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"Forbidden Love" video clip update: The longer you let your beard grow, the harder it is to shave it off
In today's Forbidden Love (Verbotene Liebe) clip update, we continue the discussion started in our last update: namely, that Olli thinks Christian should pretend to date Judith in order to throw aggressive boxer Axel off his gay scent. Christian isn't too hip to the idea, but when Olli tells him that it would kill him to see Christian throw away his career for him, it kinda gets to the guy and he sorta agrees to go along with it. But not for long! It seems
Does this happen? Of course not! This is a soap, after all, and Christian does still frequent No Limits, which not only has physics-defying acoustics but also has a gravitational pull that draws only the most inconvenient visitors at precisely the wrong moments. Seriously, a Starbucks would solve all these boys' problems. Check out the ep after the jump! There's not much to it, but the early bit with Olli and Christian is at least two-pump skinny iced mocha sweet. Submitted by on Tue, 2008-06-24 13:49. |
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Is it just me...?
Maybe we are supposed to
Ok
That comment about Christians gay scent had me day dreaming for quite a few moments before I could keep reading.
I was kind of dissapointed we didnt get to see the inmediate fallout of the kiss. That would have been fun.
Christian can be so dense sometimes. But the thing is that they are both right. Christian more so than Ollie, but still.
I actually feel sorry for
I actually feel sorry for Christian on this one. He really doesn't want to go through with this bearding plan. Christian lives by principle and honesty. First he has to lie about him being gay, and now he has to lie about the very existance of his beautiful boyfriend, Olli.
I'm not suprised Christian melted the way Olli looked at him with those big beautiful eyes and told him it would kill him if he threw away his career because of him. Oh dear...can Olli get any more gorgeous!!
Sorry to say this, but Fabian aka Batboy, really does have an unusual mouth. He really does have a look which is different. Anyway, I thought it kind of rude when Judith was speaking with him about bearding for Christian and he was on his cell phone.
Fabian and the cell phone
Thank you! I thought that was unbelievably rude to be texting while Judith is having this serious conversation with him! I bet Constantin wouldn't do that.
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In fairness to Fabian
He was pretty pissed at Judith as she had just kissed Christian in the middle of No Limits and at that point Fabian hadn't been clued in on the whole conspiracy yet.
It was funny that he showed no surprise that Christian's gay.
See, this storyline is not offensive like the Ameera thing on ATWT because it's pretty clear that noboy's happy about this beard business. Christian hates being involved in this kind of deceit, feels guilty about not standing up for Olli and worries what effect this will have on Judith's relationship with Fabian. Olli is resigned to pushing this scheme purely out of necessity. Gregor has an all-business attitude about it and no apparent illusions that Christian will be happy about it (or actually go back to being straight). Judith is 100% clear that Christian is in love with Olli and she sees it as an ugly necessity only. Fabian hates the whole deal.
I contrast this to Noah, who seemed to have fantasies about playing house with Ameera and having her as an almost-for-real wife.
I love the interplay between Christian and Olli. When Olli says he'd hate for Christian to lose his dream for him Christian just melts. Thore and Jo do such a good job with the facial expressions.
AMEN!
The Ameera nonsense was just that -- there was no purpose for Ameera to come in and disrupt Nuke's lives other than to be the proverbial c*ckblocker, and this pathetic depiction of U.S. daytime's first Iraqi female was just a complete and utter mess. ATWT should have named the character Messmeralda instead of Ameera.
Even Ameera's unceremonious exit highlighted just how much ATWT screwed the pooch on this plot point. Let's not even get into all the retconning that the writers did just so they could shove Ameera merrily along her way to Los Angeles and far away from Oakdale.
And yes, with VL, there is a purpose for Christian's bearding unlike Nomeera's fraudulent marriage to deceive the U.S. Federal Government. I'm still wondering why no one has arrested Noah for intentionally deceiving the BCIS even though Ameera got that insta-annulment.
Having said that, I pray to God that this Judian bearding never goes further than that. I'm not even sure if Christian can still go back to being with a woman, but who knows? I just get the impression that once Christian got a taste of Olli that there was no turning back to Frauen...
Psionycx...the interplay
Psionycx...the interplay between Christian and Olli really is terrific. They don't even have to be to talky in their scenes because their body language and facial expressions say it all. Excellent and believeable acting by both Jo and Thore.
