Shortly after the news broke on Thursday afternoon, fans began to call Robin Strasser's hotline to hear her thoughts on the historic cancellation of One Life to Live. (The actress has been playing Dorian on and off since around this time of year in 1979.) Those who were fortunate enough to hear her message were so impressed that they quickly spread the word for others to listen, and by Friday afternoon, callers were greeted with a simple click instead of the actress's voice, which she later explained was caused by the overwhelming volume of calls the phone service received.
Not to be silenced, Robin Strasser took to the Internet on Friday night and by Saturday morning, We Love Soaps had posted her words, "unedited and uncensored."
She unapologetically states that she is "INCAPABLE of GRIEVING and LYING at the same time," and goes on to express her unadulterated opinion of ABC's recent press release in which daytime president Brian Frons describes the shows as "iconic" and thanks the cast, crew, producers and fans for their "commitment to the shows through their history."
She gives her own heartfelt thanks to these people, and specifically to Michael Logan of TV Guide, who first leaked the news of the impending cancellations. About 600 people are about to lose their jobs, but thanks to him, many of them have been working on a Plan B.
Robin Strasser's unabashed honesty is refreshing and encouraging in a society where so many people are afraid to speak up and tell the truth about their feelings -- where being undiplomatic can often cost you your job, future jobs, or worse. In a society where prospective employers often peek at personal thoughts on Facebook before deciding to hire, where successful people have had to learn to censor themselves, it is good to know that there are still people who understand the value of honesty, the pain of injustice, and aren't afraid to say what people need to hear.
Please visit We Love Soaps and thank them and Robin Strasser for sharing these unedited words:
There is MUCH to regret in ABC's decision to cancel All My Children AND One Life to Live. My fan/friends are calling in to hear what I think. That's what they do.
So huge were the numbers of them, that as of last night: the phone service t...echies HAD to dis-connect the number, so they could continue to service those other 99 persons.
They promise they will figure something out and even if the number has to be changed, they'll have the HOTline UP and running again.
If they can "salvage" the message I made, yesterday...exactly one hour after I heard the appalling news...they will. I hope they can.
Long time callers clearly understand why it's always been called Robin's HOTline (lol).
I am INCAPABLE of GRIEVING and LYING at the same time..
and ya know as many things as I need to change about myself--that is NOT one of them.
I'm part of team headed by Frank Valentini, the best Executive Producer EVER in this genre...and in a 43 year career, I worked with a lot of them!
He pledges (with the positive affirmative intelligence that is his personal brand) that we will bring the show to a close with the BEST ending possible!
Great! I am SO ON-board!!!!
And yet...I ask myself ... why do I feel over-come with a mad-ass recklessness that compels me to tell the truth? (albeit the truth as I see it in this moment)
Surely you can't send out a press release calling the two soon to be cancelled shows "Iconic" and then toss them out?... is it me? but I cannot make sense of this concept or how it works for any one?
I'm perched on that slippery slope of being judgmental...but too saddened to lie, I confess: my jury is in! This seems a cavalier and misconceived idea...excuse me, but possibly celebrating the loss of SO MANY jobs with the spin-maker use of the word "EVOLVING" is inappropriate?
I've got a healthy addiction to Classic Movies...here's my current fave flashback montage:
Peter Finch shouting out the window and getting others to join in:
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more"
note: he died soon after after giving that performance...
Amazing Susan Hayworth with her awesome sparky retort to her jailers in I Want to Live:
"What are you goin' to do? Kill me?"
and just for some release of tension add Bette Davis nervously trying to light her own cigarette in Dark Victory:
"I'm told I have a sense of humor"
It is NOT all about me...but as a human being, as one who has been BLESSED to be able to earn her living ALL her life doing work she LOVES...I just have to acknowledge that the pain is palpable.
From my viewpoint:
All the revisionist corporate spinning can NOT diminish or squelch the VALUE, the PASSIONATE LOYALTY, and the LOVE our audiences have for these shows.
A suggestion? In your way, be creative, and come up with ways to be as positive as you can muster but-- I implore you: put "thought into action"... be pro-active.
If MY little Hotline can be CRASHED BY THE VOLUME OF CALLERS----what MIGHT happen if the energies of our fans went in other effective directions? I'm just asking.
Would you kindly help a Veteran Diva with a computer skills deficiency out?Please?
Blast, Twitter,Facebook and Chat Room this unexpurgated and un-edited piece of my mind.
And DO NOT DELETE THIS PLEASE:
I THANK YOU...OUR ENTIRE CAST/CREW/PRODUCTION AND DESIGN TEAMS THANK YOU...AND THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS IMPENDING LOSS: THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU!!!!!!!
(yes, you are right...paraphrased shamelessly from James Cagney's Oscar winning Yankee Doodle Dandy)
BIG SHOUT OUT:
Please...may I count on applause from MY fan/friends for Michael Logan of TV Guide and his sagacious and courageous EARLY report that AMC and OLTL were going to be cancelled?
People give truth tellers a hard time...and I'm suggesting that his accurate prediction deserves some appropriate HONOR. It is because of that "leak" that the plan could not be hidden nor the reveal delayed...
Six hundred of us about to lose our jobs, appreciate the advance notice in order to intelligently come up with Plan B.
LOVE, LIGHT, AND HOPE!
Robin
PS: I'll be moving to Los Angeles when the show closes down...and I'm gonna Twitter as soon as I can learn how...AND I am gonna pick a fight back with Chelsea Handller who dissed me at length on her show...oh yeah, uh huh...Plan B is shaping UP...more later!
Disclaimer: the opinions expressed are ONLY MY OWN. I have no ghost writer nor editor nor sought legal counsel before pressing "send".
(I did run on, but if not NOW, WHEN?)
Robin Strasser's unadulterated words were in contrast to the tactful words of other ABC "divas." After Susan Lucci's statement that "It’s been a fantastic journey. I’ve loved playing Erica Kane and working with Agnes Nixon and all the incredible people involved with All My Children. I’m looking forward to all kinds of new and exciting opportunities," fans seemed surprised that she didn't have more to say.
Soap reporting queen Mimi Torchin informed her followers on Twitter, "You will never hear negatives from Susan Lucci. She is a lucky woman and knows it. And she won't bite the hand that fed her for many years."
Erika Slezak (Viki) contacted her fan club with these words:
"Please tell all our fans how deeply sorry I am to be losing this wonderful show that has so much heart and so much life. I will miss my work, my friends, my OLTL family so very much. I consider this to be a terrible loss to the television community and especially to the New York community."
Agnes Nixon, who created One Life to Live and All My Children, and helped cast many of the iconic roles, also issued a statement, in which she promised to do whatever she could to keep her creations alive.
“My deep gratitude goes to all the talented people who have contributed to All My Children and One Life To Live over these many years; we were always family, made up of writers, producers, directors, actors, crews. Equally important in that family are our loyal fans who shared this journey with us. Although ABC has concluded there is no longer a place for our shows on their network, I will do everything possible to keep them alive. God bless you all.”
To read Nixon's entire statement, click here.
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