Gays of our Lives (December 1, 2008)

GETTING TO KNOW …‘TIL THE WEDDING….

It’s not often you meet the love of your life at a bus stop (I usually can’t even get the bus to show up on time), but Amir (Niv Raz) and Harel (Ofer Shechter) just might be luckier than the rest of us. ‘Til the Wedding, a comedy-drama airing on Israel’s Channel 2, is the story of an engaged couple as they deal with the trials and tribulations of getting married. But we don’t care about them – we’re all about the gay boys! And here are the boys: Harel, brother of the bride and Amir, the dude designing her wedding dress.

Pictured: Amir (Niv Raz) and Harel (Ofer Shechter)

Set in Tel Aviv, the series is written by Avner Bernheimer, who scripted the gay themed film Yossi & Jagger (2002). TTW, which has completed its first season, was a huge hit for Channel 2 and has been renewed for a second year. This isn’t the first time Bernheimer has written a television series that featured gay folks. Back in 1997, he created the popular series Florentine, a Melrose Place-style drama that starred a gay male couple.

In ‘Til the Wedding, Amir and Harel have a predictably rocky road to romance. And like all TV couples, it starts with an adorable meeting that sizzles with sexual tension. And that is something that makes it especially refreshing as viewers in the U.S. are used to seeing their characters neutered at best.

Then we have the time-honored ploy to get into a man’s apartment: dropping by to check out wedding dresses (okay, so it’s not time-honored, but I’m all about whatever works). Again, much of what makes this scene work is that the two men are flirting with each other — something heterosexuals routinely get to do. But gay men? Not so much. Kudos to 'Til the Wedding for treating these characters so fairly.

This next scene speaks for itself, but of course, it’s not what Amir and Harel are talking about that’s important; it’s what isn’t being said that should be taken note of (we are dealing with gay men, mind you). Oh, and if you have a thing about nudity that is NSFW, you probably shouldn’t watch this clip. Because unlike our poor Luke and Noah, Amir and Harel actually go there in this scene. Okay, they went there and now we see them luxuriating together — again, just like straight people get to do all the time. Scenes like this are unfortunate reminders of just how coddled we are here in the U.S.

Thanks to mata4il for the clips!

Next week in GOOL, we’ll continue this series with an episode that can only be described as cheeky.

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION

Beautiful People – I must admit, I didn’t think I’d like this series. A show about a fey British boy who grows up to be a window dresser is generally not my – ahem – cup of tea. But I’m so glad that I gave it a shot because I fell in love with this unique and very charming series. With spirited performances by its talented cast and an energetic soundtrack, BP is surprisingly bawdy, full of laugh out loud moments and rapid-fire one-liners. Thankfully, the show grounds all the outrageousness with a warm, soft center.

"I know, I know the pearls are a bit much for school."