Soap Operas, Napa Valley, and Steinbeck's Lost Werewolf Novel

A brief history of the soap opera

Soap operas are long-form, episodic melodramas that follow various characters as they navigate family dynamics, romantic affairs, and sometimes absurd twists of fate. The genre began on American radio in the early 1930s and earned its name thanks to its primary advertisers, which were often soap brands who sought the shows’ predominantly female audiences.
 

As television became more popular, soap operas transitioned to the visual medium. Unlike more typical prime-time programs, soap operas aired every weekday, necessitating a hectic production schedule that often led to their low-budget aesthetic. By the 1970s, soaps were attracting millions of viewers who appreciated their open-ended narratives and salacious storylines.
 

Today, traditional American soap operas are significantly less popular than in the past, which media scholars suggest is caused by several factors, including the rise of reality television. Despite the decline of soap operas, the telenovela, a similar Latin American genre that evolved in parallel with its American counterpart, has become a widespread global phenomenon.

Also, check out ... 

> Irna Phillips, a pioneering writer and actress, was considered "queen of the soaps." (More)

> Check out an episode of "Clara, Lu, 'n Em," the first nationally broadcast radio soap. (More)

> Televised soaps launched the careers of many Hollywood A-listers. (More)

> The OJ Simpson case interrupted soaps’ daytime dominance, forever changing the genre. (More)

Explore everything else we've found on soap operas. 

In partnership with Westbound & Down

Two NFL Stars Got $200M for This Business Idea

Turns out beer is big business. Jason and Travis Kelce just landed a $200M investment into their Garage Beer brand. And they’re not the only brewers swiftly turning investments into growth.

Colorado brewer Westbound & Down recently maxed out an investment offering in under 60 days. How? By parlaying their reputation as Colorado’s most-awarded craft brewery and operating brewpubs that boast world-class hospitality and food. That’s resulted in staggering 2,800% distribution growth since 2019 and a distribution partnership with Whole Foods. They’re not done yet, either. Already sold across 900+ accounts, they aim to achieve 4X distribution by 2028.

Now, with a flagship Denver location on the way, they’ve opened a new window for investors to share in their growth in this $282B market. Get up to 20% bonus stock as an early-stage investor today.*

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Napa Valley, 101

Napa Valley is a roughly 30-mile-long valley about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco. The combination of warm and cool conditions is ideal for grape-growing. Different grapes flourish in different areas of the valley depending on their optimal growing conditions.
 

The Indigenous Wappo people originally inhabited the area. Their practices, like controlled burns of dry brush, helped shape the land's fertility for future agriculture. In the 19th century, European settlers arrived, who kick-started the valley’s wine industry, with the area’s first commercial winery opening in 1861.
 

Napa has over 400 wineries that employ upward of 44,000 people and draw around 4 million annual visitors. Despite its outsized influence in California wine, Napa produces only 4% of the state’s annual wine production.

Also, check out ... 

> One blind taste test put Napa's wine on the international stage. (More)

> Wildfires have seriously affected Napa's winemaking. (More)

> Watch a wine connoisseur break down the proper way to taste wine. (More)

> Explore an interactive map of the region's many wineries. (More)

Explore everything else we've found on Napa Valley. 

Understanding the NFL

The National Football League is the premier professional organization for American football, with 32 teams in two conferences and almost 1,700 active players. In 2024, the NFL generated nearly $23B in revenue. With its teams valued at $190B combined, it is the most valuable sports league in the world.
 

American football began as a hybrid of soccer and rugby on post-Civil War college campuses. Football was wildly popular but disorganized in the early 1900s. In an effort to standardize and organize, the National Football League was formed in 1920 in Canton, Ohio.
 

The popularity of the NFL has made it a global sport. In 2002, the NFL began featuring fantasy football on its site, tapping into what is now more than a $10B industry.

Also, check out ... 

> For decades, an off-the-books agreement tacitly segregated the league. (More)

> As a coach, broadcaster, and video game brand, John Madden reshaped the NFL. (More)

> Check out the league's top 10 plays of all time. (More)

> The first logo painted on an NFL helmet appeared in 1948. (More)

Explore everything else we've found on the NFL. 

Cultural Context

Beyond our weekly deep dives, we love finding great takes on the culture currently shaping our lives. Here are some of the best reactions, profiles, and think pieces we encountered this week.

> The King of Comedy Writers

The Ringer | Alan Siegel. Jim Downey's responsible for several classic "Saturday Night Live" sketches, the most famous monologue from “Billy Madison,” and David Letterman’s “Top Ten” lists. As this profile illustrates, that means he’s an unparalleled force in American comedy. (Read)

> The Innovation That's Killing Restaurant Culture

The Atlantic | Ellen Cushing. As delivery apps like Grubhub and DoorDash have become more popular, restaurants have pivoted to be more accommodating. Cushing argues that not only has that changed the kind of food being made, but it has also realigned our very notion of a restaurant. (Read)

> Early Retirement

Victory Journal | Brian Phillips. Most professional athletes spend the later years of their careers as shadows of their former selves. Phillips’ piece is an artful analysis of the rare exceptions—the all-stars who bow out while still at the top of their game. (Read)

> How the Springsteen Biopic Got Made

InsideHook | Bonnie Stiernberg. “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” the story of Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska,” arrived last weekend. This interview with its producers details how an episode of Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast inspired the project, as well as what it took to get the Boss officially on board. (Read)

> Our Geniuses Define Our Times

Culture: An Owner's Manual | W. David Marx. Marx untangles a strange inversion for our contemporary popular culture: “Genius” is no longer something ascribed to people pushing avant-garde work, but a word now often used to describe those with broad appeal. (Read)

In partnership with Westbound & Down

What’s Better Than an Award-Winning Beer?

Owning stock in the brewery that makes it. That’s the story of Westbound & Down.

They blend gold-medal beer with premium hospitality, earning 25+ awards from competitions like the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. That’s brought 2,800% growth since 2019 and a retail partnership with Whole Foods. And soon, W&D beer will be available in even more states, making their limited-time offer for you to earn up to 20% bonus stock as an investor all the more enticing. Lock in your stake before it’s gone.*

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Best of the Week

We curate hundreds of resources onto 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of society and culture.

> Jackie "Moms" Mabley made stand-up comedy history as the first woman to headline the Apollo Theater.

> Until 1974, many public schools required pregnant teachers to take leave.

> The American vacation wouldn't exist without the Milestone Mo-Tel, the first "motor hotel."

> In 2024, Chris Nikic became the first marathoner with Down syndrome to earn the prestigious Six Star Finisher distinction.

> Frank Lloyd Wright used landscape architecture to find abstract patterns in nature.

> For the first time in 35 years, there wasn't a hip-hop song in the Billboard Top 40.

> Revlon may have launched nail polish in 1932, but nail art can be traced back to 5,000 BCE.

> Before he was a famous novelist, John Steinbeck wrote a werewolf murder mystery.

> Every Halloween, one Texas bar turns into Moe's Tavern, the watering hole from "The Simpsons."

> The official World Cup soccer ball has had 23 different designs.

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