The network that has refused to give Guiding Light fans so much as a kiss between two female characters who are in love with one another is home to the top-rated daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Y&R is a good show. In some ways, it's a great show. There are some wonderful actors on Y&R. The sets are beautiful, and the production values are top notch. While the writing may falter from time to time, Y&R has proven itself to be self-aware: if something goes wrong, they fix it. Right now, the writing on Y&R is pretty damned great. So, yeah, CBS cancelled Guiding Light and has shafted Otalia fans, big time, but they're also home to the best drama daytime has to offer, so why invite the network to go fuck itself? Because of this:
Why is this upsetting? Why would it set me off in such a way? The two characters in the scene, Devon and Tyra, the two folks who end up sucking one another's lips off and rubbing genitals on the couch? They're AUNT AND NEPHEW. That's right. CBS seems to feel that a full-on pash between an aunt and her nephew is suitable programming, but a kiss between two women who are in love with one another, not attached to others, and not related to one another? INAPPROPRIATE.
Now, I don't want to hear about how Tyra and Devon turn out not to be be biologically related. For all intents and purposes, they are aunt and nephew. It's the only relationship they've known. Incest isn't just about the mingling of a shared bloodline. In fact, that's the least of the problems with it. It's about boundaries. About an abuse of power. People who inhabit positions of familial authority are not supposed to have intimate, sexual relations with their young charges. Do we welcome the idea of men making out with their adopted daughters? Should foster mothers fuck their foster sons? Do most of us think that NAMBLA is a great, fucking idea, because it extends the father/son dynamic to a sexual realm? Um. NO. WE DON'T. Because these things are so fucking WRONG. And unhealthy. And even ABUSIVE.
Yet. Yet. Yet. CB fucking S feels it's A-Ok to show a hot and heavy kiss, and partial disrobing, between an adult aunt and her barely-out-of-his-teens nephew, and portray it as sexy. This, and still no Otalia kiss. If Tyra and Devon sucking face and grinding mid-sections on the couch is ok, we should be seeing Olivia Spencer and Natalia Rivera going at it in the nude, in the gazebo, with a full arsenal of sex toys. Because Olivia and Natalia having sex would be the right and logical thing. It would be a fucking beautiful thing. Devon and Tyra, nephew and aunt, making out and obviously getting ready to screw? It's bloody OBSCENE.
CBS? Seriously. Go fuck yourself. And fuck your aunt. Hell, CBS, bend over and take it from your uncle, while you're at it.
28 comments:
Snapper: ROCK the fuck ON.
oh and FUCBS.
damn. just damn. and ditto!
What the effin fuck?!! FUCBS!!
Preach!
Gettin' out the shit-kicker boots, yeah, Snapper!
Seriously, you're the voice inside my head personified.
Oh...and FU-uh-uh-uh-UCK YOU, C(onsistently)B(ullshit)S(tation).
-PretaniVirago
I am dying, laughing at your scenario that should be playing out between Olivia and Natalia at the town gazebo! Preach it! I was disgusted to see Devon and Tyra today. What's worse, Eva Marcille can't act to save her life!
Stunned, just stunned, and DEEPLY OFFENDED that CBS would consider this, as what? ...ENTERTAINING?? And LOVE as portrayed on GL by normal, YES NORMAL women, would be considered DIRTY?!! I agree Snapper, this is obscene and just plain SICK. Any further words to the PTB would be too kind.
Double WTF with a huge pile of shit on top. I am sorry to tell you Snapper, but Nat and Liv have already been screwed, sadly not by each other, but by CBS, as have we all, for believing in the hope that CBS WOULDN'T shit all over us like that. I would also like to add a FU to Proctor and Gamble for gleefully getting CBS to air a game show (featuring their products I'm sure) in place of GL. FU to everybody involved in this crapfest. I feel better now, honestly :)
And you know I mean it, Robert! If that horrific Tyra/Devon action is considered acceptable, how can anyone possibly have reservations about Liv and Nat trying out everything from the Toys in Babeland catalogue, in the gazebo, steps away from the church? And, hell, I want Father Ray to be tied to the church steps, and forced to watch.
and it's racist too. CBS thinks oh Devon is African-American so we have to pair him with another African-American. We already have Tyra on contract so let's pair them. Either cast another African-American or let him date someone outside of his own group. CBS probably thinks"we can't offend our white viewers by having too many black people on the show so we've got to pair up the black actors we do have"
I don't buy the racist argument. Y&R isn't opposed to mixed-race couplings. Lily's is with Cain, for a short spell she dated Billy, and she was married to Daniel.
