What the hell has happened to my old country? The UK is the Woke capital of the World, where thousands are reported to have been in floods of tears over the death of a soap opera character.  The reason given; 'because its based on a true story'.   What,  that people die of 'stuff',  that must have come as a big shock to this hand wringing generation, who must  imagine that they are living in a virtual reality show.  It's pathetic and embarrassing.  What has become of the place? 

You must be really bored to be reading anything which contains this "news".

Hate crimes/ prejudice and bullying brought to the attention of the masses is a good thing. Soaps do a good job in portraying important social issues and airing the difficulties and impact etc. Coronation Street has been doing it for 60 years. Guess they must be doing something right. ????

 

truly sad state of affairs, perhaps now that they've conquered covid mental illness should be next?

I think this is largely an American cultural import, and this has been a trend in the UK for a long time. For example, in the 80s, a lot of British started using Australian style word inflections because everyone was watching Neighbours. So, you see a disaster like a mass shooting, or something similar in the US news, and someone is talking to a reporter blubbering away on camera, even though they had no connection to anyone involved in the disaster. Always makes me chuckle.

18 minutes ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

So, you see a disaster like a mass shooting, or something similar in the US news, and someone is talking to a reporter blubbering away on camera, even though they had no connection to anyone involved in the disaster. Always makes me chuckle.

You dont need to be connected to an incident to have empathy or sympathy for those that have suffered  great personal loss.

10 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

You dont need to be connected to an incident to have empathy or sympathy for those that have suffered  great personal loss.

Empathy..................... one the single most important aspects of mental awareness that should be, but isn't, taught in schools, and from the comments on here I imagine not at home either.

I come from a stiff upper lip kind of background. You can empahise without blubbering on the telly, although I'm not denying anyone the right to blubber on the telly, if that's how they want to empathise.

2 minutes ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

I come from a stiff upper lip kind of background. You can empahise without blubbering on the telly, although I'm not denying anyone the right to blubber on the telly, if that's how they want to empathise.

So it would seem what you actually meant was the ability to control ones emotions, not , not have any.

3 minutes ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

although I'm not denying anyone the right to blubber on the telly, if that's how they want to empathise.

Not too sure everyone has your backbone and can actually choose to blubber or not blubber.........

Just now, Surelynot said:

Not too sure everyone has your backbone and can actually choose to blubber or not blubber.........

 

I think you're probably right about that.

Just now, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

 

I think you're probably right about that.

That brought a tear to my eye......55

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

So it would seem what you actually meant was the ability to control ones emotions, not , not have any.

Suppress?

Is someone going to give us a clue as to which soap opera character has "died"? - OP

23 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Is someone going to give us a clue as to which soap opera character has "died"? - OP

The OP is referring to "Seb" from Coronation Street who died as a result of a brutal attack from a gang of youths because both he and particularly his girlfriend were "different".

It's perfectly OK to cry. Since turning 60 I do in most movies. It's the bioligical changes in men's bodies as they age. 

I am man enough to admit it, am sure there are others here who feel its more manly to hold back.

 

Hey ho. 

9 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

The OP is referring to "Seb" from Coronation Street who died as a result of a brutal attack from a gang of youths because both he and particularly his girlfriend were "different".

Thank god it wasn't Ken!

11 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

The OP is referring to "Seb" from Coronation Street who died as a result of a brutal attack from a gang of youths because both he and particularly his girlfriend were "different".

 

would the 'different' be normal, white hetrosexual working class? They seem to be the outsiders on UK Tv these days. 

5 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Thank god it wasn't Ken!

As long as good old Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell are okay.

7 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Thank god it wasn't Ken!

I haven’t got over Alan Bradley ????, although it has increased my “ tram awareness mechanism “ .

So what about JR? Millions were affected.

 

'Who shot JR'; was on everyone's mind. I can't recall who actually did the deed. But it gave me sleepless nights worrying.

 

Even made me change my local in Dagenham. At the Round House they said it was someone called Swelling, and at the Robin Hood they said it was some ranch hand at the PandaRosa. I preferred the beer at the Robin Hood, but Swelling sounded more exciting.

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Soaps do a good job in portraying important social issues and airing the difficulties and impact etc. Coronation Street has been doing it for 60 years. Guess they must be doing something right.

 

I dont disagree with you in principle, but the cynic in me leans towards ratings with sensational story lines.

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Coronation Street has been doing it for 60 years. Guess they must be doing something right.

 

I'm not sure about that last sentence.

 

The UK, as far as I'm aware, is the only country which has all those long running series, and the UK people seemingly can't live without them.

 

There is Coronation street, Eastenders, fools and horses and probably quite a few more of them.

 

There is the Gold channel, which broadcasts everything that is old.

 

I don't see a similar pattern in most other countries.

 

Could it actually be a lack of something? Surely not a lack of imagination, otherwise the scriptwriters obviously would have thrown in the towel 30 years ago, but I'm sure there is a lack of something to be so emotionally attached to the same soap for 6 decades

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Hate crimes/ prejudice and bullying brought to the attention of the masses is a good thing. Soaps do a good job in portraying important social issues and airing the difficulties and impact etc. Coronation Street has been doing it for 60 years. Guess they must be doing something right. ????

 

So right, the world's longest running soap, The Archers now have a character who is an alcoholic , doing it well .

Some years ago they got an award for portraying a character with Alzheimer's ,who had it in real life.

As for Coronation street ,not watched it for 35  years ,my ex was in to it ,I think it still tops the ratings. 

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

Empathy..................... one the single most important aspects of mental awareness that should be, but isn't, taught in schools, and from the comments on here I imagine not at home either.

 

The book that Blade Runner is based on "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" covers this quite well, as it show that "the andies" come unstuck by the fact that they don't experience empathy so they have no loyalty.

 

Unfortunately, the concept of "if we all look out for each other it's better for all of us" is not universal.  That or it can be removed somehow during development.

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

Is someone going to give us a clue as to which soap opera character has "died"? - OP

no idea, but it was some nonentity on  Coronation Street. 

58 minutes ago, kickstart said:

Some years ago they got an award for portraying a character with Alzheimer's ,who had it in real life.

 How does an actor with Alzheimers remember his lines?

6 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

 How does an actor with Alzheimers remember his lines?

He doesn't know ????

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

The OP is referring to "Seb" from Coronation Street who died as a result of a brutal attack from a gang of youths because both he and particularly his girlfriend were "different".

Scarily similar to a real incident some years ago in the UK where a goth couple were brutal attacked, but the boy survived and the girl died.

 

I recall the leader was sentenced to 10 years and at the age 18....what a pathetic sentence........no empathy for him.

 

Must be horrible for the parents, if they are still alive, to see this portrayal of what might have happened.

2 hours ago, Whale said:

It's perfectly OK to cry. Since turning 60 I do in most movies. It's the bioligical changes in men's bodies as they age. 

I am man enough to admit it, am sure there are others here who feel its more manly to hold back.

 

Hey ho. 

 

Pfft, I blubbed like there's no tomorrow at the Church dream scene in The Revenant.

What I'm saying is, a lot of these people are making themselves cry on camera, 'look at me and my emotion'. It's cobblers.