EM: It’s gonna be big!
Destini: She thinks I’m completely insane and she probably right…I know she right. But I’m not alone in the asylum there are 1400 of us (the forum is now up to nearly 1800 today).
EM: I know! How amazing is that?
Destini: We were just talking about that.
Mel: Yeah.
Destini: Christi was reading us back some emails last from when the board first started…how excited we were when there were thirty people online!
Christi: We’re gonna hit 300 members today! [laughing, laughing, laughing]
EM: Well you’re hitting nearly300 members a day for the play by play at this point.
EM: That’s crazy!
Mel: In a good way.
EM: Of course, it’s all good.
EM: Ok since I’ve only been on the board a short time I’d love to learn a little bit about you all outside of the board. Tell me about yourselves.
Destini: I talk too much so you guys go first.
Christi: Ok I’ll do it since Mel’s being quiet. I do local theater. I’m a board member of a local community theater and I do costumes for other theater clubs. Basically I’m a performer. I was one of those who were resistant to watch Otalia. I wasn’t going to tune in to see another couple just for the sake of it being another couple. But somebody, I think it was Destini, mentioned Natalia’s relationship with Emma (Olivia Spencer’s daughter) and I was like wait…this is interesting. This is another level. So I watched and ten seconds into it I was like oh ok we’re good, we can do this. This is different.
EM: This is for real!
Christi: Exactly! That’s my family because I grew up with two moms for a large part of my childhood.
EM: I would imagine that’s something you never saw growing up. [everyone laughs]
I’m sure that really struck a cord with you.
It’s refreshing to see that those as the “face” of the Otalia fandom are intelligent and well spoken and yet still can have their fangrrl moments. I’m so proud to be a part of this big, purple dream. I’m excited to see where this true supercouple will go in the future. It is my firm belief that Olivia and Natalia’s love story will be a major part of what saves Guiding Light. Kudos Desti, Christi, and Mel! Thanks to Eclipse Magazine and Tiffany! And many thanks to Crystal Chappell, Jessica Leccia, and everyone involved with this love story for the ages.
Great article. The intelligence, humor and passion with which the BPD team and the whole forum have rallied around Guiding Light must send a powerful message to the soap community. If this was just a “gay” phenomena AMC and ATWT would have experienced a similar frenzy, but it is so clear that this story is so different, and I could not explain it better than Mel, Christi and Desti did here already. SO I will close by thanking you for covering the Otalia craze from this unique angle.
thanks for the great interview tiffany!
not a day goes by that i don’t feel completely blessed to have found the big purple dreams fan forum, the otalia storyline and guiding light. i only wish i had found it all sooner. destini, christi, mel and the other administrators at BPD have created such a welcoming environment- our own little purple living room over at the big purple dreams board. and they each lead through service, which in turn brings out the giver in the rest of us.
i’ve never stood up to be counted in a fan campaign before. i guess i never believed enough in something before to invest the time or the effort to give power to my voice. but i believe in otalia and guiding light. and i believe in what we are creating over at the board. it’s positive and supportive and empowering. the otalia story gives me hope that someday, not too far in the future, every gay love story won’t need special promotion or sensationalization. that we won’t need special privileges. that our love will just be love, without labels. it’s been a long time coming, but thanks to GL, i can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
again, thank you for the closer look at our fearless leaders. now when are we getting some more juicy outtakes?
Great interview, Tiffany. Destini, Christi and Mel make BPD a fun, loving place to be. Even with over 1,800 members, it feels like a family. Even though I just returned to Guiding Light a couple of months ago, I can’t remember that exact turning point moment. Since re-connecting with the show and finding BPD it feels like I’ve always been there.
I appreciate you and Eclipse magazine shining the light on BPD and Guiding Light.
Dear Tiffany,
That was a fantastic interview! Its about time someone wrote about the Big Purple Podcasts, and I’m so glad you fessed up about listening to them – its hard to describe to someone unless they listen, but it really is the most engaging, funny (too many pee in the pants moments) 3 hours of entertainment. In fact, I had to laugh when I saw that there is now a play by play on the podcast itself! Guiding Light is a gift, Otalia is a gift, the writers creating this story is a gift, the actors doing their parts is a gift, and everything about BPD is a gift as well. We need to cherish and recognize them for what they’re giving us. Just like the show, a family has been created unexpectedly, and its a thing of beauty. Kudos to Destini, Christi and Mel for the tremendous work you do every day on behalf of bringing more audiences to this important story. We love Otalia and we love Big Purple Dreams!!!
Christi, I am so proud of you!
Mom2