The decision to have Devon and Tyra get hot and heavy didn't come form Devon not having anyone to be with: he has that girlfriend, already. And, yes...she's black. But, so what? Why *shouldn't* he have a black gf?
I think someone thought it would be racy or sexy or whatever, to have Devon and Neil banging the same woman.
Fuck CBS and Fuck everyone who gave us hope!!! I hope, hope that CC doesn`t believe what she said at the Live-Chat. If yes: Fuck Venice.
What did she say in the live chat? I haven't heard about that. Please fill me in.
I have noticed that she's been very careful during interviews to be vague about how the show wraps up. Where she used to talk about intimacy being a sure thing for Otalia, she's now talking about a "loving ending." To me, that totally means it's extremely likely there will be no on-screen kiss- I have other reasons for thinking this is the case, as well.
FWIW, I have no real interest in Venice, but I don't wish any of the GL cast anything but success. They've had no control over network decisions and, CC, especially, always gives 110%, even when her scenes and story line are completely lame.
Snapper: I respect your work and your opinion. All i can say is that i will never make the same error a second time and believe a single person in show-business. I know this all is not the blame of CC, but in the moment i´m only sick of the word "Endgame" and more empty phrases!!! I only hope that she understand that is not the Endgame the most of us wanted and deserved. Now i leave and watch "The childrens hour". This makes me happier than Otalia.
I'm with you as far as being sick to death of the "Endgame!" chorus. But, my friend, I hope The Children's Hour doesn't truly make you *happy* - great play, but happiness is not what it evokes!
Just a quick note to say how much I appreciate your writings on not only Otalia, but GL as well. You write with great affection and intelligence about the show. It's a pleasure to read.
Oh, I know! Gah!
I've always been aware of not just the straight-gay double standard, that's painfully playing out with Otalia, but this time-honored, twisted soap double standard that murder, rape(mance), cheating (of all and any kinds), abuse (of all kinds), and yes incest (blood and by marriage) is ALLOWED to be shown and be "entertainment" and yet same-sex romances, in and of itself, are just too edgy, controversial, beyond the pale, and the viewing public must be shielded by it or treated with kid gloves to it's inclusion - it's insulting to the extreme.
Really, Soaps? My boring same-sex life is more shocking than a woman marrying her rapists? Really?
This kind of crap is just part of why soaps are becoming (sadly) obsolete. They're seriously behind the learning curve.
Amen homey! CBS gripes my ass. But also, I want to point out, that the writers also had a part in screwing up Otalia. I'm sure the network didn't tell JLH to write in nat as preggers. In my opinion, the writers screwed up after the 1st date. There were many htings that could have taken place for Nat to leave town. And yes the Tyra shit is disgusting! I've heard it's acceptable for 2 gay men to b shown on tv, but not 2 women,,due to some standard shit..WTF? Doesn't every network have the same rules? 2 women happened on ABC! It's just so sad to see a great s/l be mutilated like Otalia has been. I hope Crystal will be the first actor/producer to throw shit in all the network's faces with Venice! A true lesbian love story done right :) ..I know there will always be angst, so no problem bout that, but I'm so sick of hands to face..we need hands to ass for a change lol's. Who's with me?
When I heard about Devon and Tyra, two things happened:
1. multiple hotsnacks
2. serious WTF-age
Really CBS? Incest is okay to show but not two women in love sharing a kiss? I've said this before, but it makes me so fucking pissed that the network that expects me to support them by buying their products so openly condemns my lifestyle.
Actions speak much louder than words, and the fact of the matter is, they're censoring Otalia and have been for some time. There's just no excuse for this shit in this day and age.
I am so not clicking that youtube link.
