It was a scene that went down in television history. If you saw it, you would say “Oh yeah, that was great!” It was fearless acting and writing. It happened thirty years ago today when Reva Lewis christened herself the Slut of Springfield. Yep, I’m talking about Guiding Light.  My academic friends don’t get my love for soaps. I try to tell them how I watched with my grandmother, that I learned how to love stories. Yes, sometimes the stories are incredibly farfetched, but stories all the same.  The summer of 1984, GL was soaring in the ratings. One story was seizing  people’s attention: Reva Lewis (Kim Zimmer) and the men who loved her. Some background: The Lewis family was introduced in 1982, but was fleshed out more by new head writer Pamela K. Long. They were a ripoff of the Ewings: a family who bickered constantly, but they knew how to have a good time. They even, like the Ewings, had an oil company. If anyone crossed them, watch out. You regret it. Reva came into town to break up her ex husband Billy (Jordan Clarke) and Vanessa (Maeve Kinkhead) up. Alan Spaulding (then played by Christopher Berneau) paid her, but eventually she helped them  get back together. Besides, her heart belonged to one man: Joshua (Robert Newman) her first love, her last love. When Josh found out about the alliance Reva made with Alan, he was furious. Upset, she was going to leave town when Josh’s dad HB came to visit. They started talking then he said to her “My boys want to tame you. I don’t.” They both disappeared. A week later, Josh came back to Reva’s condo, saying he loved her, forget about everything. She had some big news for him: she got married! To his dad! Oh yeah, she was around thirty, HB was was in his sixties. This is when you hear the person who used to do annoucements for Soap when he used to say “Confused? You won’t be…”  I got it; HB let Reva be Reva. Wild and spontaneous, she couldn’t be controlled. Of course, Josh didn’t take the news well, so he got into a car wreck which left him paralyzed. When he was released from the hospital, you think he went to a rehab place? Stay with his sister Trish? Or stay with Billy and Vanessa? Heck no! He stayed with his dad and Reva. Talk about awkward! The three of them went to a summer party one night. Reva was wearing a off white dress with a gold brocade. She was talking with Phillip (Grant Aleksander) and Josh was becoming more and more upset, yelling at her. Phillip walked away. Reva had endured him being sarcastic and rude for weeks. Not only that, but all the Lewises (except for HB) had been rude to her. Enough was enough. “You want me to be a slut? I’ll be a slut. Old Reva is nothin’ but obligin’!”   She lowered her voice, but each word became a weapon. As she did, she took off her shoes, her dress. “Music, please! Oh no music.”  Soon she was only wearing on her slip. “Whatever Joshua wants, Joshua gets.” She threw her dress at him. She opened her arms wide. “Here she is folks! Reva Shayne Lewis! Tramp! Adultress, scarlet woman!” She laughed, then looked at Joshua. “How am I doin, bud? Oh, this isn’t enough, huh? Okay. Well we can’t disappoint little Joshua, can we?” He couldn’t look at her. She strutted around, humming “The Stripper” as she did. “Put your clothes back on,” Josh retorted, unable to look at her. “Why? You always look at me like I’m naked!” Her voice rose. This wasn’t a soap opera  anymore. It was theater. It was Tennesee Williams. Reva was giving Maggie the Cat a run for her money. It was a hot summer night, and she was on fire. She jumped into a fountain, then splashed herself. “I christen thee the Slut of Springfield!” She yelled. “Isn’t that right, Joshua? Isn’t that what you want?” “You call them all out here! Do you?” She dared Josh to take a good hard look, then she took off the slip. She stood there naked,vulnerable and angry.   Later, HB found her and took her home. It was that night she went to his room (they decided to keep seperate rooms) The fury was gone. All that was left was vulnerbility.  “Hold me, old man,” she asked. He did. The Slut of Springfield scene became legendary. It would be duplicated several times, but it could never be matched. Zimmer won an Emmy the next year-of course it was for that scene. Larry Gates won an Emmy as well. Ironically, GL lost for writing,  but oops! There was a mistake! It did win for writing! All the rewards were so deserved. Years later, I was writing a story about a girl getting her first period. I knew I had to set the scene; it was summer. She was twelve years old.  She had no idea what she was getting into.  Of course this was all fiction! But when I wrote it I knew what she was watching on television: Reva in her slip. Reva christening herself the Slut of Springfield. Reva was all woman.  The story ended up in my first ebook, I Woke Up In Love This Morning.  When I went back to revise, I thought about taking the Reva part out. I couldn’t do it. Reva was the cat on the hot tin roof, the woman who couldn’t be contained. She was saying thirty years ago today you may think you got me, but you don’t. I am alive.