Soap's Connection to 'Soap Opera'

 

Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

On this program we talk about common expressions in American English. And on today’s show we will talk about a very common household object. People used it thousands of years ago and most likely you used it today. I am talking about soap.

History experts say instructions for making soap were reportedly found on a clay Babylonian tablet. Ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Roman cultures also used some kind of soap.

Today there are many different types of soap – from bars to liquid, from scented¹ to plain. There are soaps to clean our bodies, our pets, our cars and our homes.

Advertising² for these products is big business. In fact, it is this connection to advertising that has given us the name of a very popular form of entertainment – soap operas.

Just as many cultures have their own kinds of soaps, they also have their kinds of soap operas – complicated stories about human relationships.

Many years ago (in the U.S.), they were the first programs to be paid for by soap-making companies. Companies that made soaps, detergents⁴ and other cleaning products originally broadcast their commercials during these shows. And who was mainly watching these daytime shows?

Housewives.

So, these commercials were aimed at women who may have been cleaning their homes while watching the television program.

Put new Duz in your washing machine. Finest duds (clothes) you’ve ever seen. Bigger news now when you sing, Duz does everything.’The new Duz brings you 'The Guiding Light' created by Irma Phillips.

So, that is where the “soap” part of the name "soap opera" comes from. But what about “opera”? Why not call them “soap shows”?

Well, in soap operas, the human stories that play out are extreme. The characters and situations of the shows are over-the-top! They probably would not happen in real life. In fact, that is why many people criticize or make fun of soaps. They are too unrealistic.

But who cares?! Not the people who love soap operas, that’s for sure.

People do not watch soap operas to see real life or to learn valuable lessons. Soap operas are escapist entertainment. You get to escape your own life and live dangerously in someone else’s … for about an hour at a time.

As you may have noticed during this program, we often call soap operas just “soaps,” as in, “Don’t bother Felicia right now. She is catching⁵ up on all her soaps.”

Now, some people may not want to admit that they enjoy watching such a show. For this reason, some people call soap operas their “guilty pleasure.”

Guilty pleasures appeal to our secret desires, the ones we do not like to publicly share. You watch something, enjoy it … and then feel a little guilty afterward⁶.

People who watch soap operas – either daytime or nighttime soaps – are usually very loyal followers⁷. In fact, it is this audience loyalty⁸ that appealed to advertisers in the first place.

Soaps can be very addictive⁹. Their stories are open-ended. Each episode leads to the next, to the next, to the next. And they usually end on some sort of cliffhanger, or an especially exciting ending. You really want to know what will happen next.

“Tune¹⁰ in next week!”

And you do tune in next week. You can’t wait to find out what happens! That is how a soap opera gets you hooked.

But that’s not all! I have so much more to tell you …

… next week on Words and Their Stories.

I’m Anna Matteo.

“As now for the next 30 minutes, “As the World Turns” brought to you by Ivory soap. Ninety-nine and forty-forty to 100 percent pure. It floats.!”

Words in This Story

soap – n. a substance that is used for washing something

tablet – n. a flat piece of stone, clay, or wood that has writing on it

scented – adj. having a perfumed smell

complicated – adj. difficult to understand or explain

detergent³ – n. a powder or liquid that is used to clean clothes, dishes, etc. : a chemical substance that is like soap

character – n. a person in a story or play

over-the-top – informal : going beyond what is expected, usual, normal, or appropriate

addictive – adj. very enjoyable in a way that makes you want to do or have something again

open-ended – adj. not ending in a certain way or on a certain date

cliffhanger – n. a story, contest, or situation that is very exciting because what is going to happen next is not known

hooked on – idiomatic expression : very interested and enthusiastic about (something)

1 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 detergent   

n.洗涤剂；adj.有洗净力的

参考例句：

• He recommended a new detergent to me.他向我推荐一种新的洗涤剂。
• This detergent can remove stubborn stains.这种去污剂能去除难洗的污渍。

4 detergents   

n.洗涤剂( detergent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Such detergents do not yellow the wool as alkali tends to do. 这种洗涤剂不会象碱那样使羊毛发黄。 来自辞典例句
• Development of detergents has required optimization of the surfactants structure. 发展洗涤剂时，要求使用最恰当的表面活性剂结构。 来自辞典例句

5 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

6 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

7 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

8 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

9 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

10 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。