Sex, Gender, & Race Can’t be Cancelled
The Netflix I Want to See
If Gone With the Wind and Deep Throat had an affair, the limited series Steamy Sandwiches would be the bastard child. Somewhere between drama and comedy, Steamy Sandwiches twists and turns on the race-gender-sexuality roller coaster equivalent of Space Mountain. Is it a story marking the importance of change or a sellout trying to capitalize on outrage culture?
When Vinnie LXIX ages out of the porn industry, he finds himself unemployable and hopeless. Spending his last dollars, Vinnie throws himself into his almost forgotten dream of owning a food truck. Convinced of the opportunity for success, retired gay porn star Big Rhonda, partners with Vinnie, and they drive their mobile food business, Steamy Sandwiches, into the City of Angels.
Steamy Sandwiches offers a comedic menu of diverse foods, including Angel-Hair Pies, The LGBT Delight (Lettuce Guacamole Bacon Tomato), The Hungry-Man Wiener, and Brownie Stars. An overnight success, Steamy Sandwiches is a popularity wildfire racing through the streets of Hollywood.
But success breeds enemies, and soon the dominant, rival food truck, Holy Rollers, tries to put them out of business, falsely claiming traditional food rolls are healthier than Steamy Sandwiches. Using lies, exaggerations, and out-of-control self-righteousness, the Holy Rollers attempt to destroy Steamy Sandwiches, zealously believing a divine right to force their lunch brand upon LA’s masses.
Little do the Holy Rollers realize, Steamy Sandwiches is a beacon of hope rallying aging porn stars, the sexually liberated, intellectuals, and freedom fighters everywhere to help Vinnie and Big Rhonda save their dream.
A one-hour episode of this limited series packs more diversity than a week at Burning Man. Set in the eighties, the cinematography has the feel of Porky’s but the seriousness of On Golden Pond. You laugh but at the same time find yourself cheering Big Rhonda and Vinnie as they serve LA’s masses congregating to their food truck for finally having a lunch choice other than a Sermon Sandwich or Born-again Bagel.
Quirky, hilarious, sometimes corny, just the right amount of action, and often heart-wrenching, Steamy Sandwiches packs a hard punch to the funny bone and heart. Perhaps Steamy Sandwiches leverages outrage culture, but Steamy Sandwiches shows there are still many things to outrage over. Bravo!
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Original Photo by Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash