Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (June 13, 2008)

"The latter…um…well the latter is in English"

Ah Dennis, how is it that you manage to sum up so succinctly what I have been trying to express for so long.  Because that really is the only virtue ATWT has against VL.  And as it is the more I play Ivan's clips before Nanna subtitles them, the more I think that German is an incredibly sexy spoken language.

Only Brian's liveblogging makes ATWT bearable anymore, and only because it properly puts it in the place it is a truly meant to be - as a MAD magazine sketch!

The gay characters on Reaper were a hoot and I think that they injected a much needed dose of fun into the show.  Worth every penny spent on iTunes.

As for the Hulk's pants issue, I've always assumed it was a male version of the same power that all female superheroes have.  You know, the ability to keep all their body parts snug inside their costumes no matter how much the laws of physics argue that they should be busting out (literally) all over the place?  I have long had strong suspicions as to just how much Linda Carter had to hit the paste pot in order to successfully run and fight in her Wonder Woman costume back in the 70's.  But if you've seen how the character is drawn in the actual comic books you know that it must take all the static electricity of Zeus's lightning to keep her boobs in that bustier. 

Clearly Bruce Banner likewise buys pants that are partly spandex. Although I've long wondered in the comics why he doesn't just wear clothes made of those double-talk "unstable molecules" that Reed Richards cooked up.  You know, the ones that let Reed stretch his, ahem, anatomy or enable Johnny to be a flamer without any "wardrobe malfunctions"?

Great recap of the week Dennis!  Thanks!

Not great, but funny and entertaining. Mathew Rhys was a stand out, but probably the funniest thing was watching Brittany Murphy trying to pull a british accent. Oooy.

I think you are right on your comparison to Alexis and Crystal on Gossip Girl, the best description I read was a cross between Dynasty and Saved by the Bell.

I didnt love it from the beginning, it grew on me. But looking back: when you have parties, pot smoking, infidelity, a lot of drinking, obscene wealth, blackmail, attempt of rape, a failed suicide and blatant treachery. Just in the first episode. You know you have the potential for a good drama show. And nobody is older than 16.

And you are so right about americans and subtitles, whats the cause of this phobia? But dont worry, you are not alone. Spaniards are know for reaaaally not liking to read subs, everything is dubbed. Thank god they ara offering more VOD movies now. I hate dubbing.

The Hulk, well have to see about this one. Ive read good reviews at least. The lead might ust be worth it.

Good job Dennis.

Interesting and very entertaining column. I'm not sure if I agree with your take on the Sex and the City gay jibe though. I agree with you that I didn't take it as anti-gay or even mildly homophobic. But I think that the ladies have the same feelings that many, many straight women have when they see an attractive man: he's either gay or married. It reminds me of that beer commercial when those two women see the attractive man in the bar and the good-looking guy next to him. It was only when they realized that the two were a couple did it dawn on them that they wouldn't have a chance. Personally, I see it as a high compliment. I imagine lesbians aren't offended when straight men get excited or encourage them to kiss (most lesbians anyway). Why can't gay men take that same attention from women?

"And Ollian fans on the site have made it clear they prefer their Verbotene Liebe coverage snark-free."

Personally, I would welcome the snark with your VL coverage. I think the problem that some folks had with a few recent entries was that the jokey headlines and synopses weren't balanced with some acknowledgement of just how romantic those episodes were. Certainly those of use who regularly visit the Gays of Daytime blog and forum are no strangers to snarkiness where the love triangle of Ollian's roommate Judith are concerned. There is regular snark about the Ollian flat being the equivalent to the Snyder farm as grand central station for their respective shows, The previous clip generated a lively discussion of the (im)propriety of shoes on beds.

Oh, and since you're posting so many pics of shirtless ATWT hunks, could you do the same for VL? That's the surest way to an Ollian fan's heart. :P

"I highly recommend [Reaper] (though you can probably skip episodes 2 through 10)."

