I haven't yet mentioned the death, earlier this week, of John Updike. This is mostly because I haven't yet read a lot of Updike's work and it always feels weird to write about someone just because they've died. If their work or something they did meant something to me, of course, that's one thing, but to chime in just for the sake of noting their passing seems a bit silly to me.
In Updike's case, I just don't feel familiar enough with his body of work. I will say that the few things I have read have been incredibly good, stylistically speaking, which is not surprising. You don't get a reputation like his just for having a prolific number of books published. If you did, James Patterson and Nora Roberts would be considered literary geniuses!
I got the feeling, again just from the little I've read (short stories and critical essays; none of the novels, yet), that Updike's overall outlook was that of a typical straight white male of his generation, confused and put off by the social changes of the last fifty years.
One thing of his that particularly left me feeling irritated was his review of Alan Hollinghurst's novel The Spell (this is collected in his essay collection Due Considerations) which seemed to me to boil down to the fact that Updike thought Hollinghurst had included too much gay sex in the book. I couldn't help but feel, as I was reading the essay, that any gay sex would have seemed like too much for Updike, but maybe that's not an entirely fair point of view on my part.
I think that's largely why I've not read more of his work, though I still intend to.
Anyway, the reason that I'm bringing up John Updike now is that I just finished reading Ian McEwan's piece on his passing from The Guardian. McEwan is a writer I admire and I think the piece itself is worth reading, no matter what you thought of Updike's writing.
It certainly makes me want to read some of Updike's novels so that I can have a more fully informed opinion of this man who was undeniably a giant of 20th century American literature.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Men of the Stage
I think I spend half my time wishing I lived in London or Paris, and the other half dreaming the (slightly more realistic) dream of living in New York city. There's just so much about New York that I'd love to experience: the stage, the nightlife, the museums; it's the epicenter of the cultural world on this side of the Atlantic.
Of course, the New York I usually fantasize about is alternately the Bohemian version to be found in Rent or a glittering literati world populated with the likes of Dorothy Parker and her Algonquin cohorts. I envision myself spending my days writing and my nights seeing everything on and off Broadway, going to gallery openings, nightclubs, and attending parties of the sort where Gore Vidal and Norman Mailer are having a fistfight in one room while Truman Capote holds court in another.
I won't even begin to describe my impossible fantasies of life in London or Paris!
But, in spite of the fact that I know life in New York would never be close to what I've always imagined from afar, I still plan to experience it one of these days. Even the title of my blog is a wistful nod in the direction of a possible future.
All of which is an elaborate build up on my part to say the following: AfterElton has given me 37 more reasons to want to live in NYC, with their list of the 37 Hottest Guys in Theatre.
They limited their list to guys who have been active in the last few years and have had one or two major roles in that time. Now, I'm obviously biased, but I would have included Van Hansis on the list, given his roles in Die Mommie Die and Dance Dance Revolution. Granted, he's still mostly a TV actor at the moment, but he's clearly devoted to the stage nonetheless.
Still, in spite of the lack of Van, it's a great list full of some truly hot men. There are also three guys on the list with a connection to Van, and strangely enough they all have the same first name!
The first two are Matt Cavenaugh & Matthew Morrison, who have both been on As the World Turns in the last couple of years with Van, each playing the same role: the troubled Adam Hughes.
Matthew had the role first, and was only there for a month before he departed abruptly, but he instantly made a fan of me. He was so intense in the role and he had the most beautiful eyes! I was eagerly anticipating the standard soap opera hunk shirtless scene before he left, but alas we never got one! Below is a picture of Matthew with Van. (Don't ask me what's up with Van's hair, I'm not sure if he was caught in a rainstorm or if he was just trying out the wet look that day! Either way, you know what? Still hot!)
Matt Cavenaugh took over the role immediately after Matthew's departure and had a shirtless scene right away, of course, which made me think that if Matthew had just held on for another day or two...! Still, Matt well deserves his place on AfterElton's list, as you can see below in a few screen caps from his time on ATWT.
Matt's version of Adam was very different and hard to adjust to after Matthew's brief run. I liked Matt, and he's certainly a hottie, but his manner of speaking made me feel like I was watching a 1940's movie star doing a soap. If he'd played the role first, I probably wouldn't have been bothered by this, but it was just such an abrupt switch from Matthew's Adam.
Of course, it also didn't help that the show had no idea what they were doing with his character and turned him into a would be rapist for no logical reason before having him skip town.
It's worth noting, by the way, that Matt previously played Mark Solomon, a gay character, on One Life to Live. He was the lover of the closeted, married character who was murdering people to keep his sexual orientation a secret.
Anyway, Matt has most recently had Broadway roles in Grey Gardens and A Catered Affair and will be returning to Broadway this spring as Tony in West Side Story.
The third person on the list with a connection to Van is his friend and former classmate Matthew Risch, with whom he attended the recent opening of Hedda Gabler, and who is currently starring in Pal Joey.
Anyway, check out the full list because there are so many hot guys on the stage these days!
Of course, the New York I usually fantasize about is alternately the Bohemian version to be found in Rent or a glittering literati world populated with the likes of Dorothy Parker and her Algonquin cohorts. I envision myself spending my days writing and my nights seeing everything on and off Broadway, going to gallery openings, nightclubs, and attending parties of the sort where Gore Vidal and Norman Mailer are having a fistfight in one room while Truman Capote holds court in another.
I won't even begin to describe my impossible fantasies of life in London or Paris!
But, in spite of the fact that I know life in New York would never be close to what I've always imagined from afar, I still plan to experience it one of these days. Even the title of my blog is a wistful nod in the direction of a possible future.
All of which is an elaborate build up on my part to say the following: AfterElton has given me 37 more reasons to want to live in NYC, with their list of the 37 Hottest Guys in Theatre.
They limited their list to guys who have been active in the last few years and have had one or two major roles in that time. Now, I'm obviously biased, but I would have included Van Hansis on the list, given his roles in Die Mommie Die and Dance Dance Revolution. Granted, he's still mostly a TV actor at the moment, but he's clearly devoted to the stage nonetheless.
Still, in spite of the lack of Van, it's a great list full of some truly hot men. There are also three guys on the list with a connection to Van, and strangely enough they all have the same first name!
The first two are Matt Cavenaugh & Matthew Morrison, who have both been on As the World Turns in the last couple of years with Van, each playing the same role: the troubled Adam Hughes.
Matthew had the role first, and was only there for a month before he departed abruptly, but he instantly made a fan of me. He was so intense in the role and he had the most beautiful eyes! I was eagerly anticipating the standard soap opera hunk shirtless scene before he left, but alas we never got one! Below is a picture of Matthew with Van. (Don't ask me what's up with Van's hair, I'm not sure if he was caught in a rainstorm or if he was just trying out the wet look that day! Either way, you know what? Still hot!)
Matt Cavenaugh took over the role immediately after Matthew's departure and had a shirtless scene right away, of course, which made me think that if Matthew had just held on for another day or two...! Still, Matt well deserves his place on AfterElton's list, as you can see below in a few screen caps from his time on ATWT.
Matt's version of Adam was very different and hard to adjust to after Matthew's brief run. I liked Matt, and he's certainly a hottie, but his manner of speaking made me feel like I was watching a 1940's movie star doing a soap. If he'd played the role first, I probably wouldn't have been bothered by this, but it was just such an abrupt switch from Matthew's Adam.
Of course, it also didn't help that the show had no idea what they were doing with his character and turned him into a would be rapist for no logical reason before having him skip town.
It's worth noting, by the way, that Matt previously played Mark Solomon, a gay character, on One Life to Live. He was the lover of the closeted, married character who was murdering people to keep his sexual orientation a secret.
Anyway, Matt has most recently had Broadway roles in Grey Gardens and A Catered Affair and will be returning to Broadway this spring as Tony in West Side Story.
The third person on the list with a connection to Van is his friend and former classmate Matthew Risch, with whom he attended the recent opening of Hedda Gabler, and who is currently starring in Pal Joey.
Anyway, check out the full list because there are so many hot guys on the stage these days!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
All About Sports
Well, the look on his face says it all. My guy Andy Roddick lost in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, to Roger Federer. At least he made it to the semi-finals this year, though, and not surprisingly he managed to remain hot while doing so!
Speaking of athletes, openly gay Olympic Gold Medalist Matthew Mitcham is the subject of the cover story in the next issue of The Advocate, and Towelroad has a preview that includes a shot of the cover:
Wow! If you'll recall, I chose Matthew as my Hottest Athlete of 2008 and this certainly puts him in the running for 2009 as well!I think it's amazing that Matthew is completely open and honest about being gay in the world of sports, something that certainly puts him in the minority among LGBT athletes.
Meanwhile, another Australian Olympic Gold medalist, Ian Thorpe, has officially denied that he's gay for like the 94th time, or something close to that number. The latest denial was prompted when pictures of him and his roommate of three years, Brazilian swimmer Daniel Mendes, were published, the insinuation being that the two- who also travel together, including spending a month in Brazil with Daniel's family for Christmas- are more than just friends.
Here's part of what Thorpe had to say:
"I have only commented on this issue at this time because I draw a line when innuendo implicates people like my family and my friends.
"I find this kind of inaccurate speculation tiresome and I am annoyed by the hurt it has caused those closest to me."
This irritates me, because he makes it sound like they're being accused of something that's bad rather than of being in love.
It might help, Ian, if you didn't play the old telltale pronoun game. Last summer he told an Australian newspaper that he was dating 'someone special' but that "they don't live in this country." They, not she. Not surprisingly, that caused an increase in speculation about his sexuality, so he later clarified in another interview that it was a she.
If there were more athletes like Matthew Mitcham around, we could pay less attention to the Ian Thorpes of the sporting world. He could frolic on the beach with his long term roommate all he wanted and no one would even care if he was gay or straight, not if there were plenty of other out role models for aspiring LGBT athletes to look up to.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Soap Update
Well, after two long weeks offscreen, Luke was back on As the World Turns today, though Noah was no where in sight. Instead, Luke was doing what people in happy relationships on soaps typically spend their time doing: getting involved in other people's storylines.
Today, Luke was there to listen to his cousin Jade's feelings about her newly discovered father who wants nothing to do with her, and her lack of direction in life. He even played career counselor, getting her to check Craig's List for job openings.
Once Jade was off to her instant job interview, Luke found the time to go catch up with his friend Alison and to try and play matchmaker for her & Casey, just as they did for him & Noah a few weeks back. Of course, Jade's new job: keeping Alison & Casey apart, for which she's being paid by Alison's sister Emily, who is also Casey's ex. Nice work if you can get it! Why do none of my job interviews end with people paying me to seduce hunky men away from their potential love interests?!
So, that just about sums it up for Luke today. I was really glad to see him being happy and relaxed for a change after seeing him in so much misery for so long. I'm not too worried about the lack of story, either, because I know there is more coming up for him & Noah in the near future.
I avoid spoilers like the plague, but I do know that Luke's biological father Damian is coming back to town in March. Considering how things were left between them after the last time Damian was in town, there's certainly a lot of drama to be mined between the two of them, especially when you throw Noah into the mix. Damian had enough trouble with his son being gay before there was a boyfriend in the picture to make it even more of a reality.
As for Guiding Light's potential LGBT story, I'm still not sure if it's really going anywhere. In the time since I wrote last, Olivia has found out that her physical therapist also assumed that she & Natalia were a couple and while reassuring the therapist that she was very happy that Natalia was dating a guy, Olivia sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than anyone else.
When Alan Spaulding, the paternal Grandfather of Olivia's daughter Emma, saw the My Two Mommies school report online, he began to make noise about what kind of environment his grandchild was growing up in. Because, God forbid a child have a home with two loving parental figures if they're both the same gender!
Natalia worried that Alan could try and take Emma from Olivia and suggested that maybe she should move out for Emma's sake, but Olivia was furious at the idea and shot it down.
