Newman vs. Jabot

Looks like Newman and Jabot are poised on the brink of the next round of cosmetic to cosmetic combat.

Looks like Newman and Jabot are poised on the brink of the next round of cosmetic to cosmetic combat. How coincidental that both Adam and Victoria almost simultaneously arrived at the cosmetic concept of going green, right down to the biodegradable packaging. Although we heard Adam mention it first, he's obviously going to be nearly the last to know Newman and Jabot are about to enter a neck and neck race to the overcrowded organic marketplace. My question is, what could have possessed the Harvard educated graduate to loosen his lips and flap the all-green news to both Nick and Heather so soon? I've been nowhere near an esteemed institution of higher learning like Harvard, but even I can figure out it's probably best to keep your lips locked around coming cosmetic attractions. Especially to Heather, who, despite the commingling of their, ummm, minds, in their personal lives, does draw her salary from the competition. And it goes without saying that neither of the purse-string clutching owners of Jabot or Newman is likely to be thrilled with the development of this relationship. I'm sure accusations of improprieties will be hurled back and forth by both sides. I just hope it doesn't cause an irreparable rent in the fabric of this cute coupling, because they really do make an adorable duo. Maybe I'm the only fan who feels this way, but I think Y&R could have hit the jackpot by putting these two together. They're fresh and funny and very natural; such a change from some of the other matchups, which sometimes feel forced and quite contrived. I can't speak for any other fan, but Adam and Heather have easily convinced me they're completely infatuated with one another. I sure hope Adam meant what he said, that he and Heather can indulge in personal pursuits, while keeping business at bay, and will understand why she had to remain mum about Jabot's intentions even as he spilled the Newman Infinity beans to her. And please promise me he isn't going to accuse her of taking his idea and running right to Victoria with it. Too bad he didn't run with Nick's idea about a countdown ad in RSM to Newman Infinity. Because if he had, Victoria might have wound up looking like the cosmetic copycat. Oh well, what's done is done. Let the competitive contest commence!

Well, since I arrived at her door, albeit in a rather roundabout way, I may as well open it and barge right in. Thank goodness the wedding day has finally arrived! Because I have had all that I can possibly hold of Victoria and her whipped puppy pout. Mewl, mewl, whimper, whimper. Should I gooooo, should I stay awaaay, she whined incessantly to anyone who came close enough to hear. How could she do this to me? Sniffle. How could he do this to me? Snuffle.So her once best bud bedded her Daddy and didn't tell her about it while the afterglow dew still dotted her cheeks! Well, I was watching back then, and it wasn't as if Sabrina didn't try to tell all. But, as usual, Vicky was too busy babbling about herself to hear any of the words her friend was trying to confess.

Okay, I'll grant you it would be a bit weird, your best friend involved with your Daddy, but exactly why does this bother her so? I know she wanted Mommy and Daddy to get back together and live and fight forever after. But Mommy has moved on. She's so happy the first thing you see these days are her teeth bared in that gosh I'm lucky grin. Daddy's obviously happy. And you know that because every time you see him, he's wearing that same gosh darn grin as his ex-wife. Of course, I guess he has good reason to grin, getting to cavort daily with a woman less than half his age, whose exterior shows little or no wear and tear from the rigors of life. Could you name any man of Victor's approximate age who wouldn't be walking around like he hit the lottery?

I know, I know, I wandered slightly off the trodden track. But I just couldn't resist leaning over to take a whack at that nearby bush. Anyway, back to what I was writing. Shouldn't Vicky want someone she once called a friend to find the same joy and bliss she's enjoying with J.T.? Can you only be her friend as long as you conduct your life as she deems fit? Is it because she likely won't be able to bash Daddy to his new bride? I mean, when it comes right down to it, was what Sabrina did so very awful? Sure, Victor's old enough to be Sabrina's daddy too, but in this topsy turvy town, the residents have proven age really is nothing but a number. And despite Victoria's revulsion to the pairing, on a comparative scale of the range of atrocious, immoral and illegal acts committed by other GCers, allegedly in their search for love or money, Sabrina's 'crime' barely makes the little red line wiggle. They weren't having an affair behind some unsuspecting spouse's back. She hasn't exhorted Victor to turn his back on his whining brats. On the contrary, she's only urged him to reach out and try to draw their resisting carcasses closer. And when it comes to something causing one's tummy to spasm in nausea, I rank Victoria wedding the same man who liberally sampled her Mommy's wares way above this May-December marriage containing her friend.

