108. Open To It: Comedy and Commitment of Polyamory

In this episode of the Open Late Podcast, Jess connects with Frank Smith, a queer writer and actor known for his work on the show "Open To It." They delve into the origins of the show, discussing how it all began and the challenges they had to face along the way. As the discussion progresses, Jess and Frank touch upon personal aspects of his life, specifically when Frank and his partner made the decision to open up about his relationship. They explore the process of creating a show "Open To It" and how they handle filming intimate scenes, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes aspects of production. They talk about how the world reacted to the show's content and the impact it had on those who were a part of Frank's life. Frank opens up about how the show may have influenced or altered his relationship, sharing positive outcomes that arose from it. For those interested in watching "Open To It" and keeping up with upcoming events, Frank provides information on where the show can be viewed and hints at some exciting future plans.

In this Episode of Open Late:

Coming up with an idea for a show
Challenges of creating a queer comedy series
Behind the scenes of filming intimate scenes
Frank's “secret” proposal story
“Where to watch” and upcoming events

Mentioned in the Episode:
Please Like me - Television Comedy Drama: Please Like Me
Pleasure Podcast: Sex Talk With My Mom
On-Screen Intimacy Coordinator Shelby Terrell: Open Late Episode 85

Connect with Frank Smith:
• Instagram: @frank.arthur.smith
• Watch Open To It: https://www.opentoitseries.com/

Connect with Jessica:
• Instagram: @journey.with.jessica | @openlatethepodcast
• Website: openlatepodcast.com
• YouTube: Open Late Podcast
• What's my relationship style? Take the Open Late Quiz
• Join our free chat community, "Open Talks" on WhatsApp
• Open Late Dictionary

2:31 I did write the first episode as a short film originally and submitted to a couple of competitions, where one literally said to me, this is too gay and too gross. I was like, okay, well, you know what? My show is too gay, and is too gross. And this is exactly what I'm going to do right now. – Frank Smith

5:27 Henry Ford said, “If I asked people what they wanted, they would have said Faster horses.” So you do need to tell people what they want, sometimes not asked. – Frank Smith

7:42 What people don't know about creativity is that sometimes it's not about fabricating the most out there weird sci-fi universe. Sometimes it's using real circumstances as a jumping off point and then kind of like shaping the story in people to fit the narrative. – Frank Smith

13:16 Is it just so much easier for the gays to do non-monogamy? It's like it's just not a big deal. I imagine that the lesbian couple there's going to be a lot more. I do find that in gay male culture, it's just much more normal to be open, and it's like sex is sex, and they can separate and compartmentalize love and emotion.– Jessica Esfandiary

15:44 If you're consenting communicative adults, you can find a rhythm that works for you, whether it's a more serious polyamorous relationship or, as my father jokes, sometimes just to Fuck and Go. – Frank Smith

16:18 It doesn't matter who you are, how you identify, it's all about communication and if you have the ability and the tools to communicate effectively and just really own your emotions and your needs, then it can be really easy to practice. – Jessica Esfandiary

17:08 Like on Friday Night Lights when Mr. and Mrs. Koch get into an argument, you're not like, were they going to break up over this? It's like, how are they going to figure this out together? And I view the main couple on the show that way, too. It's like when they have an argument or a disagreement, it's not like, well, they're going to break up over this. How do they resolve this together? So my goal is always to show that Cam and Greg are very loving and have the chaos largely come from the people outside the central relationship, but still show their personality differences in a quirky, amusing way. – Frank Smith

26:16 Suddenly you can be a source of affirmation and support. And I love that. That's exactly what I wanted when I did this. I was like, I hope that I can be a part of destigmatizing polyamory for people, as they say in Crazy Ex-girlfriend. Sex isn't that big a deal, though. – Frank Smith

39:16 I just love hearing about these things when people who live sort of outside the box, being poly or whatever, being non-monogamous, coloring outside the lines all the time when you do something that's traditional. – Jessica Esfandiary

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