MY AFFAIR WITH "MY HUSBAND'S LOVER"

My (Lally) Husband’s (Vincent) Lover (Eric)

Indeed, the title alone depicts the unconventional love triangle among the three main characters in this popular drama.  My Husband's Lover directly tackles two social taboos: homosexuality and infidelity. Not surprisingly, this caused a major brouhaha among the conservatives in Philippine society since its airing.

It was hailed as the first gay-themed soap opera on Philippine television. Because of the novelty of its theme and the uproar it caused, I naturally got interested and watched snippets of some of its episodes.  Like most curious Pinoys, I stayed up late to see for myself what all of the commotion is all about. But unlike some social conservatives, I do not want to judge something based on ignorance.

The series had its premiere on June 10 and ended last October 18. I caught the latter part of the series and found it predictable and unexpected at the same time. Though the theme is unconventional (Pinoy homosexual relationships is not a regular topic for local dramas anyway), the plot is quite foreseeable (as most local soap operas are), but the storytelling has its few surprising moments (with the drama’s conclusion giving Filipinos some space to imagine possible future scenarios in the lives of its main characters).

taken from http://www.gmanetwork.com/

It is indeed a rare opportunity to watch a drama with homosexuality as the main theme of the story. For a long time, Philippine entertainment media has mostly portrayed gay men as noisy and flamboyant meant to shock and amuse people, with their boisterous attitude and colorful language. The show however, painted different varieties of gay men that we may not be aware of.    

Gay Number 1: A closeted gay who lives with his wife and family while having an affair with his gay lover.

Gay Number 2: A very smart, sophisticated and openly gay who is very successful in his profession

Gay Number 3: A proud gay who wants to be a father and eventually adopted a baby.

Gay Number 4: An “all-out” gay who is very witty and has a very charming personality but constantly experiencing bad lucks in his relationship.

Gay Number 5: A very feminine gay who not only dresses like a woman, but plays the role of the loving daughter and a caring sister to everyone,

If there is one thing that I appreciate in this show, it is that the writer and director have truly made a lot of research in their efforts to depict realistic portrayals of gay men. These gay men were not the stereotypical portrayals serving as comic reliefs or side-kicks in other dramas. They were instead presented as the main characters living normal lives who love, laugh, sin, and cry.

I have to agree with the show’s disclaimer that it is not promoting gay or even lesbian relationships, but is more like a reflection of the proliferation of gay relationships that is happening now.  And for that, I have to commend GMA and the creators and producers of the show for trusting the intelligence and open-mindedness of a growing segment of the Filipino audience.

The show has just ended, but based on its success and audience acceptance, I know that this will be a good start for Philippine television to create more intelligent and innovative real-life dramas.