DO YOUR CIVIC AND CYBER DUTY!!

You people owe  it to yourself and your man here (me) to get over to GH Rocks and vote me in as your favorite scoopster on the NET!  Don't make me ask twice or get on the ass of a train with Truman or something cause if I do THAT, I won't have time to write a column for Monday!!

Go show them who rules the net (we do) and put the smack down on those fan bases that are spamming!!  Show them how REAL spamming is done!!

From My TV Campaign (did you see it?)  

*sniff*  My convention hall is empty!

But I got Abbie Hoffman's Endorsement!
Schweeet!
(yes, I know he's dead, but
get the stick out yo ass &
let's PLAY!)

NOW GO DO THAT VOODOO THAT YOU DO SO WELL!

VOTE FOR ME, DAGNABBIT!!!

#8 Baby!!

NOT HAPPY!!!  NOT HAPPY AT ALL!!

*sigh*  One of my gal pals wrote to me today asking if I had ANY further information on ZEm or what was going to happen with Zander.  I told her what I tell about everyone who writes about storyline stuff:  "If I know it, it'll be in the column."  Not long after that, I got a little buzz from a good source who has always reported info to me that is quite accurate, so when she talks, baby, Sage sits up, perks up ears and listens. 

I've had some mixed feelings on the whole ZEm story since Emily returned.  I do think that Natalia Livingston is doing as good of a job as any NonAmber human could do with the role.  Sure, it's different, as it's always going to be through the filter of a different actor's take on the character.  A bit of adjusting was required for me around the corners, but hey, I'm cool with it.  I was uneasy from the beginning with her decision to not tell Zander about the cancer and the whole "one perfect day" thing was just way too morbid for me.  I'm just not into breaking someone's heart "for their own good."  If I were Zander and found out the real reasons why she had altruistically lied her face off to him, rejected him and flaunted her "relationship" with another man in his face, I'd want to dump her just for doing that.  Forget the selfless reasoning behind it.  It bugs me that Monica saw what keeping her cancer from Alan did to her marriage and isn't screaming the truth from the rooftops "for Emily's own good."  I agree that a person should be allowed to deal with personal and emotional situations as privately as they choose and in whatever manner they choose, but to do so by outright lying and in Monica's case, backing up the lie, is a whole different story (literally).

I've got to tell my poor little ZEmmongers, it's not going to get better anywhere soon.  What my friend asked was whether or not Chad was getting ripped off.  I guess that depends on how you look at it. He's getting some highly emotional material to play and that (as for instance, in the Jax leaves Skye outstanding performance by Robin Christopher), ain't ever bad.  He's going to have more good upcoming stuff and that's also good for Chad.  When he gets a chance to really go for it, let off the restraints and work a scene, that's good for Chad and we're going to see that. 

We're going to see some manipulations of the character of Gia as I guess she falls for Zander and keeps the truth from him to hold onto him.  It's not clear yet as to how far the wedding between Nikolas and Emily gets, but word is that Zander finds out about the cancer on June 30th (although another source tells me it's pushed out to July 7th) and that does NOT bring them together.

I stand by my original assessment that there is NO guarantee or plan right now on who is going to end up together.  Liz and Ric, Jason and Liz, Sonny and Carly, Jason and Courtney, Emily and anybody are all subject to the whims of the writers right now and the interest of the writers is NOT with the fans or their desires at this point.  This is probably one of the first times in soap history that the wants of fans has been basically rendered null and void.  Who do I blame for this??  The internet that gave so many of us not only a voice, but the means to mobilize an army that agrees with our perspective, whatever that might be.  When you have 10,000 people screaming for a Jason and Elizabeth reunion and 10,000 people screaming for Liz and Ric to make it and 10,000 people screaming for a Lucky and Elizabeth reunion and 10,000 people screaming for a Jason and Courtney happy union, it just becomes 40,000 people screaming who all cancel out one another.  When there's no clear majority (trust me, there's not - for every vote, there's one to cancel it out), the writers just do what pleases them and their bosses.  In our fervor to get what we want, we have inadvertently screwed ourselves out of what we want... a voice.

