Why are soap operas called soap operas when they contain neither soap or operas?

Question

I tried, bubbles but they told me I have to wait 24 hours! Booo!!! But you got 10 points coming at you tomorrow, as long as you hold up your end of the deal! =D

Answer 1

i have no idea, can i get my 10 points now

Answer 2

While soaps themselves have complicated stories involving romance, betrayal, and dark family secrets, the story behind the term "soap opera" is simple and squeaky clean.
In the 1920s, radio was booming, and broadcasters wanted to get advertisers in on the act to increase their station's profits. So radio stations convinced businesses that sold household goods to sponsor radio shows. To appeal to the main consumers of these items -- female homemakers -- the radio stations created the daytime serial drama format. The first radio soap opera ran in Chicago and was sponsored by a margarine company.

Soon, all the networks had serials aimed at women, and companies selling cleaners and food products rushed to sponsor the shows. For example, Proctor & Gamble's Oxydol soap powder sponsored a popular serial drama in 1933. By 1939 the press started calling the shows "soap operas" because so many were sponsored by soap manufacturers. "Opera" had already been used in a non-musical sense in the '20s with "horse opera," which described Western movies.

Soaps moved from radio to TV along with most entertainment forms in the 1950s. Despite the intervention of evil twins, presumed-dead spouses, vengeful lovers, and the occasional vampire, soap operas have been going strong ever since.

Answer 3

in the 1930-50s when the genre of "Household drama" was created It used to be for housewives who needed something to distract them after doing the housework and during these shows advertises use to advertise Soap detegents during the house break (because they are the ones most likely to buy them). Because the women were most likely to be working class and would never get a chance to go to the Opera or somewhere as sophisticated as that, this was considered to be the working class Opera.

Thus you put both together to get Soap Operas.

Answer 4

Well I don't know about the opera part,but I can tell you about the soap part. When they first started making soap operas they were geared toward housewifes, so all the commercials had something to do with house work,and it was mostly soap i.e; laundry detergent,dishwashing liquid, and even bath soap.

Answer 5

The reason for the word "soap" is because household products were the sponsors of the originals (I think Ivory soap may have been the first one, but unsure). They are called operas because of the heightened & unrealistic drama they portray, much like opera.

Answer 6

Because back when they started in the 1950's they were funded by ad's geared at housewives mostly Laundry Detergent thus the Soap part. Opera I believe just meant story.

Answer 7

Not sure about the opera part, but they used to be sponsored by soap companies, thus the soap part.

Answer 8

Historically they are called that because the soap companies used to sponsor them during the day when stay-at-home moms were home doing the laundry. That's history!

Answer 9

Because when soaps operas first appeared on the scene, the commercials were predominantly for cleaning products, because they were on daytime TV and mostly women watched. (Remember, that was a different era...)

Answer 10

Because the original advertisers for most "soaps" were soap companies.

Answer 11

This dates back to 1939 when this type of show was often sponsored by soap manufacturers.