Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys is a new reality show on Sundance, about straight women and their gay male BFFs. The first two 30-minute episodes aired this past Tuesday night.
I was a little disappointed, frankly. The hype I read was that the show was going to be about straight women having love affairs with gay men, and the voiceover at the start of each episode flat-out says that, so I was expecting a show about couples who are basically (or maybe even actually) married but having sex with other people. Instead, it’s just a show about the straight woman/gay man dynamic (which was explored here about six months ago).
Maybe I’m not just feeling any of the personalities that have been introduced so far, but it seems like all of the straight women are being portrayed as sensible (if sometimes bitchy) while the gay men are being portrayed as more-or-less stereotypical. (Even the self-hating, partially closeted guy is a bit of a flamer.) I guess that regular guys who happen to be gay wouldn’t make for good TV, but I’m just not sure if I’ll keep watching this show.
Is anyone else watching? What did you think?
Oh yeah, my background might be pertinent: I’m a 39-year-old straight woman with close ties to the gay community. For 16 years I was best friends with a lesbian, and she was uncomfortable in straight bars so I spent most of my 20s in gay bars with her. I have been as much a part of the community as a straight person can be, including doing volunteer work. I currently have several good friends who are gay men, but no gay BFFs (and I don’t sit around wishing for anyone to play the Will to my Grace).
I was half-listening from the next room while supervenusfreak watched it. The self-loathing guy, a BIT of a flamer? Really? There was Gucci flying out of his mouth. Pink Gucci. I heard him say how much he haaaaates the gay scene and the only thing I could think of was “And you manage to fly under the radar in your straight scene HOW?”
LOL! But yeah, his family must be in hella denial to not know that he’s gay – or, more likely, they do know and he just doesn’t realize it (hmm, future episode where Sahil’s family outs him?). I kind of hate that the producers picked someone so obviously in need of serious help.
One little bump to say that I’m still watching this show, and it’s growing on me (dammit). The “characters” are becoming less one-dimensional – though I still don’t particularly like any of them – and now I’m kind of sucked in and want to see how Sahil’s brother reacts to his coming out, whether Sarah ever stops bitching about being single (she doesn’t like weddings because they aren’t hers :rolleyes: ), whether Nathan ever recognizes the contempt that Crystal clearly feels for him, etc.
My dad is retired and sits around all day watching movies. Mostly he watches Turner Classic Movies but he does check out Sundance every day.
He’s seen a lot of ads for this show and for some reason, he totally got psyched about it, and has been DVRing it. Every time I’m over there he’s trying to get my mom to watch it with him.
The weird thing is, is that he totally has this air of homophobia. I say “air” because I believe that deep down he’s a live-and-let-live sort of fella but only talks like a homophobe/racist because of the type of people he worked with for 40 years (worked in a factory). Whatever his schtick is, it’s pretty tiresome now that he no longer is around these other good-ol-boys and is around his liberal family.
Anyway, he keeps wanting to watch but I keep having to remind him “you know, this show is about GAY PEOPLE, dad. Real gay men who have gay sex, albeit off camera.”
He sort of gets this confused look on his face when I explain this to him yet he still wants to watch the show.
I think his main drive is that my mom always hints at wanting a “gay boyfriend” to shop with. I think my dad thinks this is a good idea (me too!) So he wants to watch to see how the “gay boyfriend” thing works. I’m just not sure if it would be good or bad for his perceptions.
Anyway, I haven’t watched the show but I might start. Gonna have to talk to dad to see if he has, and what he has to say about it.