Many General Hospital fans have expressed their concern that some characters get more attention than others. Some feel one character in particular is being catered to. After a very Carly-centric episode aired earlier this month, former GH writer Shannon Peace posted a fan-made video meme to her Instagam stories. It featured Carly's opening credit pic being shown over and over on a loop with the words "Who did this? Ya'll kill me."
According to Peace, that prompted a message from a fan who felt the meme played into fan animosity toward the actress who plays Carly, Laura Wright, and not the fictional character she brings to life on our TV screens. Peace recently addressed that message and offered both an explanation and ways to voice frustrations that don't target performers.
Parts of the comment read, "I am not sure if you are aware of the nasty vitriol Laura received on social media, but whether you meant to or not, you played right into it with your Instagram post."
Peace said she felt "compelled" to address the comment and wrote the following:
"I can't believe this needs to be explained but my feeling that an ensemble show lacks balance -- and posting a humorous meme that reflects that perspective (one shared by a sizable demographic of fans) -- is NOT a direct criticism of any single character or the actor portraying said character.
"If you feel personally hurt by the fatigue expressed by other fans, your beef should be with the decision-makers who center the same few actors to the point of over-exposure," she continued. "Episode counts don't lie."
Peace went on to address the personal attacks on actors, condemning the attacks and explaining that performers don't have the power some fans think they do.
"I won't pretend that some actors aren't attacked personally (regrettable and unacceptable) and ascribed a laughable amount of power by fans," she wrote. "Most of the time fans vent that actors dictate their storylines is completely off base. So, to the fans who are unleashing vitriol -- tagging actors they don't care for and accusing them of puppeteering -- knock it off."
Peace then offered a way for exasperated GH fans from all walks of life to address frustrations with what they see on-screen:
"Rather than calling for the ousting of hard-working actors, perhaps the call should be to see more of their equally-talented cast members on a regular basis."
One way to get your voice heard is to call the General Hospital comment line at 323-671-4583.
Are there any GH characters you think are seen too much? Are there others you'd like to see a lot more? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
