Skip to the good stuff: About Soap | The Gay Story | The Final Verdict
About Soap:
Soap is a 1977 American sitcom about two sisters, Jessica and Mary, and their families. Jessica (Katherine Helmond) is married to Chester Tate (Robert Mandan). They’re wealthy and have two daughters and a son; Mary (Cathryn Damon) is a widow who is married to Burt Campbell (Richard Mulligan). They’re lower-middle class and have four sons (two by Burt’s previous marriage).
The show gets its name because it’s a racy parody of soap operas. The cast is large for a weekly television show and the plots would be considered risqué even by today’s standards. Season one deals with sexual affairs, lusting over a priest, murder, promiscuity, impotence, mental illness, and homosexuality. Many of the jokes are insensitive and would not be found amusing today.
Mary has a son, Jodie, who is gay. Having an unapologetically gay character who was not depressed, suicidal, a criminal, or a pedophile was unheard of in 1977. It was also a risky role for any actor to take on, especially for up-and-coming comedian, Billy Crystal. Although the depiction is much better than anything seen on TV at this time, it’s far from perfect. For instance, it’s been years since I heard anybody call a gay man a fruit and hearing it again–and repeatedly–did not bring back any happy memories.
The Gay Story:
Jodie is dating pro football player Dennis Phillips (Bob Seagren). Because Dennis is an athlete, they have to keep their relationship a secret. And when Dennis decides to date a woman so he can get married and hide his homosexuality, Jodie decides to get a sex change so Dennis can marry him instead. While this misguided storyline goes on for several episodes, luckily Jodie does not get the sex change.
However, when Jodie is in the hospital, he becomes friends with nurse Carol, who wants to sleep with him. There is also a touching scene between Jodie and his hospital roommate, an older straight man. I won’t get into specifics, but it’s surprisingly well done.
After Jodie is discharged, he and Carol continue seeing each other. This gives Carol an opportunity to get Jodie into bed, and it’s frustrating that he falls for her scheme every time. And although Jodie doesn’t magically become straight, these scenes are not pleasant.
There are also several other outrageous storylines: Burt’s long-lost sons show up, one of whom is a tennis coach who is having an affair with Jessica and his daughter, Corinne (Diana Canova). The other son is a ventriloquist who believes his dummy is alive.
The Final Verdict:
Soap is very much a product of its time. While some of the humor would be considered offensive today, it was bold enough to discuss taboo topics and introduced a positive gay character to viewers. For 1977, that was a risky proposition.
