'Prop 8: The Web Series' Ponders a Totalitarian California

For anyone who’s been living in a cave the past year or to anyone who’s just generally unaware and clueless, Proposition 8 is a Californian anti gay marriage ballot proposition that passed in the November 4, 2008, general election making same sex marriage illegal.

To say both sides are passionate about the issue would be an understatement. Those who apposed Proposition 8 raised $43.3 million in campaign funds while its supporters raised $39.9 million. Too bad both sides couldn’t have just gotten along and collectively spent the $83 plus dollars on something a little more life changing than marriage. But I digress…

The outcome of this election sparked the creation of Prop 8: The Web Series, conceived by Benny & Rafi Fine (they’re brothers, not spouses). Like Prop 8: The Musical and similarly themed online propaganda, the hopes for the series is that it will raise awareness and help to get Prop 8 overturned.

From the Fine Brothers blog:

“It’s time to raise awareness and take a stand! We have made a run of episodes urging the state courts to overturn Proposition 8 which made same sex marriage illegal in California. We are passionate about the cause and urge you all to get involved locally, and spread these videos around.”

In each episode the Fine Brothers give us a “what if,” 1984-inspired scenario in which straight people’s rights are stripped from the California State constitution as a result of Prop 8’s passing.

In Episode 1, Religion, we see a nice cgi scroll showing Article 1, Section 4 of the California Constitution: “Free exercise and enjoyment of religion without discrimination or preference are guaranteed.” Then we meet the Fletchers, who love Jesus, love life, love each other, love church, love the bible but, just like God, they hate the gays.

Unfortunately for couple, ever since Prop 8

passed, the way was paved for the government to take away their right to “enjoy” religion. A couple of G-Men break into their home and give them both a serious and highly symbolic bible beat-down.

Each show runs under two minutes and is nicely paced. The subject is certainly worthwhile, however, at times it does feel like there’s a sense of bitter preachiness. I’m not trying to dismiss the outrage of the gay community here, but I do think the premise of the show might carry more weight if some things were toned down just a bit. Otherwise, this could easily look like a playground fight leaving both sides bloodied and crying, but with a smug sense of self-righteousness and finger pointing.

Quite a number of people have rallied together to work on this show. From The Fine Brother’s blog:

The cause brought in a large cast of well known talent from across the web video community. Thanks to Sara E. R. Fletcher from Fremantle’s “Secret Girlfriend” and her husband Brad, Maxwell Glick from “LonelyGirl15 ”, Woody Tondorf from HBO Labs, Channel101.com veterans Scott Chernoff and Andy Goldblatt, Tubefilter reviewer and screenwriter Lindsay Stidham, rising YouTube star Shane Dawson, actress and activist for IndustryForCharity.org Lisa Schwartz, stage and screen actress Katie Locke O’Brien, and comedienne Dayyanah Coleman.

If we only lived in Iran where there are no homosexuals we wouldn’t have this problem. Oh well. I’m sure the issue is far from over as the California Supreme Court is expected to reach a decision sometime in May of this year regarding the propositions validity and effect on already administered gay and lesbian marriage. It’s also safe to say that both sides will remain bitter towards one another until the world melts under the stress of global warming or Jesus comes back and sets us all straight.

Can’t we all just get along?