- Dani
Olivia24: Actually, no...networks do not all have the same rules. The whole thing about Standards and Practices within the tv network system is that these are internal controls. They're self-appointed. Dani, of Pancakes and a Valium, probably knows a hell of a lot more about it than I do, but here's what I can tell you: television networks have their own, self-appointed, internally-governed "standards" departments. There isn't ahard-and-fast rule, in other words, about two women not being allowed to kiss on daytime television. ABC's Standards and Practices people obviously decided that having two women kiss and even have sex was ok for them. CBS' equivilant department (at CBS,it's not called Standards and Practices, but the name escapes me at this moment) clearly feels that two women even kissing is too dicey for this particular time of day. And, before anyone brings up Nuke: yes, CBS has allowed two male characters on a soap to kiss. Male sexuality has *always" been treated differently than female sexuality, so I don't fidn this surprising. Also, I'm guessing CBS is fine with two youngish men who are not married, and don't have children being gay. Two women, both well over 30, both have been married and have long histories with men, and both mothers? I'm 100% sure all of these factors were taken into consideration by CBS when the insane decision to censor this story was made. I'm not defneding the network or justifying how or why they do this crazy shit, BTW - just explaining how it works in Bedlam.
For the record - I'm not even against a soap having all kinds of crazy, sick crap, like incest stories. I actually sort of LOVE that madness. What I *am* is anti-censorship, and it riles me up that something that is so twisted on so many levels (Note to wackos who want to write to me in favor of incest: Don't bother. I'm really not open to that argument.) is being portrayed as SEXAY!!!, while the very idea of two women who share a really pure and innocent love just locking lips is basically considered too racy or contravercial for tv. WTF?
rock the fuck on. we get all that shit, and even kissing between noah and luke on atwt. but we cant get anything from otalia? what asshats!!
I don't understand why it was ok for Otalia to kiss in January. Same time. Same station. Same censors, right? It looks the same as "real" kissing to me even if the intent was ostensibly different. I'm sure the same viewers who would object to same sex kissing would have the same reasons to object regardless of the intent. Because two women touching lips is just so dangerous and provocative, I guess.
I also don't get how aunt/nephew sex is ok. Yuck. Now that is crossing a line with me. What kind of message is that supposed to be sending to the young and impressionable? It's ok as long as two people of the opposite sex want to do it regardless of kinship? As long as it's not aunt/neice.
for some reason, i can't get the uncle fucker song out of my head, lol
i'd like to say something profound, but i can't think of anything other than "...and the horse you rode in on"...but then, why should the horse have to suffer? i like horses...cbs? not so much....
love your stuff snapper...keep up the snark. i fear there'll be enough fodder in the coming weeks to foster more of where that came from, though i'm sad to surmise such.
keep it real,
maggie23
ps...finav :p
Great Article - Just adding my voice to the chorus of FUCBS-cuz it can never be said enough
Completely with you Snapper.
And to the post that mentioned something about a comment made by CC in a live-chat, does anybody know what that is about?
Great fuckin' job, how dare CBS. Self-righteous asshats.
Thank you for always keep it real, and shoving a mirror in front of their faces, maybe one day they'll see their reflection and cringe.
Thank God someone is talking about how fucked up the Devon and Tyra sex shit is! And you know what really gets me? None of the characters on the show went "But he's your nephew!!" or "Dammit! She's your aunt! What's wrong with you?!?" Everybody reacted like it wasn't extra special icky.
And, just wondering here, is it possible that since it became cool to have two ladies kiss for a ratings boost about 15 years ago, the writers and producers are purposefully going in a slower direction to avoid the sensationalist aspect? Maybe?
Considering the way CBS has milked this shit to death, esepcially with the recent "When your soulmate betrays you..." ad, there's no way in hell there's even the remotest possibility that the network is taking the high road. There have been PLENTY of opportunities to have Liv and Nat become more intimate without it being a big, sensationalistic event: like....any freaking time they were at the farmhouse. Any time they greeted or parted from one another. basically...ANY time between the wedding anf July 4th would have been a good time for Olivia to just lean in and kiss her supposed girlfriend.
I suspect you're trying to be fair and diplomatic when you ask this question but, really, does CBS deserve your fairness and diplomacy at this stage in the game?
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