During Friday's Television Critics Association summer press tour stop, producers and the show's young stars defended the twist at the end of the pilot that reveals that the show's leading lady and her new young suitor may be brother and sister — after they've kissed.
Kissed?!? Clutch the pearls!
Happyland, from Ben Epstein (Daddy's Girls), is a soapy teen comedy exploring the underbelly of one of the country's most popular theme parks and those who work there. The project centers on Lucy, a cynical teen whose mother makes a living as a fairy-tale princess, and explores the realities of growing up and falling in love while living in a make-believe world.There's a lot of potential there, I think.
While he didn't want to spoil the creative storyline, [Epstein] said the relationship between Santos' Lucy and Shane Harper's Ian, the son of the park's new president, will remain central — as will her relationship with her mother — and stressed that everyone's story will be connected.
"The pilot really sets things up, but it's not about this one aspect of the show," he said of the potential incest storyline. "We should also look at the phrase 'incest.' It's not that these were consensual brother and sister knowing full well who they were. The show is not about, 'I want you so bad but society won't let us happen.' It's not Game of Thrones. Even though there is an incest component, I think the show is not about willing incest participants. How Lucy responds to this information, what she does with it, that's going to carry us into the next couple of episodes and into the series itself."
Hmm. So will this be a potential Genetic Sexual Attraction storyline? And how will the series handle it?
Present-day media, whether fiction or nonfiction, can't ignore relationships initiated through Genetic Sexual Attraction or other consanguinamorous situations, or keep consanguinamory so much a token that it makes headlines every time such a story element is included. Historically, situations involving close relatives have been common in our stories, and they have always been part of reality. Critics and would-be censors need to come to grips with that.
Mr. Epstein, we're happy to help with research if you'd do the subject justice. Just putting that out there.
I still want to see someone produce a television series or a movie based on Love's Forbidden Flower. If you want some good reading that treats the subject seriously and very well, get Diane Rinella's novels!
Hi Mr. Pullman,
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you for supporting the "pursuit of happiness" inalienable right enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
Your effort may result in more liberty for those of us concerned about demographic trends to do something about them. If you are successful, my wife and I will add to our precious and awesome family. A linking of the Wikipedia lists of "Births per 1000 population" by country and per capita GDP by country implies the world will be a much poorer and more hostile to the values that built western civilization. I'm sure there are many families in the west that would have more children if more flexible and resilient relationships were legal.
My kids are all top performers in school, talented and joyful, that will no doubt give more to this world than they take. I deserve to have more children with women who haven't been successful finding a worthy father for their children. The state, has absolutely no interest in preventing me from doing so. In fact, they should be encouraging it.
I've thought about going to the National March for Life with a sign that says: "Quit worrying about other people aborting their babies. I want more. Let's get busy!"
On a personal note, I am haunted by the imagined faces of the children I could have had with some of the precious women that have come into our lives. I'm cheering for your success ASAP, or at least in time for my kids to build our tribe in the future.
Thanks again,
Tom
Thanks for that contribution.
Delete