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Bravo to Premiere New Dating Show 'Boy Meets Boy'
Aired May 28, 2003 - 15:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Remember "The Dating Game"?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) have "The Newlywed Game."
PHILLIPS: Oh, my God. Oh. "The Dating Game" -- no, "The Dating Game" was Chuck -- wasn't it Chuck Woolery?
O'BRIEN: Chuck Woolery? Chuck Woolery? We'll have to look that one up.
PHILLIPS: Bob Eubanks.
O'BRIEN: It was Eubanks. OK.
Well, it's coming back with a major gender bender of a twist.
PHILLIPS: That's right. The new series called "Boy Meets Boy" is coming to Bravo.
And joining us now to talk about it, whether indeed it's groundbreaking television or not, is Alan Amberg. He's founder and president of Diverse Communications.
Alan, hello.
ALAN AMBERG, DIVERSE COMMUNICATIONS: Hi, how are you?
PHILLIPS: I'm all right. So you are a little skeptical of this, I understand?
AMBERG: Well, you know what? On the one hand, how far we've come. I mean, it was right here in Chicago that Jenny Jones did that show a few years back and they tried to do a blind dating thing with a gay guy and a straight guy., and the straight guy decided that this was just too awful for words and the right response was to take a gun and shoot him.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
AMBERG: On the other hand, I picked up two of my friends from Europe today. They're a male couple and come from a part of the world where most of the countries now have either a marriage or a law that gives most of the rights to gay couples like marriage. So they're kind of amused that this country is still so very far behind in dealing with the gay rights issue.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's look at the half empty side of it for just a moment -- not to be a pessimist.
AMBERG: Sure.
O'BRIEN: What would upset you about it if it reinforces a bunch of stereotypes, the way it is all handled. What would upset you?
AMBERG: Well, you know? I think there are so few images of gays on television right now. And the ones that there are, I mean, you know, God bless "Will & Grace," it's a great show. But the guy is obviously wealthy, very upper middle class, very white and he's never allowed to hug or kiss.
Now I would be interested in seeing more real life people. The other thing is there aren't the opportunities for people to meet and to date. They've seen enough stuff already where we're portrayed as freaks in the "Jerry Springer Show"s of the world. So...
PHILLIPS: Well, you brought up the Jerry Springer scenario and evidently I'm -- we're told that a heterosexual is going to be thrown into this mix. Now...
AMBERG: Several.
PHILLIPS: OK.
O'BRIEN: And how is that going to work?
PHILLIPS: I mean, that could -- well, maybe it sort of wipes out these preconceived notions of how a gay man is supposed to act or does act. I mean that could be the positive side, yes?
AMBERG: Well, you know, I hope so. It really just depends on who watches it. I mean, if it mostly attracts a gay audience, then I'll be watching it because I like to see boys who like each other and want to kiss and want to find a place to settle down.
But, you know, it's kind of like our real life. Our real life is we meet men all the time, some of whom we find attractive and then we have to try and figure out whether they're straight or gay. So it may just get rid of preconceived notions of straight people out there. Be nice if they finally figured out that we aren't different. And then they wouldn't have to say these awful things like the Traditional Values Coalition.
O'BRIEN: Now, let's get back to half full now here. This does say something about the fact that clearly Madison Avenue -- and I use that term loosely these days...
AMBERG: Yes.
O'BRIEN: .... recognizes a market here with a lot of disposable income and a market that should be catered to, right?
AMBERG: No, no.
O'BRIEN: No?
AMBERG: Drop that one right away.
The census reports have made it very clear that gay couples are like everybody else. We make about the same or less as straight couples.
O'BRIEN: Oh so that's a stereotype too. The disposable income.
AMBERG: Yes. Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: OK. All right.
AMBERG: I mean -- well, think about it for a moment. You've got a group of people who are basically hated, basically excluded from the promotion ladder, hiding at the office water cooler and not talking with other people unless they find out who they're like. Sure, they're going to make a lot more money on the average than everybody else. Come on.
O'BRIEN: All right. All right. But nevertheless, we have digressed slightly there. The point is there is a market out there and...
AMBERG: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: People are finally recognizing it. Straights are recognizing it.
AMBERG: Well, and good for them because after all, all straight people have somebody gay in their family, don't forget. I mean, all you have to do is look at Candice Gingrich. I mean here she was the sister of Newt Gingrich and she was a lesbian. You don't have to look much further to know that we are in every single family out there.
PHILLIPS: Well, and this isn't the first show to come forward. There's the gay network, Showtime, MTV -- I guess units of Viacom are talking about this gay network. What do you know about that?
AMBERG: Well, there's been a lot of discussion about it and I think it probably is going to happen more in a niche kind of venue like one of the cable channels.
You know, the hard part is that gay people, because we grow up in every family, we don't have a uniform set of taste. You know, there are black guys and white gays, poor gays and rich gays. People who like every immigrant in this country, speak all different languages. So it's a little tougher to coalesce that.
But I think that it would be really cool. I'd love to see more shows where gay people are just an ordinary part of the families, the offices, as we really are today.
PHILLIPS: Alan Amberg, thank you. AMBERG: Good. Thanks for having me.
PHILLIPS: All right. It was a pleasure.