Alan came to check on his granddaughter in person and then told the two women that since he knows the two of them (which he should: in addition to being the mother of his granddaughter, Olivia is also one of his ex-wives and Natalia is apparently the mother of his grandson! Only on soaps!) he knows they're not together, but other people who don't know them will talk and be cruel and he feels it would be better for Emma if they stopped living together.
Olivia & Natalia rejected the request and then had one of those ominous soap moments afterwards when they basically tempted fate by saying the fall out from the My Two Mommies thing is behind them.
Since I'm really not sure if the show is going to go anywhere with these two, I probably won't be mentioning them again unless/until something more conclusive happens between them.
I'm still way behind and trying to catch up on All My Children's Bianca & Reese, so I don't have anything to say about them. Hopefully there will be time this weekend to get caught up on YouTube.
Speaking of YouTube, I practically did a happy dance yesterday when I got to see Olli return to Verboten Liebe after two long months away! His portrayer, Jo Weil, was off doing a play during that time, so the show sent Olli to Ibiza on a working vacation while his lonely boyfriend Christian remained behind in Dusseldorf, listening to the relationship woes of their roommate Judith and trying to help his brother Gregor through an early midlife crisis.
Olli's return was celebrated by all their friends and family and it was just really great to see him and Christian reunited, kissing and dancing and hanging out at the welcome home party just long enough to not be rude before slipping away to be alone together.
The two of them have such incredible chemistry! I hope the show has a good story planned out for them now that Olli is back.
Today, Luke was there to listen to his cousin Jade's feelings about her newly discovered father who wants nothing to do with her, and her lack of direction in life. He even played career counselor, getting her to check Craig's List for job openings.
Once Jade was off to her instant job interview, Luke found the time to go catch up with his friend Alison and to try and play matchmaker for her & Casey, just as they did for him & Noah a few weeks back. Of course, Jade's new job: keeping Alison & Casey apart, for which she's being paid by Alison's sister Emily, who is also Casey's ex. Nice work if you can get it! Why do none of my job interviews end with people paying me to seduce hunky men away from their potential love interests?!
So, that just about sums it up for Luke today. I was really glad to see him being happy and relaxed for a change after seeing him in so much misery for so long. I'm not too worried about the lack of story, either, because I know there is more coming up for him & Noah in the near future.
I avoid spoilers like the plague, but I do know that Luke's biological father Damian is coming back to town in March. Considering how things were left between them after the last time Damian was in town, there's certainly a lot of drama to be mined between the two of them, especially when you throw Noah into the mix. Damian had enough trouble with his son being gay before there was a boyfriend in the picture to make it even more of a reality.
As for Guiding Light's potential LGBT story, I'm still not sure if it's really going anywhere. In the time since I wrote last, Olivia has found out that her physical therapist also assumed that she & Natalia were a couple and while reassuring the therapist that she was very happy that Natalia was dating a guy, Olivia sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than anyone else.
When Alan Spaulding, the paternal Grandfather of Olivia's daughter Emma, saw the My Two Mommies school report online, he began to make noise about what kind of environment his grandchild was growing up in. Because, God forbid a child have a home with two loving parental figures if they're both the same gender!
Natalia worried that Alan could try and take Emma from Olivia and suggested that maybe she should move out for Emma's sake, but Olivia was furious at the idea and shot it down.
Alan came to check on his granddaughter in person and then told the two women that since he knows the two of them (which he should: in addition to being the mother of his granddaughter, Olivia is also one of his ex-wives and Natalia is apparently the mother of his grandson! Only on soaps!) he knows they're not together, but other people who don't know them will talk and be cruel and he feels it would be better for Emma if they stopped living together.
Olivia & Natalia rejected the request and then had one of those ominous soap moments afterwards when they basically tempted fate by saying the fall out from the My Two Mommies thing is behind them.
Since I'm really not sure if the show is going to go anywhere with these two, I probably won't be mentioning them again unless/until something more conclusive happens between them.
I'm still way behind and trying to catch up on All My Children's Bianca & Reese, so I don't have anything to say about them. Hopefully there will be time this weekend to get caught up on YouTube.
Speaking of YouTube, I practically did a happy dance yesterday when I got to see Olli return to Verboten Liebe after two long months away! His portrayer, Jo Weil, was off doing a play during that time, so the show sent Olli to Ibiza on a working vacation while his lonely boyfriend Christian remained behind in Dusseldorf, listening to the relationship woes of their roommate Judith and trying to help his brother Gregor through an early midlife crisis.
Olli's return was celebrated by all their friends and family and it was just really great to see him and Christian reunited, kissing and dancing and hanging out at the welcome home party just long enough to not be rude before slipping away to be alone together.
The two of them have such incredible chemistry! I hope the show has a good story planned out for them now that Olli is back.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Secretary of LGBT Affairs?
Here's something interesting. I just read that Equal Rep, the LGBT rights group that was advocating for Mary Beth Maxwell to be named Secretary of Labor and Fred Hochberg to be named Secretary of Commerce, is now calling for President Obama to create a new Cabinet position, a Secretary of LGBT Affairs.
I'm not really sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, the intentions are clearly good and they're right to point out in their press release that:
I'm not really sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, the intentions are clearly good and they're right to point out in their press release that:
“We are a minority group that has outright discriminatory laws against us. We can’t marry in 48 states, if we join the military we are required to lie or hide our sexual orientation lest we be discharged, and we are denied all federal recognition that we even exist just to name a few laws."
On the other hand, though, creating a new cabinet position (not to mention the department that would come along with it) for one segment of the population seems a bit over the top. I'd much sooner see a Secretary of Minority Affairs, dealing with issues relating to all minority groups. This would avoid angering other groups of minority citizens who'd be well within their rights to demand equal Cabinet representation.
Still, it's an interesting idea and you can follow the link to Equal Rep to join in the call for an LGBT Cabinet position if you'd like.
Still, it's an interesting idea and you can follow the link to Equal Rep to join in the call for an LGBT Cabinet position if you'd like.
Monday, January 26, 2009
A Bit of This, A Dash of That
Just a couple of random things tonight.
Sam Adams, the openly gay Mayor of Portland, Oregon, has decided to remain in office. This may have had something to do with the large rally of supporters who gathered this weekend to encourage Sam not to resign.
Beau Breedlove, the former intern who was Adams' lover three years ago, has maintained that they did not begin a sexual relationship until a few weeks after Breedlove's 18th birthday. He has revealed that they did kiss twice while he was still 17, though.
My opinion on this hasn't changed. As long as Breedlove was legal, I see no reason for Adams to be forced to resign, any more than I saw a reason for Bill Clinton to resign from office during the whole Lewinsky fiasco. It's very disappointing that Adams felt the need to lie, no question about that, but I think the outrage is largely based on the age difference between the two men, which is nobody's business. I'm sure a lot of the outcry we're seeing also comes from those disgusted by the fact that this happened between two men, period.
Speaking of gay public officials, GayPolitics has a complete list of the 16 openly LGBT appointees that have been tapped for positions in the Obama administration so far.
Another thing that caught my attention today is that Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin has announced that he will be introducing a Constitutional Amendment to require special elections when a vacancy occurs in the United States Senate. This is how they're already required to do things in the U.S. House of Representatives, but most Senate vacancies are filled through appointment by the state's Governor, as we've seen demonstrated so disastrously in the last few months.
It's ridiculous that things aren't already done that way, to be honest, but then we have to remember that it has been less than a hundred years since Senators were selected by state legislators and never had to face the voters. This way of doing things is just the last remaining remnant of that practice.
Of course, it is not an easy process to amend the U.S. Constitution. I think if Feingold's amendment ever had a chance, though, it would be right now, with the mess in Illinois still fresh on everyone's mind.
Finally, to close on a completely different subject, I just wanted to post this picture I just saw on AfterElton of the very sexy Van Hansis (better known as Luke on As the World Turns, of course!) attending the recent opening of Hedda Gabler on Broadway with his former classmate, openly gay Broadway actor Matt Risch, best known from the musical Legally Blonde.
Van looks fantastic when he lets his face get a bit scruffy! Then again, I've never seen Van look anything less than fantastic.
Sam Adams, the openly gay Mayor of Portland, Oregon, has decided to remain in office. This may have had something to do with the large rally of supporters who gathered this weekend to encourage Sam not to resign.
Beau Breedlove, the former intern who was Adams' lover three years ago, has maintained that they did not begin a sexual relationship until a few weeks after Breedlove's 18th birthday. He has revealed that they did kiss twice while he was still 17, though.
My opinion on this hasn't changed. As long as Breedlove was legal, I see no reason for Adams to be forced to resign, any more than I saw a reason for Bill Clinton to resign from office during the whole Lewinsky fiasco. It's very disappointing that Adams felt the need to lie, no question about that, but I think the outrage is largely based on the age difference between the two men, which is nobody's business. I'm sure a lot of the outcry we're seeing also comes from those disgusted by the fact that this happened between two men, period.
Speaking of gay public officials, GayPolitics has a complete list of the 16 openly LGBT appointees that have been tapped for positions in the Obama administration so far.
Another thing that caught my attention today is that Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin has announced that he will be introducing a Constitutional Amendment to require special elections when a vacancy occurs in the United States Senate. This is how they're already required to do things in the U.S. House of Representatives, but most Senate vacancies are filled through appointment by the state's Governor, as we've seen demonstrated so disastrously in the last few months.
It's ridiculous that things aren't already done that way, to be honest, but then we have to remember that it has been less than a hundred years since Senators were selected by state legislators and never had to face the voters. This way of doing things is just the last remaining remnant of that practice.
Of course, it is not an easy process to amend the U.S. Constitution. I think if Feingold's amendment ever had a chance, though, it would be right now, with the mess in Illinois still fresh on everyone's mind.
Finally, to close on a completely different subject, I just wanted to post this picture I just saw on AfterElton of the very sexy Van Hansis (better known as Luke on As the World Turns, of course!) attending the recent opening of Hedda Gabler on Broadway with his former classmate, openly gay Broadway actor Matt Risch, best known from the musical Legally Blonde.
Van looks fantastic when he lets his face get a bit scruffy! Then again, I've never seen Van look anything less than fantastic.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Penn Wins SAG Award
I'm running way behind schedule tonight, so I'm not going to blather on about anything in particular. I just wanted to note that Sean Penn won a Screen Actors Guild award tonight for his performance as Harvey Milk in the film Milk.
Here's part of what Penn had to say during his acceptance speech:
Here's part of what Penn had to say during his acceptance speech:
“As actors we don’t play gay/straight … we play human beings, and this movie is something that we are, all of us involved, are so proud of and I, we are so appreciative of this kind of acknowledgement because this is a story about equal rights for all human beings.’’
Completely awesome. Let's hope he gets to give a similar speech at the Oscars next month!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
The Reasons I Love Tennis
Since I mentioned fantasy gym teachers in my earlier post, I thought it was the perfect time to talk sports. Specifically, about Tennis, since the Australian Open is going on right now.
Okay, let's be honest, I don't really want to talk about tennis (though it is the only sport I enjoy watching), but rather about the guys who play tennis.
In fact, I don't even think it's necessary to talk. Let's just look at some pictures of what makes Tennis the hottest sport ever.
First, my own personal favorite and the man I always root for, Andy Roddick:
Second, probably the greatest player in Tennis at the moment, Roger Federer:
Next, hottie Novak Djokovic:
The very sexy Marat Safin:
Chile's hunky Fernando Gonzales:
Finally, Rafael Nadal:
Do you see why I love tennis?
Okay, let's be honest, I don't really want to talk about tennis (though it is the only sport I enjoy watching), but rather about the guys who play tennis.
In fact, I don't even think it's necessary to talk. Let's just look at some pictures of what makes Tennis the hottest sport ever.
First, my own personal favorite and the man I always root for, Andy Roddick:
Second, probably the greatest player in Tennis at the moment, Roger Federer:
Next, hottie Novak Djokovic:
The very sexy Marat Safin:
Chile's hunky Fernando Gonzales:
Finally, Rafael Nadal:
Do you see why I love tennis?
