Let's compare Erica's reaction to Bianca confessing she is a lesbian to Bianca's recent trauma with her rape and pregnancy. Although Bianca being gay was not a tragedy, the focus was on the stress this revelation did to this mother and daughter relationship on both sides. We were allowed to see in careful amounts Erica's confusion and lack of acceptance after hoping Bianca would be a little Erica clone. But Bianca was given equal time to confront her mother and deal with what she had owned up to. There was a give and take in the story and Erica was not given days, let alone weeks to sulk in the corner, clutching her chest and muttering the horror of her daughter being gay.
Fast forward to an absent Nixon and the long drawn out story of Job now being visited on Bianca. Not only has the story gone through many writing changing behind the scenes, but way too many incarnations of suffering to Bianca. And yet, where is her mother in this story? Conflicted? Supportive? Overprotective? Nope, she's just whining, about everything. Bianca gets raped; it is woe is Erica who is remembering her own rape. Bianca gets pregnant; it is woe is me who got pregnant from a rape. Kendall goes on trial for Michael's murder, it is "woe is me", I must protect my daughter from her own stupidity and crimes. And the icing on the cake, while both of her daughters are going through the trauma and havoc Michael reaped on their lives; Erica has taken to drinking! Erica freaks out every time Bianca dare give her unborn daughter any kind of loving attention and still hasn't really accepted that Bianca's gay! I ask you, do any of you really care what the heck Erica is feeling right now? Erica used to be someone writers made us care whether she was addicted to drugs, conned by Adam, or a rape victim. She hadn't become a saint, but the humbling or simply entertaining moments, drew us in to her humanity. But now, seriously, what does she have to worry about? She has actually managed to hold onto a man for a few minutes, Kendall got off for murder, Bianca apparently will get off for murder, and despite being raped has actually managed to look at her child as a blessing. Why is she taken to drink (other than perhaps very obvious baiting for Emmy reel tapes)? This goes far beyond Erica being selfish and crosses right on over into emotional abandonment and parental cruelty, which believe or not, I don't think Erica has actually ever committed before. Now, I could just chalk this up to poor and cliched writing and there is no question that has a lot to do with it. But Erica is not only the only daytime diva who is well known for being stuck in her own world and she is not the only one whose "me, me, me" attitude is beginning to work against them.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Sarah Lee's Soap Opera Reviews topic, please visit the Discussions page.