There's one good reason to watch episodes 2-10, in spite of the weak plots: the always adorable Bret Harrison.

"...in addition to Rhys and Murphy, the film [Love & Other Disasters] has cameos by Gwyneth Paltrow and Orlando Bloom. The few reviews of the film that are out there are mixed, but apparently Rhys is a standout."

You forgot to mention the cast includes Catherine Tate (current Doctor Who companion) and Santiago Cabrera (artist Isaac Mendez who paints the future on Heroes). Any comedy with Catherine Tate is always worth a look. And Santiago? Well, just look at him...!

Re: The Incredible Hulk and The Happening - preliminary reviews for Hulk have been generally favourable while the reverse seems to be the case for the M. Night Shyamalan flick (which has one of the dumbest titles imo).

Excellent B.G.W.E., Dennis!

Dynasty Season 3 Vol. 1 is also being released on June 17th, if you'd like to see how the grown-ups did it back in the 80s! 

I caught "Love And Other Disasters" at Outfest last summer, and really enjoyed it. It also co-stars Santiago Cabrera as an object of both male and female interest - he played Isaac, the hot-but-doomed artist who had the power to paint the future on Heroes Season 1. The film is just light fluffy popcorn entertainment to be sure, so don't expect anything more than skin deep.

I did see another European film at the same festival that I thought was a much better romantic comedy, called "Oh Happy Day." It's an interracial romance between an African/British (is that the corroborating term to African/American?) man and a Caucasian/American man, who hook up at an awards dinner, then find out that the American is a new client of the British man's company. It's an interesting exploration of overcoming racial, cultural and personal differences in the struggle to make their relationship work. Plus, the men are hot! I think that DVD will be out in August.

Love and other disasters is a very funny movie. Nothing dramatic, certainly no Oscar material, but it wasn't supposed to be. It doesn't take itself so seriously and I believe the cast had a lot of fun making this one and it shows. There some good jokes in it.

Matthew stands out, as usual. Catherine Tate is funny, but then so is Dawn French, always good for a laugh. Brittany Murphy/Matthew Rhys are a good team. Santiago Cabrero didn't do much for me, but that is not suprising if Matthew is in the same movie. :-)

Just want to add that Norway legalized gay marriage on June 11th! Gay people can now get married and adopt.

I see what you mean with the liveblogs. They are fun when you watch the show, but can be a bit confusing if you've never seen them before. Particularly if you're in another country and are just watching on youtube. I showed an American friend a Hollyoaks liveblog I occasionally contribute to, and since they only watch John Paul's storyline, it got a bit confusing.

You were in Culpeper?!?!!???

This comment has nothing to do with any of the subject treated in this week's BGWE (which was pretty good by the way), but I just installed a firefox add on that let's you see where websites are hosted, and I had quite a surprise finding out that afterelton.com is in a french host server! that's wild... well i think it resonates so much with me because i live in France, but i thought i'd share with all my peeps all the same ;)

Great job on BGWE ever Dennis! So many funny lines and insightful commentatires (not to mention captions -- "Raining Men" LOL). You've also inspired me to come out as a Gossip Girl fan. For the longest time, I'd shamefully admit to friends that I watched it (although I kept to myself the fact how much I looked forward to watching it, how I'd actually wake up Monday mornings thinking I'd have the strength to get through the day just knowing it would be on that night.) It's trash, but well done trash, and goes down like gourmet junk food. I also started out disappointed by Reaper but was fully on board by season's end and looking forward to seeing where it will go season 2.

Actually...Patrick Stewart is favoured to win the Actor-Play Tony for the Scottish play, with Mark Rylance in Boeing-Boeing generally considered the most likely upset. Which is unfortunate, because I'd love to see Daniels get the award as much as anyone else, but by all accounts Rylance is the best thing about B-B, and Stewart is in, as I said, the Scottish play, which is the sort of thing that is an award magnet, so such is life.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Saved By the Bell. I honestly don't understand your stand-offishness. This is THE MOST SCREAMINGLY GAY-CODED SHOW ON TELEVISION. And I'm not just talking the Junior Dynasty dynamic. ALL the men seem to be at least Bi. And I'm including the fathers. All they need is a special musical episode where for the Spring Talent Show the school decides to stage a production of Anyone Can Whistle. Easily done. Blair would make an ideal Clara Hoover Hooper. Can't you see her singing "Me and My Town"?

