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by: Inoka Jayaweera

Above: Steven Earl Johnson, played by actor Stephen Nichols on "Days of Our Lives"

          Soap operas are famously known for creating outlandish storylines that revolve around evil twins, baby-switching, paternity tests, and multiple personalities. However, soap operas also tell stories about ordinary life with “working class characters,” as audiences are able to identify with these characters in relation to their own life (Harnett, 2000, p. 25). Although soap operas incorporate the theme of ordinary life into their storylines, this rarely includes the lives of those with disabilities. Consequently, when characters with disabilities appear on soap operas, these portrayals are of great significance, as they possess the ability to influence society’s “attitudes towards disability” (Harnett, 2000, p. 25).

          One of the most famous portrayals of disability in soap opera history is the character, Steven Earl Johnson (also known as Patch) from the American Daytime soap opera, “Days of Our Lives.” The character made his first appearance in the town of Salem (where the soap opera is based in) on June 13th, 1985. With a distinctive patch over the left socket of his eye, Steve Johnson was known as a troublemaker who worked for the mob. The town of Salem was also aware of his hatred towards a man named Bo Brady, but they did not know the reason behind this anger.

          Before we divulge further into the background of the character, it is critical that I discuss the casting of the actor, Stephen Nichols, who plays the role of Steve Johnson. To begin, “Days of Our Lives” did not cast an actor who was blind in their left eye, as Stephen Nichols is able to see from both of his eyes. Although it may be unintentional, soap operas like “Days of Our Lives” are responsible for increasing the overall percentage of able-bodied actors who play characters with disabilities. According to Woodburn and Kopic (2016), “over 95% of characters with disabilities” are portrayed by able-bodied actors on mainstream television (p. 20). This percentage is quite problematic as it is one of the many factors that contribute to people with disabilities “having the greatest unemployment rate” (Woodburn & Kopic, 2016, p. 31). Notably, the reality of the film industry is that actors who have disabilities are already limited when it comes to finding opportunities within this industry. As a result, when casting calls permit able-bodied actors to audition for these roles, they are further limiting the opportunities that are available to those with disabilities.

          With this in mind, it is also important to address the issues that arise when able-bodied actors are cast to play these roles. As Hayes & Black (2003) state, when able-bodied actors are playing characters with disabilities, they are “performing a version of disability,” as the plot of the film is primarily focused on the disability, rather than the character. Here, Hayes & Black (2003) make the distinction between the term, “disabled character” and “character with a disability,” as they believe the former term is more accurate when it comes to Hollywood's portrayals of disability. According to the authors, the able-bodied actor is playing a “disabled character” because the character is solely defined by his or her disability. In other words, the actor is not playing a “character with a disability,” as the character’s disability is the driving point of the narrative.

          Thus, I believe this distinction is vital to the understanding of disability representation in television and films. To refer back to the actor, Stephen Nichols, I believe his portrayal of Steve Johnson fits into both categories. To begin with, Stephen Nichols is playing a “disabled character,” as he does not have his character’s disability. Consequently, the actor is not able to perform an authentic portrayal of the disability. If “Days of Our Lives” chose to cast an actor with this disability, authenticity would not even be a topic for debate or discussion. In fact, the writers could have used this opportunity to ask the actor if he wanted to be part of the writing process. If the writers permitted the actor to collaborate during the writing process, they would not only be able to gain an intuitive understanding of the disability, but also depict the disability with sensitivity. When it comes to storylines involving disability, personal insight is incredibly valuable as it gives the storyline the believability which it needs to be authentic in the truest sense of the word.

          In contrast, Stephen Nichols also fits the category of playing the “character with a disability,” as his character was not always defined by his disability. In fact, when the character appeared in the town of Salem, his storylines did not revolve around his disability. Although this has changed throughout the decades, the character was initially written as one with multiple layers, and this led to the character’s immense popularity among fans, as Steve Johnson was more than just his disability.

          To reiterate, Steve Johnson (also known as Patch) was introduced as a one-eyed thug who held a grudge against a man named Bo Brady. Throughout a series of flashbacks, viewers discover that Steve and Bo were best friends, and the two considered themselves closer than brothers. However, this friendship took a turn when a woman named Britta Englund came into their lives. Bo fell in love with Britta, and she became a close friend to Steve. As a testament to their friendship, Britta insisted on the three of them getting tattoos of knives to symbolize their eternal friendship. Bo's relationship with Britta comes to an end when Britta seduces Steve as a way to get a picture of his tattoo. When Bo discovers this betrayal, it leads to a fight involving knives, which ends when Steve loses his left eye.