And i'm in no fear that Christian will fall for Judith. It's just not going to happen. First ...Christian is madly in love with Olli, and second...he has not made any indication whatsoever that he has even a fraction of attraction to Judith. Hell, I don't see either Olli or Christian having an interest in anyone except for each other; everybody else is just a blur, which rings very true to life when you are deeply in love.
As for ATWT...that storylines has been one big disappointment. It was no sooner after Luke and Noah kissed in one episode, then by the next Noah's father was planning to put a bullet between Luke's eyes. The stupidity and insult to the viewer's intelligence has continued to this present day.
Have you seen the spoilers that came out today? They sound great. We are really in for some drama and romance in the coming month. I can't wait!
Bearding?
Beards
It's American slang for a woman who pretends to be the girlfriend/wife of a gay man, particularly a celebrity--most often she is in on the knowledge of him being gay, and could be doing it out of friendship or her own career advancement. I'm assuming the word 'beard' was co-opted because a) a beard 'hides' the face and b) it has an extra-masculine twist.
For the life of me, I can't recall the term that is used for men who pretend to be the boyfriend/husband of lesbian celebrities...it's on the tip of my tongue and I can't think of it!
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Merkin?
Yep, I just remembered!
Thanks!
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Merkin?!?!?
Both terms are relatively recent
I'm pretty certain "beard" and "merkin" emerged in the 1960s, at least among gay society; they became mainstream in the late 80s/early 90s. Still used to this day.
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It Is Nice...
Hmmm,
I would say, Ollian isn't the most prominent storyline as that story usually deals around the aristocratic family "von Lahnstein" to which they both are not connected.
But they surely are a major storyline since the Coco/Christian/Oli-triangle as their story has already been used several times as a cliffhanger and/or preview for the show.
Taking into account what I've read on the offical forum of VL I would say that the gay viewers 100% love Ollian (named Chrolli there), for the others I would estimate that a vast majority like and prefer Ollian whereas the rest would state that they liked Christian better with Coco.
Overall they are very popular for the very same reason as here on afterelton.com as they are the most positive couple on the show at the moment and the only TEAM, the only couple who is completely honest with each other without any secrets among them.
On the official VL forum
On the official VL forum, is there any acknowledgement or discussion of how popular the Ollian clips are with audiences around the world, and that it puts even American TV to shame in its magnificent and forthright portrayal of a gay couple?
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The fans who are primarily
The fans who are primarily Ollian fans know and talk about it (of course I'm sure many of them are members of gay daytime or AE too). The others have heard the Ollian fans talk about it, but probably don't care about it either way. Germans are fairly tech savy and there is usually a similar subtitles youtube support for the big lesbian couples (Carla&Hanna, Carla&Susanne from VL, Franzi/Paula from GZSZ).
Popularity is hard to gauge. There is a lot of Ollian traffic when the storyline is good, less when there isn't much new or impressive stuff of them in the episodes. Which is pretty much the same with the other big couples like Lydia/Sebastian or Leonard/Sarah.
I only noticed that the interest in Constantin/Judith/Fabian seems to below average even when they are on in the sense of there people truly supporting one choice over the other. The focus of the official forum seems to be more about complaints on one side and praising the humor (for example in Olivia's storyline at the model agency or when Ansgar trades barbs with other characters).
Ratingswise, it's hard to gauge. Ollian seems to be pretty much like all other storylines. Not a huge detriment, nor a huge draw. It's interesting that the ratings in the last few episodes have been particularly high (first two had Ollian, but not really great Ollian, the last one didn't have any). It raised speculation that the actual audience draw of Leonard/Sarah who had scenes together for the first time since a long time might be greater than people thought.
Let me explain: VL usually has one huge signature couple. It is the premiere storyline, it gets the most screentime, the most romantic gestures etc. It needs to be understood that while Ollian is a decently sized storyline, they don't really approach signature couple status. For example, if something important happens in a signature couple storyline, you can pretty much expect them to be on every day, the whole week, potentially for several weeks. Rather than being on only at the end or only at the beginning of the week.
For the last two years Leonard and Sarah have been this signature couple, only that lately they have been replaced by Sebastian and Lydia, but apparently only with moderate success. The problem is that among the internet fans Leonard and Sarah are seen as very deceptive and unlikable people. They fell in love, got broken up, both married other people while still in love with each other, continued to lied to their spouses, eventually cheated on them. It is generally assumed that it is because of that that when they separated from their spouses (Gregor divorcing Sarah, Jana dying in a car crash and giving Leonard and Sarah their blessing before she died), Sarah and Leonard were kept apart mostly. Sarah got this drug storyline and Leonard has mostly been looking sad and interacting with his family. Now the first time since a long time they have been put together again in a vaguely romantic context. And while the internet fans are outraged, the ratings have actually been the best in a long time. Only problem, the actress who plays Sarah is going on vacation for three months or so now. So it's not gonna be easy to test that theory.
