General Hospital's Rena Sofer Is Right: Soaps Provide Community Missing From Today's World

Many of us can fondly recall a time when our mother or grandmother was done with their morning routine, and shortly after noon, it was time to escape from reality to watch their "stories" — or soap operas. After several hours of this every weekday for years, we couldn't help but get sucked into these larger-than-life stories. While a lot of folks found school or work became major priorities over watching them with ma or grandma, millions were hooked and continue to watch the four remaining sudsers: "The Young and the Restless," "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Days of Our Lives," and "General Hospital."

In a report posted on May 23, 2023, Psychology Today explained that loneliness has become an epidemic, but multigenerational families that watch soaps find comfort and stability in seeing the same faces on their television screens day in and day out. The site explained that soap characters can become like "emotional anchors" after decades of welcoming them into your home, and fans have created a community by connecting over a shared passion.

On November 29, TV Insider posted an interview with "GH" star Rena Sofer (Lois Cerullo), who understands the importance of soap operas. "There's an epidemic of loneliness in this country. It's only getting worse with social media, Zooms, and the pandemic," she stated, adding, "So often soap operas get a bad rap, which is unfortunate." She went on to elaborate on how soaps are beneficial to viewers.

"General Hospital" actress Rena Sofer explained to TV Insider, "What not everyone may realize is that when people are lonely in this country, and they've grown up watching these shows with their parents and grandparents, they get to see these people every day, five days a week." She elaborated by noting, "They tap into something that literally alleviates their loneliness for one hour a day."

Without praising herself specifically, Sofer opened up about her sudden realization that the job of soap actors is truly important. "I think what soap operas give to people who've watched, in our show's case, for over 60 years, is a sense of connection, community, and continuity — which we don't have a lot of in this world anymore." While sudsers can often be the butt of jokes in the entertainment industry, Sofer feels they are "incredibly necessary." She also pointed out that the "seamless" relationship between her character Lois, her mother Gloria Cerullo (Ellen Travolta), and daughter Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton), is important for viewers.

Likewise, Travolta explained that viewers see a wide variety of problems that families often face and can identify with those stories and scenarios. "There's a feeling of inclusion that doesn't happen in a lot of other media that does happen in soap operas," she remarked, adding that when someone says that something "sounds like a soap opera," it's because they're relating real-world issues with those seen on daytime dramas.

In April 2016, The Guardian reported that soap opera stories that involved mental health issues were instrumental in prompting many viewers to seek help because they could relate to the on-screen scenarios. Paul Farmer, who is the chief executive of a charity called Mind, stated that when a storyline involving mental health is presented responsibly, it "Can help people who might be struggling to feel less alone, and they play a vital role in signposting to the help and support that is available."

"General Hospital" has told several well-received mental health stories, including Mike Corbin's (Max Gail) heartbreaking battle with Alzheimer's disease, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) dealing with bipolar disorder, and Sasha Gilmore (Sofia Mattsson) suffering a great loss that led to drug addiction and mental health issues. Soaps often have larger-than-life, sometimes even ridiculous stories, which serve as much-needed escapism from real life, while the core tenets of love, honor, and betrayal still resonate with viewers. United We Care reported in July 2022 that characters on soaps often influence viewers' own behavior.

Aside from soap operas helping to keep families together, the fans are among the most loyal of any genre and often go to bat for their favorite character or storyline on social media. Most soap actors are aware of this loyalty and often give thanks to the fans who continue to keep them employed.