Why has THIS story struck such a cord?

[husky14620]

Brianmiddletonart and I were discussing our astonishment at our own reactions to this story. He wrote of surprise and pleasure at the response from around the world. His message to me invoked more feelings in me, and I felt I needed to express them, but also, I'd like to know what others feel and why. Please read this and comment:



brianmiddletonart wrote

I've been wondering why Ollian was such a grabber for me. I mean, I'm 63, and was sniffin' back the tears in certain situations. I think part of the reason is that Thore is so beautiful and so "on" as an actor and his portrayal of a tortured man struggling to come out speaks volumes for me, even though my own coming out wasn't nearly so traumatic. I just love watching this guy!

end quote

At 51 myself, I'm also trying to understand what it is about the Ollian story that just grabs my gut so strongly. I know part of it is the incredibly good looks of BOTH Thore and Jo. But my reaction is too visceral to just be physical attraction. It's like a combination of jealousy, envy, joy, desire (for that kind of intimacy), regret, and a sort of vicarious connection to their 'reality'. And although Christian is generally my type, more so than Oliver, I find both characters incredibly ... desirable. I don't just mean that sexually. When Christian slid down the front of the vanity in the bathroom and started shaking, I just wanted to hold him in my arms and take all the pain away. And the same for Oliver when he's drinking in the dark dining room, and the lights go out in Christian and Coco's room.

While I know that Throe and Jo are each just playing a part, their performances and their support of their 'international' fans, who really aren't in any position to help their careers, speaks volumes toward the kind of people they are in real life. And the tendernesses they show each other cannot be faked at that level. I'm not suggesting either is Gay, but that they are truly tender, loving people in their real lives. And they obviously care about each other (platonicly) in real life. It shows through.

I think that it also has something to do with the isolation that so many gays and lesbians still feel in our lives. This story has two (attractive) guys being open and public about their love for each other, surrounded by straight people who love them no matter what. While this does happen for some of us, the reality is that too many of us have no such support, and are unable to express our love so openly. So many of our loved ones return our love for who they think we are, not who we really are. For many, probably most gays and lesbians, Christian's fear of losing Gregor IS the reality. Many families destroy their gay and lesbian members with scorn and rejection. Many careers are ruined by coming out as well. Christian's fear of not being able to follow his dream of boxing expresses this reality. And even Christian's apparent homophobia early in the story so honestly deals with the internalized homophobia we all feel and fight. Many Gay men fight against themselves for many, many years, and many never reach the level of acceptance that Christian was able to achieve so rapidly. To see that struggle so well portrayed touches our hearts and souls in the deepest and most rarely reached places.

Many more of us have been denied such a love, or worse, have denied it to ourselves. The response to this story is partially one of loneliness and longing. For me, seeing the kind of relationship I've always wanted, but never have been able to achieve, is at times emotionally overwhelming. I appreciate that the story can do that to me perhaps most of all. It means I can still feel those feelings, that I'm not as cynical as I sometimes think I've become.


brianmiddletonart also wrote:

Even more importantly, I think, is the fact that this series is reaching those in the world who have no freedoms or role models. I just hope that they aren't victimized by false hope from what is still a fiction. Much of the world is certainly ready for more transparency!

end quote

But what wonderful hope, even if false! I am amazed by the public replies on the videos from places where gay people are still imprisoned or executed. And people like you and I, a generation not known for its participation in 'YouTube', who can't wait for Nanna to get the next episode subtitled and posted. (Much love to her as well for the incredible job she does.) The fact that this story HAS garnered this much love proves that despite the backlash of certain religious reactionaries, there is great hope for the future. Yes, there are still great dangers. And, to a small extent, Oliver's bashing illustrates those dangers. Timed so close to the anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death, Olli's collapse struck at the core of many of our fears.

But the hope is stronger. Light and truth drive out darkness and lies. The truth this story presents can never be driven from the world. It illuminates that the wonder of being in love is the same for us as for anyone else. And the younger generation is more enlightened because of stories like this, both real and fictional, that are taking place around the world.

Matt

[nryabenko]

That is very beautiful. I'm a 35 year old straight woman and I find the story of Oliver and Christian heart warming.

It shows that two people (gay and/or straignt) can love each other no matter what.

[alessis]

From my perspective in Sweden and Western culture, we've slowly and incrementally been moving from a homophobic to an accepting society for decades. I've been aware of many small steps, not least in TV soaps. They are important because they shape our view of reality and of what's possible. The gay character Stephen Carrington in Dynasty couldn't be shown in the same room with a boyfriend and eventually more or less turned straight, that was the 80's. Gay Matt in that American soap, don't recall the name, could only ever hug his love interests on screen, nothing more, and that was the 90's. Those were tiny steps, but they were important because before them, even that much was unthinkable.

Ollian has taken yet another step into the future. The last decade has seen lots of gay visibility on TV, plenty of gay characters and to a lesser extent storylines, even entire gay TV shows, and yet nothing quite like Ollian. This storyline is exactly what I've been wanting for a long time, it's exactly what we all need to see. The characters have some initial problems because of the gay factor, which is realistic, but their relationship breaks out of all that like a butterfly from a chrysalis and becomes a happy, healthy, lasting relationship pure and simple. Their gayness is not played down, nor does it define them as people. Their friends and families are totally supportive and this feels perfectly realistic. It's the same in my social circles. No one has anything to fear from coming out, and the younger people of my acquaintance don't even seem to consider the closet as an alternative.

Of course the actors can't be thanked enough for their romantic, tender, natural portrayal. They make it look so easy, they're raising the bar for all future gay storylines. Heck, love stories in general.