DAYS' Chandler Massey on Will Screwing Gabi: "Will is Battling Self-Esteem Issues"
That sound you hear is a collective groan from fans of Days of Our Lives' Will Horton. As part of the soap's most recent reboot, the out gay coed will have sex with a woman next week — his diabolical, ex-girlfriend Gabi (Camila Banus)!
Poor Chandler Massey, who recently won a Daytime Emmy for his work in Will's gay storyline, tried to make sense of the boneheaded plot twist in this week's Soap Opera Digest. Said Massey:
"Will is battling self-esteem issues," Massey shares. "So when you get two people who have some sort of romantic history in a room together, and both are feeling insecure about themselves, they seek any comfort they can find."
I really don't want to start hammering Gary Tomlin and Chris Whitesell right off the bat, but seriously? Your first story for Will, post-taking over the writers' room, is to have him bang a girl? Has gay soap opera storytelling really stayed on pause since flip-flopping Steven Carrington on Dynasty 30 years ago?
Okay, so Will is gonna be feeling a little low next week, after "T" comes home and starts gay bashing everyone. Then Lucas (Bryan Dattilo) dumps all over him for helping EJ (James Scott), which can't be fun. I get how all of that would make the kid a little unsure of himself, but it certainly would not inspire a sudden craving for vagina in a gay man! So is Will bisexual now? Does he get turned on by anyone who hires stalkers — regardless of equipment?
I don't see clearly-established heterosexual Bo (Peter Reckell) deciding to go snog Abe's (James Reynolds) log when he's feeling a bit blue. So why is it that gay soap characters always want some hetero lovin' when they break a nail?
Chuck Pratt reportedly wanted to do similar madness to iconic lesbian character Bianca Montgomery on All My Children. Pratt wanted Binks to sleep with Ryan (Cameron Mathison), but Eden Riegel reportedly refused to do that to her gay fans. I say good for her!
That being said, DAYS has always been more concerned with campy shock than social relevance. Plus, it is a soap opera, and no one is supposed to make the right choices, gay or straight, all of the time.
Heck, even primetime potboiler Revenge is introducing a female love interest for previously homo Nolan (Gabriel Mann). Maybe I'm overreacting? Sigh. I really hope Tomlin and Whitesell know what they're doing with this one...
For more of what Massey had to say on Will's hetero happenings, pick up the August 27 issue of Soap Opera Digest!
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Comments
16 October 2008
2 weeks 3 days
I'm absolutely speechless.....
16 October 2008
2 weeks 3 days
I've been down in the dumps before but I never felt the urge to bang twat!
(I found my voice!)
5 July 2008
18 min 39 sec
Will regrets it the next episode as does Gabi so Im willing to see how this plays out.
30 March 2009
1 day 1 hour
I've been suicidal before but never has the urge to sleep with a woman come out of that. This storyline makes no rational sense.
19 December 2010
13 weeks 6 days
This is disgusting. What was the last year about with Will coming out? It's not like he was still undecided if he was gay or not. The last year was a total waste. But DOOL got their GLAAD award and accolades from the gay community so now they don't care. If they wanted Will to have grief sex it could have been with any guy, even Neil. I feel bad for Chandler Massey having to portray his character like this because it is insulting. No wonder the guy seemed down in the dumps about trying to sell Will and Sonny. I am sure he knew how fans would react to this. It was probably impossible for him to understand Will at this point.
10 December 2009
3 weeks 2 hours
The gay community is gonna have a field day with this story and demand that the writer be fired and that the entire gay community picket Days of Our lives and tell you to stop watching. How dare they! No gay man has ever slept with a woman! bs
5 July 2008
18 min 39 sec
It does happen and even does years after someone comes out. I dont like it here because I just see a baby plot but it is true to life. Im willing to see where Days takes this
10 December 2009
3 weeks 2 hours
Gary you are just over the top as usual.
Just because you may have never thought about sleeping with a female
doesn't mean every gay man hasn't.