O'BRIEN: Probably will happen, given the way the trend has gone. Alan Amberg, thanks a lot.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 28, 2003 - 15:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Remember "The Dating Game"?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) have "The Newlywed Game."
PHILLIPS: Oh, my God. Oh. "The Dating Game" -- no, "The Dating Game" was Chuck -- wasn't it Chuck Woolery?
O'BRIEN: Chuck Woolery? Chuck Woolery? We'll have to look that one up.
PHILLIPS: Bob Eubanks.
O'BRIEN: It was Eubanks. OK.
Well, it's coming back with a major gender bender of a twist.
PHILLIPS: That's right. The new series called "Boy Meets Boy" is coming to Bravo.
And joining us now to talk about it, whether indeed it's groundbreaking television or not, is Alan Amberg. He's founder and president of Diverse Communications.
Alan, hello.
ALAN AMBERG, DIVERSE COMMUNICATIONS: Hi, how are you?
PHILLIPS: I'm all right. So you are a little skeptical of this, I understand?
AMBERG: Well, you know what? On the one hand, how far we've come. I mean, it was right here in Chicago that Jenny Jones did that show a few years back and they tried to do a blind dating thing with a gay guy and a straight guy., and the straight guy decided that this was just too awful for words and the right response was to take a gun and shoot him.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
AMBERG: On the other hand, I picked up two of my friends from Europe today. They're a male couple and come from a part of the world where most of the countries now have either a marriage or a law that gives most of the rights to gay couples like marriage. So they're kind of amused that this country is still so very far behind in dealing with the gay rights issue.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's look at the half empty side of it for just a moment -- not to be a pessimist.
AMBERG: Sure.
O'BRIEN: What would upset you about it if it reinforces a bunch of stereotypes, the way it is all handled. What would upset you?
AMBERG: Well, you know? I think there are so few images of gays on television right now. And the ones that there are, I mean, you know, God bless "Will & Grace," it's a great show. But the guy is obviously wealthy, very upper middle class, very white and he's never allowed to hug or kiss.
Now I would be interested in seeing more real life people. The other thing is there aren't the opportunities for people to meet and to date. They've seen enough stuff already where we're portrayed as freaks in the "Jerry Springer Show"s of the world. So...
PHILLIPS: Well, you brought up the Jerry Springer scenario and evidently I'm -- we're told that a heterosexual is going to be thrown into this mix. Now...
AMBERG: Several.
PHILLIPS: OK.
O'BRIEN: And how is that going to work?
PHILLIPS: I mean, that could -- well, maybe it sort of wipes out these preconceived notions of how a gay man is supposed to act or does act. I mean that could be the positive side, yes?
AMBERG: Well, you know, I hope so. It really just depends on who watches it. I mean, if it mostly attracts a gay audience, then I'll be watching it because I like to see boys who like each other and want to kiss and want to find a place to settle down.
But, you know, it's kind of like our real life. Our real life is we meet men all the time, some of whom we find attractive and then we have to try and figure out whether they're straight or gay. So it may just get rid of preconceived notions of straight people out there. Be nice if they finally figured out that we aren't different. And then they wouldn't have to say these awful things like the Traditional Values Coalition.
O'BRIEN: Now, let's get back to half full now here. This does say something about the fact that clearly Madison Avenue -- and I use that term loosely these days...
AMBERG: Yes.
O'BRIEN: .... recognizes a market here with a lot of disposable income and a market that should be catered to, right?
AMBERG: No, no.
O'BRIEN: No?
AMBERG: Drop that one right away.
The census reports have made it very clear that gay couples are like everybody else. We make about the same or less as straight couples.
O'BRIEN: Oh so that's a stereotype too. The disposable income.
AMBERG: Yes. Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: OK. All right.
AMBERG: I mean -- well, think about it for a moment. You've got a group of people who are basically hated, basically excluded from the promotion ladder, hiding at the office water cooler and not talking with other people unless they find out who they're like. Sure, they're going to make a lot more money on the average than everybody else. Come on.
O'BRIEN: All right. All right. But nevertheless, we have digressed slightly there. The point is there is a market out there and...
AMBERG: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: People are finally recognizing it. Straights are recognizing it.
AMBERG: Well, and good for them because after all, all straight people have somebody gay in their family, don't forget. I mean, all you have to do is look at Candice Gingrich. I mean here she was the sister of Newt Gingrich and she was a lesbian. You don't have to look much further to know that we are in every single family out there.
PHILLIPS: Well, and this isn't the first show to come forward. There's the gay network, Showtime, MTV -- I guess units of Viacom are talking about this gay network. What do you know about that?
AMBERG: Well, there's been a lot of discussion about it and I think it probably is going to happen more in a niche kind of venue like one of the cable channels.
You know, the hard part is that gay people, because we grow up in every family, we don't have a uniform set of taste. You know, there are black guys and white gays, poor gays and rich gays. People who like every immigrant in this country, speak all different languages. So it's a little tougher to coalesce that.
But I think that it would be really cool. I'd love to see more shows where gay people are just an ordinary part of the families, the offices, as we really are today.
PHILLIPS: Alan Amberg, thank you. AMBERG: Good. Thanks for having me.
PHILLIPS: All right. It was a pleasure.
O'BRIEN: Probably will happen, given the way the trend has gone. Alan Amberg, thanks a lot.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
