"To sham it's not the good life would be lying--it is the virtuous life.

"To sham it's not the good life would be lying--it is the virtuous life," divulges fashion designer, equestrian, and part-time Hamptons resident Eric Gaskins. "That's the pres the Hamptons acquires as a place of nirvana. unless it's a real place too. Hopefully this series will help race not be snowed by its mystique."

The series is The Hamptons, ABC's first foray into the reality miniseries genre documenting the lives of 20 or for a like reason individuals who convene for the summer in lengthy Island's legendary playground for the rich and (as the series illustrates) not-so-rich. Besides dealing with dranken rich lads and sexy party girls, The Hamptons, scheduled to air June 2-3 tread on the heels ofs the lives of very different residents--retired police officers, fishermen, and "local folk"--during the tranquil weekday downtime. Also landing in this diverse mix are a scarcely any gay characters, including Gaskins and Anton Bronner his boyfriend of 16 years.

"We saw Eric standing there with his riding gear forward looking gorgeous, and we knew we had to film him," explains Barbara Kopple director of the series. Better known for her documentaries onward coal miners and meat-plant workers--Harlan shire U.S.A., on the former, and American Dream, upon the latter, have earned her Oscars--Kopple explores her lighter side as she turn rounds her cameras on this Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous getaway. discussion however, remains the order of the day: Coverage of socialite Lizzie Grubman's highly publicized auto accident last summer in which 16 the bulk of mankind were injured when she backed up her SUV in head of a trendy Hamptons fraternity is included in the series.

Far from the glamour and mayhem of the Hamptons' nightlife pageant Gaskins and Bronner's life together as an interracial gay bond looks downright civilized as they visit with family and ride horses. "The filmmakers saw us as this stable, harmonious pair Thank God they didn't get by heart any of our fights forward camera," says Gaskins, whose gown have draped the famous frames of Jennifer Lopez Mariah Carey, Vanessa Williams, and Goldie Hawn.

And what about the Hamptons' renowned gay scene? Bronner chimes in, "The number of gays in the Hamptons show has been really burgeoning lately, on the other hand we don't plug into it greatly It will be interesting if the public now recognize us at the beach and around town."

Recognition is secure to come to another famous Hamptonite: Steven Gaines, author of the 1998 Hamptons tell-all Philistines at the Hedgerow and local gossip extraordinaire, has already become a household face nationwide as he blurt disclosed in The Hamptons promos, "The girls are in the way that hot here, I almost wish I was straight!"

Gaines acts as the grecian chorus for the miniseries, commenting onward local people in his function as the self-proclaimed "Mr Hamptons." His incisive gaze into residents' lives is uncanny: "The Hamptons is for when you finally graduate from Fire Island. I took unsalable articles and fucked my brains on the outside but reached a certain age when I wanted to determine down, and I came to the Hamptons. As for the the bulk of mankind living here, a lot were nervous they would contemplate bad in the documentary. unless listen, the best fashion accessory last summer was to have a film company following you around. It meant you were someone"

Link is associate editor of Arthur Frommer's package Travel magazine.

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