TV Talk
First off, since I complained so much about last week's episode of Supernatural, I thought I should say that this week the show was back in fine form. The episode was well written and furthered the overall story arc nicely.
On top of that, there was a scene that could totally have been created for (or by!) the writers of Supernatural slash fiction, where Dean followed a fake lead and ended up alone in a building with a dominating leather daddy who asked Dean to tell him what his safe word was before they 'got started'! Interestingly enough, that's where the scene ended, leaving what happened next completely up to the viewers imaginations.
Next week's episode looks even better, in fact, with Jensen Ackles dressed as every gay boy's fantasy of the hot gym teacher they wish they'd had! In fact, I have to include a visual aide on that:
Somehow, I doubt I'll have any complaints after seeing that episode!
Another thing I mentioned this past week was the potential new LGBT soap couple, Guiding Light's Olivia & Natalia. Things are still up in the air as to whether there will be anything between them or not, but I thought I'd follow up on what happened after their kiss.
Basically, Natalia was shocked that anyone would think that of them and then asked a very logical question: why did Olivia kiss her? A flustered Olivia said something about actions speaking louder than words as far as getting her point across to Natalia about what people were thinking after the My Two Mommies school presentation.
In a complete role reversal from the episode before, Olivia suddenly wanted to act like what people thought was no big deal, but the newly enlightened Natalia was freaking out and insisted they get little Emma's teacher to meet them back at the school to set things straight (yes, pun intended!)
Olivia seemed hurt that Natalia was in such a rush to deny there was anything between them (despite feeling the same way herself, pre-kiss) and listened on, clearly hurt, as Natalia explained to the teacher that they were just roommates.
Then, there was this big meant-to-be-touching moment where Natalia took it back and explained that no, they weren't just roommates. They were a family, just a different sort of family from what everyone thought after Emma's presentation.
That seemed to be the end of it and I had to wonder if the whole thing was leading up to nothing more than that, just a recognition that they were an unconventional family and not a first step to something more between Olivia & Natalia.
That changed, though, when Olivia started talking about their dinner plans for the night and Natalia revealed she had a date. The episode ended with Olivia home alone, eating dinner by herself and clearly feeling something more than friendship for her absent friend.
They're still at a place where they could easily go another way and have nothing come from all of this, but hopefully the show will take things in the more interesting direction.
Meanwhile, over on As the World Turns, this was the first completely Nuke free week we've had in awhile and I think I'm developing withdrawal symptoms already!
On top of that, there was a scene that could totally have been created for (or by!) the writers of Supernatural slash fiction, where Dean followed a fake lead and ended up alone in a building with a dominating leather daddy who asked Dean to tell him what his safe word was before they 'got started'! Interestingly enough, that's where the scene ended, leaving what happened next completely up to the viewers imaginations.
Next week's episode looks even better, in fact, with Jensen Ackles dressed as every gay boy's fantasy of the hot gym teacher they wish they'd had! In fact, I have to include a visual aide on that:
Somehow, I doubt I'll have any complaints after seeing that episode!
Another thing I mentioned this past week was the potential new LGBT soap couple, Guiding Light's Olivia & Natalia. Things are still up in the air as to whether there will be anything between them or not, but I thought I'd follow up on what happened after their kiss.
Basically, Natalia was shocked that anyone would think that of them and then asked a very logical question: why did Olivia kiss her? A flustered Olivia said something about actions speaking louder than words as far as getting her point across to Natalia about what people were thinking after the My Two Mommies school presentation.
In a complete role reversal from the episode before, Olivia suddenly wanted to act like what people thought was no big deal, but the newly enlightened Natalia was freaking out and insisted they get little Emma's teacher to meet them back at the school to set things straight (yes, pun intended!)
Olivia seemed hurt that Natalia was in such a rush to deny there was anything between them (despite feeling the same way herself, pre-kiss) and listened on, clearly hurt, as Natalia explained to the teacher that they were just roommates.
Then, there was this big meant-to-be-touching moment where Natalia took it back and explained that no, they weren't just roommates. They were a family, just a different sort of family from what everyone thought after Emma's presentation.
That seemed to be the end of it and I had to wonder if the whole thing was leading up to nothing more than that, just a recognition that they were an unconventional family and not a first step to something more between Olivia & Natalia.
That changed, though, when Olivia started talking about their dinner plans for the night and Natalia revealed she had a date. The episode ended with Olivia home alone, eating dinner by herself and clearly feeling something more than friendship for her absent friend.
They're still at a place where they could easily go another way and have nothing come from all of this, but hopefully the show will take things in the more interesting direction.
Meanwhile, over on As the World Turns, this was the first completely Nuke free week we've had in awhile and I think I'm developing withdrawal symptoms already!
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Newest Senator
The Governor of New York announced today that the newest United States Senator, filling Hillary Rodham Clinton's vacated seat, will be Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand. As you know, I was excited about the prospect of Caroline Kennedy being the next Senator from New York (not that I should really have a say, since I don't even live in the state!), but that clearly didn't pan out.
My second choice was Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who'd been endorsed by the National Organization for Women.
So who is Senator Gillibrand? Apparently, she's rather right wing when it comes to immigration and gun control issues, earning herself an A rating from the NRA. Here's a bit on that from a Bloomberg article:
At the same time, though, the new Senator has a 100% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union, completely supports a woman's right to choose, and has just changed her position on gay marriage. Previously, she supported Civil Unions (as did Senator Clinton) but now she has made it clear that she is supporting full marriage rights for the LGBT community. She will also back the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
So, it sounds like the new Senator will be very strong on LGBT issues, which is a very good thing. I do wish the Governor had chosen someone who had those positions but wasn't also going to be the NRA's darling at the same time. I'm a lot less nervous now, though, than I was when I first read that Gillibrand was considered a centrist Democrat who'd won election in a Republican district.
My second choice was Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who'd been endorsed by the National Organization for Women.
So who is Senator Gillibrand? Apparently, she's rather right wing when it comes to immigration and gun control issues, earning herself an A rating from the NRA. Here's a bit on that from a Bloomberg article:
Last Sept. 17, Gillibrand was one of 85 Democrats who voted to repeal Washington, D.C.’s restrictions on gun ownership. She originally sponsored a bill that would have permitted assault weapons in Washington, said Jackie Hilly, executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. Lawmakers revised the measure after law enforcement groups opposed it, Hilly said.
Even before her selection was official, U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was shot to death 15 years ago on a Long Island Railroad train, vowed to challenge Gillibrand in a primary election, calling her record on gun control “awful.”
At the same time, though, the new Senator has a 100% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union, completely supports a woman's right to choose, and has just changed her position on gay marriage. Previously, she supported Civil Unions (as did Senator Clinton) but now she has made it clear that she is supporting full marriage rights for the LGBT community. She will also back the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
So, it sounds like the new Senator will be very strong on LGBT issues, which is a very good thing. I do wish the Governor had chosen someone who had those positions but wasn't also going to be the NRA's darling at the same time. I'm a lot less nervous now, though, than I was when I first read that Gillibrand was considered a centrist Democrat who'd won election in a Republican district.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Milk Gets Multiple Oscar Noms
I was just looking over the list of Oscar nominations, which were announced today, and I'm thrilled to see that Milk was nominated for eight awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for Sean Penn and Best Supporting Actor for Josh Brolin. After the film's nearly complete shut out for Golden Globe nominations, this is certainly great news!
It's very exciting, though I STILL have not been able to see the film! Maybe now that it's a multiple nominee it will play in my area? I'm honestly quite surprised that it hasn't been here before this since I don't exactly live in some backwoods area that avoids films with gay themes.
From what I've heard about the movie, it sounded like James Franco deserved a nomination for Best Supporting Actor as well. Overall, though, the film did very well today and I think we can all be very excited about that.
Looking over the rest of the nominees, there are only three performances that I've actually seen this year: Richard Jenkins, nominated for Best Actor in The Visitor; Anne Hathaway, up for Best Actress in Rachel Getting Married, and of course Heath Ledger, posthumously nominated for Best Supporting Actor in The Dark Knight.
All three were very memorable performances, in very different ways. Jenkins, a character actor probably best known for his work as the dead father on Six Feet Under impressed me so much with his quiet but powerful performance. If he wasn't nominated against Sean Penn, I'd be rooting for him. I think I am rooting for Hathaway, who really surprised me with her work.
What can I even say about Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker? I still believe that he was completely robbed of a much deserved win in Brokeback Mountain and if he does win the Oscar next month, I think I'll see it as much as being for that film as for The Dark Knight.
I'm of course rooting for Milk to win everything for which it is nominated, no question. Maybe I'll have a chance to see some of the other performances and nominees before the awards are given out and can form some sort of an informed opinion of who should win all the other awards.
It's very exciting, though I STILL have not been able to see the film! Maybe now that it's a multiple nominee it will play in my area? I'm honestly quite surprised that it hasn't been here before this since I don't exactly live in some backwoods area that avoids films with gay themes.
From what I've heard about the movie, it sounded like James Franco deserved a nomination for Best Supporting Actor as well. Overall, though, the film did very well today and I think we can all be very excited about that.
Looking over the rest of the nominees, there are only three performances that I've actually seen this year: Richard Jenkins, nominated for Best Actor in The Visitor; Anne Hathaway, up for Best Actress in Rachel Getting Married, and of course Heath Ledger, posthumously nominated for Best Supporting Actor in The Dark Knight.
All three were very memorable performances, in very different ways. Jenkins, a character actor probably best known for his work as the dead father on Six Feet Under impressed me so much with his quiet but powerful performance. If he wasn't nominated against Sean Penn, I'd be rooting for him. I think I am rooting for Hathaway, who really surprised me with her work.
What can I even say about Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker? I still believe that he was completely robbed of a much deserved win in Brokeback Mountain and if he does win the Oscar next month, I think I'll see it as much as being for that film as for The Dark Knight.
I'm of course rooting for Milk to win everything for which it is nominated, no question. Maybe I'll have a chance to see some of the other performances and nominees before the awards are given out and can form some sort of an informed opinion of who should win all the other awards.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Mayor Adams Joins the Ever Growing List of Politicians Who Lie About Sex
I had kind of a bad day at work and having to write about how incredibly disappointed I am in Sam Adams (Portland, Oregon's new openly gay Mayor) fits with the overall tone of my day perfectly.
If you hadn't heard, Adams has admitted to having an affair with an 18 year old intern back in 2005. Now, I couldn't care less about that. America in general is so incredibly puritanical about sex, but I honestly feel that as long as everyone involved consents and is of legal age, they're free to do whatever they like. It's none of my business and it shouldn't matter to anyone else, either.
What disappoints me so much about Mayor Adams is that he lied when this issue came up during the campaign and he got his former lover to lie as well.
Now, granted, he probably wouldn't have felt the need to lie if Americans weren't so uptight about things like this to begin with. But that's really not an excuse. I would have had a lot of respect for him if he'd just addressed this whole thing frankly and honestly from the beginning.
The question of the moment seems to be if Adams will resign from office. Personally, as disappointed as I am with him, I think the decision is entirely up to him and should be based on his own conscience. Adams didn't lie under oath or break the law, as long as he's being truthful about when the sexual relationship started, so I think those calling for him to resign don't have much of a case to go on.
He's come clean and apologized, and as long as he's telling the truth about everything else, I think that should be enough. Lying about legal sex shouldn't disqualify anyone from office.
That Adams is telling the truth about when the affair started is something the police don't want to just take his word on, apparently, since they've asked the state Attorney General to investigate the affair.
What a mess. I was so excited about Adams being the first openly gay person elected as Mayor of a major city. What really upsets me most is that those who are homophobic will do what they always do: jump on this one person's mistake and use it to 'prove' that all gays are after teenagers, promiscuous, liars, etc, etc.