Err, I think I lost my point. Basically, it's possible that the actual, rating measured audience popularity of the signature couples is higher and that it actually stands in contrast to the internet popularity.
official forum
I don't like the vibes at the official forum at all.
As it is the official forum (which also features some official polls every now and then) people hope/think the writers of VL are reading their posts and that they can influence them. Therefore several people more than discussing the plots tend to fight for their favourite couples or personas and put other personas down.
I feel the writers sort of
That's why it's always a
Thank you LolaRuns
"Ratingswise, it's hard to gauge. Ollian seems to be pretty much like all other storylines. Not a huge detriment, nor a huge draw. It's interesting that the ratings in the last few episodes have been particularly high (first two had Ollian, but not really great Ollian, the last one didn't have any). It raised speculation that the actual audience draw of Leonard/Sarah who had scenes together for the first time since a long time might be greater than people thought."
Thank you LoLaRuns for all this present information regarding VL. It is very much appreciated. Also in my excitement over the Spoilers and pictures regarding Christian's 'big fight" I forgot to say how greatful I am to you for posting them. I cannot wait to see how this all unfolds.
Anyway, regarding the ratings...you mention that the ratings did increase somewhat for the first two showings of Ollian, but speculated it may be an actual audience draw for Leonard/Sarah...but was Leonard/Sarah in the first two episodes where Ollian were highly featured? because i'm just wondering if in fact it was because Ollian were featured in those two episodes that we got the ratings bump, or was there some other major part of a storyline taking place which caused this? I only watch the Ollian storyline so I don't know what the heck is happening regarding the rest of the show. On reason I think ratings jump can be partially contributed to Ollian, is traffic for this storyline has jumped dramatically on YouTube over the last two months. And I recently read on a few other blogs from Germans who say they didn't even know the storyline was ongoing until exposure from the internet and were now watching. Which is quite understandable since you said gay storylines are not such a 'big deal' in Germany like over here in the States. Of course that ratings jump could just been a blimp on the radar. Anyway, only time will tell as we monitor the ratings for the upcoming episodes which have Ollian without Leonard and Sarah featured.
LoLa, i'm just an enthusiastic fan who loves the Olli and Christian storyline and naturally want to see it do well and get recognized.
As much as I love Ollian, I
As much as I love Ollian, I highly doubt that they created the bump. The storyline has been on for a longer period of time and there has never been a bump before.
I suspect Leonard and Sarah as the reason because this is the first time in months that they have been front burner together again. The ratings rose from Friday to Monday to their highest on Tuesday. We do not have the ratings for Wednesday and Thursday for some reason.
On Friday Sarah almost died from an overdose and Leonard saw her at the hospital.
On Monday Leonard saved her from a guy who was trying to rape her and fell over the railing. Sarah reached for him and begged him to hold on because she loved him (after spending the last few months pretending she hated him)
On Tuesday Sarah pulled him up and they clashed again. She later comes to him and says she wants to come clean but he refuses to soften up on her unless she agrees to do it at a clinic rather than on her own. By the end of the episode she stands on the roof and throws away the cocaine she had left.
The other main storyline was Constantin having to decide whether to donate a kidney to his hated father.
It's a pity that the Wednesday and Thursday ratings are still missing. Leonard and Sarah almost kissed in those episodes and if the ratings stayed up or went higher that would probably be proof that it was due to them. Of course there could be many other reasons such as the weather or people staying home because of the soccer matches later that evening.
LolaRuns...I must also
LolaRuns...I must also remember that the Ollian storyline isn't a major storyline like Sarah and Leonard. And from what you've said it is highly likely the rise in viewership came for the Sarah/Leonard story more so than Olli/Christian.
Thank you so much for responding to my post.
