BTG: April 2025 Discussion Thread

[Gatecrashers]

As a girly-girl femme lesbian, I take offense to this. Gender expression and sexual orientation are two different things.

[Contessa Donatella]

As a baby butch from way back when I would say that sometimes different but sometimes not. More than one thing can be true.

[GLATWT88]

My apologies if I offended you. As a gay man myself, I didn't mean to come across offensive. I meant that Martin is strait-laced and seems to play things very safe in his life bevause of his position. Even his relationship seems to follow very heterosexual conventions. It gives heteronormativity for the sake of keeping up an image for the voters. We know Martin is concerned about how he is perceived. 

[Gatecrashers]

For sure, ITA.

[1974mdp]

I wonder if even before things started to air that they sensed that Ashley and Derek just weren't working and aren't integrated with the rest of the characters, like Vanessa and Smitty. We hear that Naomi and Ashley are BFF's, but we've never really seen that. Derek is just still a blank slate. I don't know who that character is supposed to be.

If we could get less of the casino/gambling story, and focus more on Nicole and her family, Martin's secret, give Anita a viable story, and have Dani grow some as a character...or have her go full-on alcoholic raging for drama, and pick up the pace some, I'd be very happy.

[Maxim]

Speaking on that topic... Yes I agree that these stereotypes don't work anymore... And they have never worked by the way. I've been asked by people as a joke why do I not act gay... And I take offense to that when asked. I am acting like myself. And I'm gay. So I am acting gay... But my gay in their eyes reads as straight. Not my problem. Even if I force myself to act differently it doesn't work. I have tried btw in my younger years... For the experiment of it... but I look fake. My husband is the same. We are usually asked if we are colleagues or relatives. Till they see us holding hands. That's when jaws drop.

Speaking of Martin... I'm slowly beginning to accept the actor. The character is still what it is, but the actor has improved sooo much. 

Edited April 23 by Maxim

[Gatecrashers]

No worries. Some ignorant straight put everyone in one box, and it gets me mad. I mean think of Natasha Lyonne in "But I'm a Cheerleader," and that's me, lol.

[Maxim]

Sad thing is that not only straight people do this. The amount of discrimination and prejudice inside the community is crazy. People inside... know what I'm talking about. There are corners where people are perceived "less than" if they don't act a certain way. Certain way almost always means macho and manly.

[janea4old]

One of the things I've seen on primetime and in films, is that there's some sort of conventional idea that has a cop character and a firefighter character being buddies.
I don't know if that's a common thing in real life or not, but I've seen it on TV and film.
Just *speculating* that this might be why they wrote Jacob and Derek to be friends?  

We haven't actually seen that friendship shown as anything more than acquaintances that hang out with their wife & girlfriend as a group of four for drinks.  But we haven't actually seen close friendship stuff.

[Taoboi]

I agree. My feelings have been hit and miss when it comes to Hayley. But what keeps me interested (when I'm not laughing at her being mistreated by the country club) has been the fact that she's more observant than I give her credit for. This show is very good at giving their characters nuances, so you don't just hate/love a person. The grays.

 

Ooooo I love that. I was not a big fan of AW, but that triangle's reputation precedes it. And I can totally see that in the Eva/Tomas/Kat triangle. Because on paper, Tomas/Kat do make sense. But in reality, Eva/Tomas really do have a lot more in common.

[Maxim]

Hayley has great potential in my opinion. And the actress brings it when time comes. She's also evolving for me and getting better. I am a secret Hayley fan at heart hahahha

[Taoboi]

It'sssssss TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!!!!

 

Yay at us starting with the cliffhanger!!!

I am not a fan yet, but I completely agree with everything you say.

[Maxim]

I'm not a fan either... (publicly) It's a secret. 

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 Promise not to tell anyone! 

She won me with the "I know you were in my house bitch" moment that I replayed more times than I would dare to say. 

[Taoboi]

Oh, Joey's on today. Hmmmm.

 

Hahaha!!! I knew it would be a near-miss. But this storyline continues to be well-paced. 

Hahahahaha. I understand.

 

I think for me, I like her when she's in that mode, too, rather than Whiny Hayley. More upfront and confrontational to protect her space in that social circle.

[Maxim]

She makes me laugh. And I like how they are writing her. MVJ just gets Hayley so well. And all her clothing and interior design choices are just... the cherry on top. 

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