Controversy: March 2008 Archives

In his Soap News column in the new issue of TV Guide, Michael Logan writes extensively about the Luke and Noah no-kissing controversy. Although "As the World Turns" executive producer Chris Goutman has been banned from speaking to the press about the storyline, Logan did talk to CBS daytime chief Barbara Bloom.
Bloom said: "I can assure you there is no homophobia on the part of the network nor are we pandering to any group. We have not censored ATWT or asked them to hold back in any way."

She doesn't say WHY for the love of God they are holding back but said: "I really hope the show will continue to evolve the Luke and Noah story, and that they culminate their relationship the way all couples in love do."
Logan brings up all the beyond annoying missed opportunities for a same-sex kiss: under the mistletoe on the Christmas episode and on Valentine's Day when EVERY other couple on the show kissed except for Luke and Noah.

"I understand why this makes people scream," Bloom admits. "The only thing you're going to get out of me is that the pacing is slower with Luke and Noah than with other romances on ATWT. That's good storytelling. We';re in the business of getting people to watch more."

Listen Barbara Bloom, let Luke and Noah kiss every now and then like friggen normal people and we will indeed watch more. You are testing the patience of many of your viewers with your "good storytelling."

I see how it is.

Every time a cheating politician is caught and holds a press conference with his humiliated wife standing by his side, Dina Matos McGreevey will emerge from obscurity and weigh in. I mean, she's the expert after her gay ex-husband, Jim McGreevey, got caught up in a scandal and resigned from office. She stood beside him (see photo above) smiling like she was medicated or something as he proudly proclaimed himself "a gay American."

I think they're both McGreevey's are pretty darn creepy. But anyway, Dina was on all the news shows yesterday giving advice to Silda Wall Spitzer and write an Op-Ed piece in today's NY Times. Here are some excerpts:

"MY heart aches for Silda Wall Spitzer. Not only do she and her children have to weather the storm brought on by her misguided husband, she also has to endure the judgments of the commentariat, many of whom have asked, with some frequency, why on earth she would stand by her man during his public -- and anemic -- mea culpa. As someone who has stood by her politician husband during his public -- and anemic -- mea culpa, all I can say is: It's a personal decision. There's no right or wrong answer.

...For me, I was essentially in the dark about what my husband was going to say. He never told me he was gay; he simply passed me a copy of his speech an hour before the press conference. I was in a fog. I certainly didn't volunteer. I was in no emotional state to make a rational decision, and there simply wasn't time. He asked me to stand next to him, and I did. Frankly, all I was thinking about was my daughter. If I had to do it over again, I'd do the same thing. I did it for my daughter's father."

I hate to be mean about this, but don't ya think Dina Matos McGreevey's daughter will soon be asking her: "Mom, why'd you marry a gay man?" or "Mom, why'd you stand there smiling like an idiot?"

Just wondering...

On Tuesday afternoon, TVGuide.com spoke with Idol executive producer Ken Warwick about semi-finalist David Hernandez who performed triumphantly that night despite it becoming public that he worked for three years as a stripper for men at an Arizona nightclub. Here is part of that interview::

TVGuide.com: Will the revelations about David's stripper past have any impact on whether he stays on the show?
Ken Warwick: No, it won't make any difference. The truth is, we're never judgmental about what people do to earn a living. They've got to put food in people's mouths. We've had strippers on the show before. Nikki McKibbon was one in [Season] 1. We're never judgmental about people who do things like that. If it were some sort of heavy porn, then maybe we'd have to take action. But certainly not on this.

TVGuide.com: Were you aware of his past before it was reported?
Warwick: No, I wasn't. [Laughs] But the truth of the matter is, it wouldn't have made any difference. There are a lot of people I know who'd love to have the opportunity just to make a better living by taking their clothes off.

TVGuide.com: Do you feel for these kids who are suddenly thrust into the public eye and then have everything in their pasts dug up?
Warwick: Very often, I do, yeah. I mean, David Hernandez, whatever you say, is a nice guy. And he can sing. He's got a great voice. He deserves to be there, as far as I'm concerned.

Considering that David Hernandez's past as a male stripper at a gay club is pretty much the top story on all the gossip sites, it was astonishing that on Tuesday night's "American Idol" it was business as usual with most of the remaining 10 male semifinalists - including David - doing very well. But anyone watching had to be snickering when in the filmed intro, David shared his most embarrassing moment. No, he did not say: "When the whole world discovered I did lap dances for men." Instead, he told a gross story about doing an entire photo shoot with a giant booger hanging from his nose.

Charming.

He did better with his song "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and even the bitchy Simon - who really grated on me last night - believes David secured himself a return next week.

Will be voted off Thursday: Luke Menard. He is a good singer and very handsome, but his song choices have been terrible and he did himself no favors this week with "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." Danny Noriega's "Tainted Love" was quite mediocre and he should go home but he may be too popular with fans in the way Sanjaya was last season. He sings better than Sanjaya but he's still more attitude that talent and, to me at least, annoying. Bitchy Simon got this one right: "I thought it was horrible, the whole thing, absolutely useless."

But it is Chikezie who may have killed his chances for survival after Simon ripped him for singing Whitney Houston's "All the Man That I Need," (Changed to "Woman," of course). He sang last and it just ended on a sour note for him.

Show Highlights: David Archuleta soared on "Another Day in Paradise," and played the piano at the start. It's impossible to match last week's "Imagine" but it's still damned good. And David Cook...wow! He brought it! He did a rock version of Lionel Richie's "Hello" that was thrilling. And Mr. dreadlocks, Jason Castro, was just achingly good on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

Great stuff!