Popular Culture Review Vol. 15, No. 2 | Page 44

40 Popular Culture Review location. Another obstacle involves the fear that their wedding cake will not be made, but disaster is averted, much to Lupe's relief. Of the four weddings featured, theirs is the least lavish. The ceremony takes place in the backyard of their friends’ modest home with about 40 guests. Sonja’s son escorts her in first. Lupe, who is accompanied by her sister, comes in next. There are no others in the bridal party. Their apparel denotes a genderbased element in their relationship, which Lupe had previously explained: Sonja liked feminine women, and Lupe had changed her “butch” appearance and mannerisms after she met Sonja. Sonja is dressed in a dressy, flowing white pantsuit and does not carry any flowers while Lupe wears a white, formal, cocktail-length gown with matching headdress and carries a bouquet. The female officiant appears to be a minister, who refers to the “Church of Jesus Christ,” although there is no mention of “God” or any other religious reference. Sonja and Lupe repeat gender-neutral vows spoken by the officiant, which are based loosely on traditional vows. After they are declared “spouse and spouse,” guests mingle outside for the reception. However, the weather turns too cold for comfort and the party is moved indoors, causing more consternation for Lupe, but everything is rearranged and turns out smoothly. No dancing is shown. Sonja’s son makes a toast to the happy couple. Their wedding day ends as Sonja and Lupe leave the home in a limousine. As an epilogue, the viewer sees them enjoying a trip to the Oceanside during their honeymoon. Four Main Themes Taken together, all four weddings share the familiar wedding elements commonly present in heterosexual wedding ceremonies. They all followed closely some kind of traditional “wedding” script: a formalized public ceremony incorporating an exchanging of rings and vows, followed by a reception, with the two lesbian couples wearing the requisite white. The “packaging” of the program reflects the message that these formalized events in which gay and lesbian couples publicly declare their commitment and love to each other are the same as those of heterosexual couples. Even its title illustrates a subtext of the program as mainstreaming same-sex unions; the title Gay Weddings certainly has a more traditional ring than “Same-Sex Commitment Ceremonies,” for example. This is further manifested by the series’ opening segment, which features a wedding cake used as a background for the show’s title and names of the couples written in frosting. The cake toppers, a bride and groom, are knocked off and replaced with figures of two grooms standing together and two brides standing together. All four weddings follow the model of the traditional, heterosexual wedding, with the exception of the sexual orientation of the couples. However, some elements are missing in this group of weddings. For example, none of the ceremonies were held in a church or religious site. Though there is some