospital with the character Michael Corinthos. Michael’s father is Sonny Corinthos and Michael grew up surrounded by Sonny’s violent life style. Michael has always wanted to resort to violence when faced with a problem and would do anything to be a part of his father’s business.

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