Grim, huh?

Another thing I need to address is a situation that Katrina called my attention to today that prior to her heads up, I did not know existed.  In my first Ask Sage column, a dear netpal of mine asked what I would like... well, let me reprint the question and my answer:

Dear Sage,
What would you most like us to stop talking about?

Repetitive actor or character bashing.  I can dig it if you state your dislike for a character or actor in the context of conversation, but just loud, obnoxious ranting about an actor or character gets on my nerves.  The folks at the Ranch (my message board) are really cool about not doing that and I really appreciate it, but I've gone over to the EOS GH board a few times and keep finding posts that hurt my teeth to read.

I guess people took offense at this and I really only meant to honestly answer the lady's question.  Those who read my column know a good bit about me if they've been around for very long.  There's not much I hold back and I'm very much a WYSIWYG person (what you see is what you get).  I am who I am.  If you haven't picked up on this information prior to this column, let me clear up a couple of things:

1).  I can't stand message boards.  I feel they bring out the absolute worst in people and provide a magnificent breeding ground for hate, venom and negativity.  It's my stalwart impression that they encourage people to say things and behave in ways that they would never dream of in "real life."  It makes people forget in an instant that dammit, this *is* real life, like it or not, and there's another person on the other end of the keyboard.  It's way too easy to sit behind the comfortable and safe anonymity of the net and eviscerate people who dare to disagree with your almighty rightness and battle to the death over bullshit that is about as important as a fart in a tornado.  I never wanted to have a message board and I only conceded to one after Katrina tweaked my ear around a bit and told me how much my readers would like getting together in a tighter community and that I had to trust my people.  I did and I've overall, I've never regretted it.  It's been what, ladies, a couple of years now?  I have a community of highly intelligent, respectful, delightful people and I'm really grateful for their presence every day.  That being said, I still hate message boards for all of the reasons given above.  I just love *mine*.

2).  I do not welcome ongoing negativity, venom, hatred, pettiness and viciousness into my life, whether that is directed toward a person, a character or whatever.  I do not *hate* Jill Farren Phelps (EP for GH) or Bob Guza (co-Head Writer for GH), but I sure hate what they've done to my soaps and I have no problem offering protest.  Ongoing bashing and hatred is just something that I have no interest in entertaining.  Intelligent criticism and bashing are not even in the same ballpark... it ain't even the same sport.

3).  A month or so ago, someone, I think it was Sherry Mercurio, or at least I'm going to say it was here because she's on vacay and isn't here to deny it, told me about The Cottage and how I should check it out. The Cottage is the Eye on Soaps GH board that is separate from my Ranch board.  I ventured over one day to take a look and saw a lot of posts bashing Courtney, bitching over and over about her.  I'm thinking, "OK, someone had a problem with Courtney today."  I went back a few days later... same thing:  four or five threads hammering away at Courtney.  When I saw the same thing on the third try within a week's time or so, I pretty well figured out it wasn't a place where I wanted to be.  Are there worse boards out there? Sure there are.  Do I know what The Cottage is like on a day to day basis or what their heart is about?  Of course I don't after only a few visits.  I did, however, see enough in that time to decide that I didn't feel like sifting through the negativity to find the jewels that are likely there.  My computer time is just too precious for that. 

4).  I don't know everyone (hardly anyone for that matter) at the Cottage, I'm not judging them personally and I don't presume to know their agendas.  I like Courtney and Alicia Leigh Willis very much, as I detailed in a recent post, and I just didn't care to stay in a place where she was being bashed all the time or at least every time I was there.  It was a very personal decision.  Others who are more thick-skinned than I am and have a higher immunity and to and tolerance of ongoing negativity would likely have a different impression.  Maybe others would make the same decision if they had a favorite character and were having to overlook constant hammering of that person to get to good stuff.  Maybe they wouldn't.  Regardless, I was very disappointed in the atmosphere it created (especially on a site with which I am directly affiliated), decided not to return and wrote to explain my decision to Sherry Mercurio (the board moderator) and Katrina (the owner and Mama of Eye on Soaps) so they wouldn't think I was just doing flybys on the site. 

