“Brooklyn is for Lovers:” A Realistic Portrait1

By Craig Wilson, Jan 25, 2010 in Brooklyn Is For Lovers, Show News

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“Brooklyn is for Lovers:” A Realistic Portrait

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with writer/director Shandor Garrison about his web series Brooklyn is for Lovers. As we discussed the inspiration and the thematic ideas behind the series, we discovered one underlying fact: Brooklyn gives a new voice to the gay community and sexuality in entertainment.

Brooklyn is about love, relationships and all of the awkward moments in between, during, under and around sex. Its gauche exploration of the act makes you feel uncomfortable, yet Shandor Garrison’s writing has a way of smacking you in the face with a joke that bursts you into laughter. Whether you are gay, straight or bi, Brooklyn is guaranteed to have you remembering the peculiar moments between the initiation and ecstasy of sexual relationships. As they say, reality is stranger than fiction.

Shandor grew up in a very open household with a hippie mother. His initial instincts were to rebel against his environment, and he likens his childhood to that of Alex P. Keaton (aka Michael J. Fox), the republican son of two hippy parents in traditional TV’s Family Ties. As Shandor got older, however, his life experiences sparked a change in his point of view. Brooklyn, New York got to him. Its everyman experience and sexual culture, combined with the unique personalities of his New York friends, all added to a new mind-set.

Shandor’s inspiration for Brooklyn is for Lovers comes from the experiences of his life and from the people around him, as well as from shows like NBC’s Coupling (a remake of the hit British sitcom on BBC), HBO’s Unscripted and his short film, Jim the Rapist. In fact, most of the actors in Brooklyn were co-workers of his in the restaurant industry. During their time together, they noticed a natural chemistry. After cracking each other up by sharing sexual war stories, Garrison started on a writing spree resembling many of their tales. With these inspirations, they went from script to screen, starting off with the dark comedy, Jim the Rapist. The web series naturally evolved after that.

There is one particular scene that stands out to me in Brooklyn, Episode 4. All four characters are viewing a burlesque show. Riggles finds himself attracted to a transvestite, his roommate Casey is jealous, and Dee is trying to decide if Ash (the androgynous performer) is right for a threesome with Annie, who is there to introduce them. I could not help but think to myself that this really IS a DAILY situation in various urban areas. This is the first time I ever felt the gay community was not being over exaggerated. For once, the homosexual characters were not the life of a clichéd gay man joke. The entire Brooklyn environment is not one gigantic gay world but, instead, a room full of various people wondering, watching and feeling the power of everyman sex. No one is a joke or is typecast. Everyone is part of a very real human experience. This can’t just be happening in Brooklyn – I am sure it’s taking place at your local grocery store… and going completely unnoticed.

I was able to squeeze out of Shandor some future episode ideas for Season 2. What do you have to look forward to? How about, the gay adult industry, the addition of a character or two, and possible cameos from recognizable stars?!

Despite its social statement, Shandor hopes the audience does not take Brooklyn is for Lovers too seriously. It is, after all, a comedy about the “in-between” moments of sex. And how can anyone take those times too seriously… its sex!

Tired of New York getting all the attention? Here’s why Brooklyn rocks. 25 Reasons to Fall in Love with Brooklyn.

Craig Wilson is a San Diego-based producer/director and founder of the creative entity Mental Eclectic. A strong believer in social media as a way to share your work, he created the hashtags #indieMM (Indie movie Monday) and #webserieswed (web series Wednesday) which are now staples in the twitter culture.