Subject: Twin Peaks IS pure soap opera satisfaction.
From: nancyh@hobbes.uucp (Nancy Holt)
Date: 1990-05-27, 18:27
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks
Reply-to: frank@darkside.com (Paul Burriesci)

Regarding Rich Rosen's 'it's a soap opera, dammit' diatribe a few
postings back:
AMEN!

i, for one, am getting a bit tired of people treating every damn 
inconsistency as an important clue or symbol, and every small detail
as relevant to the plot as Laura Palmer's death.

this is network tv, folks, and you will never get art approaching the
caliber you make twin peaks to be in a system based on statistical
determination of what people like because, sadly, this sort of art
appeals to a fairly small statistical number, especially in the
culturally backward united states.  twin peaks can ONLY be a soap
opera if it expects to keep running (or i suppose it could become
a "murder, she wrote" or "father dowling", but i don't like to think
about that)

i am also irritated by people crediting (or blaming) everything in
twin peaks on David Lynch.  his contributions to the show so far
include direction of three of the nine hours aired so far, working out
with Mark Frost the general plot of the show (which is a rather general
thing, and does not even go into dialogue, which is why they use
scriptwriters), and co executive producing the show. i can't remember
if he did any actual scriptwiting, but i'm sure someone might tell me.

in contrast to Rich Rosen, however, i will continue to watch twin peaks.
i enjoy the show, and i do not feel 'cheated' or offended that the show
has rapidly degenerated into a soap opera.  the way i am, if i like
something, no matter how much snobbery type bias i might have built
up toward it by whatever external forces contribute to my life, i'll
subscribe to it anyway.  by the way, this is not an attack at Rich's 
decision not to watch the show anymore.  the way i see it, he is 
disappointed with it's recent soap operaness and the show doesn't do
much for him anymore.  this is a perfectly fine attitude to take
and watching the show anymore would merely be a waste of time for him.
there is no 'correct' set of things to appreciate in terms of art or
entertainment, everybody likes their own things, that's what separates us
from machines -- individual opinion.


paul


"The dog who is so angry he cannot move.
He cannot eat.
He cannot sleep.
He can just barely growl.
...Bound so tightly with tension and anger, he approaches the state
of rigor mortis."  -from the comic strip "The Angriest Dog In The World",
     by David Lynch.