Why Hollyoaks is still a vital, necessary show

Melissa Parker reminded us all why Hollyoaks is so important and what it teaches us in a recent article in Digital Spy.

“Hollyoaks has, perhaps most famously, also delved into the hard topic of male sexual assault and the rape of men when Luke Morgan (Gary Lucy) was attacked in 2000.

The show also explored abuse in sports, as Luke’s son Ollie Morgan (then played by Aedan Duckworth) was groomed and abused by his football coach.

These powerful narratives have fed through decades and generations – the ongoing impact of Luke’s rape was revisited 17 years later, his posture sunken as he pleaded with his rapist, “I need you to admit it, just once, please!” It invited the audience to see, once again, these ugly, tangible things that are so often staring us in the face.

Elsewhere, the show has also been commended for its positive, careful handling of Rose Lomax’s (Ava Webster) journey of self-discovery regarding gender identity. The storyline’s originality comes from Rose’s age, as no other soap has shown a transgender journey with a young child on-screen.

None of these experiences or ideas are uniquely modern; they are timeless but once well-hidden, ignored realities.”

“For as long as Hollyoaks has any meaning to young people – if it teaches them to look right in the face of an issue, if they find a connection to a character’s experiences, if they can cling to a brief memory of when a character experiences something for reassurance, if they just enjoy the show for its flashy or silent moments, or if it simply provides comfort during a hangover – it will be worthwhile.”

Full story can be found HERE