laurisa

I’m going to make a personal appeal to you since I know that many of you can not stand Melanie. There’s nothing wrong with some good natured soap-hate for some characters- Jan Spears, Willow Stark, and Alex North come to mind. However the problem that I’m seeing with Melanie is that it’s way too easy to peel away the layers of her hate and expose that she’s just your average snooty character- not the out of place, horrible character that I fear people are making her out to be. So, I’ve listed some common complaints as well as my point-of-view on them so that perhaps it can help save you a raging headache. Or, at least give you a different way of looking at her.

Complaint #1: Melanie has no business being in control of that fuels project.
This is an easy one. Trent left his share of the project to her in his will. Nick signed over the other half to her. Yes, it would be nice if someone (cough*Max or Nicole*cough) else had a part of the project. But there is no genuine argument as to why she is not the one who is legally responsible for the project. Since she is legally responsible for the project, she has the legal right to do with it what she wants.

Complaint #2: She’s too young to be in business meetings with EJ and Philip.
Does she look a little funny trying to push around EJ? Sure. It’s like the mouse talking back to the cat. But the fact of the matter is that this stuff absolutely, 100% takes place in the real world. Take a look at Facebook, Google, or MySpace- who’s executives more resemble a USC frat house than a traditional scotch and cigar crowd. It’s a sign of the times that younger people are having more powerful positions when it comes to “next gen” things- such as alternative fuel sources.

Complaint #3: She doesn’t have the experience in the presence of chaps like Victor and Stefano.
Well, the obvious answer that bounces to mind is our current and most resent Presidents: Bush took office at 54, Obama at 47. Neither of them had much Washington experience and were younger than their VP’s Cheney (60) and Biden (66). Are you telling me that Cheney and Biden- both senior in age and Washington experience- shouldn’t have listened to the President just because he was younger than they? Just something to think about. I pick the presidential example because of the one huge parallel that they have with Melanie (who yes, I realize is a soap character). Just because people may not like them, doesn’t mean that they don’t have the right to do their legally obtained job.

Complaint #4: Melanie annoys the crap out of me. I can’t stand her voice, her hair, her speech pattern, or her smarmy remarks. Her general presence in my day, however fictional she is, wastes 20 perfectly good minuets of my time that I could have spent rearranging the crud at the bottom of my oven.
Melanie is SUPPOSED to be all those things. She’s an incorrigible jackass who only knows how to manipulate people. You’re not supposed to like her. She’s not one of the good guys. BUT you’re supposed to enjoy her because you know what to expect. She’s almost supposed to be a melodrama villain- so ridiculously, obviously evil that there’s something kind of comical about her. And, unlike some characters on the show (Daniel, for example) Melanie’s actions actually back up what the general perception of her is.

Complaint #5: She’s beyond hope. I’m not wasting my time on her.
She’s still very young. The life experience thrown at this young lady far surpass her emotional maturity. When that happens, people often make a point to shut out everyone. Thus, the only constant she has in her life her knowledge of how to manipulate people. However, she’s got some good people on her side- Maggie and Max being the biggest. Should she actually accomplish something through ways other than manipulation, an energy-saving light bulb might just go off in her red head.

Complaint #6: I don't like Molly Burnett
See: Rachel Melvin She was horribly polarizing when she started, but last year she nabbed herself an Emmy nomination and now is one of the best actresses on the show. Give her some time.

Well, I hope it helps- not that you have to love Mel. But, I hope that it at least alleviates the migraine you've been getting from her. Let me know your thoughts!