OLTL: Discussion for the week November 2

[All My Shadows]

Oliver and Kyle's "first date" talk is kinda hot.

Okay, that kiss.

It was very hot.

[DRW50]

With the men in Llanview you couldn't blame Dorian if she went gay, but I don't think it will happen.

IMDB has Ann Hamilton (Aunt Corinne) appearing in 3 late January 2008 episodes.

[Scotty]

Actually she was Roxy's sister-in-law. Her brother was Roxy's former husband Walter Balsom (who has long since been dead and I believe at one time was a follower of Mitch Laurence).

I remember the last time we saw Aunt Corrine last year....she was at the Palace having lunch with Rex and maybe Natalie (I've slept a time or two since then lol).

[IcyOne]

Yes. With all that.

Totally unrealistic. In what universe would a mayoral candidate think that if they married someone of the same sex, it would get them elected? No town in the USA would base their vote on a lesbian couple marrying. The truth is that in the current climate, Dorian's behavior would be political suicide, not an election-clincher. While more people support gay issues today, the real world view is nothing like OLTL is portraying it. Oh and on a side note a mayor can't make marriage licenses legal. That would be something done on the state level.

(BTW, my signature is a scene from The Players Club)

If I had your support, I'd have to reconsider my views.

The "opposing" side were the nameless protesting cartoons, who in the end only served to allow Oliver to give his grand little "I'm gay...and shame on you!" monologue. Mayor Lowell was clearly a conservative and he had to get elected somehow, how has the landscape of Llanview changed so wildly since? Apparently it's the only issue facing the town. There was no one running to speak for the Ernesto Rivera's of Llanview. In the meantime, they wouldn't dare have a regular (and usually reasonable) character like Clint reaffirm his prior rigid stance on homosexuality, for fear of pissing off people. Hell, Todd was a Lowell supporter, and yet they even had him keep his mouth shut on all this. The writers had a not so hidden agenda...which was either:

A - Let's go out of our way to upstage the other soaps gay storylines so we can get a GLAAD award...or...

B - Let's create this totally makeshift/unrealistic/cushy universe to make it easy to prop the coming together of Oliver and Kyle, with absolutely no conflict from anyone - except the occasional dayplayer, who no one will take seriously anyway.

There's your wonderful, well-written "gay" storyline....OLTL style.

[DRW50]

So are you saying since they took on gay marriage, you think they should have been more realistic, since the story was about a social issue?

I have felt the same way, but ultimately the story wasn't so much about gay marriage as it was about pushing various storylines. The story was as much about Dorian's need for validation, and Cris and Layla. I think they just decided not to focus on realism. None of their other stories do, they seem to be almost going out of their way to be as ridiculous as possible, so I guess the whole show is this way now.

[DeeeDee]

It's not like the gay marriage story exists on a show where a serial rapist harem fights each other to be said rapist Bottom Bitch.

[Doyen]

It became totally farcical when they had Starr, Cole, Langston and Markko start becoming android props for it too. When Langston said something to Markko about 'half of his friends being gay.' Come on now. Where? Then they even had Shane opt to skip out on the Halloween celebration to go watch a bunch of same sex couples (none of whom he knows) get married. The whole s/l was very phony and placating, while trying to present itself as genuine and deep on the surface. It was RC pretentiously calling himself "going all the way" with it, but from a very shallow angle.

[Juliajms]

Yes, I thought the reactions of the teens was pretty unrealistic, particularly Cole and Markko. Many guys that age are still pretty insecure and there is a lot of trash talk, but I fanwanked it to myself by Cole being Marty's son. As the son of a shrink he's probably more accepting than the average teenage boy. Plus how realistic is it that a boy his age wanted to raise his child instead of going the adoption route, so it's not like these characters have ever been steeped in reality.

[Leia]

everything you said and only adding that this is the most diverse soap I've ever witnessed. No other soap has the tools to accomplish what OLTL just did. Bravo!

[MarkH]

It was a major moment. Daytime has not seen something like this before. Was it artistic greatness? Maybe not. But it still was entertaining and groundbreaking...and that ain't bad. Even if OLTL is on some ridiculous chopping block, it will go out on a high, still blazing diversity trails like it did 40 years ago.

[SFK]

YES. I love this.

You know, they are in the exact same vein as the Santos parents on AMC. Whole reason why Pat Maucieri's argument didn't stand a chance, there was no way they were going to have THREE latin homophobes of that generation on the show.

"Walter Balsom", say that out loud, feels like you have a marshmallow in your mouth.

[Cheap21]

So now Rex's aunt Corrine is back? They sure are bringing back the forgotten day players for this story

[Toups]

I don't remember Rex's aunt or Brody's sister either, but it way to kidnap Rex/Brody without it being suspicious. I'm really enjoying this storyline and can't wait for you know who.

[Cheap21]

I rememebr them. Both were on when both these characters were introduced. They also brought Pamela out of the woodwork to get Jared but unfortuently for her, she was killed off before we could see her

[SFK]

Killing Pamela was so unnecessary. It was such a nice nod to the show's past bringing her back in the first place, and seeing a soap presence like Christine Jones still being employed. But who knows, maybe someday she'll take on her FOURTH OLTL role.