Make Your Mustache Jokes Now, While The Getting Is Good!

I...did not see this one coming.

I knew it was a possibility, sure, but I thought it would go the same way Steve Burton's General Hospital negotiations go: magazine stories wondering if he's out, melodramatic Soaps In Depth commercials asking "Is this THE END for Jason?" and then a quiet, re-signed contract stating that Jason will get daily screentime for a couple of more years. The last time I talked about it, I was all, "This is just a prolonged pissing contest and eventually they will come to an agreement, because, duh, people will bug if there is no Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless."

And yet, here we are, looking at a future of no Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless. As the ever-cantankerous Eric Braeden told Entertainment Weekly:

“We reached an impasse in the negotiations,” Braeden told EW.com. “I have shown flexibility, they have shown none. It is over. I pulled the plug. That’s it. No more. If I show good will, I expect it to be reciprocated. If there is a rigid attitude on the other side, what is there to to negotiate? That’s a sign of utter disrespect. I will not negotiate with people who remain aloof and arrogant about the whole thing. Not after 30 years, I won’t do that. I’m saying this with a great amount of sadness because I’ve had nothing but respect for my fellow cast members, I have deep respect for the crew who has done an extraordinary job year in and year out, and I have enormous respect for (head writer) Maria Bell.”

Oh, to be a fly on the wall during those contract talks! How many times do we think Braeden actually said the words, "You got that?" during negotiations? And why can I picture him being all, "I WAS IN TITANIC! HOW DARE YOU"?

(The answer to that is, "Because you have an overactive imagination and a strange knack for bringing Titanic into nearly all of your conversations, Mallory". Fun fact: one of the [number redacted] times I saw Titanic, the people in the row behind me gasped and said "Victor!" when they saw him.)

It's not that I am at all upset about not having to deal with Old Vic, it's just...I am sort of terrified at what the writers will do to fill all of the Victor-shaped holes in the current stories. I don't even want to imagine what sort of front-burner horrors we are in for.

Comments

[Angela]

I can certainly see the "I was in Titanic!" stuff...LOL. I read his article - was it SOD? He had a line something like "I've sold more magazines over the years than any other actor!", yeah - no ego issues there...

[RebeccaJ]

I would loooooove to know what his idea of "flexibility" is.

[Carl]

I still don't believe he's actually going. I think this is a tantrum and something will happen. They may crawl to him. Or he may quietly take a cut after looking like the big man.

90% of the stories suck with or without him, so will it make a difference? Huge portions of the show will still revolve around men who act like thugs and rapists, endless criminal activity from pea-brained Scoobies and Boris and Natasha, and women who exist for no other reason than to be used as incubators or blow-up dolls.

[Sarah]

If it is really and truly over for EB on Y&R I have some suggestions for his LAST soap opera magazine covers.....

"After 30 Years Y&R has Finally Removed it's Unsightly Facial Hair"

"Wax Off, Adios Mustache, You Got That?"

"The Titanic Sank You Dufus"

[SallyV]

I haven't been watching Y&R regularly for very long, but I can't imagine the show without Victor. I don't love the character, but every show needs their "Victor." If it is truly over with EB, I think they should recast.

And BTW...EB said in some of his many interviews that all negotiations were done via email. TPTB didn't even have the decency to sit down and talk to him face to face.

[Alice]

Does anyone else think it is unlikely that a guy who is so blunt, self-serving and arrogant in his statements after the talks ended was kind, understanding and willing to compromise during them?

[marion]

Sigh. The problem with Victor isn't that he exists -- it's that he always wins and is incredibly smug. DOOL's Victor -- at least his modern-day incarnation -- is more of a model of what a show's Victor should be. I'm not sure they know how to write the show without him. But I think a recast would be a disaster.

Wonder if he'll end up on a recurring role on "How I Met Your Mother?"

[RebeccaJ]

Wouldn't it be great if we could ALL take our financial negotiations to the public to garner sympathy? I really have no respect for actors/actresses who do this, and that includes Jess Walton and Melody Thomas Scott.

IF it's true that he made seven figures after a 10% cut and would STILL make seven figures after the new cut, I don't think he's going to find too many sympathetic folks backing him.

[Ryan Mason]

"IBUILTTHEYOUNGANDTHERESTLESSFROMTHEGROUNDUPWITHMYOWNTWOHANDSYOUGOTTHAT?!?!?"

I just hope that it doesn't wind up that in some out of left field plot twist, Victor decided to leave Newman Enterprises in the hands of Amber.

[Sue]

The fact that they had Victor survive the surgery is interesting...
If they really wanted to get rid of him, couldn't they have had the big hospital bed death scene??
He'll be back - YA GOT THAT?!

[Beth R.]

Mallory I think we were in one of the same showing of Titanic...cause I totally did that...every single time...all (number redacted).....

i also may have broken up laughin in Tuck Everlasting and wondered aloud "What the hell do you have against a door" when Jonathan Jackson popped up in the window.

I'm told soap crazy is not a dianosiable mental disorder..but I beg to differ

[samuel]

hi my name is jesus