Monday, January 12, 2009

More on Nuke and an Update on Rianca

Now that several hours have passed and I'm a tad more calm about today's ground breaking episode of As the World Turns, I thought I'd share a couple of pictures from today's show. As usual, these come from Superherofan.


Kissing in Old Town, before heading back to Luke's room.


After their shower, both looking very happy.



Luke's smile says it all, doesn't it?


Also, it has occurred to me that I've been neglecting Daytime's only other LGBT couple, All My Children's Bianca & Reese. They're certainly farther along in their relationship than Luke & Noah, given that they're engaged to be married and the parents of a new baby daughter. Heck, they've even been shown in bed together at least once!

I haven't intended to ignore them, but I've not been watching All My Children and my intention to keep up with Rianca (the couple's requisite fan given cutesy name combination) on YouTube hasn't quite worked out. I really need to catch up!

In the meantime, though, here is a great interview that the actresses behind the couple- Eden Riegel and Tamara Braun- did with Out Magazine. Among other things they discuss As the World Turn's Nuke kissing ban from earlier this year and the lack of a similar ban on AMC.

Out: As you know, earlier this year As The World Turns reportedly banned its gay super couple, Luke and Noah from kissing due to pressure from certain political and religious groups. Will Rianca swap a lot of spit on-screen?
ER: There is plenty of kissing, I promise!
TB: There is no lack of affection here.
ER: It’s a demonstrative [love]. Having played Bianca for a long time, I will say this is the most demonstrative relationship she’s been in because Binks is in a committed romance for once. So, there’s no holding back in the physical realm. We’ve never been told to hold back. ABC is allowing us to trust our instincts.
TB: These characters are in love, and people in love show affection. Eden told me in the past each time she had to kiss someone in scene it was a big deal, which I wasn’t aware of. When she told me that, every time there was a kiss it was a big event.
ER: It had to be scripted, and it had to be cleared. It was a different time.
TB: I was shocked. I don’t know if I could have played Reese back then with those restrictions.

I love that they're talking about LGBT kisses having once been an event but now being no big deal. It's actually true on the only two soaps that feature gay characters. Luke & Noah have been kissing regularly for months now and Bianca & Reese apparently have as well. Now if we can only get love scenes to become as common!

I really do need to catch up on this story, especially since I happen to love both of these actresses. Eden won me over with her online series, Imaginary Bitches (which, if you haven't watched it yet, you should! It's so funny!) and Tamara was really fantastic earlier this year when she was on Days of Our Lives.

I wish other soaps would follow the example set by All My Children and As the World Turns and start introducing more gay characters. One Life to Live is so amazing right now, easily the best written soap on TV, and I'd love to see them introduce some gay characters and make up for that awful storyline a few years ago (when the show was being written by different people) where a closeted gay man was killing people to keep his secret!

Days of Our Lives has never had a major gay character and I don't think The Bold and the Beautiful (which is set in the fashion world!!) or The Young and the Restless have, either. I'm not completely positive about Guiding Light, but I think they fall into the same category. General Hospital, of course, had a character named Lucas come out right around the same time as Luke on As The World Turns, but he basically came out, got gay bashed, and disappeared from the show.

It's time for these shows to get with it and start telling new stories rather than the same old tired ones recycled over and over again!

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