CHARACTERS
CHARACTER ARCS: geeky v. sexy; control v losing control ; family v. self exploration; irreverent v. all too real; love story v. pornography; being independent but still needing approval; in search of fame and fortune to end up with infamy and family
MADELEINE (Babe4u founder) She’s an energetic Brazilian American who has a generous caring heart that is contradictory to her sharp tongue and tough demeanor. She came to the US to attend college but ended up staying to build her cybersex empire. Early on she learned that it was either sex or violence that sells on TV. She created a live sexy interactive cult show in San Francisco which got her recruited by NYU into their cutting edge video computing program. In NYC she starts Babes4u which presents major challenges but pays off with technological breakthroughs in streaming video and online payments. She decides to perform herself to help grow her business but when she falls in love she has to contend with all the internal and external pressures of selling sex.
STEFFANI (Babes4u partner) She’s a middle aged feminist pornographer who is street smart and maternal. At Babes4u she manages the personnel and the free chat room which is set up to lure men in. After a lifetime of bad relationships with men she is has trust issues, but connects with one of Babes4u most loyal customers. She questions his motivation, given he spends so much time on line with the Babes. When they finally meet in real life she realizes he’s not that different from her. She has a lot of drama with Madeleine, but they are also co-conspirators and manage many situations with conniving humor and appreciation for each other. She’s a tough New Yorker who can handle most difficult or even dangerous situations.
ANDREAS (Madeleine’s love interest) He’s a tall German freelance writer who reports on new technology trends. He’s traveling the world in an attempt to process his father’s death. Emotionally reserved but charming, he easily attracts women. Coming from the wild underground Berlin club scene of the late 80s, Andreas has seen and done it all. He’s the kind of man who doesn’t get jealous of other men’s attentions on his babe, in fact it turns him on. When he falls for Madeleine, she questions him being ok with it all.
RED BURNS (NYU boss) She’s a 70-something, larger-than-life woman with fiery hair and a temper to match. Known as the ‘Godmother of Silicon Alley’, Red runs the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU. She wants strong female entrepreneurs at her innovative program, but she’s old school, and the conservative background she escaped still runs deep. She questions Madeleine’s value from the start, and when she finds out about Babes4U, all hell breaks loose. But there’s enough love mixed in with the anger to keep Madeleine looking for the respect and acceptance she craves.
DEIJA (Babes4u Babe) Originally from the Dominican Republic, Deija grew up in the ‘greed is great’ culture of the 80s and was born into hustling. She is an extrovert with a playfully naive side that causes any number of mishaps and embarrassment at work. She has a big ego and likes to be the most popular. Her goal is to take over Babes4u one day. When she’s offered loads of money by new competitors to poach workers and software, she’s acts as a double agent.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
HAMMY (Babes4u customer) He’s is a wealthy, widowed lonely British man who lives in Chicago and spends an enormous of time and money on the Babes4u site. He becomes addicted to online sex but his motivation is really fuelled by a deep love of women and a desire to protect them. He thought he could never fall in love again but develops strong feelings for Steffani. She questions his motivations and her own.
BETH (Madeleine’s sister) Growing up as the responsible one in the family has taken its toll on Beth. Their father died when she was young and her mother was mostly absent, absorbed by her own medical career and traveling until she died while her kids were in their early 20s. Beth had to raise Madeleine practically on her own, but unfortunately did so as a burden. She feels the need to uphold a certain sense of propriety which puts her at complete odds with Madeleine’s increasingly explicit lifestyle. Only when she sees her sister as a successful business owner, is she able to accept her choices.
TINA (Babes4u Babe) She’s a Korean American performance artist who strips to make money but is sick of being manhandled and the abuse of performing live. She came from the same background as Madeleine, well educated and middle class. Babes4U provides her a safe environment and she appreciates that it’s women run. She comes to love being in control in her work and the girls on girl action. Eventually she hires her girlfriend to work at Babes4u with disastrous consequences for all.
NICK WEST (NYU teacher) Nick is a brilliant professor specializing in interactive video at NYU. The originator of the Austin Zine Scene he was also an innovator in Appl’s MUltimedia Lab. He brought Madeleine into the program and is her biggest defender but is torn between supporting her and still holding to his job.
MARTIN (Babes4u programmer) He’s young programmer from India who comes to New York to make his career and ends up exploring his own sexuality. His only focus was to develop breakthrough software which he does with credit card processing and streaming software. But while seeing all these men divulge their innermost secrets online, he is finally able to communicate and understand his own bisexuality.