This is so infuriating. A few years back, it was reveled that former Secretary of Transportation, Oregon Governor, and Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt had carried on a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl while he was Mayor of Portland. No one said "See, all heterosexual males are sexual predators after little girls!" at that time, but you can bet that certain people won't hesitate to say it about gay men (politicians or otherwise) and use Adams as an example, even though Adams' lover was of age!
I can't stand double standards like this.
If you hadn't heard, Adams has admitted to having an affair with an 18 year old intern back in 2005. Now, I couldn't care less about that. America in general is so incredibly puritanical about sex, but I honestly feel that as long as everyone involved consents and is of legal age, they're free to do whatever they like. It's none of my business and it shouldn't matter to anyone else, either.
What disappoints me so much about Mayor Adams is that he lied when this issue came up during the campaign and he got his former lover to lie as well.
Now, granted, he probably wouldn't have felt the need to lie if Americans weren't so uptight about things like this to begin with. But that's really not an excuse. I would have had a lot of respect for him if he'd just addressed this whole thing frankly and honestly from the beginning.
The question of the moment seems to be if Adams will resign from office. Personally, as disappointed as I am with him, I think the decision is entirely up to him and should be based on his own conscience. Adams didn't lie under oath or break the law, as long as he's being truthful about when the sexual relationship started, so I think those calling for him to resign don't have much of a case to go on.
He's come clean and apologized, and as long as he's telling the truth about everything else, I think that should be enough. Lying about legal sex shouldn't disqualify anyone from office.
That Adams is telling the truth about when the affair started is something the police don't want to just take his word on, apparently, since they've asked the state Attorney General to investigate the affair.
What a mess. I was so excited about Adams being the first openly gay person elected as Mayor of a major city. What really upsets me most is that those who are homophobic will do what they always do: jump on this one person's mistake and use it to 'prove' that all gays are after teenagers, promiscuous, liars, etc, etc.
This is so infuriating. A few years back, it was reveled that former Secretary of Transportation, Oregon Governor, and Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt had carried on a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl while he was Mayor of Portland. No one said "See, all heterosexual males are sexual predators after little girls!" at that time, but you can bet that certain people won't hesitate to say it about gay men (politicians or otherwise) and use Adams as an example, even though Adams' lover was of age!
I can't stand double standards like this.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Thoughts on the Inauguration
This has been a truly amazing day for Americans. Watching such a peaceful transfer of so much power is always an awe inspiring thing, but this year the Inauguration had even more meaning for us all. It was a chance to put the horrors of government sanctioned racism and discrimination even further into the past, to show that as a country we've come such a long way in the last half century, no matter the distance still to go.
It was also an incredible day because it meant an end, at long last, to the worst and most dangerous administration in United States history. It came over me slowly, as I watched President Obama being sworn in and then began to listen to his incredible Inaugural address: Pride. Pride, first of all, that we once again have a President who can actually speak eloquently. The feeling went far beyond that, though. I realized that while I've never stopped loving this country and being grateful to be an American, I've been truly, deeply ashamed of our Government and their actions for such a long time now.
To suddenly feel such a sense of pride again felt beyond amazing. To see Bush & Cheney heading out of town and to know that they're no longer in a position to try and destroy the Constitution felt even better.
Obama still has to prove himself to me as President. I'm not going to give him a free pass just because he's a Democrat and isn't George W. Bush. But today, I am proud. Today, the President of the United States is a man I respect and not a man I think should be tried for war crimes. Amazing!
It makes it even better to read that just seconds after Obama was sworn in, the official White House web site was updated to include a list of his commitments to LGBT rights!
What else is there to say, except that this was truly a day of change and of hope? As much as those words have been thrown around by the campaigns and the media in the past year, today truly brought them to life for me.
It was also an incredible day because it meant an end, at long last, to the worst and most dangerous administration in United States history. It came over me slowly, as I watched President Obama being sworn in and then began to listen to his incredible Inaugural address: Pride. Pride, first of all, that we once again have a President who can actually speak eloquently. The feeling went far beyond that, though. I realized that while I've never stopped loving this country and being grateful to be an American, I've been truly, deeply ashamed of our Government and their actions for such a long time now.
To suddenly feel such a sense of pride again felt beyond amazing. To see Bush & Cheney heading out of town and to know that they're no longer in a position to try and destroy the Constitution felt even better.
Obama still has to prove himself to me as President. I'm not going to give him a free pass just because he's a Democrat and isn't George W. Bush. But today, I am proud. Today, the President of the United States is a man I respect and not a man I think should be tried for war crimes. Amazing!
It makes it even better to read that just seconds after Obama was sworn in, the official White House web site was updated to include a list of his commitments to LGBT rights!
What else is there to say, except that this was truly a day of change and of hope? As much as those words have been thrown around by the campaigns and the media in the past year, today truly brought them to life for me.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A New LGBT Soap Couple?
Today's Guiding Light featured a kiss between two female characters and what may be the start of a new romance. The characters are Olivia & Natalia, two friends who live together, work together, and are raising Olivia's daughter together.
Guiding Light has never been a soap I've really followed, though I've checked in from time to time. I know that Olivia is a character that has been on the show for years and has always been written thus far as heterosexual. Natalia is not a character I remember from the last time I checked in with the show, but it looks like she's been there nearly two years. From what I've read, she has been written as heterosexual up to this point as well.
Fans, though, have apparently been commenting on the close relationship between these characters for some time, to the point where Proctor & Gamble (the company that produces both Guiding Light and As the World Turns) denied there would be anything romantic happening between the two.
On today's show, though, Olivia & Natalia attended daughter Emma's elementary school presentation on her family, in which she spoke about her two mommies. Olivia became increasingly uncomfortable as she realized that Emma was making her & Natalia sound like a couple, while Natalia seemed either to be oblivious or to just not care.
After the presentation, Olivia quickly tried to let the teacher know that she wasn't a lesbian, but the teacher was too busy telling her how much the school values diversity and how her own gay cousin Todd just married his partner Michael in Connecticut.
Apparently, even the suggestion that she was into women bothered Olivia enough that she went to a bar afterwards and both visually and verbally ogled the male clientele, declaring out loud within earshot of a guy "Now that's a good butt."
When Natalia returned home, Olivia not only told her about checking out the guys, she also suggested that Natalia come along next time and basically all but demanded that Natalia go pick up a guy as soon as possible.
Clearly, Olivia was protesting a bit too much, and when Natalia asked her what was wrong, Olivia tried to tell her what everyone at school thought they were. Olivia didn't seem to be able to bring herself to use phrases like 'lesbians' or 'a couple' or 'lovers', and the more she danced around the subject, the less Natalia seemed to understand what she was trying to say.
Finally, Olivia asked "Do I have to hit you over the head with it?!" and kissed her friend full on the mouth to show her just what people were mistakenly thinking about them.
I'm not sure where things will go from here. It certainly seemed like Olivia, at least, has some issues with her own sexuality, so I doubt this will prove to be an isolated incident.
It's so great, though, that daytime can now show same sex kisses and have it be no big deal. I mean, just a year ago at this time, we were in the middle of the Kissing Ban with Luke & Noah on As the World Turns but things really seem to have moved on from that.
If Olivia & Natalia do end up becoming involved, they'd bring the number of LGBT characters currently on soaps up to six (or seven, if Brian returns to ATWT and sticks around), which is certainly a record high.
It would also be interesting to have long established characters experience something like this, rather than always introducing new characters to tell an LGBT story about. Clearly, if Olivia and Natalia do become involved they'd have to be considered bisexual, which would be a first as well. Daytime has really avoided bisexuality up to this point.
Guiding Light has never been a soap I've really followed, though I've checked in from time to time. I know that Olivia is a character that has been on the show for years and has always been written thus far as heterosexual. Natalia is not a character I remember from the last time I checked in with the show, but it looks like she's been there nearly two years. From what I've read, she has been written as heterosexual up to this point as well.
Fans, though, have apparently been commenting on the close relationship between these characters for some time, to the point where Proctor & Gamble (the company that produces both Guiding Light and As the World Turns) denied there would be anything romantic happening between the two.
On today's show, though, Olivia & Natalia attended daughter Emma's elementary school presentation on her family, in which she spoke about her two mommies. Olivia became increasingly uncomfortable as she realized that Emma was making her & Natalia sound like a couple, while Natalia seemed either to be oblivious or to just not care.
After the presentation, Olivia quickly tried to let the teacher know that she wasn't a lesbian, but the teacher was too busy telling her how much the school values diversity and how her own gay cousin Todd just married his partner Michael in Connecticut.
Apparently, even the suggestion that she was into women bothered Olivia enough that she went to a bar afterwards and both visually and verbally ogled the male clientele, declaring out loud within earshot of a guy "Now that's a good butt."
When Natalia returned home, Olivia not only told her about checking out the guys, she also suggested that Natalia come along next time and basically all but demanded that Natalia go pick up a guy as soon as possible.
Clearly, Olivia was protesting a bit too much, and when Natalia asked her what was wrong, Olivia tried to tell her what everyone at school thought they were. Olivia didn't seem to be able to bring herself to use phrases like 'lesbians' or 'a couple' or 'lovers', and the more she danced around the subject, the less Natalia seemed to understand what she was trying to say.
Finally, Olivia asked "Do I have to hit you over the head with it?!" and kissed her friend full on the mouth to show her just what people were mistakenly thinking about them.
I'm not sure where things will go from here. It certainly seemed like Olivia, at least, has some issues with her own sexuality, so I doubt this will prove to be an isolated incident.
It's so great, though, that daytime can now show same sex kisses and have it be no big deal. I mean, just a year ago at this time, we were in the middle of the Kissing Ban with Luke & Noah on As the World Turns but things really seem to have moved on from that.
If Olivia & Natalia do end up becoming involved, they'd bring the number of LGBT characters currently on soaps up to six (or seven, if Brian returns to ATWT and sticks around), which is certainly a record high.
It would also be interesting to have long established characters experience something like this, rather than always introducing new characters to tell an LGBT story about. Clearly, if Olivia and Natalia do become involved they'd have to be considered bisexual, which would be a first as well. Daytime has really avoided bisexuality up to this point.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
One Bad Episode in Four Seasons, and I'm Whining!
Okay, just a warning here at the start. If you're a fan of Supernatural and you haven't watched last Thursday's episode yet, don't read any more of this! Unless, of course, you don't mind spoilers.
Now, I love the show and I think it's having the strongest season it has ever had, creatively as well as in the ratings. Maybe that's why I was so disappointed and irritated by this latest episode. I think, though, that the poor quality of this episode would stand out starkly against anything this show has ever done before.
Supernatural has always been a show that is well written. Both the long term story arcs and the stand alone episodes always satisfy everything I'm looking for from the show, which is basically that the long term story arcs are essentially about the bond between these two brothers and the lengths they'll go to for each other, and the stand alone episodes are well written and usually provide at least one good scare or creepy moment.
This week, the show returned from a nearly two month hiatus and gave us a very poorly written episode. It started out fine: a creepy farmhouse, a ghost appearing from a closet in the teaser and killing the owner in a locked room. Sam & Dean show up to investigate just as a new family are about to move in.
So far, so good. Sam & Dean try and get the family out of the place until they can figure out who the spirit is and how to get rid of it, but the new owners prove obstinate and move in anyway. Next thing you know, the son is playing catch in his closet with 'the girl in the walls' and someone has written GO on the living room wall in crayon.
There were some really great creepy moments in this episode, I have to give it that. The best was when the teenage daughter is lying in bed and thinks the family dog is licking her hand, only to have the dog walk through the door. She slowly starts to turn her head towards the mystery licker, just in time for her closet door to slam shut.
Long story short, the Girl in the Walls tells the son that he can stay, but the rest of the family must go. Sam & Dean return in time for the dog to go missing and then to be discovered killed, with the words Too Late written above it in blood .
Here's where my problem with the episode started. It turned out that the Girl in the Walls wasn't a ghost at all. She was the child of the murdered former owner and his own daughter, who'd committed suicide, and she'd been thrown down in an old dumbwaiter shaft to hide the awful truth of her existence. She'd grown up in the shaft, never knowing sunlight or human contact and was basically an animal. In another twist, it turned out she had a brother down there with her in the same condition.
Um, okay. So, how did these two who are stated by Sam & Dean to basically be wild animals defending their territory and who have never had human contact, know how to read and write? I mean, they did manage to write out the words Go and Too Late quite perfectly. The girl knew what a baseball was for. They also knew that slashing all the tires on the vehicles would keep the family (and Sam & Dean) trapped there and at their mercy.
It just didn't make any sense once it turned out that they weren't ghosts. It was just a very badly written episode, with more attention paid to big twists for the sake of having big twists- She's not a Ghost! She's got a Brother!- than of making any sense plot wise. I suppose the tires and baseball could be explained at a stretch by saying they'd seen some TV through the cracks in the walls or something, but no way could they have learned to write!
You know I'll watch just about anything with Jared Padalecki in it, so I probably shouldn't complain about a few gaping plot holes in an otherwise well written series. It's just that I go into those other things anticipating that they'll be bad, but with Supernatural, I'm used to far better.
I looked up the writer for this particular episode, wondering if it was someone new that they hadn't used before, and was surprised to see that it was someone who has written a few really good episodes before this, including one of my favorites from last season, The Mystery Spot.
So, maybe we should just chalk it up to a fluke thing. I mean, every series has a bad episode now and then. Plus, as I said, this one did at least offer some good creepy moments. And, let's face it, I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't tune in just to watch Jared & Jensen read from the phone book, so who am I kidding, really?
Okay, I think I'm done whining like a fanboy scorned! For now.
Now, I love the show and I think it's having the strongest season it has ever had, creatively as well as in the ratings. Maybe that's why I was so disappointed and irritated by this latest episode. I think, though, that the poor quality of this episode would stand out starkly against anything this show has ever done before.
Supernatural has always been a show that is well written. Both the long term story arcs and the stand alone episodes always satisfy everything I'm looking for from the show, which is basically that the long term story arcs are essentially about the bond between these two brothers and the lengths they'll go to for each other, and the stand alone episodes are well written and usually provide at least one good scare or creepy moment.
This week, the show returned from a nearly two month hiatus and gave us a very poorly written episode. It started out fine: a creepy farmhouse, a ghost appearing from a closet in the teaser and killing the owner in a locked room. Sam & Dean show up to investigate just as a new family are about to move in.
So far, so good. Sam & Dean try and get the family out of the place until they can figure out who the spirit is and how to get rid of it, but the new owners prove obstinate and move in anyway. Next thing you know, the son is playing catch in his closet with 'the girl in the walls' and someone has written GO on the living room wall in crayon.
There were some really great creepy moments in this episode, I have to give it that. The best was when the teenage daughter is lying in bed and thinks the family dog is licking her hand, only to have the dog walk through the door. She slowly starts to turn her head towards the mystery licker, just in time for her closet door to slam shut.
Long story short, the Girl in the Walls tells the son that he can stay, but the rest of the family must go. Sam & Dean return in time for the dog to go missing and then to be discovered killed, with the words Too Late written above it in blood .
Here's where my problem with the episode started. It turned out that the Girl in the Walls wasn't a ghost at all. She was the child of the murdered former owner and his own daughter, who'd committed suicide, and she'd been thrown down in an old dumbwaiter shaft to hide the awful truth of her existence. She'd grown up in the shaft, never knowing sunlight or human contact and was basically an animal. In another twist, it turned out she had a brother down there with her in the same condition.
Um, okay. So, how did these two who are stated by Sam & Dean to basically be wild animals defending their territory and who have never had human contact, know how to read and write? I mean, they did manage to write out the words Go and Too Late quite perfectly. The girl knew what a baseball was for. They also knew that slashing all the tires on the vehicles would keep the family (and Sam & Dean) trapped there and at their mercy.
It just didn't make any sense once it turned out that they weren't ghosts. It was just a very badly written episode, with more attention paid to big twists for the sake of having big twists- She's not a Ghost! She's got a Brother!- than of making any sense plot wise. I suppose the tires and baseball could be explained at a stretch by saying they'd seen some TV through the cracks in the walls or something, but no way could they have learned to write!
You know I'll watch just about anything with Jared Padalecki in it, so I probably shouldn't complain about a few gaping plot holes in an otherwise well written series. It's just that I go into those other things anticipating that they'll be bad, but with Supernatural, I'm used to far better.
I looked up the writer for this particular episode, wondering if it was someone new that they hadn't used before, and was surprised to see that it was someone who has written a few really good episodes before this, including one of my favorites from last season, The Mystery Spot.
So, maybe we should just chalk it up to a fluke thing. I mean, every series has a bad episode now and then. Plus, as I said, this one did at least offer some good creepy moments. And, let's face it, I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't tune in just to watch Jared & Jensen read from the phone book, so who am I kidding, really?
Okay, I think I'm done whining like a fanboy scorned! For now.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Coming Soon: A Gay Superhero
I heard some news awhile back that I've been meaning to write about for a long time now. Showtime is turning Perry Moore's novel, Hero, into a series. This reason this is big news is that the novel happens to be about a gay teen superhero named Thom Creed.
I've long hoped that Heroes would add a gay hero to their roster of characters, though the debacle with the character of Zach (Claire's friend from season one, intended to be gay but made into a straight character after the fact) dimmed any serious expectations I may have had there.
This, though, is far better. Not only will the series have a gay hero, he'll actually be the lead. Perry Moore is writing the script for the show, which legendary comic book writer Stan Lee is developing. In fact, the media has started trumpeting the fact that the creator of Spider Man is bringing us a gay superhero.
I read the book last fall after hearing a lot of very good things about it. It was an engaging story and I think it will work really well onscreen, especially from the cable network that brought us Queer as Folk and clearly isn't afraid to showcase gay characters.
Not to give too much away, but if the series does stay true to the book, there will eventually be two gay superhero characters on the show, and that would be even more amazing.
I just wish it was starting soon and not still just in the development phase!
I've long hoped that Heroes would add a gay hero to their roster of characters, though the debacle with the character of Zach (Claire's friend from season one, intended to be gay but made into a straight character after the fact) dimmed any serious expectations I may have had there.
This, though, is far better. Not only will the series have a gay hero, he'll actually be the lead. Perry Moore is writing the script for the show, which legendary comic book writer Stan Lee is developing. In fact, the media has started trumpeting the fact that the creator of Spider Man is bringing us a gay superhero.
I read the book last fall after hearing a lot of very good things about it. It was an engaging story and I think it will work really well onscreen, especially from the cable network that brought us Queer as Folk and clearly isn't afraid to showcase gay characters.
Not to give too much away, but if the series does stay true to the book, there will eventually be two gay superhero characters on the show, and that would be even more amazing.
I just wish it was starting soon and not still just in the development phase!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Comments
By the way, I've decided to allow readers to post comments from now on. They will be moderated (not for content: feel free to disagree with me!), but just to make sure no one gets too negative or abusive.
Clinton on LGBT Rights at State Department
GayPolitics has an article on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's recent confirmation hearing, in which Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin raised the issue of LGBT rights in the State department.
Feingold: ...There’s widespread recognition of the need to build a more robust and effective diplomatic and development corps. And as a part of that effort, it, of course, makes sense to consider ways to address challenges faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees, particularly relating to domestic partner benefits and State Department policies that make it difficult for the partners of foreign service officers to travel and live at overseas posts. What would you do as secretary of state to address these concerns? Will you support changes to existing personnel policy in order to ensure that LGBT staff at State and USAID receive equal benefits and support?
Clinton: Senator, this issue was brought to my attention during the transition. I’ve asked to have more briefing on it because I think that we should take a hard look at the existing policy. As I understand it, but don’t hold me to it because I don’t have the full briefing material, but my understanding is other nations have moved to extend that partnership benefit. And we will come back to you to inform you of decisions we make going forward.
Clinton: Senator, this issue was brought to my attention during the transition. I’ve asked to have more briefing on it because I think that we should take a hard look at the existing policy. As I understand it, but don’t hold me to it because I don’t have the full briefing material, but my understanding is other nations have moved to extend that partnership benefit. And we will come back to you to inform you of decisions we make going forward.
First off, I'm very glad Senator Feingold, one of the most progressive members of the Senate, raised the issue with the (presumed) future Secretary of State.
Clinton's rather vague non-answer does at least acknowledge that other nations are ahead of us on this issue and implies that a change is needed. I do wish she'd been more direct in rejecting this blatant discrimination. I'm hopeful, though, that once she's Secretary of State the policy, which outgoing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has supported, will be thrown out.
Clinton's rather vague non-answer does at least acknowledge that other nations are ahead of us on this issue and implies that a change is needed. I do wish she'd been more direct in rejecting this blatant discrimination. I'm hopeful, though, that once she's Secretary of State the policy, which outgoing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has supported, will be thrown out.
Nuke Sex: A Letdown? Yes & No.
I may have spoken too soon about the departure of Laurence Lau and his character, Brian Wheatly, on As The World Turns! I got an e-mail from Richard at VanandJake.com, who sent me a link to this article about Lau's new play, which included the following information:
While I'm on the subject of As the World Turns (because I go there so rarely, right?), I wanted to mention that soap writer Tom Casiello, who has a blog that I really enjoy, wrote about Luke & Noah's first time and raised some very good points.
Casiello compared the long build up to the big moment unfavorably with a similar long build up on Days of Our Lives with super couple Jack & Jennifer back in the early 90's. Casiello rightly pointed out that the long build up with Jack & Jennifer was used to develop both characters and get them to the point where they (and the audience) were ready for them to make love to each other for the first time.
Casiello was absolutely right to point out that a similar opportunity was wasted with Luke & Noah. The audience was certainly more than ready by the time it happened, but I see no reason that Luke & Noah couldn't have done it a year ago.
In other words, they didn't take all this time for story reasons, to give us good soap where Luke & Noah had to overcome believable personal obstacles to finally come together. Instead, they just dragged it out for as long as they possibly could for political reasons, worrying about offending people. Casiello also noted that the soap press was well informed in advance before Jack & Jennifer's big moment, but Luke & Noah's first time was snuck in under the radar with none of the press attention that any soap these days direly needs. That, obviously, says a lot about how scared the powers that be were that there would be a conservative outcry if there was any press.
The fault for the long delay surely lies more with the production company and network than with the show's writers, but obviously the writers could have used the extended delay to really develop Luke & Noah's relationship and the characters themselves rather than just throw ridiculous plot points in their path over and over, none of which plausibly explained why these two weren't already making love.
As excited as I was and am that they finally made love, I do wish it had been more romantic. As I said the day it happened, I would have liked to see them in bed together before or after, with their song playing. I would have liked to see them being romantic and in love just before it happened, rather than having another fight.
But I think the fault really lies with soaps in general these days, and certainly As the World Turns in particular. There is no attention to long term story like there was back when Jack & Jennifer were getting together. It's all about the plot twist of the moment, and then it's quickly on to the next plot, even if it means sacrificing characterization in the process. That's probably the biggest factor in why soaps are doing so poorly now in the ratings.
Of course, writing aside, as much as I'd like to think that Luke & Noah could be treated like any other soap super couple, we've seen quite clearly in the past year and a half that there are still a lot of people in power that are too nervous to let that happen. A gay couple can't yet be treated like Jack & Jennifer or any other hetero soap couple.
That's why in the end, the very fact that Noah & Luke finally did make love at all is so huge and so important, so worth celebrating and cheering over. It's a big victory and the reason that it will be that much easier for the next gay soap couple to be treated more like any other couple on a show.
Lau, who lives on the west side of Manhattan (Hell's Kitchen), also worked on "One Life to Live" and "As the World Turns" as business exec Brian Wheatly. It began as a three-month storyline, grew into six months and it still won't stop.