5).  I know now that some crap erupted on the board afterwards when I guess people had trouble telling the difference between voicing a negative opinion ("I thought it was really dumb of Carly to not run screaming out of Ric's house when she escaped today") versus ongoing, constant basing of a character that doesn't really invite conversation ("CARLY IS A DUMBASS HAHAHAHA DUMB CARLY!  I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SHE'S FINALLY OFF THE SHOW!" being the signature for every post). 

6).  I didn't mean to offend any of the Cottage folks.  When I said "I've gone over to the EOS GH board a few times and keep finding posts that hurt my teeth to read" (which was the full extent of anything I said that could be remotely construed as negative), I just meant that seeing bashing on a board, as opposed good, healthy conversation, is not my bag.  I've always said that if that starts to happen on my board and after a request or two to cut it out is ignored, I'll drop the board.  That still stands and fortunately, I've only had to mention that a couple of times and it's always pretty much been cool.  It might sound Nazi-ish, but I feel like The Ranch is my cyber home and the people who post there are guests in my home.  That means I get to decide what is and isn't acceptable behavior in my home.  I know Katrina feels the same about every message board affiliated with Eye on Soaps.  I would hope the people who take advantage of the graciousness of Eye on Soaps and Katrina to set up a forum to allow visiting (a parlor in Katrina's house, more or less) and conversation, would be decent and classy enough to honor what she asks.  I know Katrina personally and the cut and pastes I saw from that board in relation to her are not only the antithesis (that means direct opposite) of who she is and what she's about, but are definitely not the way guests would speak to a host in their own home.  It certainly solidified my choice not to return to share time with people who would treat my friend (and their hostess) that way.  In any situation, there will always be some people who just don't get it.

7).  In short, I said what I said and stopped going to the Cottage because of the Courtney bashing, specifically, and I'm staying away because of the way Katrina was treated when she attempted to curtail that very thing.  I hope this clarifies my previous comments.

Side note:  Our expenses were more than our donations this month and we really, really want to get rid of those pop up ads on the site, so it's not to late to donate!  Katrina and I paid the difference (her husband is laid off and I am on a fixed income - actually more of a broken one) and Katrina said that if we met the amount of the expenses for the sites for a second month in a row, we'd take off the pop ups.  If you've been thinking of contributing a few bucks (or a lot!!) to keep EOS going and get rid of those nasty pop ups (imagine how clean and clear our site would be and easy to load too!), this would be a good time to do it!!  A HUGE THANK YOU AND MASSIVE BEAR HUG to all of you who have helped us out this month!!  It is very greatly appreciated and a special thank you to those who are there for us every single month!!  You guys are super stars and are the reason we are still here!  Those who cannot contribute, PRAY, light a candle, swing a dead chicken, whatever it is that you do!  Having EOS disappear this weekend really made me feel how lost I'd be without it!

That's all for now!  As I get more gossipy gossip, you'll hear about it!

All My Love,

OK, so last week...

I veered off the path and tried and Ask Sage column and now I'm all famous and stuff.  I got flooded with a ton of e-mails asking me about stuff, so I'm just going to go with that and kind of build my column around it for a while.  You people ask some really cool stuff (that would be because you're smart and all).  I'm going to print the letters just like I receive them, so you might want to hit spell check before you write me.  I'm well into riding shotgun with Captain Morgan, so I'm going to spell check myself tomorrow when I'm seeing better.  Just consider any typos you find now to be tiny treasures hidden just for you to discover.

Hey Sage

Do you think this Courtney chick will leave any time soon I'm kinda tired of her and I'm tired of Jason. Am I the only one who thinks their dressing Courtney like Carly.

Bye!