          The missing eye led to the creation of Steve’s nickname, “Patch,” which became part of Steve’s identity. When Steve was rushed to the hospital, he was given a patch which “made [him] feel like a freak” (Carlivati, 2018). Here, the writers explored Steve’s disability by seeing the loss of his eye through his point of view. The hospital patch made the character feel inferior, as he saw the patch as something that made him an outsider. These feelings of discomfort are not foreign to those with disabilities, as they are often subjected to unwanted stares in their daily lives. Thomson (2002) touches upon this subject in her article, “The Politics of Staring” by discussing the implications of staring. As Thomson (2002) states, when disability is not understood as “variation in human form,” it further disables the individual by emphasizing the difference between the able-bodied and the individual with the disability (p. 57).

          To ties this with the character, when Steve was given the patch from the hospital, it repulsed him because he was aware of the stares it would evoke if he wore such a thing in public. He did not want people feeling sorry for him because of his disability, as the character considered himself to be a tough guy. For the character, the hospital patch threatened his masculinity, but also his pride as he did not want to be perceived as weak. Recognizing the discomfort that pity caused for people with disabilities, the writers had Steve feel empowered by his disability. Steve’s dissatisfaction with the hospital patch led him to have a patch custom-made. The new patch was sleek and made out of leather, which “made [him] feel like a badass” (Carlivati, 2018). Finding a custom-made patch empowered the character, as it instilled confidence, which was something that Steve did not have when he wore the hospital patch. Hence, when the character came across his reflection, he was no longer repelled by his appearance. Instead, he felt as strong and resilient as he did before the loss of his eye.

          Here, I would like to discuss how the writers explored the impact which Steve’s disability had on the character through the use of his nickname. When Steve first appeared in the town of Salem, he was simply known as “Patch.” However, there was reluctance on the character’s part to refer to himself by his real name, Steven Earl Johnson. It was almost as if the character did not feel as though he was worthy of being called by his real name. Although the new patch instilled confidence in his appearance, it also remained part of Steve’s identity, as it was the first aspect which people noticed when they looked at Steve’s appearance.

          To help him see past his appearance, the writers had the character, Kayla Brady, cross paths with Steve. Unlike the other characters in Salem, Kayla did not refer to Steve as Patch, as she recognized the discomfort which the nickname caused for him. Despite this, Steve repeatedly pushed Kayla away, as he saw himself as a “worthless bum” who had no business spending time with a woman like Kayla. However, Kayla did not allow Steve to disregard her, as she saw a vulnerable side which the character chose to hide from the others. In her book, “No End to Her: Soap Opera and the Female Subject,” Martha Nochimson compares Kayla and Steve to that of the Beauty and the Beast. Kayla (representing Beauty) makes it clear that she is not disturbed or uncomfortable with Steve’s (the Beast) appearance, as the inside of the person mattered more to her than the outside.

 

          With that said, instead of resorting to a cliché, the writers chose to implement a twist to this dynamic, as Kayla’s confidence in Steve permits the character to drop the nickname “which emphasized his mutilation” (Nochimson, 1992, p. 98). When Steve chose to resume his birth name, it empowered the character in a way that was different from finding the custom-made patch. Steve’s acceptance of his name led him to see himself as more than just his disability. Although the patch was a significant part of his identity, Steve was able to see that he did not need to give the patch the power to influence how he saw himself as an individual.

 

          From my perspective, these are the types of stories which should be told about people with disabilities, as these narratives are not framed around tragedy or the discourse of pity. Rather than limiting these stories “to the oppressive conditions of pity,” we should be advocating for authentic portrayals of disability in mainstream television (Hayes & Black, 2003). As we can see with the above storylines, it is entirely within the realms of possibility to create compelling stories about characters with disabilities. That being said, I believe time has not done any favors to the character, as his current storylines reflect stereotypical depictions of disability.

Above: My drawing of the bionic eye

          2018 marked a significant shift in storylines, particular when it came to the character of Steve Johnson. The change in the direction of Steve’s character was because of the soap opera’s decision to hire a new head writer. At the time, the viewership of “Days of Our Lives” was slowly dwindling due to the mixed reception of the show’s current storylines. The decision was made to hire Ron Carlivati, who had written for other soap operas, such as “General Hospital” and “One Life to Live.” Carlivati's storylines aired on January 23rd, 2018, with the character of Steve Johnson beginning to experience difficulties with his vision. At first, Steve dismissed these episodes of blurred vision by attributing them to alcohol or exhaustion from working on cases as a private investigator. However, his vision worsens by each day and results in Steve collapsing in his wife’s workplace on February 9th, 2018. In this particular episode, fans discover that Steve was being poisoned by his friend, John Black, as an attempt to extract revenge against the Johnson family. John Black was not directly responsible for Steve’s poisoning, as he was forced by the government agency to carry out this mission. To make up for this betrayal, John hunts for an antidote that could counterattack the poison. Eventually, John discovers the antidote and gives it to Steve’s wife, Kayla, who is a nurse. However, John’s efforts prove to be futile as the antidote does not improve Steve’s vision. Kayla decides to conduct a series of medical tests to discover the long-term effects of the poison. To her dismay, she realizes that Steve’s eyesight is drastically deteriorating, and he will permanently lose the sight in his right eye.