"They (ATWT) just called again," he said. "They want to keep stirring that story line a little longer."
Needless to say, I think this is fantastic! There is so much story still to tell where Brian is concerned and I'm glad to know that he (and Lau, of course!) will be back in the near future to continue telling it.While I'm on the subject of As the World Turns (because I go there so rarely, right?), I wanted to mention that soap writer Tom Casiello, who has a blog that I really enjoy, wrote about Luke & Noah's first time and raised some very good points.
Casiello compared the long build up to the big moment unfavorably with a similar long build up on Days of Our Lives with super couple Jack & Jennifer back in the early 90's. Casiello rightly pointed out that the long build up with Jack & Jennifer was used to develop both characters and get them to the point where they (and the audience) were ready for them to make love to each other for the first time.
Casiello was absolutely right to point out that a similar opportunity was wasted with Luke & Noah. The audience was certainly more than ready by the time it happened, but I see no reason that Luke & Noah couldn't have done it a year ago.
In other words, they didn't take all this time for story reasons, to give us good soap where Luke & Noah had to overcome believable personal obstacles to finally come together. Instead, they just dragged it out for as long as they possibly could for political reasons, worrying about offending people. Casiello also noted that the soap press was well informed in advance before Jack & Jennifer's big moment, but Luke & Noah's first time was snuck in under the radar with none of the press attention that any soap these days direly needs. That, obviously, says a lot about how scared the powers that be were that there would be a conservative outcry if there was any press.
The fault for the long delay surely lies more with the production company and network than with the show's writers, but obviously the writers could have used the extended delay to really develop Luke & Noah's relationship and the characters themselves rather than just throw ridiculous plot points in their path over and over, none of which plausibly explained why these two weren't already making love.
As excited as I was and am that they finally made love, I do wish it had been more romantic. As I said the day it happened, I would have liked to see them in bed together before or after, with their song playing. I would have liked to see them being romantic and in love just before it happened, rather than having another fight.
But I think the fault really lies with soaps in general these days, and certainly As the World Turns in particular. There is no attention to long term story like there was back when Jack & Jennifer were getting together. It's all about the plot twist of the moment, and then it's quickly on to the next plot, even if it means sacrificing characterization in the process. That's probably the biggest factor in why soaps are doing so poorly now in the ratings.
Of course, writing aside, as much as I'd like to think that Luke & Noah could be treated like any other soap super couple, we've seen quite clearly in the past year and a half that there are still a lot of people in power that are too nervous to let that happen. A gay couple can't yet be treated like Jack & Jennifer or any other hetero soap couple.
That's why in the end, the very fact that Noah & Luke finally did make love at all is so huge and so important, so worth celebrating and cheering over. It's a big victory and the reason that it will be that much easier for the next gay soap couple to be treated more like any other couple on a show.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A Wonderful Scene
I was just catching up on the last few episodes of One Life to Live and there was a fantastic moment from last Tuesday's show that I just had to write about.
I've mentioned several times that One Life to Live is currently the best soap on the air. It's incredibly well written in a way that used to be fairly standard for soaps in the glory days of Douglas Marland and Agnes Nixon but which is sorely lacking these days.
I've limited most of the blogging I've done about soaps to gay characters, which is why I haven't written much about One Life to Live. I'd really love to see them add a gay character or two into the mix because I think they'd do it better than even the groundbreaking As the World Turns and All My Children have. I mean, let's face it, Luke & Noah have been popular because of the enormous talent of Van Hansis and of Jake Silbermann, not because of the writing. Nuke is popular in spite of the writing, actually.
But, I digress. The moment that I wanted to write about from last Tuesday's One Life to Live came about after ten year old Shane Morasco walked in on his parents, Rex Balsam and Gigi Morasco, having sex. Rex, who only recently discovered that he had a son, was left with the awkward responsibility of having The Talk with Shane.
While the whole conversation was very well done, being both amusing and touching all at once, the part that really made my day was how Rex began the talk.
I've mentioned several times that One Life to Live is currently the best soap on the air. It's incredibly well written in a way that used to be fairly standard for soaps in the glory days of Douglas Marland and Agnes Nixon but which is sorely lacking these days.
I've limited most of the blogging I've done about soaps to gay characters, which is why I haven't written much about One Life to Live. I'd really love to see them add a gay character or two into the mix because I think they'd do it better than even the groundbreaking As the World Turns and All My Children have. I mean, let's face it, Luke & Noah have been popular because of the enormous talent of Van Hansis and of Jake Silbermann, not because of the writing. Nuke is popular in spite of the writing, actually.
But, I digress. The moment that I wanted to write about from last Tuesday's One Life to Live came about after ten year old Shane Morasco walked in on his parents, Rex Balsam and Gigi Morasco, having sex. Rex, who only recently discovered that he had a son, was left with the awkward responsibility of having The Talk with Shane.
While the whole conversation was very well done, being both amusing and touching all at once, the part that really made my day was how Rex began the talk.
Rex: You see, when a guy loves a woman... or another guy, you know, whatever, it makes no difference to me, anyway they-
Shane: It's called sex.
I love it! One of the first gay themed movies I ever saw was a British film called Get Real and there was a moment at the end, after the teenage lead of the movie has just come out to his parents and entire school at an assembly, in which he says to the parents in the crowd that their assumption that their children are heterosexual may be hurting them.
That struck such a chord with me at the time, because even the most liberal of parents still seem to assume that their children are straight until they hear otherwise. How much better off would the world be if parents made no assumptions one way or the other? I mean, no one automatically assumes that their child will like the same foods, books, movies, or sports they themselves like, so why must they assume their kids will be attracted to the opposite sex just because they are?
Until I saw this episode of One Life to Live, I'd only seen one similar scene in which a parent didn't just assume their child was heterosexual. It was in the movie Love Actually, in which Liam Neeson's character finds out his young stepson is in love and asks what the girl or boy's name is. That moment alone made me love that film.
Anyway, I just thought it was such a fantastic moment, seeing Rex make it perfectly clear to his young son that whoever he loves will be fine, that anyone loving someone of the same gender is fine. It wasn't the focus of the conversation, in fact it was almost an offhand comment, but it said so much. All parents should see something like this and think about what messages they may be sending to their children, just through their own assumptions.
It made me want this show to write in a gay character- or a gay couple, better yet- even more than I already did.
You can watch this scene here if you'd like to see it. It starts around 38 seconds into the video.
Shane: It's called sex.
I love it! One of the first gay themed movies I ever saw was a British film called Get Real and there was a moment at the end, after the teenage lead of the movie has just come out to his parents and entire school at an assembly, in which he says to the parents in the crowd that their assumption that their children are heterosexual may be hurting them.
That struck such a chord with me at the time, because even the most liberal of parents still seem to assume that their children are straight until they hear otherwise. How much better off would the world be if parents made no assumptions one way or the other? I mean, no one automatically assumes that their child will like the same foods, books, movies, or sports they themselves like, so why must they assume their kids will be attracted to the opposite sex just because they are?
Until I saw this episode of One Life to Live, I'd only seen one similar scene in which a parent didn't just assume their child was heterosexual. It was in the movie Love Actually, in which Liam Neeson's character finds out his young stepson is in love and asks what the girl or boy's name is. That moment alone made me love that film.
Anyway, I just thought it was such a fantastic moment, seeing Rex make it perfectly clear to his young son that whoever he loves will be fine, that anyone loving someone of the same gender is fine. It wasn't the focus of the conversation, in fact it was almost an offhand comment, but it said so much. All parents should see something like this and think about what messages they may be sending to their children, just through their own assumptions.
It made me want this show to write in a gay character- or a gay couple, better yet- even more than I already did.
You can watch this scene here if you'd like to see it. It starts around 38 seconds into the video.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Now Departing Oakdale
Luke & Noah were back on As the World Turns today for the first time since the episode where They Finally Made Love.
The show started out with Jade discovering them on a bench in Old Town, cuddling and generally still basking in the afterglow. It turned out that Noah's roommate in the dorm is on an extended Winter Break, so they've been taking advantage of the privacy there. They were seriously adorable together in this scene, completely believable as two people in love who've just taken a big step in their relationship.
Luke was still worrying about his relationship with Lucinda not being quite what it was pre-Brian, and at that very moment Lucinda was in her office, shredding Brian's personal papers just as he arrived to pick them up.
Brian tried to convince Lucinda that he did love her and that he had believed that things would work out between them, that he wasn't just using her for a cover. Lucinda told Brian she deserves more than that and sent him packing with his shredded documents in tow.
After he was gone, Lucinda called Luke to warn him that Brian had resurfaced. Luke was worried about how his grandmother was dealing with seeing her ex, so he went to check on her in person and the two of them rehashed the whole situation again, with Luke apologizing and explaining why he decided to stay silent.
Brian, meanwhile, showed up at Java to talk with Noah about Luke. When he found out that they'd reunited, Brian cryptically said that was all he needed to hear, that now he can 'end this' knowing that the two of them had worked things out.
Noah asked what he meant by 'end this', but Brian left without answering. Noah, concerned that Brian might hurt himself, followed him back to his hotel room and called Luke when Brian wouldn't answer the door.
Luke was still with Lucinda and filled her in on what was happening. When she refused to come with him, Luke told her to think about how she'd feel if Brian did do something to himself and she hadn't been there.
Brian finally opened the door once Luke arrived and Luke quickly spotted a bottle of pills on his dresser and asked if they were how he planned to end things. Brian denied this, but the boys didn't let him off the hook that easily.
Luke asked if Brian really wanted to live the rest of his life denying who he is.
This was a fantastic scene. Laurence Lau was heartbreaking as Brian from start to finish. He really made you feel the despair Brian was feeling, the longing to have had what Noah & Luke have but the feeling that it was too late, that he'd missed his chance. I especially loved that they addressed the very different time that Brian was raised in and the role it played in his inability to accept who he was.
Jake Silbermann and Van Hansis were excellent, too, of course. I especially loved Noah being able to relate to Brian because of the way he was raised himself, and Jake played that part of the scene very beautifully.
Once Brian finally said the words that he'd never been able to say before, Luke & Noah left him with Lucinda. Brian said he felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest and arranged to see a therapist in Chicago. He & Lucinda parted amicably, with both hoping that the other would find that special man someday. The wrap up seemed rushed, but that's As The World Turns these days.
I'm not surprised that Brian is leaving town, but as I've said before I think it would be far more interesting to keep this character around and explore what he's going through. A gay character of his age, newly out, would provide a whole different sort of story that hasn't been seen on daytime before.
Sadly, the show seems to have seen him as more of a plot point in the Luke & Noah story than as a character worthy of exploring on his own. It's truly a shame, because Laurence Lau is a talented actor who really made Brian someone it would be easy to care about and root for.
The show started out with Jade discovering them on a bench in Old Town, cuddling and generally still basking in the afterglow. It turned out that Noah's roommate in the dorm is on an extended Winter Break, so they've been taking advantage of the privacy there. They were seriously adorable together in this scene, completely believable as two people in love who've just taken a big step in their relationship.
Luke was still worrying about his relationship with Lucinda not being quite what it was pre-Brian, and at that very moment Lucinda was in her office, shredding Brian's personal papers just as he arrived to pick them up.
Brian tried to convince Lucinda that he did love her and that he had believed that things would work out between them, that he wasn't just using her for a cover. Lucinda told Brian she deserves more than that and sent him packing with his shredded documents in tow.
After he was gone, Lucinda called Luke to warn him that Brian had resurfaced. Luke was worried about how his grandmother was dealing with seeing her ex, so he went to check on her in person and the two of them rehashed the whole situation again, with Luke apologizing and explaining why he decided to stay silent.
Brian, meanwhile, showed up at Java to talk with Noah about Luke. When he found out that they'd reunited, Brian cryptically said that was all he needed to hear, that now he can 'end this' knowing that the two of them had worked things out.