The part of the article where you talk about production cost between the two soaps.... Let's say that ATWT does have a smaller budget...do you think it would be less expensive to just have the writers write good scenes and have them on set vs a stupid plot and on site filming in NY?

Maybe I'm missing some kind of cost factor but I'd tend tho think that its less expensive to have a 20 minute discussion spread out over the hour show while standing in the family kitchen. I get that it could get boring after a while...but let the ratings of solid writing and well filmed scenes bring in the advertisers and then have your off-site productions every few months. I think it would be especially easy having new ground to cover like Puke. I get that the ideas have run out for their straight couples...but Puke has a new twist they can really dig into.

springs from Ed Westwick's obvious desire to get Chace Crawford alone and **** the living **** out of him. The coming out little Conner Paolo was a major tension-reliever in a show that's gayer than Anderson Cooper's sock drawer.

Is that Brett Easton Ellis should be the story editor. He would have all the characters coupling in the pan sexuality of a Fire Island tea dance.

Brett's been interested in creating a TV show, just like Robbie Baitz has done. It would be a lot easier for Gossip Girl to just hire him. Better dialogue, weirder situations, more fun.

I had a very different take from you on the movie. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I saw it at a Saturday matinee the week after it opened, in a mostly full theatre with an audience of women and gay men. There wasn't any hooting on the gay kiss--mostly there were some whispers that it was Jack from Project Runway, so I didn't take any offense at all--actually the reaction seemed pretty honest to my cosmopolitan girlfriends on the make. I also read the relationship between Stanford and Anthony differently than you did. I took it as they had somehow become friends. The "kiss" happened after they both took a drink and they didn't look happy about it. I thought they were just friends who were convenient dates for each otehr when no actual romance was available. I just wish they would have said what happened to Stanford's previous boyfriend.

Nice column, Dennis. I have to say I saw SATC a bit differently. I agree with previous posters about the reaction to the hot guys kissing, that this was just the normal reaction of horned-up women to the discovery that another hot guy in their sights is gay. I took no offense and realized the joke was not about the guys kissing but about the women's reaction.The Stanford/Anthony kiss seemed far less sanguine that you propose. I don't think it was hooking them up at all. It was midnight on New Years Eve, they were unattached and drunk and they were in proximity. The look of disgust on each face as the very quick peck was placed told the story. They felt compelled to kiss in that situation but didn't like it one bit. No hookup. Not in this lifetime. Probably not the next two lifetimes either.

i just want to share this picture of Olli and Christian of verbotene Liebe... i hope wolfi (and dar este) won't mind cause i got it from his site... this pic is soo priceless that i have to post it here (the blogs won't let me post pics - i don't know why).... Thore and Jo are sooo cute together it makes me want to melt! hope i'm not breaking any rules... ollian too cute

About SATC, yes I thought it was a totoal chic flic, and the two cute guy's kissing is an older joke than me Second, if you saw it in Lexington, you were surronded by homophobes. The gay people there were in denial or the closet, and everyone thought it was funny because, as the women where I live in Virginia tell me, All the best looking guy's are gay. About the lesbian problem. I have many straight and gay and lesbian friends. I know what the lesbians go through, I've seen it. I've gone to the lesbian bars and seen straight men there thinking they would get laid. Disgusting. But, and I'm sure I'm not he only one to have this happen, straight guy's that know you are gay often decide they want to "try it" and expect you to do it with them. What am I the perfume counter at Macy's? They alway's say, oh, but I want to suck you too, so what. you'll be back with your girlfriend tomorrow, and 30 years later realize you're Bi. Gay men are no more sex machines than gay women,( at least not all of us). We want more than just sex too. where is the warmth, the love, the companionship? (jumps down from soap box.) Sorry. Anyway, This blog and a few others on this site alway's give me new shows to watch to try out, and I appreciate it, and the members comments keep me interested. Keep up the good work everyone!!! Dennis

. . .and never about us.