And why do the Newman kids act as if they've never seen Victor behave like a human? All this hemming and hawing over whether or not to grace Daddy's wedding with their illustrious presence. Yeah, over the years, Victor's often been hard, unyielding, inflexible, rude and extremely controlling, just to name a handful of less than admirable traits, but there have also been plenty of touchy-feely moments of total support for his family as well. How quickly both have forgotten how he supported their choices, no matter what his private opinion was. Victoria was all boo hoo hoo when Daddy didn't want to walk her down the aisle to the arms of that two timing Brad, but he came through and she was one big grin. Nor did he particularly approve of the way Nick found his way to Phyllis (not that he had any real room to judge given his own history of infidelities) but he welcomed her into the clan just the same.

As for Nikki, what grudge is she lugging around when it comes to Sabrina? What has Sabrina ever done to her? Is it simply because she's the latest lover to land in Victor's bed? Or does she just dislike her for her daughter's sake? She and Victoria act as if Sabrina purposely set out to hurt Victoria. And even though the difference in age wasn't quite so vast, Nikki has apparently chosen to forget she once wore strappy high heels very similar to Sabrina's when she fell hard for the gazillionnaire. Okay, similar minus the stripper, diamond in the rough parts.

But on the positive side, Nikki's pep talk with Victoria is one reason I can never completely dislike her. Because even with Victor's often snippy, surly, and rude treatment of her, when the chips are down, she will still go to bat for the good of her family. Proving that despite her own snippy, catty comments at Victor's expense, when it comes to her family, even the divorced member of it, Nikki has a heart as big as Texas.

Likewise, Nick, who, in his own way, can sometimes be just as inflexible as his Father, got me to grin in approving agreement, when he decided to take the higher road to get to the wedding. True, Sabrina wasn't his best friend, and he might be feeling exactly like his sis had the friend been his and the spouse to be his Mommy, but he proved he is a grownup when he decided to draw a curtain on what had gone before and move on from here. His decision to live his life his way and grant his father the right to do the same, along with the sensitive, nonjudgmental way he handled his sister's indecision, put him at the top of my best of week list. And I went ahead and scribbled Phyllis' name there too for her gentle, but on target reminder to Vicky of their somewhat rock-strewn path of history. In the end, one or all of the points made by friends and family must have hit home, because Victoria and her family did make a last-minute appearance at the wedding. Just my humble opinion; it was the right thing to do. And while I don't expect Vicky to be enclosing Sabrina just yet in a warm and forgiving best friend again embrace (especially since the baby news blow has yet to be delivered), perhaps her attendance at the wedding will prove to be a step in that general direction.

Okay, what about that baby thing? We all know Victor paid some physician the big bucks to go snip, snip, snip. So was the memory of that painful procedure carved out along with the tumor his brain once carried? Did he reverse the procedure and tell us about it, but we've all collectively forgotten it? When the family finds out, if none of them address it, then I know that I'm the crazy one and will contact the appropriate facility to have myself committed. Things have certainly changed. Remember when Nikki told Victor she wanted another child with him and he looked at her like he'd just seen every drop of common sense dribble from her head? He claimed he wanted them to be able to flee the City at a moment's notice, travel from continent to continent on a whim, what a ridiculous notion to have a baby at that time in their lives. Well, what a difference a little water under the bridge makes. I don't know what age Victor is supposed to be in Genoa City, but real life Eric is 67. Parenthood at his age? Good luck with that!

