What does "soap operas" mean?

continuing stories Also calld daytime dramas

Soap Opera Meaning

Define Soap Opera

Soap Operas are daytime dramas like The Guiding Light and Days or our Lives. They are called Soap Operas because they evolved from operas and plays that were originally sponsored by soap companies.

My understanding: In short and clear, the first word SOAP since its inception the radio station adverts was sponsored by Procter & Gamble (Soap Factory) and the word OPERA means...drama performance - theatrical drama show performance. That's the two words came from: SOAP OPERA.

Many answers explained only Soap though it mentioned drama performance but others did not understood if drama performance is mean OPERA....so I elaborated here what Opera mean for.

Well, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it means:

Main Entry: soap opera

Function: noun

Etymology: from its sponsorship by soap manufacturers

1 a : a serial drama performed originally on a daytime radio or television program and chiefly characterized by tangled interpersonal situations and melodramatic or sentimental treatment b : a series of real-life events resembling a soap opera

2 : the melodrama and sentimentality characteristic of a soap opera <even cops need a little soap opera in their lives -- Joseph Wambaugh>; also : something (as a novel) having such qualities

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RE:

What does &quot;soap operas&quot; mean?

I saw this word on a site which is about TV shows.

Thank you in advance

In the early days of television, daytime dramas were wholly sponsored by companies catered to the female stay-at-home housewives. Often these shows were sponsored by cleaning supply companies, thus they were dubbed "Soap Operas"

Hope this helps!

Well its like a show that has new episodes every Mon-Fri usually and its mostly romantic stuff but it could be anything really..Especially in Spanish shows..they have lots of soap operas..funny name though.lol soap operas..

Since they were aimed at stay at home housewives, the major sponsors (advertisers) were manufacturers of dish, laundry and bath soaps (P&G, Lever Brothers, etc).

many years ago

the SOAP companies would pay for the shows that came on every day ..like the WORLD TURNS..and females moms,,would watch them..and the advertisements were all about their products..SOAPS...

that's why

smile

good luck