I'm betting she will or else she'll lose her mind or something.  The course of true love never runs smooth, blah, blah, blah and boola boola.  I heard a wacky rumor that she was going to lose her memory and hook up with Alcazar the Sequel, which should seriously chap Jason's hide, I'd guess. 

They are definitely now dressing Courtney in conventional Mob Ho Clothes.  Before she was a stripper, she used to dress like Marty McFly, but now she's more like one of the Fly Girls.  I think stripping awaked the inner hussy in her or something, putting her in touch with her feminine prowess.  I'm not completely sure how you could be tired of Jason, though.  I could watch him with the sound turned down for hours.

Where is my sexy brilliant Stefan?

This surely isnt the story we all waited for and hoped for.

Why must a Stefan fan be screwed every damm time by GH.

Is there no reason at all to continue with the soaps.  I used to love them. However the romance is gone, the many levels are gone. All is one dimensional. All is packaging and promotion of a select few and stories contrived merely to bolster those select few.

I guess Tyler is the new recipient of bolstering.  And Stephen Nichols is simply the means to that end.  I am sadder once again and once again feeling like GH stabbed the Stephen Nichols fans in the back.

Can you tell me otherwise?  Why?

My poor precious!!  You're going to have massive holes in your walls from your head pounding against them at this rate!  I feel your pain, believe me.  This is definitely not the Stefan story that filled our dreams and Stephen Nichols, in his infinite wisdom, insisted on a short term (supposedly 7 months) contract just in case they started making Stefan really stupid or never on screen.  The man has to pay the bills, you know?  While can't really object to the bolstering of Tyler Christopher (I'll even watch him with the sound on), I hate the way Stefan is being treated and Nikolas' lap dog that he keeps on a tight leash in the corner.  We shoulda gotten better.  We deserve better.  Stefan deserves better, but the idiot writer just really, really don't get it.  I wish I could promise better, but I'm not going out on that limb.

Ever since Jason was paired up with Courtney I have stopped watching GH. I can't believe they didn't pair him up with Liz.  I would like to know if you have heard anything.  Wether the actor who plays Courtney is leaving or if at least we have any hope for Jason pairing up with Liz.

On the subject of a Liason reunion, despite rumors that it's ultimately in the plan, I'm hearing that right now, the powers that be don't have ANY idea who will end up with whom and are just tossing people around to see who sticks together and who repels (knowing their track record, they probably see the repelling as a challenge for the next super couple to overcome.  *sigh*

Dear Sage,
Do you thinkthey will ever bring back the friendship between jason and liz  and sonny and luke. I hate that they don't even put them in any of the same scenes. Is it that they are scared the fans will go crazy wanting these friendships back?

If there is anything this GH regime hates, it's friendship, so I wouldn't look for much of that to be going around at all.  I don't think it has to do with the fans at all.  I think it has to do with what these writers and this producer like to see and want to do.  In this case (as opposed to how other soaps are run), the way GH proceeds is a very self-pleasuring process set up to amuse only the people who are making it happen... not the fans and not the actors beyond the select golden few.  It's all about what they want to see to entertain themselves in their own select little private screening that we all get to watch.  It's about their warped view of what works and who's impressive.

I have been a Kristina Wagner fan since her first day on GH. I missed Frisco when he left, and felt awful that "Felicia" just left with no send off. I had hoped that she would be written as going off to help Frisco in some way, bringing her story to a complete circle, but of course no luck.

Have you heard anything about her now? or if she left on good terms with GH

Nope, I think they're going to keep her gone or maybe recast.  I've heard rumors of a possible KW return, but I think if she does, it would likely be very brief.  The terms of her leaving were not made public (as with Genie Francis), but I have a feeling they were not good ones.

How did Reginald get a job as the Q's butler???

His father, Jennings, was the butler before him and in fact, still works at their summer home on Oyster Bay.

Dear Sage:

A recent Soap Opera Digest had a cover story on Journey that made it sound like they were this immensely popular couple.  Is that true?  I had the impression that the fans found Journey boring and the rooting interest was still with Liaison (despite the hachet job Guza/Pratt have done on the character of Liz).

