No Gay Kissing on As The World Turns?
Our pal Liz in Albuquerque (shoutout to LIZ!!!) wrote to me a few days ago about the gay problem at the CBS soap As The World Turns, which she's been watching for a very very long time. Now I asked her if she would write this, but she declined, so you're gonna have to suffer through another post of me on my damned soapbox (well, it may be damned, but it's also faaaaaabulously decorated) about a gay issue ... again!
AP:
Fans of the fictional romance between Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer are baffled about why the two characters haven't kissed on-screen since September, wondering whether it's a sign of squeamishness by CBS or show sponsors Procter & Gamble Co.
The fans have started a letter-writing campaign, posted an online petition and even have a Web site that counts the days, hours, minutes and seconds since Luke and Noah last locked lips.
"We totally support this show and applaud the show for doing this story line," said Roger Newcomb, a computer worker from New York's northern suburbs and the man behind the campaign. "We just don't understand why they have to be censored or treated differently."
More after the jump, including a clip from their first kiss and Proctor & Gamble contact info.
See, what's so horrible about that? Well, besides the fact that these two guys could have committed a little more to it, but they're probably scared to death about the implications. Their "career advisors" are probably telling them that this whole deal is the "kiss of death" (pun intended) and that they'll never work again.
Then those same advisors are probably leaving the office, getting a room somewhere in midtown and calling a call boy service so they have "something to eat for dinner." No, I don't know that this is the case for these guys, but I've seen it exactly like that many many times.
More from AP:
"As the World Turns," which premiered in 1956, had the first gay male character in daytime drama in 1988. Last August was another milestone — believed to be the first time two gay men kissed on a soap — when Luke surprised Noah with the sign of affection.
They kissed again in September, at a time Noah was still coming to grips with being gay. But since officially becoming a couple, their lips have been sealed.
Fans first sensed the new attitude around Christmas, during a tender scene where the two men proclaimed their love for one another. It was clear they were about to kiss, but the camera instead panned up and focused on some mistletoe.
"I've been watching soaps for decades," Newcomb said, "and that doesn't happen."
Valentine's Day featured fantasy sequences involving several of the show's couples. All the stories ended in a kiss, except for Luke and Noah's. They hugged.
That's when the campaign started.
Well bully for you guys and gals. Get them to do it right.
Click here for the Proctor & Gamble contact page (they produce the show).