But bringing home baby is for later. For now, we have a wedding to look forward to. We've already seen the bride in her wedding finery. As with just about everything she wears, Sabrina in that gown made a stunning statement of fashion. No danger of that happening though with that bridesmaid's dress Lauren picked out for Jana. Obviously, she wanted to avoid any chance of committing a grievous fashion gaffe by upstaging the bride with a too flamboyant bridesmaid's dress. At least that's the only explanation I could come up with to make sense of that plain Jane dress in excruciating orange she saddled Jana with. No chance of outshining Sabrina with that frock. Sabrina's gown, on the other hand, was quite breathtaking, one of the loveliest I've seen a GC bride wear in a long while. Of course, Sabrina could probably cinch on the appropriately colored sash, toss on a couple of accessories and make a bulky burlap bag look fetching. She has quite a sense of style that often makes her GC counterparts, clad as they so often are in skin squeezing, breast baring wear more suited to an evening at the Indigo than the office, look tacky and free from any fashion sense whatsoever. Sorry, Sharon, Phyllis, Nikki and Lauren. Who all seem to subscribe to the adage that when it comes to flaunting what God blessed them with, apparently they believe more beats less every single time.

While I'm on the subject of the women of Genoa City, ahh what a man-hungry burg it's become. First, we have Queen of the Suitor Snatchers, Jill Foster Abbott, etc. Who has openly admitted her eagerness to continue being Jeffrey's go to for now gal. What's love got to do with that, she pretty much said. She needs a hot hunk of man and it doesn't matter to her if his heart lies elsewhere. Since it's not his heart she's craving anyway. Then there's her heir apparent, Chloe, who just might be able to give Alistair a serious run for the money when it comes to tossing them back. Chloe is panting so hard and obviously after Cane, she shouldn't be let out without her leash. And while hooking the long chain to her flea collar, perhaps it would be best to fit her with a microchip so someone can get her back to her kennel when her drunk behind loses her way. Chloe proves that there really are few things that look as bad as a drunken sloppy woman. Although having said that, after the first few seconds of distaste, I did find myself laughing crazily at her leg-waving antics as she licked her whiskered chops over Cane and Devon. But, seriously, I'm just having a little fun at Jill and Chloe's expense. I have to cut them some slack for their dogged pursuit of other women's men. I mean, what else is a single girl to do in a town with more tomcats than felines?

Let's all live together in sometimes imperfect harmony is the slogan that should appear on the Welcome sign posted just before you reach Genoa City. A layer of dust hasn't even had a chance to form in the empty space left by Chloe's belongings, and already Lily is emptying a couple of her dresser drawers to make room for Colleen's little pretties. It's hard to believe so few in this town can afford to sustain themselves on what they earn and have to rely on their more affluent friends or relatives to put a roof over their heads. Colleen is understandable; she is supposed to be a halfway starving student, though I'm sure Brad wouldn't blink twice at paying for an apartment of her very own. And if he did object, Jack would undoubtedly offer to do the same. But what exactly is Chloe's excuse. Is Jill paying her so little for her alleged expertise? And why is she suddenly Cane's problem anyway? What will she manage to guilt him into doing next? Watch your back, Lily. And your front and sides too, while you're at it.

Wow! How big of Adrian to forgive Colleen her transgressions against him, though by his tone he seems to be reserving the right to rub her nose in the mess she made of his life whenever he might feel like it. At least that's how I read his attitude. Maybe it's just his way, but he can be so condescending at time. No, I don't blame him for being upset at what Colleen's flip flop did to his life (though I still maintain he took advantage of her then grudge against Brad and manipulated her into agreeing to turn traitor against her own family), but in my opinion he was unnecessarily cruel and rude about it. Were I Colleen, I'd keep going and never look back at his supercilious behind. He treated her like crap. Of course, without Adrian, Colleen will have to renew her GC Woman Without A Man membership.

