UPDATED 6-1-09

CRAZE

June is Bustin' Out (of the closet) All Over!

Hey there. Once again, I'm in a bit of a rush and with only four episodes this week (centering around the build-up to everyone finding out the truth about baby Chloe/Hope), I simply don't have much to say about the show. I certainly didn't set out to write a "gay" column (though it is gay pride month so hopefully all my gay/lesbian/transgender/whatever-you-want-to-call-yourself readers will appreciate the gesture) - it just so happens that I have nothing else to write about and the little tidbits that have come to my attention this week all have something to do with gayness. As for the show itself...how many times can I reiterate what we all know: Everything involving Gigi and Stacy is abysmal, and most everything else on the show is quite good or at least has the potential to be. That's the bottom line. I can't really expand on the same basic truth week after week, so let's move on to the (gay) tid bits of the moment:

Tuc-ing In Again

What is more shocking - the announcement that Tuc Watkins is making yet another "brief" return to OLTL this summer, or that I am actually disappointed (if not exasperated) by this news? Clearly, the latter. I'm a bit befuddled at my own reaction to the upcoming return of David Vickers - that is, flagrant eye-rolling accompanied by a loud sigh. How did this happen? For years, I lied prostrate at the altar of David Vickers/Tuc Watkins, the comedic genius who oozed sexual mischief and unpredictable shenanigans into every storyline and relationship he was given. However, things have changed. There are two distinct factors which have turned the tide for me: One, the unparalleled carelessness that Ron Carlivati and company employed in their writing of David over the past year. It's as though they had no basic understanding of who this man is. The Buddhist storyline was funny on the surface, but in the long-run, it debilitated David and turned him into a prime example of character being slain in favor of gimmickry. His subsequent marriage to Dorian - something that we've been waiting years to see - was treated as a lame plot point that dissolved almost as rapidly and randomly as David's ridiculous abandonment of his newfound Buchanan family and wife in favor of acting in hemorrhoid commercials. The second factor which leads to my disappointment in David's return is the ebb and flow of Tuc Watkins' schedule. The Tony Geary factor, if you will. Quite frankly, it stinks. Erika Slezak's annual vacation is annoying enough - but Slezak IS One Life to Live and if she wants a (very long) vacation every year, so be it. But the nature of Watkins' schedule forces the writers to come up with horseshit for storylines just to accommodate him. If the past year is any indication, it's just not worth it.

Sadly, I think the writers made a huge error in judgment when they magically turned David into Bo's son. Nothing about that makes sense - not only because it's rooted in the awful 1968 time travel atrocity, but David is just not believable as Bo's son. It's too much of a stretch age-wise, but more importantly, David is just NOT a Buchanan. He's David Vickers - or at least, he used to be before the current writers decided that wasn't good enough. Boy, were they wrong. The Bo/David bloodline does not serve the show or the actors involved. Giving Bo another son is not a bad idea, but David Vickers is the wrong candidate. And what exactly was the point of a huge "there's yet another Buchanan" storyline when the writers knew all along that Tuc Watkins was only dipping his toes back into daytime? Nothing against Watkins - he has every right to take whatever work he can get. But the writers and producers should demand he sign a contract or else say "forget it." Or at the very least, let him drop by to be the comic relief without rearranging everyone else's storylines in the most nonsensical fashion possible. It will be a treat as always to enjoy Tuc Watkin's amazing comedic timing, but quite frankly, I was happy to see him go last time and unless the writers are planning to rectify the mess they've made of David, I am decidedly NOT looking forward to his return. Especially now that Dorian has found someone she has even more chemistry with than him...David's return seems like a bone being thrown to Robin Strasser and her fans. A "brief" Watkins return does not a storyline make.    

March-ing To A Different Tune

In his recent interview with TV Guide, Forbes March eloquently summarized why he is not afraid to play a gay character on As the World Turns despite being a devout Christian. His words are so simple and correct that I honestly gained an entirely new level of respect for him. I'm not trying to be political here; I think March's words are very insightful and particularly brave for an actor to say publicly. Also, brave for a person of religion to say because I can only imagine the flack he will get from people who think it's their job to judge others. March takes it beyond politics and speaks to basic goodness and compassion, which should be tenants not just of any particular religion, but of all humankind. So I just had to reprint this excerpt from the interview, and give props to Forbes March. His words are inspirational. It might also just have a wee bit to do with the fact that I wasn't a huge Nash fan and feel kind of guilty about that... I hope this makes up for it a little! 

