Post by gabriel78 on Jul 4, 2008 15:03:33 GMT -5
One of my favorite time-wasters is to get onto YouTube.com and just browse around, seeing what all is out there. One night three weeks ago, a video I was viewing led me to an Ollian clip. THAT clip lead me to the English subtitled clip - and as they say, the hook was in. That night, I ended up viewing ALL of the Ollian videos (I was worried about getting them in the right order, then I found the wonderful playlist!) straight through without stopping - I was -that- engrossed in the story.
In the US, where I live, the general mindset is still one of rather Puritanical views - although, we have started to see some social change occur, we're still a long way off from the European way of looking at things (if we ever get there). As such, nearly every gay or lesbian storyline on TV or in the movies has been somewhat exaggerated - they play to the stereotypes and play to the jokes. There are many gay and lesbian couples who have been together for 10 or more years, and they live their lives in relative normalcy. The younger crowd go clubbing, do wild things, and generally thrust themselves into the public view in ways that most gay and lesbians do not. A distorted view of reality is presented, and since there is nothing to counteract that, that view is accepted.
But, the Ollian storyline presents a very REAL reality - one where someone meets another, struggles to overcome his feelings because the other can't return them. Meanwhile, the second person comes to terms with his own feelings, and the two come together (It doesn't ALWAYS happen that way, but sometimes it does).
Jo and Thore's acting in VL is what makes this storyline REAL. The situations and reactions make the story REAL. You can see on the screen and at times even FEEL the passion the two characters have for each other - the love they are discovering. There are no hangups about the story, just that it is what it is. It's INCREDIBLY refreshing to watch, and to think I came across it by complete accident is scary - just imagine, I could have never heard about this wonderful story!
But, I could not enjoy this story without the hard work, dedication, and preseverance of certain individuals (you know who you are) who take the time to record the story, translate it to English, and make it available for those like me who can't see it otherwise. There is no way that saying "thank you" is meaningful enough to express my gratitude for what you do.
When I was a boy, my family and I lived in Germany. My father was in the US Air Force, and we were stationed in Bitburg, about 2 hours south of Dusseldorf. I really enjoyed growing up among German culture and even studied the language a bit when we returned to the States and I entered high school. Time went by, and although I carried fond memories of Germany, it wasn't something I dwelled on.
Watching the VL clips and interacting with German natives here and on other boards has reignited my passion for the German language, culture, and history. I wouldn't have re-discovered it without you - so again, thank you.
It's interesting that it took a simple YouTube.com video, of a German soap opera, to cause such changes in my life. And I'm happier for it.
In the US, where I live, the general mindset is still one of rather Puritanical views - although, we have started to see some social change occur, we're still a long way off from the European way of looking at things (if we ever get there). As such, nearly every gay or lesbian storyline on TV or in the movies has been somewhat exaggerated - they play to the stereotypes and play to the jokes. There are many gay and lesbian couples who have been together for 10 or more years, and they live their lives in relative normalcy. The younger crowd go clubbing, do wild things, and generally thrust themselves into the public view in ways that most gay and lesbians do not. A distorted view of reality is presented, and since there is nothing to counteract that, that view is accepted.
But, the Ollian storyline presents a very REAL reality - one where someone meets another, struggles to overcome his feelings because the other can't return them. Meanwhile, the second person comes to terms with his own feelings, and the two come together (It doesn't ALWAYS happen that way, but sometimes it does).
Jo and Thore's acting in VL is what makes this storyline REAL. The situations and reactions make the story REAL. You can see on the screen and at times even FEEL the passion the two characters have for each other - the love they are discovering. There are no hangups about the story, just that it is what it is. It's INCREDIBLY refreshing to watch, and to think I came across it by complete accident is scary - just imagine, I could have never heard about this wonderful story!
But, I could not enjoy this story without the hard work, dedication, and preseverance of certain individuals (you know who you are) who take the time to record the story, translate it to English, and make it available for those like me who can't see it otherwise. There is no way that saying "thank you" is meaningful enough to express my gratitude for what you do.
When I was a boy, my family and I lived in Germany. My father was in the US Air Force, and we were stationed in Bitburg, about 2 hours south of Dusseldorf. I really enjoyed growing up among German culture and even studied the language a bit when we returned to the States and I entered high school. Time went by, and although I carried fond memories of Germany, it wasn't something I dwelled on.
Watching the VL clips and interacting with German natives here and on other boards has reignited my passion for the German language, culture, and history. I wouldn't have re-discovered it without you - so again, thank you.
It's interesting that it took a simple YouTube.com video, of a German soap opera, to cause such changes in my life. And I'm happier for it.