As usual, Gloria and Jeff couldn't manage to sustain their joy in each other for much more than a hot minute. The sweat Jeffrey worked up romping with Gloria on the pool house sheets hadn't even had a chance to dissipate from his skin before they were grabbing up their ice picks and poking at each other's throats. By the way, yes, I noted Jeff rolled right out of bed and into his clothes without bothering to wave so much as a finger in the shower's direction. But, I've seen this aversion to after the fun showering before so I've come to conclude it's just the Genoa City way. Anyway, if any fan thought their bitter parting and Jeff's muttered promise that Gloria's fooled him for the very last time might possibly mean it's the end for them, don't despair. These two have only just begun to love and hate. Somehow I doubt Gloria will remain broke and homeless and unmarried for too much longer. I'm guessing Jack will be able to fulfill his promise to Sharon to ensure their home is a Glo-free zone by the time Noah returns from camp.

The funniest moment of the week: Ashley opening her mouth and clumsily inserting both 9-1/2 sized feet simultaneously. I laughed so hard my tummy cramped when she incredulously picked up that leaf shaped candy dish, wrongly attributing its tacky presence to Gloria's poor taste, and proceeded to ridicule it unmercifully. Of course, that was the very moment its rightful purchaser, Sharon, entered stage left. I don't know about you, but that moment made my week and was worth the price of admission.

Now for my big Thumbs Up. Was it just me or did any other fan think Thursday's show, especially the end, was perfectly performed and classic Y&R? I loved it so much I watched parts of it multiple times. Here's some of what made me choose it for Best Day of the Week.

The Abbott brother and sister moments were touching and heart-tugging. Jack and Ashley don't always agree, but their love for each other somehow always manages to make them end up standing together on the same side, taking on any comers. The Abbott family moments have definitely been missed by this fan. How enjoyable it was to watch Ashley, Jack and Sharon laughing uproariously at Abby's animated and obviously entertaining storytelling. I've caught Abby in those adorable Dairy Queen commercials. There, and here, she's quite the enchanting scene stealer.

For the first time David made me feel his desperation and believe in his addiction. As he helplessly found himself texting Brad to count him in, you could almost feel his helplessness and anguish at his inability to resist the insistent pull of his gambling addiction. And while I wanted him to be a villain, using Nikki for her money, it certainly appears the scribes have abandoned that path and are hacking out a whole new trail for him. They've plopped a noble hat on his head, telling Nikki he's divorcing her, presumably to spare her from being dragged onto the roller coaster ride of his addiction. Of course, you know Nikki is known for standing supportively by her man's side, so he may have her help whether he wants it or not. Despite the way things appear right now; my penny bet is that the marriage isn't over just yet.

Then there were the happy couple shots: Victor and Sabrina, Karen and Neil, Lily and Cane, watched intently by Chloe who managed to pull off looking both hungrily envious and pitifully vulnerable, all at the same time. Great!

I know many think Victor's occasional comments about his childhood is like trotting out then mercilessly flogging a near dead nag, but for the first time in a long while, I could imagine how it had to have shaped him to be without a father, and as he mentioned this time, for all intents and purposes, he had no decent mother either. Yet he was one day able to forgive the woman who lined them up together than picked him over his brother to cast out of the family. And I think Victor would likely have forgiven the uncaring father as well, had he even shown the slightest indication he even wanted it. How might any of us have turned out if we were once the bewildered boy hobbling around in those too small shoes with holes in the soles? It's a wonder there's any softness at all to be found in the man.

Lastly, and I know some of you won't believe what I'm about to write, especially since I've had little patience with her incessant whining, but after all Victoria's unending complaints and continuing unhappiness with GC's newest couple, she got her message across best when she said nothing at all. Just started to knock on Daddy's door then turned away with a sad and heartfelt little sigh. Now that's despair, done Genoa City style.

Okay, that wraps another week for me. Here's what my fellow fans had to offer.

