The Young and the Restless

When I was five years old I used to come home for lunch and my mom would be watching this television show. I would be sitting at the lunch table and I didn't exactly watch it, but by osmosis it stuck with me. I kept coming home at the same time every day for lunch for years to come. And I became fascinated by The Young and the Restless. When you are subjected to it every day for eight years, you get to know it and grow to have a love hate relationship with the show. Now that I am a grown man, it is almost embarrassing to say that I still watch this show, but it is true and I still have a love hate relationship with the damn thing. And even though I am the only one to comment on it, I know there are many other guys that watch this show as much as I do. How many times have you heard a guy say " I wish I could have sex as much as Victor." For me that was a lot. Most of the guys that I went to high school with were closet Y&R guys. They couldn't get enough of it. I really don't know what it is about the show that has kept me watching it for years, but there is something addictive about it. It would be easy and very macho of me to say that the sole reason is because of the beauties like Trish and Sharon and Grace walking around with their smooth stomachs and their provocative clothing, but that wouldn't be entirely correct. They are great to look at but it is more. And to really get the appeal of this show, look no further than Jack and Victor.

Jack and Victor have been going quibbling for as long as I have been watching. Jack and Victor have stolen women from each other ( Nicki, Diane ), they compete for business ( Jabot ) they work at the same office, and they generally hate each other. When Victor says Jack's name he literally spits it out. " The site of you disgusts me Jackabbot! " he was heard saying once. And he has to say his name in one syllable, as if saying it properly is too distasteful. Sure, Paul and Christine, Brad and whoever he is sleeping with, Jill and Kay, Billy and Mac, Michael Baldwin and his sneaky ways, Nick and Victoria, Malcolm and Neil, Olivia, and the rest of the cast is fun in their own right, but it is Jack and Victor that are the fun ones. I just wish that once, just once, Jack could win straight out. Not losing in the end, but actually has one clear cut victory over Mr. Money Bags. That would be refreshing.

Y&R is the kind of show that you turn off every once in a while because it takes them six months to resolve an issue that should be done with in a matter of days. And sure time is a big problem in this show. Victor can leave the office and get home in time to see Nicki crying over whatever she is crying about this time, even though she was crying when Brad was in the room only five minutes ago. But Newman Enterprises should be in town and they live in the country. And most characters are annoying at one point or another and no one is faithful, but hey, we can overlook those things because we are addicted.

It really is a fun show to watch and if you haven't seen it by now, then just start watching it, you'll pick up on what you need to know in about a week.

more than a classic soap opera. maybe, a cultural phenomenon. or an ocean. because, for me, except Jeanne Cooper and Eric Braeden, the series is a huge Rubick cube, full of new presences, confuse conflicts, frozen time and old fights, relative friendships. a series with a life of 44 years is out of any definition. first, because it is the series of its fans. second, because, like each illusion/fairy tale, it is a source of alternative life events, different by generation who discovers it. short, endless series. maybe, the most seductive soap opera if you do not ignore its impressive longevity.

What an awful display of everything. From the soft camera lenses to the pitiful acting. "The Young and the Restless" is a soap that delivers nothing but long, overdrawn, depressing and ultimately pathetic storylines, which move so slowly they would have to speed up to stop. This program is a true winner to the people of modern society with nothing to do in their lives. You see it's not that they love this show, it's just they have nothing better to do.

I plead with the people, try and get out of the trap of wasting your lives. There is hope for you yet. If you can convince yourself to do anything apart from watching this program then life will be better for not only you, but the human race itself. It's an evil program, promoting horrific ethics, and over indulgence on the sofa, when exercise beckons.

Think carefully, act wisely, and you will truly become a better person.

Yep, I was there on the first day from day one for "The Young and the Restless". Let me set the stage for all the younger viewers so they know where I'm coming from...

Back in the late 60's early 70's there wasn't much fare for young pre-teen children like me for Soap Opreas. They were all "adult" and handled "adult" themes, that were, honestly, way over our heads to keep us viewed day in and day out. We were of the "Dark Shadows" generation. To look at a soap, we wanted one that was exciting, different and on our level. Along came "The Young and the Restless" in 1973.

I knew it was for me and my pre-adolescent girl-pals, our parents didn't like it much. Our parents were watching "Somerset", "The Secret Storm", "Edge of Night", "Another World" and before "General Hospital" got hip, these soaps were dry and people didn't speak about much on network TV. Everyone had the same disease, everyone sat on the bed by themselves and yuck! that organ music!

It was exciting back then to see a daytime soap storyline wrap around themes that young ladies and young gentlemen were dealing with of those times, and it spoke to us on OUR level. Even the "older" more adult cast were speaking on our level, so it caught on quickly for us.

