THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 11, 1994 TAG: 9407120520
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E01 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THE GATEWAY
Exploring the Computer World
SOURCE: BY KATHY WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
YOU THINK you're sick of hearing about O.J. Simpson?
You couldn't be any angrier than the millions of soap opera fans whose daily digest of infidelity, divorce and murder has been pre-empted by - well - talk of infidelity, divorce and murder.
Los Angeles' posh Brentwood neighborhood has been almost as busy as the soap opera lands of Pine Valley, Corinth and Genoa City lately - much to the dismay of the Internet users who call themselves RATS. That's because you'll find them talking on a USENET group - rec.arts.tv.soaps.
The RATS are mostly working men and women who have their VCRs whirring from 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays. They don't want to miss one breathless moment of ``All My Children,'' ``Loving'' or ``The Young and the Restless.''
At night, they pop in their tapes, hit the rewind button and sink into a world of sheer nonsense. And if they forget to tape, they can always post a message to the group:
``Anybody have a summary of what happened on `All My Children' today?'' one soap opera fan queried recently.
``Well, the defense agreed to give the prosecution 100 hairs and the prosecution agreed to let the defense watch the tests,'' came the disgusted reply of one fan, who had found O.J. on his tape that evening.
It's been a rough few weeks, say the RATS, who chat in code. Too much O.J. Not enough AMC, OLTL, GL, GH, LOV, DOOL.
Gone are the good old days when the RATS could exchange important observations:
``Can you believe the dress Dixie wore at her wedding?'' (Olive green, scaly fabric)
``Looks like she'd know what looks good by now. It was her fifth wedding!'' (Adam, Tad, Steve, Brian, Tad again).
So, these days, they've taken to flaming O.J. and the television networks. Death penalty, one RATS member advocates - if for nothing else than taking up the daytime airwaves. And the networks? Ratings, ratings, ratings. What's next? Hertz ads?
The RATS want their soap operas back. And with good reason.
On ``All My Children'' (that's AMC in RATS talk) a tornado is scheduled to hit Pine Valley on July 15. Tad, a favorite, is supposed to have a dream sequence that will bring the return of his evil father, the angelic woman who only thought she was his mother, his sister who died in an explosion and maybe even Billy Clyde Tuggle - the man who once blew Tad off a bridge.
But O.J.'s preliminary hearing could delay all that. The tornado may not hit until fall. And by then, who knows where Tad might be?
But even with the end of the preliminary hearing, the RATS fear the daytime bulletins and coverage will continue. They dread the real trial.
Make-believe soaps are so much more addictive than the real-life one unfolding four hours a day on the screen.
``I bet the network execs didn't think of the long-term viewers they might lose. They should take a lesson from the tobacco industry and keep their users hooked,'' wrote a RAT named Nancy.
More than 11,000 fans have called ABC alone with their protests, threatening to abandon daytime TV forever if ``All-OJ-All-The-Time'' isn't over soon.
But alas: Like sands through the hour glass, the O.J. coverage rolls on. In Hampton Roads, computer users can explore the Internet through the InfiNet online service. For details, call 622-4289. MEMO: If you have any ideas or comments for The Gateway, contact Rob
Morris, robm(AT)infi.net or call 446-2362.
In Hampton Roads, computer users can explore the Internet through the
InfiNet online service. For details, call 622-4289.
by CNB