They are the sushi of soap love.  Some people really, really love the couple and set up special shrines to them like sushi bars where you can come and indulge.  To others, it's nothing more than raw fish, roe, eel and some old sticky rice.  Yes, they have their fans, but I do think Guza has inflated the balloon a little too much on this pop.

Nah. I think they're going to end up letting NLG go.  They really seem to be punishing her in some wacked out, passive-aggressive way.  Her scripted comment at the Daytime Emmys of "you have to keep the writers happy or you'll be punished" was a little too perfect.  It would be great story.  Alexis and Luke are wonderful together and what an ultimate wrench in the Spencer-Cassadine war.  Sadly, we can't have two really, really good actors like that be happy in love, so I can't see it happening.  In my world and in yours, sure.  In their world, no way..

I can't see him coming to the Q's to talk to the butler about it (what a scene that would be!), so I wouldn't expect it anywhere soon.  It's horribly remiss for this not to have happened.  There is definitely going to be some good Stefan-Alexis stuff coming up when Alexis figures out that Emily was supposed to be the one to go over the cliff, not Summer, and confronts Stefan about it. 

OK, let's humor crazy pervert chick and see how old this guy is.  OK, I've had the golden team combing the net and no one can find this guy's name or stats, so curb your horn until we find out if he's legal or not.  OK, his name is Andrew St. John, but I can't find his age, so BE CAREFUL!!  I don't want to be visiting your in jail and baking you files with cakes in them and such.

Anything for a pal.  If I hear anything, I'll let you know.

Do you think that Robin Christopher will ever get her own storyline, or will she forever be regulated to serving as a plot in others?

Thanks

I do NOT think that she will get a decent story because she's a strong, interesting, complex character steeped in ABC history with connections to several people in Port Charles and virtually none to the Corinthos family except for a no-longer-blood-brother connection to Jason.  She is over 30 and is sexy and vibrant.  That is absolute assurance that the powers that be won't touch her with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole.

Sage,

Last week on AMC during a montage of scenes of the principals involved in Leora's death, a male sang a song which was absolutely lovely. It was unfamiliar to me, but it sounded like it could have been Vincent Irizarry singing. Is that possible?

Hope you know!

Thanks

My wonderful fans have told me that the song is "To Where You Are" and is sung by Josh Groban.  Thanks, folks!

Hello Sage Dahling~

Faith's obsession with Ric has been bugging the Hell out of me!! I don't get it. She only slept with Ric once and they have had no more than a "Revenge Against Sonny Partnership". I understand that Faith has an obsessive personality, but why Ric? It would be much more plausible if she were obsessed with Ned. Please put me out of my misery and explain this one, oh great and powerful Sage!!

Kisses~

Ass kissing will get you everywhere, my sweet.  I don't have a clue either.  I think Ned was busy with the "Destroy Alexis" project, which left the fantasy of "beautiful woman is obsessed with me" role open and Ric fell neatly into place.  More stuff that makes no sense.

Faith is coming back into the picture when she poisons Elizabeth.  She lives and is taken to GH and Faith is arrested.

How do I not feel slighted when another online writer gets an interview with a soap star after I'd already been nice and asked the soap star's contacts?  In fact, sometimes, the soap star's contacts tell me that he won't be available, or they can't make him be available, it's up to him, but I'll be the first. In one case, I have been nothing but kind to this contact, with no ulterior motive other than knowing her from the boards and liking her. I know it's probably out of her hands and it truly is, in many cases, a matter of the soap star's proclivities, availability and just pure dumb luck. But still, rejection sucks. Any attitude adjustment tips?

Just chalk it up to right place, right time, have a cold one and don't sweat the small stuff.  Sometimes other columnists need accessories like contacts around them, but you shine beautifully just by who you are.

