new article about willow and tara kiss

[gabby2]

Hi Everyone:
Delurking to post this article about willow and tara. Thought you might be interested:
http://www.sfgate.com/eguide/gay

[tommo]

Hi gabby2, now that you've delurked, why don't you register? Hee hee....

I thought this article was okay, although I don't remember w/t kissing before The Body; and they haven't moved in together either. Nit picky I know, but I *hate* it when articles get tiny details wrong.

Oh...and correct me if *I'm* wrong, by the way.

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I just know she likes Willow, and she already has one of those.

[darvangi]

This article really rubbed me the wrong way. First there's the erroneous mention of a previous kiss, which is a big, fat, stinkin' example of how much the gay press ignored W/T for so long that they don't even know the back story. Secondly, there is the way the article subtly accuses the networks of homophobia because they're keeping the gay story lines un-hyped. I think it's a positive, logical progression that stories of gay relationships are now blending in with the others on shows like ER and Buffy. It's a great move forward, because gay couples are being given the same status as straight couples by not being treated as some freakish, unnatural thing deserving of hyped-out headlines (a la Queer as Folk media hype).

Certainly, in the context of the shows' plots, the gay relationships stand out as different - as they should in a society that is still coming to grips with openness of gay sexuality. But there's no need to include them in the previews if they are not the centerpiece of the plot. They shouldn't be pointed out as an audience draw just on the merit of their gayness, because that would be needless sensationalism, and we should have already gone through that phase in gay representation in the media (although I realize it's still happening, I'm just talking about pie-in-the-sky ideals, here).

[april]

i actually don't think the article was so bad, except for the "why didn't the networks hype it??" part. the article definately acknowledges how groundbreaking willow and tara are. just read:

quote:

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Besides centering storylines around killing vampires, stopping demons in their tracks and the usual teen angst, "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" has featured the slow and steady progression of a groundbreaking lesbian love story between Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson). Accepted by Buffy and the gang, the two witches have slow danced, had a quick kiss and even moved in together. But in the highlight sweeps episode, the relationship moved to another level when Tara and Willow shared an extended kiss.

While there have been other kisses -- mostly perfunctory -- between other gay and lesbian characters (not to mention long drawn-out liplocks between women who discuss how straight they are), there may never have been such an intimate kiss between two openly lesbian television characters in a relationship.

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might the "quick kiss" they're referring to be the not-quite-shown kiss in "restless"? just a thought.

but that being said, the best way to let writers and papers know why hyping such things is not the way to go is by writing to them! there's a little link for feedback in the bottom lefthand corner of the page that this article is on. click on it! use it! let the SF gate know what you think!!!
quote:

[darvangi]

Oh, I already sent them my feedback via that link, April. I didn't want to waste any time. And, yes, that part you posted was very nice to read regarding how ground-breaking the kiss was - now I'm even thinking I should have added some nice words to my letter because of that - but I still maintain that the writer's viewpoint is detrimental to the cause of keeping positive gay representations on tv. I don't think the community should be calling out for more hype and sensationalism.
Just think of how close we are to losing K/K on ER because of all the troubles and melodrama on that show, and Joss is always happy to kill of somebody or break hearts on his shows (not that I suspect anything), so there is not too much seperating us from the olden days of no positive reps of gay relationships in prime-time network tv. I say we encourage these writers/producers/directors instead of whining about something so superficial as a lack hyped-up promo ads.

Whew! I'm way too serious now. I need a break from seriousness. New Julia Roberts movie today - that'll cool me off.

[BBOvenGuy]

I liked a lot of this article, but the "Why didn't the networks hype it?" bit bothered me as well.

In some respects, it's like the TV writers, producers, actors, etc., can't win - they're damned if they do and damned if they don't. Treat a same-sex relationship as something that's part of normal society and they get accused of sweeping it under the rug. Hype it, and they get accused of sensationalism and crass titillation. It seems like there's no middle ground - I mean, I can hardly expect the WB or some other network to promote a show with "Come see how normal our lesbian couple is! Tune in next week to see our favorite girls be just like everyone else!" It doesn't exactly work.

As for griping about why The Kiss wasn't promoted as part of this week's episode - hello, what program was this person watching? The episode was about people's reactions to death and grief - wouldn't you want to show dead people and grieving people? The only way you could include The Kiss would be to show it while the narrator said something about people turning to their loved ones for comfort, and once again you'd be right back into complaints that The Kiss was being sensationalized, thrown in for titillation, etc...

Argh. Critics make me nuts. You may have noticed that.

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Come visit Now Leaving Sunnydale - A Showcase for Buffy Fans and their Non-Buffy creations

[tvsurfer]

what other kiss r they talken bout here?
I don't remember any 'almost kiss' in restless or any other eppie, just the implied one in NMRing

I'm darn glad that the kiss wasn't hyped for ratings. It would have cheapened it.

I've never understood why for example any actor who is going to play a gay character is put in front of the mike to comment on how they feel about playing a gay character (as if its so horrible a thing to have to play), yet no one's out asking actors how they feel about playing serial killers or gang bangers or rapists or cannabal's etc

Why select out "gay character" as something that has to be commented on? Its like thats the worst role an actor could take and that it reflects on them as a person somehow.

They're actors, they act for pete sakes, they aren't their characters.

[This message has been edited by tvsurfer (edited March 02, 2001).]

[Anyalvr]

I don't base my television enjoyment on what they hype or don't hype. Ever since I was old enough to watch TV I can remember them hyping the most insignificant or unnoteworthy things
just to get viewers even if it has nothing to do with the episode.

Case in point: PO5. Anyone remember that show? Neve Campbell's character's husband had cheated on her, and the promos hyped up this
big thing where her friend offered to sleep with her to get back at him - which was a *joke* he suggested to her in the *teaser* to
make her feel better.

I'd rather trust the actual viewpoints of the people who watch the show rather than entertainment viewers who watch the show once with no understanding of the context of what is going on and then write an article about it and get everything wrong. One doesn't have to be a genius to pay a little attention the dialogus in the Tara/Willow scene which very clearly indicates that Tara and Willow have *seperate* dorm rooms and *do not* live together.

I got so tired of being a devout ER fan over the years (although I know longer watch the show and think that the writers involved are
crooked sell-outs with no creative ethics whatsoever) and reading articles that got *everything* wrong. I was quoted last year in an E! Online article and it pisses me off that me - an anonymous nobody posting on the
internet newsgroup of a show I didn't even *like* anymore and didn't even watch most of during that last year - knew more about the
show than the person who was being paid to write the article. Sheesh.

I'm still glad they quoted me because as far as I know everyone at a.t.e. hates me and even accused me of being a "troll" when I popped in there a couple of weeks ago yet I have been written up and they haven't (yes I HAVE A BIG EGO! SO WHAT!) but I get so sick of people being paid to write for the entertainment biz who have no idea what they're talking about! Is it really *so* much trouble to watch a scene closely and get the details right?

Okay, rant over.

That picture was my first real glimpse of Kerri Weaver's girlfriend My, is she gorgeous.

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"I tried to be unlovable/why couldn't you do the same?"

-(jewel)

"Spank us 'til Tuesday! We promise to be bad if you do!"
-(drusilla, angel)

[tvsurfer]

If you click on the writer of this articles name, you can send an email to them directly as opposed to using the general feedback link