DOOL

Ok, today's post is going to be a little different. Because I wouldn't usually write about a daytime drama on here. I don't usually go out of my way to admit to watching one either. But I do. Now you know. I've watched Days of Our Lives on and off for about 20 years now (OMG). It's outlandish and terrible at times but I love it. It's so bad it's good. That's the mark of a successful soap. They've done some of the most ridiculous things over the years, from a devil possession to twins with two different fathers, and nobody that dies in Salem is ever guaranteed to stay that way. But somehow over the last year, between the overdramatic face-slaps and faked pregnancies, they managed to do something quite amazing. This week Days became the first soap opera in history to have a gay wedding. And I've never been prouder to be a fan.

They did a great job with the whole process, starting with Will realizing and then struggling to accept that he was gay. He came out exactly a year ago (yesterday, actually) and they didn't just have him say "Oh hey so I'm gay now", they scripted in all kinds of reactions by friends and family. Some very positive, some very negative. They made a point to cover real life issues young gay men face in coming out and accepting it as being who they are and not something to be ashamed of. They showed how the intolerant can become tolerant and accepting if they just open their minds a little. They slowly let it all play out over the year (all while keeping with being a soap of course-they broke up and got back together, Will got shot, Sonny delivered Will's baby from a one-night stand he had while trying to deny his sexuality, the usual). And when it came time for Will and Sonny's wedding storyline, it was actually really touching to see how they went out of their way to show their support for same-sex marriage and rights. You could actually see it in all the actors faces how important this message was for them to get across to their viewers.

So anyway, as strange as it may seem for me to think of it as a big deal, it really is. I mean let's face it, a large part of their audience is probably made up of older folks, and even people my age, who may not be as open-minded and understanding about the topic. But several have also likely been watching for decades and take it "seriously" enough to let it change the way they view homosexuality and maybe even their opinion on gay marriage. Not to mention the likelihood of other soaps following suit when they see all the positive recognition Days is getting for this. I just think it's a big move in the right direction for daytime TV and again, it made me really proud of them.

Congrats DOOL!