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HEATHER - I feel the same as many other people about the current storylines, but in a mixed up way. For example, I don't mind Victor and Sabrina as a couple, but I can't stand all the Frenchy whisperings they do! I can understand why Victoria would be totally grossed out by her best friend hitting the sheets with her dad, but she needs to just live her life and quit whining about it. However, she is totally justified in being mad/hurt over the way Victor totally pushed her aside in favor of Adam! Adam wanted everything Victoria had, and each time he asked Victor snatched it from Vicky and gave it to Adam. What about some consideration for the child who's been loyal to him and the family business all these years? Victor's right to feel guilty about Adam, but Vicky had nothing to do with that. NE is a conglomerate big enough for all his kids to have their own sections without fighting over any of them. It's the little inconsistencies like these that annoy me when I'm watching.

DL - Enjoyed your thoughts on the childish adults on Y&R, but you left out the biggest baby of them all, The Black Knight. The epitome of the "I'll take my ball and go home" spoiled kid. And yes, you can grow up poor and still turn into a spoiled adult who thinks his own stuff don't stink. If the current trend continues, they may have to rename the show The Middle-Aged and the Whining! My continuing complaint about the writing on Y&R is that they give us such a shortage of likeable characters. Rather than likeable characters with flaws, we get a cast full of obnoxious characters with occasional moments of decency. We sometimes get to see the good side of Michael, Lauren, Jack, Neil, and Kay. Then there are so many characters that seem devoid of likeability. The current incarnations of Jill, Gloria, Victor, Victoria, and Brad the Cad, are not people you'd want to spend any time around.

TRAVIS - Watching the Monday episode, clearly the writing is just awful. Karen telling Neil "I just joined a boxing club"? And then the never ending Gloria blow by blow. Nothing against the actress but quite frankly I have not invested 20 years to see her every day. Is this show really in the place where they can no longer write for the premier stars? And what happened to JiMin? I don't even care at this point. I stopped watching Guiding Light after 28 years. One Life to Live is now the soap to watch. Attention to core characters with some flair and drama, not Victor getting married to some young flirt and pregnant in 3 months.

KAMAL - I love reader LMICHELE's story of how my beloved Dru could return. It would be so good to have it go down like that. I'm beaming ear to ear just thinking it about it. I'm just sick of the writers portraying Whoria as some poor victim. This woman is a conniving, scheming gold digger. She essentially killed two rich husbands, nearly destroyed a family business and done countless other crimes she's yet to pay for. I can't give out an ounce of sympathy until she's found out for that face cream scandal. Surprisingly, my most hated GC resident is that smarmy Brad George Kaplan Carlton. David is not a good guy and I loathe defending him in any manner, but the way Brad is playing on his worst weakness/illness is really low. I wonder if David was an alcoholic and Brad was pushing booze under David's nose if people would be more outraged at Brad's actions than they seem to be with Brad feeding David tips about sure bets, etc. Brad's not acting out of the goodness of his heart but for his own selfish, self-serving desires per usual. He's pure scum. I'm so glad Heather avoided that trap.

MARY - I actually yelled Hooray when I saw the previews with Karen knocking on Neil's door. I hope Nia really is returning to Genoa City - and even better, that they give her a storyline of her own. She's one of the most interesting female characters they've developed in quite some time and I want to see more of her.

SUZANNE - OK-I am tired of hearing that BON was Victoria's baby. Drucilla, if memory serves, started that line under Neil and Nick. Yes, Victoria took over when she came back because of her experience with Brash and Sassy, but Dru had the original vision. On to the snake in the grass, Brad Carlton, who has gotten on my nerves for some time now. He has no problem playing David and trying to ruin him, but God forbid Professor Korbel ruins Brad. Talk about a double standard. Brad is the one who needs to be put in his place. I agree Jill has issues! Isn't she supposed to be the CEO of CI? Is Jabot the only company in that industry? And this nonsense with Jeffrey has got to stop. Get a life woman! Nikki and Victoria need to get their noses out of the air before they drown the next time it rains. I am enjoying watching Gloria destroy Lauren's shop. I feel sorry for Lauren, but Glo is hysterical. Nick and the gang at the magazine - getting a little boring. Set some ground rules and move on.

