As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[Khan]

Is it wrong? Well, no. But where would they go with it? It's not as if Bob would suddenly decide to divorce Kim and join Luke at Ye Olde Gay Bar. Know what I mean?

[DRW50]

It would have been a very interesting story to tell in the wilderness years for Bob (between Jennifer's death and marrying Kim, he had no popular pairing, and few popular stories). Larry returns to town, a broken mess, on trial. Tom agrees to represent him, confused by Bob's vehement objections. Only Nancy understands, and she never, ever mentions it. A middle-aged man, suddenly questioning what he'd repressed.

(I can hear P&G executives rolling in their graves)

Edited November 16, 2012 by CarlD2

[Khan]

And Irna and Ted Corday can't get out of theirs fast enough.

But seriously, you have it set up nicely, Carl. I just question whether long-time fans ever would have bought Bob being even bi-curious in light of his marriages. I mean, it happens all the time -- pillars of the community suddenly coming out and all that -- but it seems like soap fans will only go so far when it comes to tent-pole characters.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Khan

[DRW50]

Oh I don't think it would have happened - we would have been more likely to have seen Bob chasing pirates and rolling around on a beach with Annie Stewart. But this was becoming an increasingly explored topic in the late 70s and the very early 80s, before bisexuality and homosexuality became forbidden topics again. With the proper writer it could have been fascinating and enlightening, and tapped into a little of Ordinary People for Nancy.

Irna aged the characters so quickly that we could assume anything happened to them when we didn't see them.

I think someone like Paul Stewart, if he'd lived, also would have been prime fodder for a gay storyline.

[Khan]

True.

No, if anyone was "prime fodder" for a gay storyline, it was Jennifer -- not Barbara's daughter, but her mother. I think it would have been awesome for John Dixon to discover his rival's wife was a closet lesbian and then use that particular piece of gossip to make Bob's life at Oakdale Memorial hell.

[DRW50]

That would have been a great story too. They could have given her a story like that John Sayles movie, Lianna, or whatever it was called.

When we discuss the closeted sexuality of old school ATWT characters I feel like we'll be struck by lightning.

[Khan]

"Bring it, Irna!"

[Mitch]

I don't know if I could handle Bob being a closet case..plus he got a lot of ass (female) through the years.

But I think a story like this could work if the writers and the audience could see that well....you know, "one blow job does not a faggot make.." kind of thing. It would make an interesting story if someone like a Bob character (though I think it would need to be more of a shades of grey character like Don Hughes or Ed Bauer) experimented with friend as kid..and then decided that hetorsexuality was their thing. That person they experiment comes back and blackmails or cause trouble etc. To beat a dead horse but on GL I thought they should have made Sandy and Jonathon lovers in boardingschool Sandy being gay and Jonathon letting him, uh service him for doing his papers. etc. Jonathon looked like he would screw anything!

[DRW50]

I don't think he would have had to have been a closet case, just as you said, an experiment, or bisexuality. Not that it would have ever happened on the show anyway.

[Mitch]

I just have to laugh thinking if Doug M would have written this. Bob's ex lover would come to town and tell Bob that the time they were together were the happiest of his life and since his wife died he wanted to reignite the flame, but respecting Kim and Bob's relationship is importnant, so he wil just ponder the love letters he wrote Bob.

John would find out but since Marland domesticated him he wouldnt tell, though we wouldd see weeks and weeks of cliffhangers where he would come into Kim's kitchen, "Kim I have something to tell you, you need to sit down," ..and then on Monday he would say, "Andy forgot his chemistry assignment and I need to walk it over to campus." Bob's ex lover would be named something like Reginald Wilson Bancroft and we would have scenes of Nancy welcoming him back to town, "You were like another son to me, you spent so much time sleeping over I almost forgot you werent," and Lisa, "Good ole' Reggie was always there for Bob when he and I had problems...he never seemed to like me much but he really did love my taste in shoes," with Bob having a pained expression (and a close up of course.) We would see weeks and weeks of Kim saying, "Now that the Susan affair is over, we both know HONESTY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A RELATIONSHIP,' and we would see other characters saying, "Bob and Kim are so strong as they know that HONESTY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A RELATIONSHIP," and just so we know the importance of this, we would have Lily say, "Someday I want a relationship like Bob and Kim, if they ever broke up I think I would take to my sick bed or go around whining constantly about how it effects me!"

Lucinda would find the love letters (Marlands characters were always smart enough to write well but not smart enough to destroy incriminating notes) to Bob, and be tempted to publish (for weeks) but John would talk her out of it, but hem but it would be a temporary homophobic collegue of Bob's, or maybe Bob was advocating for an "HIV positive" clinic at Memorial and crazy angry homophobes would find them and publish them.

The reveal would come at, where else, the Mona Lisa, were Reginald is being honored for saving Lily's life during yet another kidnapping (Just so we know he is not a villan and also gives Lucinda a reason to not let the cat out of the bag) as evil television reporter Cynthia McTavish would interupt, with cameras and say, "Dr. Hughes would you care to comment on your relationship with our hero, as you were lovers in high school? We have the letters here to prove it. Was that the reason you pushed for an HIV clinic in Memorial? How does your wife think about this and sir, is there anyone in Oakdale you havent slept with and/or married?"

Imagine the pearl clutching Nancy would have done, imagine the pained but stoic face Kim would put on, look at the face Ellen would put on, looking like her hemoroid are hurting again, (she had her eye on Reginald since David died, at this point she thinks, "I might as well go on recurring,") Imagine Lisa climbing off the piano after singing a bad song and going after Cynthia "Why you witch, ole Lucy put you up to this didnt she," Imagine the close up of Lily and then everyone gathering around saying, "Now that Lily knows that even a strong relationship has secrets will she be able to love again? Maybe we shoudl throw another birthday party to cheer her up??"

[Khan]

[Mitch]

Thanks Khan, I miss Marland's ATWT!!!!

I had to say that as "HONESTY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ANY RELATIONSHIP!"

Edited November 17, 2012 by Mitch

[DRW50]

Very good!

(removing the gif, as it's gone anyway)

I would have loved seeing that story, BTW.

Edited November 18, 2012 by CarlD2

[Khan]

Aw, shoot. The image won't display for me.

[DRW50]

It's nothing fancy - just Orson Welles applauding in Citizen Kane.