Above: Tagline of the storyline's promo

           On March 23rd, 2018, “Days of Our Lives” released a 15 second promo which promoted Steve’s storyline for the following week. The promo begins with Steve informing Kayla that he has lost his vision. Following this, the promo cuts to a scene with Steve using a cane, as he tells Kayla that they need to accept his blindness. The tagline, “In the darkness…” appears and concludes with the words, “Her love will light the way.” The promo ends with Steve crying into the arms of his wife, as Kayla tells him that he “will always be the man that [she] fell in love with” (Carlivati, 2018).

          The promo paints a very clear picture of the theme which serves as a driving force of this storyline. As evident by the above tagline, the theme is tragic love as Kayla’s love for her husband is supposed to help Steve overcome his disability. Although the promo highlights the fact that Steve has support from his wife, the storyline does not focus on Steve dealing with his disability. Rather, the theme of tragic love continues to dictate this storyline.

Above: Kayla Brady holding on the prototype of the bionic eye

          Following Steve’s vision loss, John informs Kayla of a company called Visionary Bionics, which is developing a prototype for a bionic eye. However, the company was recently purchased by a businessman named Stefan DiMera. For her husband to get his eyesight back, Kayla is forced to ask for Stefan’s help. She informs Stefan that she will do anything for her husband to see again. In exchange for the bionic eye, Kayla must find dirt on an enemy of Stefan’s. Kayla agrees to this arrangement, but does not inform her husband of this deal, as Steve despises the DiMera family.

          Considering the above plot, it is apparent that a discourse of pity is being utilized to frame “the structure of the narrative,” as Steve's disability is not being examined (Hayes & Black, 2003). Rather, Steve’s disability serves as a plot device to advance the storylines of other characters. According to Hayes & Black (2003), this plot device is fairly common in storylines revolving around blind characters, as they are only given a role because of the “possibility for rehabilitation.” In other words, the blind character will eventually find a “magical cure” which will rid the character of their disability (Safran, 1998, p. 474). In films and television shows, disabled characters are often cured through the means of surgery, and this reflects the medical model of disability. Essentially, the medical model operates under the assumption that people with disabilities should remedy their disability by undergoing surgeries or physical rehabilitation. “Days of Our Lives” has also fallen into this trap, as the endgame of this storyline is for Steve to regain his eyesight.

           Although I realize that “Days of Our Lives” is a soap opera, I believe Ron Carlivati took the easy route by making the storyline into a tragic love story. From my perspective, this storyline did not need to fall under the discourse of pity. Given that it is 2018, it would have been far more compelling to show Steve dealing with his disability with the support of his family. In addition, it would have been interesting to see how the disability affected Steve’s work as a private investigator. The writers could have used the opportunity to show Steve utilizing his other senses as a way for him to continue working as a private investigator. As Sikora (2018) states, “blind people do lead very full lives,” and yet, there is no discussion of Steve being able to have a fulfilling life without his vision. In fact, Carlivati chose to portray blindness as a hindering obstacle, as Steve makes the decision to resign from his work as a private investigator. As a result, the character of Steve was written into a corner. Specifically, Steve’s scenes involve him giving advice to other characters or experiencing pity from his friends.

           The bionic eye storyline serves as a stark contrast with Steve’s prior storylines, as Steve’s disability was explored when the character was introduced in the late 1980s. Under the writing of Ron Carlivati, the character of Steve Johnson has become a shadow of his former self. The character no longer displays the resilience that he once did, as he has been stripped away of this. In fact, the current storyline does not belong to Steve, as he is no longer involved in his own storyline. Rather, the objective of the storyline is for Kayla to be his saviour by obtaining the bionic eye from Stefan DiMera. Essentially, the character has served his purpose by advancing the storylines of other characters.

 

           With that said, the period of the 1980s was by no means perfect. After all, “Days of Our Lives” allowed an able-bodied actor to play this role. Having said that, the 1980s was a different time period. The casting of Stephen Nichols was not criticized by the general public, as actors who took on these roles were perceived as challenging themselves. To put it differently, actors were encouraged by critics to pursue roles that differed from their previous acting, as this prevented them from being type-cast. That being said, although it was “acceptable” to cast able-bodied actors to play these roles, this practice should not be encouraged in this day and age.

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