BEATRICE - Isn't it amazing not too long ago, people were complaining about Lily acting immature? Now, it seems most of the denizens of Genoa City are acting that way except for Lily. Nick, Vicky, Nikki, Victor, Amber, Gloria, Jill, Jeffrey, Adam and Jack have all had their share of immature moments and I'm sick of it. I noticed most people seem to complain about Nick, Nikki and Vicky, but frankly, I'm on their side where Victor is concerned. Yep, those three are all adults, but their complaints about Victor are legit. Meanwhile, why aren't people fussing about Adam always taunting Vicki? Or Victor complaining about his family betraying him, when it's his fault the family he no longer seems to care for abandoned him. Sure, Victor deserves happiness, but to schlep with his daughter's best friend and a mere three months later already set to marry her is a bit of a pill to swallow. I can't blame people for being suspicious, or Vicky for being hurt by it. I am sick of everyone's whining though. As for Jill, I'm mostly disappointed with what the writers are doing to her. But the Gloria Show is overdue for cancellation IMO. Gloria is the worst thing to happen to this show since Amber.

JESSICA - Will the Writer's of Y&R please stop having Victor and Sabrina speak French to each other? It's like watching the Addams family. Dreadful!

JENNIFER - Victoria is a spoiled brat! I am sick of her. Let her Daddy be happy. She wants Daddy to herself. Victor's kids are rude! Victoria ignores her son all the time. I'd love to have stayed home with my babies. She started work the minute she could get away from her newborn! Jill's actions are repetitive and immature. Can we please see these people not so crazy? Adam is wonderful and I hope he isn't going to turn out to be a creep. Let's see some forgiveness and respect for each other, especially Victor's spoiled brat adult children.

TRISH - It seems there are some inconsistencies popping up in Genoa City these days:Neil would loan Lily the jet to go to NYC, but it's in for service. Didn't he sell it to finance Indigo? Sabrina is pregnant. She is? Guess those vasectomies Victor had were reversed at some point in time. One thing I don't understand is why the fans believe Cassie shouldn't be remembered. I don't think it's unreasonable to think Nick and Sharon would have particular emotions coming up especially on the anniversary of her death. This is not something that just goes away with time. Victor wants Summer to be the flower girl? Really! I've never even seen her walk yet. Phyllis wouldn't have to coach her though. They could just throw bits of food down the aisle for her to follow - maybe M&M's or something equally tasty. And that ugly orange thing Lauren brought for Jana - it looks like something I attempted to whip up in sewing class when I was 10. What happened to the racks and racks of dresses she usually brings - she should change the name of her business to Dresses to Go. She's definitely falling down on the job. Boy, you'd think Glo was living in a dump. I think the pool house is actually quite nice, especially considering it's free. Certainly more upscale than any other I've ever seen.

NIKKI - I totally agree with you. Y&R is missing the boat here. Y&R fans in general are not fans of Victor and Sabrina. It happened in no time and now look at them, getting married and having a baby after his vasectomy! Come on! The way Nikki and Jill have been behaving is like watching whining spoiled brats! Speaking of spoiled brats, way too much Newman time. Between Victor and Adam it has become ridiculous. And then there is Gloria, enough please! Summer should be showcasing Lily and Cane who were given nothing but obstacles and now we should be seeing them together being happy and talking about their future, sure, throw in some drama just not too much! Not a fan, but the Heather and Adam, Kevin and Jana are couples to bring in the younger audiences for the summer. The highest rating days for Y&R have been when Lane is on. Problem is they are hardly ever on!

ELLEN - I don't know if it's possible for Victoria to be any more annoying and whiny. I'm glad the wedding is over so that I don't have to listen to her harp on it anymore - should I go? I don't want to go! My Daddy doesn't love me! I can't forgive Sabrina! And on and on and on. Enough already! I am also amazed at her nerve. When Adam had been at Newman for about one week he brought up the idea of BON going green and Victoria turned her nose up at the idea and pronounced it "too trendy, everybody's doing it" and now somehow it has become her brilliant idea for Jabot. I hope both she and Nick, the bratty pair of them, get what they deserve in the future.

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As always, I appreciate everyone's comments! Back in a week.