Mel: I do have several reasons why I like this story besides being a soap fan but they are not my stories to tell. But I know what this storyline means to some people that I really love and care about so that’s one of the reasons I’m really involved. I know that they like the exposure in a positive way. It’s them, they’re real.
I have a woman that I met through the BAM campaign that’s like a mother to me and when I talk to her about labels and such she’s like “You know what, I’m none of these things…I’m not gay or anything like that, I don’t see myself that way. I see myself as a mom. The only label I need is mom because that’s who I am first and fore most.” I think that’s what has really drawn me to this storyline because she doesn’t want that label even though she’s in a same-sex relationship because she has children and everything. She’s raised her children, she’s an older woman and I know how important this is and that’s one of the reasons I want to see it through, I want to support it. She was actually one of those people who were jaded that didn’t believe this was gonna happen. It took me a long time to get her to watch and she was like “Oh my God Mel, what was I thinking!”
EM: Well it’s understandable that she would be jaded. Any time you see anything on TV it’s either that drunken night between two friends and then it’s over or it’s negative in some way. Why can’t you just let it be what it is? You know? I still can’t get my brain around that. But seeing the Otalia story playing out it’s like ok THIS is exactly what it should be. No matter what your experience, just let people tell a story. How many stories are people telling everyday in movies and television, why can’t this be a story? If you like it you like it and if you don’t you don’t.
That’s what really brought me in and kept me coming back every day. I grew up watching Guiding Light but fell away from soaps in high school. This has definitely brought me back in. I like the writing across the board so it’s not just the Otalia story; it’s the entire thing that’s been good for me.
Destini: I’ve been a life long Guiding Light fan too. I left for the cloning. [everyone laughs]
Mel: That’s one of the things we have in common too. We all like Guiding Light. I watched it when I was younger.
Destini: It was this story that mirrors my personal story with my partner sometimes a little too closely for comfort, sometimes to a point where both my partner and I have been in tears because we had our Frank. I’ve had my religious issues. My partner was straight when we met and married so we had to work through a lot of this label thing and we had to work through a lot of the Frank issues and a lot of what we’re seeing both Olivia and Natalia go through…we’ve actually lived. So it’s easy for me to look at this and say this is so true to life that I almost can’t watch it sometimes. And yet, I still can’t turn away from it because the writing and the acting are just stellar. I haven’t seen anything like this in a soap in a long time.
EM: You don’t see this caliber writing in primetime shows either. I hate to say it but television is crap across the board in many cases. If I have to watch one more story that’s just mediocre and that’s all I get it’s really depressing. It’s all reality TV which most of the time is crap. Don’t get me wrong, I like my few shows but I’ll watch The Food Network and HGTV most of the time.
Destini: Christi has a theory about Reality TV.
EM: Oh really? What’s your theory?
Christi: You don’t want to hear my theory about Reality TV.
EM: Bring it on!
Christi: I don’t really like Reality TV. Mainly it’s because the producers get people to play against each other and those people aren’t industry people so they’re not as aware of that. To me it seems like they are a little more easily manipulated and mainly because they don’t know how that final cut is going to go. Then they see it and they’re like “What?” But I also think it’s very two dimensional because the audience gets to see these people and they don’t actually think of them as real people they think of them as characters on TV so there’s no depth, they don’t really explore that. It’s very instantaneous, it’s a game show so it runs for two months and then it’s over. I think that a lot of soap opera’s, and really TV in general, but it’s very obvious in the soap opera genre that people are catering to that. They think that hey, Reality TV get’s high ratings and they forget that it’s a totally separate genre. There’s a reason why it’s not Reality TV.
Mel: Like she’s saying, I think that’s why so many people have embraced the Otalia storyline because it’s not…when’s the last time you had a couple on TV that’s been this type of build…slow, nuance and you can relate to it because it’s so real. I mean who goes and makes sandwiches at the kitchen table and plans their day anymore! You used to be able to see that when you used to see the Bauer’s kitchen. People can relate to that part of this. Even if you’re not gay, you’re straight, you can always relate to sitting around your kitchen table with your family.
Christi: Yeah, getting your kids off to school, taking a meeting on the phone while taking care of laundry.
Mel: Going out having ice cream.
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