Noah asked what he meant by 'end this', but Brian left without answering. Noah, concerned that Brian might hurt himself, followed him back to his hotel room and called Luke when Brian wouldn't answer the door.
Luke was still with Lucinda and filled her in on what was happening. When she refused to come with him, Luke told her to think about how she'd feel if Brian did do something to himself and she hadn't been there.
Brian finally opened the door once Luke arrived and Luke quickly spotted a bottle of pills on his dresser and asked if they were how he planned to end things. Brian denied this, but the boys didn't let him off the hook that easily.
Luke asked if Brian really wanted to live the rest of his life denying who he is.
Brian: What the hell do you know about my life?
Luke: I know that you're not happy.
Brian: I'm sorry I'm not like you, Luke. We can't all live our lives so openly the way we'd like to.
Luke: Why not? You're an adult. What's stopping you?
Brian: I wasn't raised that way. The world was a different place. There was a different set of rules, different expectations. And I can't-
Luke: You can't what?
Brian: I can't reconcile the way I was taught to believe with the way I feel now, the way I've felt all my-
Noah: Brian. I know how that feels.
Brian: Oh, you couldn't possibly.
Noah: I do. My father raised me, it was just the two of us. He was a military guy and he always felt that there was a certain order to things. And who I was, how I felt inside, like you do, it didn't fit with how he expected things to be, how he expected me to be, how he wanted me to be. And yeah, it took awhile, but I realized that I have to live my life, not his.
Brian: Well, good for you Noah. And you too, Luke. No, really, I mean that. You two figured out a way to be happy and you went for it, and I applaud you. But that's not really something that I can do at this stage in my life.
Luke: I think you're exactly where you need to be.
Brian: And where is that, Luke, since you seem to have all the answers? You have no right coming in here and telling me who you think I am and what I should do about it. Just like I had no business thinking that you'd- I'm a middle aged man, Luke, with two failed marriages under my belt.
Luke: Why did your marriages fail?
Brian: Oh, come on, just get out of here.
Luke: I'm just asking a question.
Brian: I don't owe you any explanations.
Luke: Brian, I can see how much pain you're in. You think I don't know why?
Brian: What do you want me to say? You want me to confess that my life has been a big facade? That none of this is what I wanted? That you have everything? Do you know what that would mean?
Luke: I think it would mean that for once in your life you'd finally be happy. Isn't that what you want? I mean, I might be wrong, but-
Brian: Okay, you're right, all right? Is that what you need to hear? That you've been right all along? I'm gay!
Lucinda (walking in): Oh, finally, darling, you allowed yourself to say it. Thank God.
Luke: I know that you're not happy.
Brian: I'm sorry I'm not like you, Luke. We can't all live our lives so openly the way we'd like to.
Luke: Why not? You're an adult. What's stopping you?
Brian: I wasn't raised that way. The world was a different place. There was a different set of rules, different expectations. And I can't-
Luke: You can't what?
Brian: I can't reconcile the way I was taught to believe with the way I feel now, the way I've felt all my-
Noah: Brian. I know how that feels.
Brian: Oh, you couldn't possibly.
Noah: I do. My father raised me, it was just the two of us. He was a military guy and he always felt that there was a certain order to things. And who I was, how I felt inside, like you do, it didn't fit with how he expected things to be, how he expected me to be, how he wanted me to be. And yeah, it took awhile, but I realized that I have to live my life, not his.
Brian: Well, good for you Noah. And you too, Luke. No, really, I mean that. You two figured out a way to be happy and you went for it, and I applaud you. But that's not really something that I can do at this stage in my life.
Luke: I think you're exactly where you need to be.
Brian: And where is that, Luke, since you seem to have all the answers? You have no right coming in here and telling me who you think I am and what I should do about it. Just like I had no business thinking that you'd- I'm a middle aged man, Luke, with two failed marriages under my belt.
Luke: Why did your marriages fail?
Brian: Oh, come on, just get out of here.
Luke: I'm just asking a question.
Brian: I don't owe you any explanations.
Luke: Brian, I can see how much pain you're in. You think I don't know why?
Brian: What do you want me to say? You want me to confess that my life has been a big facade? That none of this is what I wanted? That you have everything? Do you know what that would mean?
Luke: I think it would mean that for once in your life you'd finally be happy. Isn't that what you want? I mean, I might be wrong, but-
Brian: Okay, you're right, all right? Is that what you need to hear? That you've been right all along? I'm gay!
Lucinda (walking in): Oh, finally, darling, you allowed yourself to say it. Thank God.
This was a fantastic scene. Laurence Lau was heartbreaking as Brian from start to finish. He really made you feel the despair Brian was feeling, the longing to have had what Noah & Luke have but the feeling that it was too late, that he'd missed his chance. I especially loved that they addressed the very different time that Brian was raised in and the role it played in his inability to accept who he was.
Jake Silbermann and Van Hansis were excellent, too, of course. I especially loved Noah being able to relate to Brian because of the way he was raised himself, and Jake played that part of the scene very beautifully.
Once Brian finally said the words that he'd never been able to say before, Luke & Noah left him with Lucinda. Brian said he felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest and arranged to see a therapist in Chicago. He & Lucinda parted amicably, with both hoping that the other would find that special man someday. The wrap up seemed rushed, but that's As The World Turns these days.
I'm not surprised that Brian is leaving town, but as I've said before I think it would be far more interesting to keep this character around and explore what he's going through. A gay character of his age, newly out, would provide a whole different sort of story that hasn't been seen on daytime before.
Sadly, the show seems to have seen him as more of a plot point in the Luke & Noah story than as a character worthy of exploring on his own. It's truly a shame, because Laurence Lau is a talented actor who really made Brian someone it would be easy to care about and root for.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Mixed Feelings
I was reading Towleroad and was surprised to see this article on Barack Obama's early and unequivocal support of gay marriage. Not civil unions, which he now supports, but gay marriage. In fact, Obama's statement was: 'I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.'
You have to wonder what exactly it was that changed his mind at some point in the last 12 years. I'm trying to decide which I'd prefer: A President who favors gay marriage but feels he can't publicly say so, or one who truly feels that civil unions are fine but marriage isn't. The first option seems better, but they both end up in the same place if you think about it. If he felt he couldn't publicly support gay marriage during the campaign, he'll probably feel like he can't do so until he's been safely elected to a second term.
Meanwhile, President-elect Obama is reportedly appointing four LGBT White House staffers: John Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management, Karine Jean-Pierre as the White House liaison for the Department of Labor, David Medina as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the First Lady, and David Noble as the White House liaison for NASA. He's also keeping on an openly gay Bush appointee, Mark Dybul, as Global AIDS Coordinator.
Obviously, this is going to be a far more inclusive administration than the outgoing one, but it remains to be seen what they're actually going to do to further LGBT rights in this country. I'm still feeling more positive than not about what the next four years will hold.
You have to wonder what exactly it was that changed his mind at some point in the last 12 years. I'm trying to decide which I'd prefer: A President who favors gay marriage but feels he can't publicly say so, or one who truly feels that civil unions are fine but marriage isn't. The first option seems better, but they both end up in the same place if you think about it. If he felt he couldn't publicly support gay marriage during the campaign, he'll probably feel like he can't do so until he's been safely elected to a second term.
Meanwhile, President-elect Obama is reportedly appointing four LGBT White House staffers: John Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management, Karine Jean-Pierre as the White House liaison for the Department of Labor, David Medina as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the First Lady, and David Noble as the White House liaison for NASA. He's also keeping on an openly gay Bush appointee, Mark Dybul, as Global AIDS Coordinator.
Obviously, this is going to be a far more inclusive administration than the outgoing one, but it remains to be seen what they're actually going to do to further LGBT rights in this country. I'm still feeling more positive than not about what the next four years will hold.
Monday, January 12, 2009
More on Nuke and an Update on Rianca
Now that several hours have passed and I'm a tad more calm about today's ground breaking episode of As the World Turns, I thought I'd share a couple of pictures from today's show. As usual, these come from Superherofan.
Kissing in Old Town, before heading back to Luke's room.
After their shower, both looking very happy.
Luke's smile says it all, doesn't it?
Also, it has occurred to me that I've been neglecting Daytime's only other LGBT couple, All My Children's Bianca & Reese. They're certainly farther along in their relationship than Luke & Noah, given that they're engaged to be married and the parents of a new baby daughter. Heck, they've even been shown in bed together at least once!
I haven't intended to ignore them, but I've not been watching All My Children and my intention to keep up with Rianca (the couple's requisite fan given cutesy name combination) on YouTube hasn't quite worked out. I really need to catch up!
In the meantime, though, here is a great interview that the actresses behind the couple- Eden Riegel and Tamara Braun- did with Out Magazine. Among other things they discuss As the World Turn's Nuke kissing ban from earlier this year and the lack of a similar ban on AMC.
I love that they're talking about LGBT kisses having once been an event but now being no big deal. It's actually true on the only two soaps that feature gay characters. Luke & Noah have been kissing regularly for months now and Bianca & Reese apparently have as well. Now if we can only get love scenes to become as common!
I really do need to catch up on this story, especially since I happen to love both of these actresses. Eden won me over with her online series, Imaginary Bitches (which, if you haven't watched it yet, you should! It's so funny!) and Tamara was really fantastic earlier this year when she was on Days of Our Lives.
I wish other soaps would follow the example set by All My Children and As the World Turns and start introducing more gay characters. One Life to Live is so amazing right now, easily the best written soap on TV, and I'd love to see them introduce some gay characters and make up for that awful storyline a few years ago (when the show was being written by different people) where a closeted gay man was killing people to keep his secret!
Days of Our Lives has never had a major gay character and I don't think The Bold and the Beautiful (which is set in the fashion world!!) or The Young and the Restless have, either. I'm not completely positive about Guiding Light, but I think they fall into the same category. General Hospital, of course, had a character named Lucas come out right around the same time as Luke on As The World Turns, but he basically came out, got gay bashed, and disappeared from the show.
It's time for these shows to get with it and start telling new stories rather than the same old tired ones recycled over and over again!
Kissing in Old Town, before heading back to Luke's room.
After their shower, both looking very happy.
Luke's smile says it all, doesn't it?
Also, it has occurred to me that I've been neglecting Daytime's only other LGBT couple, All My Children's Bianca & Reese. They're certainly farther along in their relationship than Luke & Noah, given that they're engaged to be married and the parents of a new baby daughter. Heck, they've even been shown in bed together at least once!
I haven't intended to ignore them, but I've not been watching All My Children and my intention to keep up with Rianca (the couple's requisite fan given cutesy name combination) on YouTube hasn't quite worked out. I really need to catch up!
In the meantime, though, here is a great interview that the actresses behind the couple- Eden Riegel and Tamara Braun- did with Out Magazine. Among other things they discuss As the World Turn's Nuke kissing ban from earlier this year and the lack of a similar ban on AMC.
Out: As you know, earlier this year As The World Turns reportedly banned its gay super couple, Luke and Noah from kissing due to pressure from certain political and religious groups. Will Rianca swap a lot of spit on-screen?
ER: There is plenty of kissing, I promise!
TB: There is no lack of affection here.
ER: It’s a demonstrative [love]. Having played Bianca for a long time, I will say this is the most demonstrative relationship she’s been in because Binks is in a committed romance for once. So, there’s no holding back in the physical realm. We’ve never been told to hold back. ABC is allowing us to trust our instincts.
TB: These characters are in love, and people in love show affection. Eden told me in the past each time she had to kiss someone in scene it was a big deal, which I wasn’t aware of. When she told me that, every time there was a kiss it was a big event.
ER: It had to be scripted, and it had to be cleared. It was a different time.
TB: I was shocked. I don’t know if I could have played Reese back then with those restrictions.
ER: There is plenty of kissing, I promise!
TB: There is no lack of affection here.