"I am interested in characters who will demand I look at the world through someone else’s eyes and fight for their point of view; so a gay character was interesting to me. I am not phobic of really anything and I certainly am not homophobic.  From a Christian point of view, God is love and if you don’t love your fellow man, then you don’t love God. I do not find hate or intolerance, self-righteousness or a lack of humility or compassion to be consistent with my understanding of our philosophy. From a secular point of view, gimme a break! To be homophobic should be as embarrassing as any other ignorant and hateful fear and I hope we are close to that time. I am an actor and I tell stories and love is love.”  - Forbes March. Amen. 

Gay in Llanview?

It's rather astonishing that all of a sudden, soaps are creating gay characters and gay or bisexual storylines faster that you can open a closet door, after so many years of "not going there," or more accurately, not going there in a realistic or respectful manner. Gay characters were treated just a step below African-Americans in that they were defined by being gay rather than by any other facets of their personality or being. A "gay storyline" consisted of someone being harassed by homophobes or coming out to their therapist only to vanish from the show a few weeks later. But All My Children, As the World Turns, and Guiding Light have blazed a new trail, astonishing the industry with gay couples turning into their most popular assets. Young and the Restless is going there now, while GH and OLTL lag behind in this trend. Now rumor has it that One Life to Live is set to jump on the gay bandwagon (you know, the one they jumped OFF when they did an about-face and decided Rex would be straight) sometime later this summer and into the fall. If this gossip proves true, I can't help but wonder if the characters involved will be new cast members (paging C.J. Roberts), or if OLTL will pull a page out of Guiding Light's notebook and turn a straight character bisexual. Personally, I've always felt that more characters should be bisexual because it opens the possibility of new couples, triangles, etc., and I think Guiding Light has recently proved with the Olivia character that this can be accomplished without much hassle - especially when one of the top cast members is utilized in a believable way. The impact of a gay relationship (or ANY relationship, for that matter) on soaps is greatly maximized when the characters/actors are people we already know and are invested in. So, who on the current canvas would be a reasonable candidate for jumping the fence?

While at first Rex and Schuyler come to mind (after all, they would probably get along much better than they would with either of the psychotic Morasco sisters), I think there is an even better option... something that could be so good without coming across as contrived or a "social issue" being forced down everyone's throat. In essence, I think there is an option on the canvas right now for the perfect "jumping of the fence."

I see the perfect opportunity for OLTL to "go gay," and I see it with Blair and Tea! Now, before you feel compelled to call me names or insist that I am crazy, just take a minute to consider the impact a Tea/Blair affair could have. The way I see it, Tea-Todd-Blair could be the perfect triangle...but not with Todd at the center. If Tea were at the center of the triangle, a completely new storyline could unfold that capitalizes on the Todd/Blair history without actually repeating that history again. Blair and Tea have already had an about-face in their relationship, which quite frankly, I find extremely compelling. Now what is Tea's secret? If Blair were to discover Tea's secret, it may cause them to bond even more. What if it grew more intimate? John has been a hugely disappointing experience for Blair, and Todd is always disappointing Tea. Tea and Blair have already bonded and could certainly bond more over their experiences with men.  Tea would almost certainly be the instigator where intimacy is concerned, and Blair would be very resistant at first. But what if Blair did feel something when Tea kissed her? I know I'm much more open-minded than some soap viewers out there, but I truly think this storyline could be Emmy-worthy. Perhaps Tea and Blair could even devise a FAKE gay relationship just to get back at Todd and screw with his mind, and find themselves wondering if they'd be better off making their charade legitimate? 

With Florencia Lozano due for departure at the end of summer, and with another retread of Todd/Blair on the horizon (I do believe that is the plan, Stan), it's time for TPTB to consider a storyline that might keep Ms. Lozano on board. I believe that a groundbreaking Tea-Blair relationship, which most certainly would be unconventional beyond the gay factor, combined with the immense talents of Kassie DePaivia and Trevor St. John, might be the thing that could entice Lozano to stick around. Another lingering problem is solved by having Tea and Blair explore this new bond they're sharing - and that is, it gives Kassie DePaivia an actual storyline. She has been nothing but set dressing for years now, and it's both undeserved and distracting. Telling another Todd-Blair story will have fans counting sheep and shutting the show off for good. That is, unless it's something completely new - and that's Todd and Blair falling for the same person. Three people all in love with one another but not willing to share...sounds like a groundbreaking story to me. Is it too outrageous for Llanview? No, I don't think so. And you never know... Blair and Tea might just prove a better relationship than Blair/Todd or Tea/Todd. They could, in fact, be the most interesting couple on daytime in years. Can you imagine their fights?  And their make-ups? I say bring it on, Frons!    

 

Until next time - don't forget to feel the Craze! 

Jeremy in Chicago

 

 

 

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