Y&R: Why is Rafe gay?

[JackPeyton]

Nope. He and Frantz are on again/off again/friendly, lol.

The only out actor on Y&R is Clem Ford.

Ryan Scott. 2001-2003.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2336607/

[Ann_SS]

I have always thought that Kevin should come out. I can see Rafe and Kevin having a relationship. Yet, I doubt that any main character on Y&R will come out or be bisexual.

[rhythmchyc]

Yeah, those two do have great chemistry.

OK, I'll stop now because this is turning gossipy lol.

[MarkH]

Thanks!

I have heard others say that. I'll even say this would have worked, earlier, given both Kevin's mysognyn and the DIRECT metaphor of him being "locked in the closet".

But by now, he's had so many heterosexual conquests, I think it might be hard to "go gay". Although Kelly McGillis yesterday again showed that coming out -- even after you've had a family -- is totally plausible.

Moreover (think Silence of the Lambs or Daniel Colson on OLTL) do we really want the show's resident psycho to be gay or bi? Really? Even if it is shown that by "coming out to himself" his insanity resolves itself, it still seems like a really bad story to tell at this time in history. Or am I off-base?

[brimike]

I don't know. I hear what you're saying, and I do understand... but I don't know if I would put Kevin in the same category as Colson. Colson was a guy from a different generation, who first avoided his sexuality by drinking himself into oblivion, then driving his wife (and mother of his child) away, then throwing himself into his son's cocaine addiction and recovery, and his career in law, all to avoid facing the truth about himself. And when finally confronted, he snapped and did the unthinkable, all because he couldn't face one simple truth about himself -- that no matter how hard and fast he ran, he would always be this person that he, personally, could never accept.

I don't see Kevin Fisher in that way at all. I don't see him running from anything. I think if you were to tell a "coming out" story with Kevin, it would be far too dark and too dangerous. For the sake of argument, let's say Kevin really did come out of the closet. His coming out process would involve a process daytime couldn't handle.

After all, this was a child who grew up equating violence with love.

But I don't think that makes him Buffalo Bill or Daniel Colson.

[MarkH]

WOW...That is textbook DSM-I "ego dystonic homesexuality". The total failure of self-acceptance. Those writers did their homework!

I don't actually understand that...but in writing that, now you make me want to see it .

[brimike]

Or it could be a case of what people were discussing in the Y&R thread about Heather, and I just read way too much into something that never made it on-camera.

I was trying to be diplomatic about it. LOL! I'm not saying I would want to watch this on-screen, but I would think if Kevin struggled with feelings of homosexuality, he would probably embark on some kind of quest of self-discovery that must involve a little S&M. Again, I'm not saying I (or anybody else) would be interested in that kind of journey on a daytime soap opera. But if Kevin Fisher were a real person, I would think he would have to struggle with his own damaged psyche, in terms of equating pain with love. Whether or not he stayed with that kind of lifestyle, or used that world to somehow overcome his own past with being both abuser and abused in a brief temporary phase, I don't know how someone like Kevin, who grew up the way he did, would be able to go on this journey without at least experimenting with that.

Of course, as I type this, I also realize that homosexuality has nothing to do with it, and a real-life Kevin Fisher would probably have to go through this journey as a heterosexual man as well. Especially with what happened to Lily, Colleen, etc.

And I've also realized I've gone completely off-topic now. Sorry!!

[MarkH]

Hmmmm....so do you think that in "healthy times", Jana and Kevin do a little S&M too? I could TOTALLY see that that with goth-Jana. Which makes me wonder if, since she's been 'healed' by that 99% tumor removal, if she's still so interesting to him.

Intriguing....

[brimike]

Stuff I think about when I have too much free time on my hands. LOL!

Not that I think about details... God knows I'm about as vanilla as they come. But whenever sexuality (not orientation, but sexuality) plays into a story, there's a lot of wonderfully psychological aspects to it that have a lot more to do with character and emotion than you'd think. Unfortunately, it's still such a taboo subject in America (gay or straight) that you can never really delve into a study in how sexuality affects character without people freaking out.

I'm not saying it needs to be Skinemax. Not at all. Sexuality can come into play in any storyline, in scenes where people are fully clothed. I remember AW touched on it in the Jenna/Matt/Lorna triangle. Jenna was raised in a convent by nuns, and Lorna was a very sexually aggressive woman, and that insecurity and shame Jenna had about sex inadvertently drove Matt into Lorna's arms. It's such a simple and relate-able concept to so many people, but it's a fine line because a lot of people don't want to talk about sexuality in terms of story and character.

Which (to bring this full circle) is why we end up with PSA storylines about homosexuality, and the doubts that the show will do anything other than A ) ignore it, or B ) play it as a "token" character. We, the audience, have been trained by TV to assume that's where it's going to go. Because it's the "safest" way to write about it without the majority of the American audience feeling uncomfortable.

[MarkH]

Which is why the next generation of soaps ... whenever, wherever, however ... are going to be soooooo cool!

Me, I'm hoping HBO someday bites that bullet. And I don't mean In Treatment.

[alphanguy74]

I don't know why so many of you are convinced that Y&R is not going to do anything with him. At this point, I think they will... tying him to Estella, and HER SL is quite intriguing to me now, the thinly veiled dislike of Ashley bubbling over into outright hostility is exciting to me, I'm wondering why she hates her so much, and what part is Rafe going to play in all this. I would LOVE to see him in something other than a suit, something tells me he'd look HOT in other clothes. Is the actor even latino? He looks Isreali to me.

[MarkH]

I like how you think, and I agree.

Did you see, yesterday, Kay was in a chiffon gown!

[alphanguy74]

Yes, I noticed... Jeanne Cooper in chiffon is ALWAYS a delight!

[brimike]

I'm with you, Alphanguy. If there's one thing MAB has taught me in the last year, it's that there's always a point. Even if it takes a few months to get there, nothing is ever dropped.

[MarkH]

Hmmm. It that's true, then there must be a POINT to why we never see Paul.