Eileen went on a "beard date" on "Seinfeld"
afhickman
"It takes a village (to make Village People)"
It was the 6th season, 16th episode. I had somehow got the impression that "beard" was out of fashion, and I mean decades ago. In the '70s we referred to women who fronted as dates for gay men as hags (rhymes with fags). Also, if I'm not mistaken, "beard" can refer to either a man or a woman who fronts as someone's date. There doesn't have to be anything "gay" about it at all! A man who fronts as a woman's date (often for pay) is more often called her "escort," a term that has almost been legitimized over the years. I remember bearding, if that's the correct word, for lots of popular girls in high school who found themselves without a date for various fundtions and were desperate enough to ask me! Not that there's anything wrong with that.
I'm not aware of that
I've only heard the term "beard" used in reference to a woman fronting for a gay man, and I've never heard "fag hag" used in that connotation. By the way, I just remembered the term for a man pretending to be the boyfriend/husband of a lesbian: "merkin"!
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A Boy's Own Etymology
afhickman
"It takes a village (to make Village People)"
The merkin is also a pubic wig worn by prostitutes; thus we have our "beard." It's in the OED. Of course, when worn by a man, it's called an "Ethel" Merkin.
Ages
Slightly random and off-topic question here, but how old are Olli & Christian (and also Judith & Fabian) supposed to be? I got the impression they were all meant to be mid-20s or so, but in catching up with the storyline on this site and youtube I realised most of them are in college (hell, has Fabian even started college yet?) and got terribly confused. Anyone feel like helping me out?
Oh, the actual topic? This is inevitably going to end in farce, but I get the (unspoiled) impression that it'll be of the hilarious variety, which I can more than get behind. I agree with Psionycx - it's fantastic that they're not downplaying how much it sucks for everyone involved to have to go through this situation, or going for the easy "Christian turns straight again, happy ending" way out.
And more generally, I'd just like to add to all the "why can't my country have fantastic shows like this one?" comments; hell, this airs in the early evening, yet they don't seem to have any issue at all with showing them in bed like any other couple. 'Round these parts, people still get up in arms if there's so much as a peck on the lips before 10PM. Plus, from the other little bits I see here and there, the rest of the show seems deadly too - Olivia is 19 shades of awesome, yet utterly loathesome, and I love her in a terrible, terrible way...
The 'lesbian' was invented in 1992 by Sir Arthur Lesbian.
VL Ages
I think they are roughly supposed to be the ages of the performers. Thore/Christian was born 1984 and Christian's chatname of gast84 was kinda seen as a sign that that is supposed to be Christian's age too. So that would make him 24ish. Which roughly fits with his timeline. Christian mentions that he was planning to go to college before he ended up in jail. If we combine that with military service after highschool, it roughly fits.
Jo/Olli is 30/31. It's possible that Olli is slightly younger than that but probably not by much. He was 23 around the time when he didn't want to marry Tom. Stayed on the show for about a year longer, then left the show and came back 5 years later.
I think Fabian and Judith are supposed to be younger. They both are just starting college (Judith specifically moved to Düsseldorf to study). So I would say, late teens (18,19) or early 20s. Same incidentally goes for Gregor's new girlfriend Rebecca who I think I have read somewhere is supposed to be 20. Lydia I think has been mentioned as being 22. Constantin is younger. He mentioned being in his last year of school, so he would be 18/19. Miriam is the same as Constantin.
Gregor, I'd say around 28 or so.
Oh and Olivia does indeed rock :)
Fantastic, thanks a million
Fantastic, thanks a million LolaRuns! Honestly, trying to work out the backstories ("...wait, prison? Which time exactly?") was making my head spin, and Wikipedia was surprisingly unhelpful. And I picked up on the Gast84 thing, but then there was that episode where he was listening to the 'coming out' radio show and nodding along with the guy who realised at 18, which got me confused again...but yeah, what you say makes more sense with the prison and military stuff. Thanks again!
The 'lesbian' was invented in 1992 by Sir Arthur Lesbian.
The first time prison aka
Military Service
Is military service mandatory in Germany?
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Yes. But if you are morally
Yes. But if you are morally opposed to violence or are physically or mentally incapable of doing military service you can do an equal lenght civil service instead (for example caring for the old, ambulace driver, caring of the handicapped, rehabilitation programs for prisoners, that kind of thing).
Military service lasts 9 months.
Where is the plot going to ?
I am greatly affected by the show and characterization. I loved the way they fell in love with eachother. BUT with the current plot i can clearly say that what is going to happen. With Judith agreeing to act as 'beard' for Christian.. I am sure they are going to fall in love. Our poor Olli is gonna be left single again. It is highly probable.
