Thoroughly "Digest"ible!

If you're a soap fan, Soap Opera Digest is the magazine to subscribe to - or at least the one to spend your extra $2.99 at the grocery store every once in a while. Now published weekly, the editors seem to have come up with every imaginable topic related to soap operas to include in their magazine.

Of course, the basics are covered. There is a weekly plot summary for each of the daytime dramas, as well as a page devoted to the bare bones question of "what happened to whom on what show?" - in the form of a list. There is a great question and answer section, in which you can send in your burning soap questions and get them answered (a side note: often people in this section appear to be trying to settle bets). Late breaking news is covered, as well as a summary of which actors are coming to or leaving the various shows. This is all done efficiently and well, making it a far better purchase than its' competitor, Soap Opera Update.

The in-depth interviews with actors are always interesting, and I often find myself reading articles about actors that are on shows that I don't watch! Occasionally, several actors from one of the soaps are given a trivia quiz about their show; this is invariably amusing as the actors often don't know about (or at least don't remember) important plots. (Some of the plots are so outrageous that they just make amusing reading.)

My two favorite columns are "Classic Lines" and "It's Only My Opinion..." "Classic Lines" recounts some of the funny lines uttered on daytime television, a few of which I have found so amusing that I've used them myself! "It's Only My Opinion..." is written by Carolyn Hinsey, a woman who apparently watches all of the soaps, and feels free to make fun of the inconsistencies and stupid errors that the writers make. I read about every show in this column, even though I only watch one soap - I guess I just like laughing at the genre, too.

Amazingly enough, there are other features in this magazine as well, including a crossword puzzle, soap trivia questions, gossip for the various networks... if it's related to a soap, it's in here. The photographs of the actors are also always well done and enjoyable to look at.

My only problem with this magazine is the often strange ads that are run, both in the classified ads section (almost entirely ads for psychics), and regular advertising (weird weight-loss programs and -argh!- cigarette ads). Still, they are easily ignored, and the rest of the magazine is wonderful.

If you are a soap fan, this is the one to pick up!