GH: July 2024 Discussion Thread

[titan1978]

This has been such a strange way to tell this story. There was room for anger at Ava and still the greater emotional issues- Blaze has a mother that does not support her being a lesbian and actively has tried to keep her from being public about it/just living her life.

They have the right idea- this should be an umbrella story that touches many corners-Blaze/Kristina, Natalie, Sonny and Alexis, Deception, and Brook Lynn. But they have chosen to focus the crux of the story around Ava’s actions instead of Natalie. It would have been interesting for Aiden to be a fan, and see this fallout and start having a hard time too, which adds Liz And her family to the umbrella. Instead it’s about Ava being a bumbling villain.

Edited July 6, 2024 by titan1978

[Aragorn]

I usually find Deception scenes boring, but this week's scenes were excellent. 

I think that the show has gotten a lot better since the wedding.

Over the last year and a half, the show was best in the first three months of 2023, December and January, and the last two months.

[Contessa Donatella]

This is July Sweeps. There were things they had to take care of during May Sweeps & in the ensuing months in between. They ticked them off, one by one. The ChaLynn wedding, before it & during. Gregory's death & aftermath. Finn, enough said there. Now, what is almost an umbrella story, including Ava, DeWHAT, Nina, Drew, Jordan, Natalia, Blaze, Kristina, Alexis, Sonny, Deception, Natalia again, and we should get back to Carly, Jason, maybe even Pikeman. Add in Jex & Trio. 

So, different kinds of storytelling. You have to have the in between times. It can't all be Sweeps. It is only fair to also appreciate the times that build to the BIG TIMES. 

[ranger1rg]

Even though it's "only Sonny" who's going in hard against Ava for this while "everyone else" is rightly attacking Natalia, I'm not happy with how this stuff is being written.

Giving a voice as large as Sonny's the power to say "This is Ava's fault" gives an awful imbalance to all of this. Yes, Kate Mansi was wonderful in her Natalia takedown, but I think the writers wanted us to UNDERSTAND Natalia when she blamed her growing up. No, Natalia, you're asking me to tolerate your intolerance. Hard pass.

Maxie and Brook Lynn are "on the right side" here. Still, their dialogue seemed strident and lecturing to me. It was too on the nose, too getting hit right on the head. It was GH attempting to send the right message -- after creating a creaky, dated storyline where a singing star would be canceled for being gay/outed. I hate the whole thing.

The Deception office talk (with Maxie, Brook Lynn, Lois, Scotty, and Lucy) did not work for me. Maybe I'm just pissed off at everything at this point and can't appreciate the good stuff. I don't want to hear "We have to pause Blaze's Deception" campaign so that we can then hear righteousness from the leaders who can choose not to pause it. I don't want to hear fake outrage about the gay singer created just so "good people" at Deception and elsewhere can say something nice about gays.

As I said, I hate the whole thing.

While I'm complaining, I'll add that I don't like Jacqueline Grace Lopez as Blaze. I just don't think she's very good.

[Contessa Donatella]

So, we are well into Week 2 of July Sweeps & each day I am happy with the show! A large part of this is my #Kraze fandom. Kate Mansi's Kristina is solidly knocking it out of the park every single day. The writing for her has been stellar. There's no longer anyone uttering "But Lexi"! I completely agree with you that it is ONLY Sonny who is giving Natalia a pass & instead putting all of his energy, enmity & anger aimed directly at AVA. Everyone else is squarely focused, dead aim, at Natalia, the rude homophobic bigot! And, not only that but the woman is clueless at reading a room. If there is a possible wrong thing to say or do, we can count on Natalia to say it & to do it, too! I think she may just be the most inept character I've ever seen on any soap. 

I disagree. I don't think the writers are making any kind of effective case for Natalia being the way that she is, none at all. She is 100% negative character. There's nothing sympathetic in anything she shows us. One thing blew me away. Sonny said that she treats his daughter with respect & that's enough. NO, IT IS NOT. This is where Sonny & his various codes break down & he is on the wrong side. 

I made Maxie my Hero of the Week. (Last week was Spinelli.) Her main speech was amazing! I love the way she both nails Lucy & puts her down. I love that she's emerged as the top dog at Deception! I thought it odd that one day we had everyone BUT Brook Lynn also Tracy & the next day we only had Brook Lynn & Maxie. I enjoy that they let us see Maxie coming to the conclusions she reaches. 

So sorry that it is that way for you. Me, I'm having a big time!

And, I am so very pleased to have watched "TinyWonderLopez" grow as she has in this role. She started out barely able & is now flying higher than high!

Finally this week we got an ILY!!! Neither had said it before, Kristina said it to Ali on Wed. She said, "I don't care. You're worth it. And I love you." BINGO. Ladies & Gentlemen, if you had it that Krissy would say it first, you win! I was positive that it would be Blaze who would be the first to utter those 3 little words. Wrong. 

Not shocking, but this is one of those times when you & I see things quite differently. It's been awhile, so we were probably due! 