11 September 2008
1 day 3 hours
Had Will slept with Gabbi say after he kissed that one guy it would have made perfect sense. However having will sleep with her after coming out and accepting that he's gay is stupid. Also Will and Gabbi have been acting like they didn't know each other for months so even if Will was straight it still seems weird that he would jump into bed with someone he hasn't thought about in months.
I'm really disappointed in Gary Tomlin, I think when he was EP on OLTL was the last time that show was consistently good and I was looking forward to what he would do with Days. The old writers really knew how to write for Will, EJ, Marlena and Sami and Tomlin should have kept up with where they were going instead of doing a 180 with Will. They really should have explored Will's feelings for EJ. I would have liked to see EJ lead Will on while secretly sleeping with Sami, then Will finds out turns on EJ and Sami then seeks comfort from Sonny.
Also I think its time Days call it a rap on this group of teens/20 somethings. Other than Will they are all pretty boring under developed characters. They should give Sonny some personality, bring in someone new to interact with them and then bring back Shawn-D, Belle, and Phillip to fill the rest of the Gen-Y gap.
4 May 2009
2 hours 42 min
Two steps forward...two steps back....Sad...
26 February 2009
4 weeks 3 days
While I totally get the ridiculousness of Will sleeping with a girl because he's "sad"...I do think you do stupid things when you feel down, and I also like that they are showing that sexuality isn't so black and white. Just because you prefer one sex over the other doesn't mean your parts stop working.
Also like to point out that Revenge's Nolan never identified as gay, he described himself as a "about three on the Kinsey scale".
16 October 2008
2 weeks 3 days
I bet Gabi's gonna wind up preggers. This is a replay of the Kish/Stacy plot on OLTL.
5 July 2008
18 min 39 sec
This story is more than the Gabi/Will sex. When that is going on Tad (T) is beating the crap out of Sonny. Then Sonny refuses to name his attacker. As from another post Jamey put up, Freddie Smith (Sonny) said that the bashing takes him back to before he came out. Makes him realize he is not bullet proof and he makes mistakes, has to deal with those mistakes and Sonny will have flaws.
Its spoiled that Will is disgusted by the Gabi sex and Im sure will be even more upset by Sonny's bashing. I expect Sonny to put up walls now & Will is gonna have to mature & help sonny thru this. Which in the end, will lead to will & Sonny becoming a couple.
30 March 2009
1 day 1 hour
Oh ya. I'm so over-the-top. Are you gay? As a gay person, it's my belief that it makes no sense. If you're straight would you get so upset you slept with another dude (if you're a guy)?
Anyway, I heard it was my right to Free Speech and all that to say whatever I wanted without being questioned? I don't think you're allowed to disagree with me per your previous posts.
29 October 2009
5 weeks 6 days
I have felt the same way in the past Gary, and no having sex with a woman never crossed my mind ither. Glad you are feeling better. : )
25 August 2008
4 hours 56 min
gary, y2jin is a a douche or at least posting like one. but he's also right. there is room for this will twist to be true to life. it wont make sense but it doesn't in real life either. that having been said i doubt that the way this plays out will have even a shade of the subtlety and believablity this sl has had so far.
2 August 2012
37 weeks 6 days
As I pointed out yesterday, and as has been pointed out here - I would be okay with this on some level if we just as often saw our straight male and female characters getting depressed and sleeping with someone of the same sex. But we don't. Why? It's just not considered an option - they're straight! But for some reason, the bedroom door is open for anyone if your gay - in fact, in the case of Will, you can even come out as gay and STILL not have sex with a gay man before you sleep with a woman again. I get that it happens - but you know what, it happens both ways - straight people occasionally fool around with same sex, and gay people occasionally fool around with the opposite sex (not true for anyone in my circle, but I've heard of it) - so why it's a story option for gay characters but not for straight characters kinda ticks me off! It kind of sends a message that it is a choice and if we just tried hard enough ...
20 May 2012
6 weeks 1 day
The Will storyline sucks but in the case of Nolan they never claimed him to be gay they claimed him to be a 3 on the Kinsey scale meaning his equally attracted to male and females. So it makes sense he would end up getting love interests of both sexes.
