I would have to firmly disagree with you on the subject of Soap Operas presenting the status quo to viewers. As a loyal viewer of many Soap Operas I can vouch that many "villains" are rewarded. Take for example Tod on "One Life to Live," he has raped, lied, killed, etc, and has been rewarded with a beautiful wife and two children and has never stayed in jail long for any of his plentiful crimes. Another example would be David on "All my Children," who has drugged a boat full of people and been discovered as the culprit, yet had never been punished for his numerous wrongdoings. They are also filled with people having numerous sex partners. These examples and many more prove that soap operas are not driven my values, but instead by ratings.