Soap operas and gender

[kayyallup]

Hi I'm doing a bit of research for my uni course on media and would like to know whether soap operas are mainly watched by women or if men watch them as well.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Also any feedback on the use of TV listings mags, which ones women prefer and which men prefer.

Thanks

Kay

[galltin]

I'm a woman and I watch 2 soaps Corrie and 'enders.

I like the Radio Times.

[happy_face]

Both me and my boyfriend watch EastEnders. We he was younger he used to watch them all with his parents. We don't use a telly mag as for us it just clutters up the space as we always forget to throw old mags out. We use the tv guide on the digi box.

[natty23]

like galltin i only watch coronation and eastenders, my bf and my dad watch eastenders if i put it on, and secretly i think they quite enjoys coro too, but as its seen as more of a gossipy soap i don't think he likes to admit to it, or maybe its a north south preference thing.

i buy TV Choice simply because its the cheapest.

[rja211077]

i'm a geezer who rarely watches any soap. the only one i'll dabble with - very occasionally - is Eastenders.

i don't use a listings mag, i use Teletext (being an analogue watcher until i move at the end of the month, when i'll get sky and use their inbuilt guide)

[nicola_red]

I did an essay on romance as part of my womens studies MA and as well as romance novels I did a fair bit on soaps.  It did seem to be the case that women mainly watch them and the storylines are geared towards women.  I still have a copy of the essay somewhere so I could probably recommend a couple of reference books if you want Kay.

[fairy!]

My fave is Hollyoaks!  Is that a soap??  I also watch Corrie, Eastenders & Emmerdale from time to time, but not religiously.

My folks buy TV Times every week so I use that, but if it was up to me I'd just get which ever is cheapest or free with the paper!

[sam82]

I like them all but go off some at points at the moment its...Emmerdale i like

River city is pretty good, your guaranteed a laugh

I get the sun tv mag.. its free and i prefer it to the others!

[natalie_1982]

My favourites are Emmerdale and Corrie, but also watch Hollyoaks and Eastenders if I am in and it is on.  My fella watches it if I put it on, though given the choice he'd probably watch Robot Wars or (S)crapheap Challenge!  However, he doesn't dislike the soaps enough to go and watch telly in another room or moan to change channels!

I don't buy a TV mag, but if someone in our house gets a paper at the weekend then there's free one in the house, though I don't read it I use page 120 on teletext or the channel guide on Sky.

[spudqueen]

I'm female and don't watch any soaps. I don't generally buy a TV listings magazine, if I was going to it would be the Radio Times.

[tamsen]

Read somewhere that soapie watchers (mainly women i think) used content of soapies as a vehicle for discussing their own relationship issues with partners (who presumably watched too?) like: "see, ridge forrester just looked at his secretary funny. you do that all the time, bill!"
If you don't have a reason to leave the house you're gonna watch them whether you're a boy or a girl. but generally women watch soapies more.

[SASHAGREEN]

my step-dad got my mom into the soaps. they even record them so they can watch them when they eat dinner!

[robunibumuk]

i watch corrie and just read the listings in the daily papers

[happy_face]

Oh my God !!!!! Ridge Forrester. - that brings back memories

[GucciGal]

Hello am a 35 yr old f and watch Eastenders .... I read the Metro mag which is free with Thursday Evenings' Standard newpaper.

[GucciGal]

Oh and my husband hates all soaps. 34 yr old male.

[Buggsbird21]

My boyfriend and I watch Emmerdale, Eastenders, Corrie, Hollyoaks and even sometimes Home and Away. My boyfriend watched all of these before we got together. I buy Whats On TV every week x

[Otrere]

I'm an Eastenders woman!!

[tpfan]

As the only female on a shift with 28 male workers, I can tell you that i don't watch any soaps, unless ER or nip/tuck count; but that roughly half of the men do AND discuss the storylines. What's worse is that they watch Big Brother.

I prefer the Sky tv listings rather than mags.

[Trillipse]

my wife is particularly addicted to holby, corrie, emmerdale, casualty; even watching repeats on sat. channels when none are on terrestrial. this also extends to real-life soap operas, such as love island, bb, etc.

i despise these programs, preferring to watch paramount : seinfeld, frasier, cheers, everybody loves raymond, mash.

i explain this by reference to her love of dramatic catharthis, whereas i usually need a little comic relief.

i don't fare well, as i am low on the remote control pecking order, after my wife and two golden retreivers...sniff, sob

[Trillipse]

corrie, though is my drug of choice, followed by emmerdale, both of which i amply tolerate.

 

ps, my wife swears by TVTimes, i like the guardian guide.