I know soo many people that love the pairing of Lena and Bianca.These 2 ladies have smoldering chemistry and light the screen on fire.The love story has been written great.But with Megan coming aboard,will she screw with it???We are all worried sick.We want this couple front and center and reunited quickly.Olga Sosnovska is the hottest thing on soaps right now.Use her.....LIANCA All the way!!!Do u have any scoops with Bianca and Lena???With the rape of Bianca that might get them where they belong where is on the screen everyday besides this other crap they have on.More Lianca!!!!!!!

Do you think there is any chance Jason will get his memory back or at least become more involved with the Q's? It would make a much more interesting character.

Honestly, I think Jason already HAS his memory back and has just determined the Q's to be a bunch of bozos that he'd prefer to ignore.  I also think he really digs on being a mob guy.  Have you noticed that since Guza and Pratt took over as writers, whenever there's a 9-1-1 ambulance call to the penthouse or where ever, Jason starts in with that talk like, "Call the ER of General Hospital, 9321000. Tell them to set up OR6 immediately and contact Anaesthesiologist Isador Thorock, 4722112, beep 12. Have 'em send an ambulance with a Paramedic crew, blood IV, D5 and W, KBO, STAT."

There's going to be some good Jason stuff coming up when he tries to rescue Carly.  Scott won't believe Michael when he says Ric took Carly and things get really nutty (in a Ransom for Red Chief way) when Ric gets so fed up with the trouble Carly's causing that he dumps her at the doctor's office.  Alcazar re-kidnaps her, puts her in the panic room and whips Ric like a puppy and tries to convince people that Carly is in South America.  Sonny cracks a deal with Scott and the FBI to get their help in rescuing Carly.

WHERE HAPPENEND TO OLTL GOSSIP?  Do you not like OLTL anymore??

Pfft.  You got any?  I like OLTL BEST!!  Historically, OLTL especially and AMC to some degree are locked up tighter than Mother Teresa's panty drawer as far as scoops or insider info is concerned.  I do my best, baby, but if I ain't got it, I can't write it!

Well well seems there’s lots of rumors out there this weekend, Soap town and GHH2 are both giving out rumors that Philips is finally on her way out and that Pratt will take over her duty’s, and Rische is going over to PC, and the other is that, Rische is taking over Philips job, the other is Anna is returning now, what’s your take on all this, OH ya the other, only way Laura, Stephan, will sign long term deals if Philips is gone, So big guy what you think?

I personally do not believe that there's any way Genie Francis is going to return with Jill Farren Phelps as EP and/or Bob Guza as head writer.  There would have to be lots and lots and lots of sacrifices made at her altar before she'd even give them the time of day, I'm betting.  I think Stephen Nichols (Stefan) will re-sign after his contract expires in December if the Cassadine story is moving along and he's getting air time.  As far as Anna returning, it was inevitable that when Leora died and the Haywards broke up that rumors would start of her defection from Pine Valley.  I'm still not hearing anything, so I can't confirm or deny.

Likewise on the great Executive Producer, Writer shift.  I've done spot checks with people at all different levels of the GH playing field and no one seems to know anything about this.  The most I've heard is a rumbling that JFP might leave, but if she goes and Bob Guza steps in as EP, I can guarantee you that you will not notice a difference.  It will be seamless.  Wendy Riche wwas spotted on the set this week, so it's a possibility, but man, she and Guza hated one another with a white hot fever that is usually only reserved for cheating spouses and puppy killers.

Dear Sage,
I just read on another message board, that the Rape of Bianca was not going to happen after all. I don't know how true that is. But I taught I'd let you know. So if you hear anything different please let us know ok? Also I love your site everyday I look for it . Keep up the good work.          

Thanks, Precious.  From what I'm hearing, it's a go and the set was closed to all but Erica, Michael, Bianca and Kendall.  The episode is supposed to air July 8th.  Boyd is not set to leave anywhere soon and is NOT the rapist as was previously rumored.  There's also rumor of David being involved in helping to stop the rape.

That's all I've got, folks!  Hope you have a happy week!