20 January 2008
29 weeks 22 hours
I am not happy with the way Will's story is going either.I heard Will and Sonny get together in Sept,so I'll reserve judgement until then.
But everyone is so right about this being another Kish story.I loved Kish and was sorry to see that end.I didn't stop watching OLTL,and probably won't stop watching Days.But I'm still not happy.
19 June 2009
1 week 2 days
Same old story. Writers don't seem to know what to do with gay characters other than make them suddenly sleep with members of the opposite sex.
15 March 2011
6 days 21 hours
I wonder if Melissa Reeves is responsible for this plot twist on DAYS? Maybe she probably paid the new showrunners to have Will screw Gabi so that she wouldn't see any of that "gay lifestyle" portrayed on that show!
26 February 2009
39 weeks 1 day
I think the story is ludicrous and clearly something they had planned to do before they were fired and are now reviving instead of dealing with present-day.
However...
If EJ (who has never shown any interest in men) and Will were the ones having sex, would people be as upset as they are about Gabi/Will? Or would that just be seen as daring and hot and soapy goodness?
22 January 2008
3 hours 40 min
If EJ (who has never shown any interest in men) and Will were the ones having sex, would people be as upset as they are about Gabi/Will? Or would that just be seen as daring and hot and soapy goodness?
***
You've got me there. LOL
22 January 2008
3 hours 40 min
Although @Carol2, in my opinion, EJ HAS been showing interest in gay sex, ever since he started sharing scenes with Will, er "William". The unnecessary back pats, the innuendo, the eye sex. Either EJ wanted to bone Will, or he was playing him on purpose.
3 December 2008
1 day 6 min
Wasn't Nolan on "Revenge" described as bisexual? I never heard him say he was gay but that he was fluid and flexible about his sexuality.
9 June 2009
14 weeks 23 hours
Talk about ripping a story from Kyle and Fish! Kyle kissed Fish, Fish rejected him. Kyle moves on and dates Nick. Fish gets jealous,and after a bad day sleeps with and knocks up Stacy. Fish releases he has feelings for Kyle. Kyle and Fish eventually get together,
DAYS gay story: Sonny kisses Will, Will rejects Sonny. Sonny moves on with Brian. Will catches Sonny & Brian together, after a bad day sleeps with Gabi (probably knocks her up). Sonny gets gay bashed. Will releases he has feeling for Sonny. Basically same song and dance.
Hell DAYS, let's rip off the entire Kish story while we're at it! Gabi tries passing child off for Chad's with the help of her gold digging friend Prim who is new in town, come February a blizzard hits Salem and Sonny figures out child is Will's. Gabi gives birth, then falls in the ice and dies. Child is saved, Prim fights Will/Sonny for custody.
26 February 2009
39 weeks 1 day
I can see why people felt that way, Jamey. I just think it was something the actors played up knowing it wouldn't happen in the script.
I feel like so much of Will's story has been wasted potential. I can't get angry about this lazy twist because I don't feel like I understand the Will character at this point. But I can see why people are upset.
20 January 2008
29 weeks 22 hours
If Marlena has a rough time accepting grandma,what will she do about great-grandma.And imagine Sami being a grandmother.Good Times.Yeah,right.
dkp-then does Gabi really survive,have plastic surgery everywhere,and comes back as Rafe after Rafe gets killed accidentally by T.
16 July 2012
1 week 21 hours
Another nail in their coffin.
17 February 2009
16 weeks 6 days
This does actually happen. It happened to me. I'm 100% homo but I dated - and slept - with girls before I did with a guy. After my first bf (my first EVERYTHING with a guy) broke my heart, I went back and had sex with my ex-gf. I hated myself immediately after. But I say this because it happens. When things get bad, you go back to what you know, and in this case, being in the closet or pretending to be straight was what I knew.
So to me, this storyline is not that farfetched. At least, it's not if Will doesn't start claiming bisexuality.