Chapter 4 Sexual Content in Soap Operas - Leicester Research ...

Sex and Sexuality: A Content Analysis of Soap Operas
May and Rob have been bitterly arguing about the affair Rob has had with
Dawn, who is now pregnant with his baby; May and Rob have been trying
for years to have a baby but they have failed. After having been arguing
outside in an earlier scene, the couple enter the house:
May: ‗You betrayed me; you betrayed our marriage. You say you love me
but you can‘t.‘
Rob: ‗I do, you‘ve got to believe me.‘
May [crying]: ‗Then why did you do it? …was it the sex or you were just
bored with me?‘
Rob [stuttering]: ‗No, no, no, look…I don‘t know…it…it just happened!
…we…we were on a break…‘
May [shouts angrily]: ‗I do think that‘s some sort of excuse…[walking out
of the room; Rob following her]… if that‘s the best you can offer.‘
Rob: ‗Look I‘m sorry; I‘ve been a complete idiot, I know that, but it‘s you
that I love not her…‘
May: ‗And what about the baby.‘
Rob [getting very emotional, tears in his eyes]: ‗I‘ll sort it [a long pause] I
don‘t know how yet, but…‘
May: ‗Actually she‘s already done that for you; that‘s why she came to me;
she wants an abortion [a long pause] now…tell me you don‘t care.‘—End of
scene.
Scene [4]
Rob goes to see Dawn to arrange for her to have an abortion. Rob, yearning
for a baby for long years, is very emotional and reluctant to ask her to do
that, but he does manage to tell her:
Rob [getting money out of his wallet]: ‗Look I don‘t know how much these
things are exactly, but…[placing a load of cash on the kitchen table]‘
Dawn [furious, interrupts]: ‗What things?... we‘re gonna have a baby, this
what you have always wanted.‘
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