Trick Wire: Boys Do Fall In Love: Some Gay Sensibilities

This is one of my favorite old-time print ads. It is a 1950 advertisement for Coca-Cola. I like the setting and the colors of the illustration, but what I really love is the backstory I've created for it.

The kids in the picture are students at a small college in Indiana. Maxine, the girl in the green top, is best friends were her gay buddy Bobby, the boy in the khaki colored shirt. Maxine had decided to try to match up Bobby with Paul (checkered sport coat), the brother of her sorority sister Cynthia (in the blue). Maxine has invited Bobby, Paul, Cynthia, and her other friends Mary Ann (in the pink) and Bess (not visible) to go for a picnic so that she could have Bobby and Paul become better acquainted.

So far this afternoon, the plan is going swimmingly. Bobby and Paul are getting along great, talking about their common interest in art history. As all of the kids finish eating, Bobby tells Paul about how he loves to draw. Paul gets into the cooler to get Bobby a Coke and asks Bobby if Bobby would do a drawing of him. Bobby, perhaps in a Freudian way, exclaims, "I'd love to do you!"

At this moment, Bess is standing in front of the group with her camera to take a picture. She captures the scene seconds after Bobby's exclamation. Bobby realizes his double entendre and smiles sheepishly at Paul. Paul, thinking he'd be happy to be done by Bobby, blushes and averts his eyes downward. He gives the coke bottle an almost imperceptible stroke to let Bobby know that he's okay with the idea. Maxine smiles knowingly, realizing her plan has been a success. Cynthia howls with laughter thinking to herself, "he said draw. Ha-ha-ha." Mary Ann stands back and grins, hoping no one realizes that she has no idea what's going or why she's there.

What happens later on the night of the Homecoming dance, or when Bobby contemplates quitting the glee club to spend more time with Paul? I don't know. You tell me in your belated reply.