EM: It’s amazing the number of members you’ve reached in such a short time. This forum has only been around for a few months. The forum itself is so dense and extensive. I remember going to it the first time and being overwhelmed by the amount of content available! [everybody agrees and laughs]
Christi: It is very content heavy!
Destini: See Mel, that’s the word we can use now.
Mel: What’s that?
Destini: Dense! The board is dense.
Destini: It’s so funny because we were talking last night, we had no idea…none, that it was going to become what it has become.
EM: It really is amazing!
Mel: It’s so much more than the member count. You can go there (the board) on any given day and if you’re in a bad mood you can look at one of the members many posts, that’s just so funny, will make you laugh. You can always relate to something on that board. Oh that person would do that…so did I. You learn something new every day.
EM: People are so similar but still very different. Everybody’s experience is a little bit different.
Mel: Exactly! I think it’s fascinating!
Destini: It is. It’s bazaar in a very good level and very surreal to be on the board sometimes because people are always saying what I’m thinking because they’re so different. It’s not just a gay board and it’s not just women. And it’s not even soap fans! A lot of these people weren’t soap fans to start out. But we’ve all come together because of what Guiding Light is doing right now and what Crystal and Jessica are doing. We couldn’t have predicted this in a million years that its become what its become and that so many people would…and so respectful of each other.
EM: Christi, I know that you said the story kind of paralleled your home life of having two moms. Has it been for either you Mel, or you Destini, been similar to your own experiences or has it been more about it being a great story that you’ve enjoyed?
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