Which is one of the reasons why QUEER AS FOLK appealed to me more.

Tom

Been there, done that, bought the soundtrack!

I thought I was the only gay guy who didn't like Sex and the City: The Movie.

I was like, "what's wrong with me? am i gay or what?" lols.

At first, I didn't care about all the mixed reviews because I know SATC: Movie will be fabulous. After watching it the first day it came out.. not so fabulous.

All my girl and gay friends loved it and I was the exception. I don't love it, I don't hate it either.

It's lukewarm. Not fabulous.

Maybe I expected too much?

Maybe I've waited for this too long? I don't know.

 

 

xoxo 

Thanks Dennis for this week's BGWE. A job very nicely done. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I'm definitely old-school when it comes to my soap viewing; if the story is good and the actors can play it well, I don't obsess about the sets, costumes, etc. But I don't underestimate the number of viewers who *do* care about the look of the show--who want all the sets to look fabulous and realistic, the clothes to be expensive-looking and tailored, and the actors and actresses to be insanely good-looking. The producers are so obsessed with making a "prime-time look" (that is, expensive) that they don't listen to viewers who don't care about that as much. There's a reason Granny used to call them "Her Stories". She didn't tune in to see pretty people or fancy sets. Prior to about 1980 on most soaps, the budget was small and the cast smaller, but it worked because people did not EXPECT prime-time production values. I recall Another World doing hour-long episodes in the late 1970's that consisted of confrontation scenes between two or three characters; the entire hour was centered in one room with these people having some highly-dramatic scene interrupted only by commercials. Nowadays, producers would assume we don't have the attention span to watch a four minute-long scene, much less the ten-minute dialogues AW did so well. They believe (with some degree of truth) that modern audiences want multiple scenes intercut with dozens of actors appearing within the hour. They also believe we want to "see pretty things" and that as long as the actors are pretty enough we won't notice the storylines are ridiculous. Don't underestimate people in high positions who hold viewers in total contempt. I've heard many people criticize the "look" of Guiding Light. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but that show's budget was cut so deeply that they really had no choice but to go over to this cheaper production model. They'd forced actors to take pay cuts, let many of their best actors leave (and they're still leaving), and the entire show seemed to be revolving around six or seven cheap sets. There is no way for writers to fully realize their story ideas when they are hemmed in by the lack of sets, the lack of ACTORS, and lack of support from the production company. When people criticize the show's poor storytelling (and don't get me wrong--it ain't good), they don't really grasp how the writers are hamstrung by unseen financial hurdles. But what sort of choice do they have? The fight seems to be keeping the show alive at this point (a show that has been on the air for seventy years!) and keeping all those people from being tossed out of work. P&G has not slashed ATWT's budget as badly simply because ATWT has always had higher ratings. Still, they want ATWT to use more of the steadicam stuff to cut costs, and they've slowly been firing mid-level-salaried actors. The firings and cutbacks is how they slowly killed AW in the late 1990's, and if GL is cancelled, you can be sure they will devote all their attentions to similarly killing ATWT. Whether they even notice that they could stop the bleeding by making some changes in how the stories are told rather than how they are filmed/staged, I don't know.

IT'S DOOGIE'S BIRTHDAY! -- which is of course a Gay National Holiday.

Just the thought of Edward Norton busting out of his pants whether he is the HULK or whatever, makes me salivate! I know I'm probably about the only AE member that thinks he is smoldering, but that only means the line to get in his pants is short and I'm at the head, if you know what I mean! I have had the hots for him from his beginnings in Hollywood and it has never faltered. He is just delicious, plain and simple!