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On Gay Marriage

 We're watching HBO's "Heated Rivalry," which is basically soft-core porn featuring two hockey players. The affiliated studio is called CRAVE--a name that leaves very little to the imagination.


When I saw an ad for the show, I immediately noticed the frenzied groping and shirtlessness. It would be difficult not to notice. "There's something about the cinematography," I said to my spouse. "Or maybe the lighting? I just think you'll enjoy this. It's a true technical achievement."

Call me crazy, but the "stakes" are somewhat mysterious to me. The rival hockey players love each other--but they cannot be forthright about their love, because it's a feeling that dare not speak its name. But aren't we in 2025? The current climate is different from that of Victorian England, right? Maybe I'm being obtuse. But we have Tom Daley in the world. And we have Nico Keenan, the Olympic field hockey player. No one is trying to burn these men at the stake. (They're the only two gay athletes I know of.)

Mainly, it's a relief to move on from "Down Cemetery Road," a rudderless big-budget thing from Apple TV. "Heated Rivalry" does actually raise a question it's easy to invest in: Will Ilya finally "mount" Shane the Canadian? 

For whatever reason, I'd like to explore this question. It must be the cinematography.
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