Escapism, voyeurism, masochism, catharsis by comparison with others worse off—these are … what the soaps are selling. And if the daily bath of bathos packs a bit more tingle these days, so much the better. It may even provide an educational experience. Agnes Nixon, a refreshingly thoughtful writer who has been manufacturing soaps for fourteen years, likes to point out that episodes concerning alcoholism, adoption and breast cancer have drawn many grateful letters from those with similar problems. It may even be argued that soaps serve as a sort of television "Dear Abby" for the psychologically afflicted, or that they dispense their own brand of hope. "On soap operas there is always tomorrow," says Mrs. Nixon. "A tomorrow fraught with problems, tragedies and traumas, to be sure, but how does this differ from life itself?"

The difference, of course, is that life also has a light side…. (p...