not completely useless

one of my not-so-secret shames - i'm a soap opera addict. maybe not a tape-everyday-without-fail addict, but definitely someone who stays updated on my favorite show, general hospital (snaps and swoons for sonny corinthos and jason morgan), on a regular basis. it takes very little for me to latch on, albeit temporarily, to a new soap. i don't really like most american soaps because they're ridiculous, but the indian ones are a whole 'nother story. indian serials, as they're called, are absolutely off-the-chain bad - contrived situations, rehashed plots, over-the-top characters, hideous actors/actresses, pathetically bad acting and overly-dramatic sound effects/visual tricks. still, despite all the negatives, i can start watching a show and follow it regularly for about six months before my frustration and disgust reaches dangerous levels. (of course, if there's a cute boy involved, my interest can be kept a little longer...) my willingness to put up with indian soaps has made me the source of astonishment/ridicule from my family, but it's ok, it's just the tip of the iceberg for them. but, now, thanks to a new study, i may not need to be so embarrassed by the shows. it seems, because the shows are so liberated-women-centric, they have actually changed gender attitudes in central india. while some of the stats in this story seem a little exaggerated, if even part of it is true, it's a good thing. though my personal opinion is that many of the female characters on these shows are really annoying, i'm sure they represent a whole new world to rural women in india.