10 Merry Mid-Month of May Questions - Savoring Soaps

This commentary was co-written by Patrick Erwin.

1. Have you been lost in the maze of brunettes on As the World Turns? When we watched Noelle Beck as nuLily, she looked a lot like Marie Wilson (Meg). Who also looks a lot like Julie Pinson (Janet). Janet also has a look-alike daughter, Liberty (Meredith Hagner). And Liberty looks a lot like a younger version of Alison (Marnie Schulenburg. Quick, someone tell Chris Goutman that blondes (and redheads) have more fun!

2. Can we congratulate head writer Brad Bell for the very, very savvy creation of daytime's newest friendship, that of Stephanie Forrester and Katie Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful, as played by Emmy winners Susan Flannery and Heather Thom. Wow! Actors who are two of the best "talk to" in the business talking to one another! Plus Steph and Katie are the only two characters on B&B who have both brains and a real sense of compassion. (Taylor, once Steph's equal and friend, was unfortunately made a dumb hysteric.) Two intelligent women as friends sitting around talking … could last for years.

3. Didn't Ricky Paul Goldin make a particularly strong entrance on All My Children as the new Jake Martin, the embattled doctor in Darfur? Speaking of terrific acting pairings, we're chomping at the bit at the prospect of Goldin and Michael E. Knight playing the Martin brothers. Both actors are exciting and are expert at playing the mercurial. What an opportunity for (good!) writers!

4. When you saw John-Paul Lavoisier as Rex in his recent pre-wedding scenes on One Life to Live, wandering around a bar drunk, shirtless, and disheveled with a wild head of hair, didn't he remind you just a little of Bam-Bam from The Flintstones?

5. Is Guiding Light becoming the new B&B in terms of love interest shelf life? Cyrus has gone, in a year, from Dinah to Alexandra to Marina to Harley, and recently had a fling with Cassie. Who does he think he is, B&B's Ridge Forrester? Marlena cracked up recently when she saw Cyrus referred to on a GLmessage board as "walking sex."

6. Is it just me (Patrick), or are you troubled by how cavalierly B&B seems to be handling the Storm storyline? I'm a little turned off that they're painting his actions -- clearly, he committed suicide -- as a "heroic act." Everyone seems to think that since Storm was "broken," it was acceptable for him to take his own life to help his sister. Social issues have never been B&B's strength, but isn't this a seriously irresponsible message to send out?

7. Can you believe Days of Our Lives split up one of the best young love couples on all of daytime today? Chelsea and Nick had us rooting for them- - they were a great match and played off each other so well. And the show broke them up so Chelsea could date a man in his early 40s? Can you say "eww"?

8. Didn't Lynn Marie Latham leave The Young and the Restless? I'm (Patrick) still seeing a big focus on new, unknown characters and obscure international art. Do you like Victor and Sabrina together, or does the charm of Sabrina, and this couple, escape you as much as it does me? If there's such a vast age difference between old Vic and young Sabrina, don't older female characters deserve equal time? Jill and young J.T. perhaps?

9. Where does Finola Hughes (the returning Anna Scorpio on General Hospital) come off looking so skinny and so absolutely fab after all these years? The woman has no hips! Yes, yes, we know Finola hosts her own show on the Style Network! As always, she has the coolest, smartest chic of all who have emerged from daytime.

10. Can you believe a feminist gal like moi, Marlena, loved Snoop Dogg's appearance on OLTL? I know he calls women "ho's" in his songs! But, isn't that de rigueur for rap? I have always liked Snoop's ultra cool "I don't give a damn" attitude, which definitely matches his ol "friend" Bo's. Even "bitchy bangs" Adriana seemed bearable and ultra cool decked out like a Hullabaloo gal dancing around Ultra Violet with Snoop and Layla!

Bonus Question: Have you wondered why Marlena hasn't blasted the upcoming Sonny and Carly "reunion" tryst story on GH yet? Tune in tomorrow. Today, in preparation for writing this rant, Ms. De Lacroix is out secretly taking photos of the backseat of Sonny's limo, which is currently parked in a garage near her Manhattan neighborhood.

Read more Marlena and friends at www.marlenadelacroix.com.