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[Khan]

Honestly, I think this storyline, as written, would have been problematic even twenty years ago, when a musical artist still had to be "in the closet" in order to be successful.

[Liberty City]

I feel like that's common in what I see in that culture. If I am wrong, I apologize.

Exactly, and then trying to portray Ava as the homophobe is hilarious to me. Again, TPTB choosing Ava as the gaslit problem when she's far from it.

[carolineg]

I guess my question with all this is was Blaze ever actually denying she was gay to the public?  Or was she just not open about her sexuality to the world?  Everyone in PC pretty much knew and any of them could have called TMZ.   I always felt she just wasn't ready to make a public declaration, but wasn't really denying it.

Anyhow that's probably moot.  Honestly, all Blaze has to say is I recently met a woman who made me realize I was hiding my true feelings and sexuality.  As you can see, my family has extreme beliefs about the LGBTQ community and it was very difficult for me to share this out of fear.  I never meant to hide this part of me, but I was hoping to come out on my own timetable blah, blah, blah.  A good PR person could fix this easily.  Blaze was the victim that was publicly outed and now is getting all the blowback?  It makes no sense.

[Contessa Donatella]

What you say is 100% dead on. There is something basic & fundamental about the way the story is being told that makes it clunky, inelegant (Is that a word?), awkward & full of troubling patches. Also - and I hate to say this but tough - dated, very dated. Like what year did Melissa Etheridge come out?!! Because if the world of hard rock could deal with a lesbian, then, NOW should be no questions asked!!! EDIT TO ADD: January 1993. 

Edited July 7, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
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[carolineg]

I could see if Blaze was doing interviews answering a direct question about being gay and answering no or even parading around with male boyfriends, but even then she could just say she was denying her true self because of fear or judgement or just never met a woman she was really into before or something.  It's like the fact Blaze was lying about being gay is worse than being gay, but I never got the sense she was "lying".  She just never made a huge Instagram statement to the world about it-which is her right lol.  

[ranger1rg]

Your post and every other post here are exactly why this storyline has me so angry. It's a misfire on every level.

You have a dated, ridiculous story that makes little sense in 2024, and then have your "good guys" give speeches railing against homophobia. Gee, where's the character who adds "Some of my best friends are gay"?

Just gag me.

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, we know, because she talked to Kristina about it (arguably the ONLY person she had a pressing need to discuss it with) that she had some trepidation about it regarding her audience but before her relationship with Kristina she'd had no motivation to consider talking about it. This is so real & authentic! So many people come totally & completely out of any closet when they meet a special person & begin a relationship with them. Before that they had no reason. Now they have the best possible reason. She was very concerned about Kristina being more out & if her being less so would be a problem between the two of them. They talked about it. No problem. Life continued & we knew she was thinking about it because of her new-found romance with Kristina. Made perfect sense. 

BUT, then Natalia came onto the scene & from jump she was aggressive about Blaze being careful & circumspect & not holding hands in public in case someone might snap a pic, etc. & on & on. So we saw a duality. At a party together, obviously a couple & affectionate without being ridiculous about PDA. At any Deception meeting talk about codifying looking & seeming straight. Back. Forth. Kristina & friends. MomMgr opposed. 

Now, well, Lucy, of all people, pointed out the irony. The person keeping her in the closet outed her & once you're out, that's it. You cannot unout yourself. 

So, the issue for Deception isn't gay or not gay but honest or dishonest, IOW, the supposed scandal. 

The issue for her music label ... WHO KNOWS?!!!! Makes absolutely no sense. Was it also the scandal? The lack of full honesty? It positively screams This is all Natalia's fault! 

But, we have little man Corinthos saying it's all Ava's fault. 

[TEdgeofNight]

No idea who plays Blaze because she is a terrible actress. I don’t have any interest in the story because it is so terribly written and acted. I dm’d Frank to get rid of the Blaze actress asap. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Frank's twiX account isn't Frank. Frank's twiX account can't be dm'd. A mystery person came up with the idea to put Jacqueline Grace Lopez's Blaze with Kate Mansi's Kristina to form Kraze & they did it during the strike & that's why they will remain mysterious. You have no idea how hilarious it is that you've tried to express this particular sentiment to Frank. Right now, despite the problems with the story, Blaze, Kristina & Kraze are all stronger than ever before. Recently JGL has spoken so eloquently about both gay people & about representation. 

https://michaelfairmantv.com/general-hospital-jacqueline-grace-lopez-reflects-on-how-representation-matters/2024/07/05/

[DRW50]

There are many ways they could write a believable backlash to Blaze being outed as there are so many different attacks female queer artists face - that they are lying for clout, that they stayed in the closet as long as they could for their own selfish gain, that they are taking the spotlight from "real" queer artists who don't have a big campaign behind them. 

Given our increased homophobic climate, if they wanted to say she was dropped after being outed, I wouldn't be that shocked, but the story is so muddled - are we meant to feel sorrier for her, or her mother? 

Blaze and Natalia just aren't compelling enough to base an entire storyline around. I imagine that's why the show brought characters like Sonny and Ava in, but it still isn't worth investing in.