This is basically a high school BL where two guys who have nothing going on in common somehow end up getting really close to each other, and that's kind of the whole point of the title too. There's barely any drama or fluff packed in here, it stays pretty straightforward the whole way through. A little bit of friction pops up here and there, but it's nothing compared to what you'd normally get in this kind of show. Runtime wise you're looking at 8 episodes, each one sitting around 25-30 minutes. The two guys carrying the story are Akira and Kanata, and funny enough they knew each other's faces way before they ever knew each other's names. Kanata's the type everyone likes, always got people around him, popular guy, but there's this distance to him that people can't quite place. Turns out he had an injury that ended his football days, and that's what pushed him into being more withdrawn, and it only got worse once his younger brother got picked...
In 1998, Michael, who was in a relationship with Kenny Goss, one of many invaluable contributors here, was arrested for “engaging in a lewd act” in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, California. The arresting officer, an undercover cop had lured the singer in a sting operation. Michael pleaded no contest, was fined $810 and made to do 80 hours of community service: a minor sentence which reflected the minor nature of the offence. Where Michael paid a higher price, however, was in the court of the media — or at least that part of the tabloid media in the US and, especially, the UK that preyed on celebrities’ indiscretions (and particularly secretly gay celebrities’ indiscretions) — with undisguised glee. What this documentary shows through multiple interviews of cops, ex-boyfriend, cousin and manager and heads of these tabloids, we see how Michael dealt with this situation. For any other superstar, being outed as gay could, given the homophobic climate of the time, have spelled the end of their career. Brilliantly and bravely, Michael turned it to his advantage. Just six months after his conviction, he released the song Outside, accompanied by a cheeky video that mocked his arrest. He went TV interviews and publicly admitted to being gay and being reckless, and took on head on, which not only won him ore fans but the whole tabloid approach of making money out of him fell flat.
The first part of the documentary mainly concentrated on reminding viewers of the hostile backdrop to Michael’s arrest and the circumstances which had persuaded him to remain in the closet. But Michael’s sexuality had always been obvious to those who met him and was probably one of those things that everyone knew but no one talked. It also shows rancid homophobia that infected the media, particularly at the height of the Aids crisis. The two-parter, which arrives seven years after Michael’s death aged 53, combines never-before broadcast audio of the singer with extensive interviews with his cousin/manager and Michael’s long-time partner Kenny Goss. Memories of Michael’s angst and fragility are still very raw for them both. It is staggering though to see, when those journalists are interviewed, they have almost no remorse or apology of doing what they did. In fact, one of them say that 'your misfortune is our fortune'. It isa great documentary that shows us how far we have come from this unfortunate days of 1998, and how much further we still have to go to treat each other as humans. The director examines the unfair and judgmental language that the press used toward queer people in the 1980s and 1990s. The documentary is largely about homophobia in the media and the dangerous ripple effect it causes. It’s also an empowering piece for queer people to recognize how we continue to survive despite the stigmas and shame those in power try to inflict upon us. (7/10)
Comments
I tried to recall what Estonian media did with the "breaking news" of a man going to the men's room. Maybe mentioned it, since it's from 1998 there's not much to be found by a simple google search. The reason I don't remember anything on my own is probably due to a shit-hit-the-fan in my life - gran's sudden death and funeral arrangements, looking for a place of internship, studying for exams in the School of Economics and trying to meet the deadline of my first translated book. One word: chaos. So obviously I was not reading any newspapers then. Our tabloids tend to focus more on local celebrities, but their attitude is pretty much the same as in this documentary. (I hope that our media has not adopted the attitude of British tabloids - "Privacy is for pedophiles... no one else needs it. Privacy is evil." Paul McMullen, News of the World) The journalists working in the yellow press definitely have a chip missing from their brain, even just one molecule of empathy would prevent a normal human being from hunting the others. It takes a special kind of a$$hole to work in that field.
George Michael handling the issue was epic. Going out to dinner, passing all those vultures camping outside his home - just grand. And going to the TV-studio without his entourage and - in your face, tabloids! - showing that the sexiest part of any human is the backbone.
Since I was probably born to be the one standing with the underdogs, including the ones who have been violated by the media, I really like many songs that are written about the filthy attitude of the yellow press and what the singer thinks of them. Queen & "Scandal". Britney Spears & "Piece of Me". Whitney Houston & "Whatchulookinat". Guns n'Roses & "Get in the Ring". Taylor Swift & "Look What You Made Me Do". George Michael & "Outside". The video is just my kind of sarcastic.
Btw, there's a recently ended Japanese series "Candy Color Paradox" that shows the inside of tabloid journalism, but the issues the protagonists write about are about politicians and business people and revealing their hypocrisy.