ER: It’s a demonstrative [love]. Having played Bianca for a long time, I will say this is the most demonstrative relationship she’s been in because Binks is in a committed romance for once. So, there’s no holding back in the physical realm. We’ve never been told to hold back. ABC is allowing us to trust our instincts.
TB: These characters are in love, and people in love show affection. Eden told me in the past each time she had to kiss someone in scene it was a big deal, which I wasn’t aware of. When she told me that, every time there was a kiss it was a big event.
ER: It had to be scripted, and it had to be cleared. It was a different time.
TB: I was shocked. I don’t know if I could have played Reese back then with those restrictions.
I love that they're talking about LGBT kisses having once been an event but now being no big deal. It's actually true on the only two soaps that feature gay characters. Luke & Noah have been kissing regularly for months now and Bianca & Reese apparently have as well. Now if we can only get love scenes to become as common!
I really do need to catch up on this story, especially since I happen to love both of these actresses. Eden won me over with her online series, Imaginary Bitches (which, if you haven't watched it yet, you should! It's so funny!) and Tamara was really fantastic earlier this year when she was on Days of Our Lives.
I wish other soaps would follow the example set by All My Children and As the World Turns and start introducing more gay characters. One Life to Live is so amazing right now, easily the best written soap on TV, and I'd love to see them introduce some gay characters and make up for that awful storyline a few years ago (when the show was being written by different people) where a closeted gay man was killing people to keep his secret!
Days of Our Lives has never had a major gay character and I don't think The Bold and the Beautiful (which is set in the fashion world!!) or The Young and the Restless have, either. I'm not completely positive about Guiding Light, but I think they fall into the same category. General Hospital, of course, had a character named Lucas come out right around the same time as Luke on As The World Turns, but he basically came out, got gay bashed, and disappeared from the show.
It's time for these shows to get with it and start telling new stories rather than the same old tired ones recycled over and over again!
It Finally Happened!
Oh. My. God! It happened, it finally happened! On today's As the World Turns gay couple Luke & Noah made love for the very first time, and only a year and a half after their first kiss!
I still can't believe that it really happened. I still haven't been able to pick my jaw up off the floor.
So, basically, the episode started with Lucinda trying to end 'the freeze' between her and Luke by saying that they should just forget about everything that happened. Luke told her that pretending to forget what happened was how the mess with Brian started in the first place.
After Luke left, Jade read Lucinda the riot act, informing her that Luke sacrificed his own happiness to protect hers and ended up losing the one person he really loved when it all blew up in his face.
Across town at Java, Casey tried to talk to Noah about the whole failed rooftop plan, but Noah told Casey to focus on his own love life and leave his alone. After Casey left, Lucinda showed up and informed Noah that he was going to listen to her, whether he liked it or not. Now that's Lucinda Walsh, back in action!
Lucinda told Noah that they were both wronged in this situation, but reminded him of all the stuff that Luke has put up with and forgiven him for: Ameera, Noah's attempt to join the military, etc. When Noah said that he can't get the image of Luke kissing Brian out of his mind and that Lucinda was acting like the break up was his fault and that wasn't fair, Lucinda informed Noah that life wasn't fair and that he was about to lose an irreplaceable person.
When Lucinda passed Jade on the way out, Noah overheard their sniping and realized that Jade had been responsible for unleashing La Walsh on him. As the two of them walked through Old Town arguing, Luke & Casey came from the opposite direction, also arguing about the chances of Nuke ever reuniting.
Of course, our boys came face to face just as they both said "Leave me alone!" to their companions. After this cute little encounter, Jade & Casey faded away into the background and Noah accused Luke of having a hand in Lucinda's actions. Luke was surprised that his Grandmother would so much as cross the street for him at this point, let alone try and reunite him with his boyfriend.
The two began arguing and Luke pointed out that Noah is selfish with his feelings, that he's afraid to let anyone get too close, to just love and be loved back. When was he going to go with his feelings, to just let go? Noah's response was to grab Luke and kiss him passionately. Jade & Casey returned to the scene and Casey told Jade that he was glad it worked, but he doesn't really want to see it! Jade replied "Why not? They're hot. And we did it." I've always had a love/hate thing for Jade, but I loved her at that moment! Plus, Casey is adorable and didn't seem to be trying too hard to look away from Nuke's public display of passion.
Noah & Luke stopped kissing long enough to take off in a hurry for Luke's place. They were still sucking face as they walked in the door (which made me smile, given that Luke lives with his parents, younger sisters, younger brother, and Grandmother, and the boys didn't care who might be sitting in the living room watching!) and Luke asked if Noah wanted to go upstairs. Noah's reply: "What do you think?" And up they went.
I was still thinking they'd be interrupted by something or someone. The show has trained me so well to expect disappointment when it comes to the guys actually getting together. But the next thing you know, they're up in Luke's bedroom, locking the door, kissing, and Noah is pulling off Luke's shirt and asking "Do I still look scared to you?" Hot!
I still didn't quite let myself hope it was really going to happen, though. But the next Nuke scene had them both coming out of Luke's bathroom in towels, wet from the shower, and the camera panned past the rumpled bed, making it clear that it had been put to use. Noah told Luke that he knows they waited a long time, but he's glad they did, it was worth it. He asked if Luke was happy and Luke said happy didn't even begin to describe it.
I had to wonder, was I dreaming? No, there would have been way more nudity involved if that was the case. So it really happened? Oh. My. God.
Now, I'm sad that we didn't get to see them in bed together, just before or just after. All straight soap couples get such scenes. But the passionate kissing in the build up and the scenes of post-love making glow were still incredible, even if they didn't take place in a bed.
I'm trying to just enjoy the fact that daytime's only gay male couple are no longer virginal and not be scared that the show will now feel that since they've done it, they can stop showing them being sexy & romantic with each other and just leave it all off camera. I refuse to be cynical today, though!
Anyway, the guys went back downstairs afterwards to get some food, having presumably worked up quite an appetite, and Luke offered to make Noah grilled cheese. Noah said that Luke always burns it (awww! I don't know why that exchange was so cute, but it was) and he'd like something sweet. "Isn't that too much of a good thing?" Luke practically purred. I love it!
Around that time, Lucinda came downstairs with her bag, ready to go back to her own place. While Noah got ice cream for three, Luke convinced his grandmother to stay, telling her that while they've got issues to work out between them, she's the one who always taught him not to run away from things. Lucinda agreed to stay and the three sat down to ice cream, with Luke & Noah both practically glowing.
It could have been better (a scene of them in bed, maybe their song, Cyndi Lauper's True Colors, playing), but it was still far more than I expected. The show has twisted itself in so many different directions to avoid Nuke actually becoming lovers and to finally have it happen and not be something just mentioned in passing as having happened completely off camera, is amazing.
This is a huge step for daytime TV, one that is long overdue, but hopefully it will just be the first of many such steps! Maybe it won't be long before Luke & Noah (and other currently non-existent gay couples) can have scenes in bed together on a regular basis, just like straight couples!
For now, today is definitely a day of celebration for Nuke fans!
I still can't believe that it really happened. I still haven't been able to pick my jaw up off the floor.
So, basically, the episode started with Lucinda trying to end 'the freeze' between her and Luke by saying that they should just forget about everything that happened. Luke told her that pretending to forget what happened was how the mess with Brian started in the first place.
After Luke left, Jade read Lucinda the riot act, informing her that Luke sacrificed his own happiness to protect hers and ended up losing the one person he really loved when it all blew up in his face.
Across town at Java, Casey tried to talk to Noah about the whole failed rooftop plan, but Noah told Casey to focus on his own love life and leave his alone. After Casey left, Lucinda showed up and informed Noah that he was going to listen to her, whether he liked it or not. Now that's Lucinda Walsh, back in action!
Lucinda told Noah that they were both wronged in this situation, but reminded him of all the stuff that Luke has put up with and forgiven him for: Ameera, Noah's attempt to join the military, etc. When Noah said that he can't get the image of Luke kissing Brian out of his mind and that Lucinda was acting like the break up was his fault and that wasn't fair, Lucinda informed Noah that life wasn't fair and that he was about to lose an irreplaceable person.
When Lucinda passed Jade on the way out, Noah overheard their sniping and realized that Jade had been responsible for unleashing La Walsh on him. As the two of them walked through Old Town arguing, Luke & Casey came from the opposite direction, also arguing about the chances of Nuke ever reuniting.
Of course, our boys came face to face just as they both said "Leave me alone!" to their companions. After this cute little encounter, Jade & Casey faded away into the background and Noah accused Luke of having a hand in Lucinda's actions. Luke was surprised that his Grandmother would so much as cross the street for him at this point, let alone try and reunite him with his boyfriend.
The two began arguing and Luke pointed out that Noah is selfish with his feelings, that he's afraid to let anyone get too close, to just love and be loved back. When was he going to go with his feelings, to just let go? Noah's response was to grab Luke and kiss him passionately. Jade & Casey returned to the scene and Casey told Jade that he was glad it worked, but he doesn't really want to see it! Jade replied "Why not? They're hot. And we did it." I've always had a love/hate thing for Jade, but I loved her at that moment! Plus, Casey is adorable and didn't seem to be trying too hard to look away from Nuke's public display of passion.
Noah & Luke stopped kissing long enough to take off in a hurry for Luke's place. They were still sucking face as they walked in the door (which made me smile, given that Luke lives with his parents, younger sisters, younger brother, and Grandmother, and the boys didn't care who might be sitting in the living room watching!) and Luke asked if Noah wanted to go upstairs. Noah's reply: "What do you think?" And up they went.
I was still thinking they'd be interrupted by something or someone. The show has trained me so well to expect disappointment when it comes to the guys actually getting together. But the next thing you know, they're up in Luke's bedroom, locking the door, kissing, and Noah is pulling off Luke's shirt and asking "Do I still look scared to you?" Hot!
I still didn't quite let myself hope it was really going to happen, though. But the next Nuke scene had them both coming out of Luke's bathroom in towels, wet from the shower, and the camera panned past the rumpled bed, making it clear that it had been put to use. Noah told Luke that he knows they waited a long time, but he's glad they did, it was worth it. He asked if Luke was happy and Luke said happy didn't even begin to describe it.
I had to wonder, was I dreaming? No, there would have been way more nudity involved if that was the case. So it really happened? Oh. My. God.
Now, I'm sad that we didn't get to see them in bed together, just before or just after. All straight soap couples get such scenes. But the passionate kissing in the build up and the scenes of post-love making glow were still incredible, even if they didn't take place in a bed.
I'm trying to just enjoy the fact that daytime's only gay male couple are no longer virginal and not be scared that the show will now feel that since they've done it, they can stop showing them being sexy & romantic with each other and just leave it all off camera. I refuse to be cynical today, though!
Anyway, the guys went back downstairs afterwards to get some food, having presumably worked up quite an appetite, and Luke offered to make Noah grilled cheese. Noah said that Luke always burns it (awww! I don't know why that exchange was so cute, but it was) and he'd like something sweet. "Isn't that too much of a good thing?" Luke practically purred. I love it!
Around that time, Lucinda came downstairs with her bag, ready to go back to her own place. While Noah got ice cream for three, Luke convinced his grandmother to stay, telling her that while they've got issues to work out between them, she's the one who always taught him not to run away from things. Lucinda agreed to stay and the three sat down to ice cream, with Luke & Noah both practically glowing.
It could have been better (a scene of them in bed, maybe their song, Cyndi Lauper's True Colors, playing), but it was still far more than I expected. The show has twisted itself in so many different directions to avoid Nuke actually becoming lovers and to finally have it happen and not be something just mentioned in passing as having happened completely off camera, is amazing.
This is a huge step for daytime TV, one that is long overdue, but hopefully it will just be the first of many such steps! Maybe it won't be long before Luke & Noah (and other currently non-existent gay couples) can have scenes in bed together on a regular basis, just like straight couples!
For now, today is definitely a day of celebration for Nuke fans!
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