However abuse became part of these men's histories, in most cases their popularity with fans dictated the sanitizing of their characters. Jake became a tender lover; Lawrence reformed; Luke won the love of his victim but was haunted by the specter of his act. Of all of these charismatic characters, Todd Manning stands apart in that he became a romantic lead whose past prevented him from achieving a successful romantic life. Last month, he returned to OLTL in order to carry off his once and possibly future wife, Tea. He won her with conversation and soup, but no kisses, for this former rapist has devolved into a man who cannot or will not make love.
In soap lore, men who have violence against women in their pasts often earn their redemption in society--and in the hearts of their fans--by becoming defenders of womankind. Their journeys to respectability and acceptance can be mapped by instances of kindness to, and protection of, damsels in distress. Thus we see Todd Manning coming repeatedly to the rescue of his victim, Marty Saybrooke; he is also seen to be adored by small children and teenagers. How bad can he be, we are asked to wonder, if parrots and pre-schoolers flock to his standard? Luke Spencer spent close to twenty years as a devoted husband and exemplary father before being forced to revisit his original sin by his very own son. Having gone through one apotheosis two decades before, Luke earned brownie points with Lucky by his kindness to Elizabeth, whom he continues to treat with quasi-fatherly regard.
In the world of soap opera, rape is the primary vehicle for character transformation, for men and women equally. We have been discussing men, but certainly it is a truism that the quickest way for an unsympathetic female character to gain acceptance is through violation. Before Lucky's Elizabeth was his angelic girlfriend she was a teenage terror, smoking and lying and sassing her grandmother. (She still does that, but now her rudeness is defended staunchly by her legions of fans.) On AMC, bad girl Gloria Marsh blackmailed and slept around and wore skin-tight nurse's uniforms; once raped by Will Courtlandt she was well on her way to sainthood. But rape is not the only path to redemption; it is often enough for men to knock women about a bit, provided they subsequently become defenders of the sex.
Perhaps the most interesting example of the non-rapist abuser transformed is GH's Dr. Alan Quartermaine. Charming Dr. Quartermaine was introduced to the GH audience as the wealthy suitor of Dr. Monica Webber. He swept her off her feet with his personal charm, his (then) delightful family, and his ability to lay the world at her feet. The nagging fact that she harbored deep feelings for Rick Webber did not prevent Alan from wooing and winning his love, but no sooner had he slipped the impressive ring on his bride's finger than an unattractive side of his character emerged: Alan Quartermaine was a jealous man. Not merely jealous, he was pathologically so.
Over the next several years, Alan gave vent to his dark side by several bouts of homicidal rage. He attempted twice to murder his wife and her lover. He committed marital rape, or nearly so. He slapped, shook, and manhandled Monica just short of indictable offense. Although he did terrible things to a woman, for reasons far less clear than those governing the general acceptance of Luke Spencer, the character Alan Quartermaine never lost the affection of his fan base, yet it took a faked death, a bucolic adventure, and a bout of faked amnesia to carry him across the bridge from charming villain to protective male. When Alan returned to his family and responsibilities after his dalliance with small-town girl Charity, he was a changed man.
For the past several years, Alan Quartermaine has skated close to infidelity--with Rhonda, with Bobbie, with Tammy--but has remained faithful to his sometimes-faithless wife. Though Monica has often suspected him of crossing the line, his close encounters with other women remain chaste, even if there has been lust in his heart. But protection to Dr. Quartermaine means not condoms but fists. He has killed to protect Rhonda from her battering boyfriend, and offered solace to a beaten Tammy. Alan shows sensitivity to HIV+ Robin and rape survivor Elizabeth, no to mention recovering drug-addict daughter Emily. He is not only Sidney the Bear, but a teddy bear of a man. Alan violent? Perish the thought.
In the annals of soap opera, there are 5 rapists for every 1 batterer. GH has featured two: Alan and Bobbie's first husband, D. L. Brock. Alan, a fan favorite, was successfully redeemed; Brock was not. As most soap wife-beaters do, Brock ended up dead. Interestingly, he was portrayed by an actor, David Groh, who came to the role fresh from playing and ideal husband as mate to primetime's Rhoda Morgenstern. So indelible was the impression he made as the despicable Brock that ever since, Groh has been cast as the "heavy." Such is the legacy of wife beating on soaps. Rape on daytime TV, on the other hand, appears to be no bar to longevity or popularity. Strange, but true.