It's now 2003, 30 years later and "The Young and the Restless" is still a soap I will watch. Like all soaps, it has its moments...it goes up and down. But the "Young and the Restless" was NOT afraid to tackle the social, moral and racial issues of our day... STD's, AIDS, Cults, Alcoholism, Older women going after younger men (it was always the other way around!), Gigilos, Strippers, Rock Musicians, Models, oh my goodness!!! Now, yes, its more common place and these themes aren't much but "The Young and the Restless" was one of the first to tackle these head on and not subtly either!

The writing was crisp, young, on-target, just the right thing for us. Some of the best characters in my soap lifetime of watching the "Young and the Restless" that were dear to me were:

The Brooks Sisters -- Yes, the one who played the piano was the one I centered on because at the time, I could understand her problems. And "Pumpkin" poor, "Pumpkin", her story line really made me cry.

Nikki Reed -- Nikki and her family were tough. Nikki was a stripper. Nikki got money. Nikki got...around. Boy, we loved Nikki!

Katherine Chancellor -- This is the Y&R grand dame. Katherine and her younger men, Katherine and her money, Katherine and her alcoholism, Katherine and her face-lifts! Cosmetic plastic surgery was not mentioned on SOAPS! This character brought it on! I really wish they would show this soap in repeats, Katherine Chancellor kicked royal butt!

Victor Newman -- At first I thought this character wasn't going anywhere but wow, he developed nicely and I cannot see the program without him. Rich, powerful, handsome, -- flawed. What else could you ask for? The Newman Clan -- Victoria and Nicolas growing up quite nice and spoiled and unsure as we would expect.

The Abbott Clan -- In the 80's, Ashley Abbott and I were on the same career track. except I didn't do it through family, I made it up the corporate ladder the hard way, but boy was I glad to see Ashley Abbott go through the turmoil, the backbiting: her brother Jack who crushed HER at every corner and had his own problems, the father and head of a HUGE fragrance corporation John, the dear Tracey Abbott who was going through almost EVERY teenage girls' nightmare, being pretty, smart and second banana to her svelte sister, the mother Deena who had an affair and...well..lets just say not all Abbotts are Abbotts and when that eventually comes out (it's 2003 now and not EVERYBODY knows) what a thrill.

There are so many more such as...Neil Winters who really worked his way up through the ranks; streetwise, Drucilla Barber and her over-achieving sister Olivia, Paul Williams and his detective firm, what a thrill they were in the 80's (and not to mention that little STD Paul had when coming to Genoa City, and not to mention the Cult!!) Cricket Christine Blair who was the summer entry we all looked forward to in Jr. Jabot, the scheming Diane, the unsuspecting Andy, and so on and so on and so on!!!

The "Young and the Restless" has kept true to its title always bringing in young and restless story lines as well as keeping older viewers like me interested as well. That's a tough thing to do day after day, year after year, decade after decade. Some story lines and characters won't jell with everyone -- and that's okay, that's a soap. This is one that will be bold, go out on a limb and come right into your face with current and past material, young, middle aged and older story lines that no matter how old you are you could get involved with, (maybe not!) but the Young and the Restless is still, to me, one of the best daytime soaps out there for it is young..and very restless.

I love Y&R. I've been watching it for years and I've seen some great moments on this show but I continue to run into the same problems with it. First, the show is predictable and they recycle story lines repeatedly. Billy and Victoria are eventually going to get back together. Nicki and Victor are eventually going to get back together so let them be together and let's move on to something else. Their roller-coaster relationships are no longer interesting. Second, BRING ADAM BACK. Bring Adam Newman back to the show and stop killing him off. Adam is a likable character that also stirs the pot in Genoa City. Him coming back will turn the Newman family upside down. His brother who is unknowingly raising his son is in a committed relationship with his wife. If Adam comes back Nick's whole world will fall apart and I would love to see that happen. Nick is self-righteous and annoying. Chelsea belongs with Adam. Theirs is a love story that I'm actually invested in. Finally, I have to address Cane and how his life has crumbled around him. He deserved it. It was his fault he lost his job and his family. Lily was right to leave him and I wish her the best but Jordan is not a good replacement. Jordan looks like he's about to fall in love with every woman he speaks to. Lily needs to focus on herself and her kids for five minutes before she runs into the arms of another selfish man. The conflict with Mattie and Reed dating is ridiculous. They're like sixteen years old. Plenty of sixteen year old's date and naturally break up without their parents needing to get involved. Cane and Juliet were not at all interested in one another for months. They were friendly colleagues even after sleeping with one another. She needs to stop walking around holding her belly and speaking for two when she's fifteen minutes pregnant. I've had enough of her, I hate her voice and I would be satisfied if they revealed that Cane is not the father before killing the baby or both the baby and Juliet off of the show.