You should see.. Christian has already been in relationship with a girl in past quiet comfortably. Judith is a attractive girl who is not kind of interested in very serious relationship with Fabian. Also christian and Judith had quiet some close relationship from beginning . She asked for help with her love and hair style from christian only. I remember in the scene where judith is in rest room and asks for his advice and asks him about her hair do.. she pulls her hair and it slightly brushes his face( notice the reaction of christian here) . Also our christian has problem with kissing someone. He has been falling in love with people whom he kisses. First coco ..then Olli.. now since Judith is gonna act girl friend he has to kiss.. and i bet shez gonna kiss him passionately once and things are gonna turn unexpectedly.
I know what you guys think of me.. being all negative thoughts.. guys .. I love Christian and Olli couple. But we have tobe ready for the worst coz these soaps and operas.. are made to play with people's emotions and heart. So guys pull yourself up and be ready for the worst scenario.
BUT i hate to think christian will breakup with Olli.
Lets see.. !! Hmmm..
Good Show
Just wanted to throw my two cents in - no matter what happens with the Ollian story, what we have so far is extremely passionate, memorable, and totally worth every second.
I used to live in Germany (my father served in the US Air Force in the late 80's) and of course, being a kid in a foreign country, I didn't really completely appreciate the situation. Came back to the States 1989, and while I dabbled a little bit learning German in High School (yeah, I forgot most of it) I really didn't think twice about my time in Germany.
This show, and the Ollian storyline, has done a number of things for me. First, it's reminded me of how much I like the European way of things. Second, it's reminded me of how much I really liked Germany (all happy memories, no bad ones) and how much I want to go back. Third, it's given me the yearning to re-learn the German I lost. Fourth, and perhaps the most important: it's helped me know that love trascends gender, that it can be passionate and real, and you have to make the most of it in the time you're given.
Thore and Jo are supremely awesome actors. I challenge any US actor of any status to play the role of Christian or Oliver with the same thought, passion, and insight that Thore and Jo bring to the roles. You can FEEL the relationship between them, not just see it. Regardless of the actors' personal feelings on the story, or whether they are gay or straight themselves, they have the ability to force the audience to believe they ARE Christian and Oliver, and everything that goes with it. You see Thore, but you don't SEE him - you see Christian. Same for Jo. I'm actually quite surprised that acting of this caliber is found on German daytime soaps.
I hope the Ollian storyline continues (in a good way) for a while, as I think there's more to explore about their relationship and their situation that hasn't been touched. If it ends tomorrow, as the two ride off into the sunset or as they break up, I will be thankful and deeply grateful to the actors, the writers, and the rest of the crew who brought this storyline to us and made it real.
I feel the same way you
I feel the same way you do Gabrial regarding this storyline. It is so beautifully written and acted. And all kudos must go to Jo and Thore for their wonderful performances as Olli and Christian.
One thing I do believe is that Olli and Christian are going to be that all too rare SOAP couple who do actually end up riding off into the sunset together. I just have this feeling the writers are not going to break them up, or if they do, it will be temporary, and not because of a third party but more because of arguements or disagreements between them. You see, the writers have written, or Jo and Thore have portrayed the love between Olli and Christian to be so strong that it would take something or someone of immense strength to pull them apart. Right now, I just don't see that happening.
Good Show
i love gregor...
I know this comment is late timing-wise, but i love Gregor....
In all his scenes, he's so freaking laid back and doesn't seem to really care what is going on around him. He chips in his two cents from time to time, but other than that...he's just there fiddling with his watch, or reading a book while everyone else is trying to figure out what to do with Christian’s situation. Ah, too amusing….to me, that is. ;-)
reminiscence - My past in front of my eyes!!
I sincerely thank Jo and Thore for their wonderful and unbeleivable acting. They brought those characters to life. I should credit the director and writers too .. They ve felt and understood the feelings of a guy and how he feels when he comes to know he loves another guy. They brought out what true love is between two guys. This show means more than a show to me. It means a show of my life time!!
Especially Olli is so loving and caring like a partner who is truly in love with you. These characters remind me of my past. The sincere love of my life. My life story is pretty much same except that my guy was a weight lifter. And he got gold medal !! :) I was by his side all the time he needed support and i was with him till he got his dream job he always wanted. now we are far apart from each other. After i saw this show , i called him and told him i still loved him :) I really felt releived.
But my life story had a sad ending. He fell in love with a girl. I am really happy that christian and olli are actually in relationship and loving each other. I sincerely hope they live together forever. long live their love.