Page 171 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

1 0 | Gay, Lesb an, B sexual, Transgendered, and Queer Representat ons on TV

This means that how a same-sex romance unfolds—and what intimate
or sexual details will be depicted on screen—becomes a crucial question. It
is crucial for network prime time too (several seasons of Will & Grace un-
folded before Will had his first romantic kiss), but is much more relevant
for daytime since soaps air five days a week and intimate relationships unfold
in much greater detail. Indeed, soaps’ focus on romance gives the genre the
dubious distinction of having more sexual content than any other type of
TV programming, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report, includ-
ing flirting, open-mouthed passionate kissing, fondling (though not of breasts
or genitalia), vaginal intercourse (implied, not depicted), “playful” S & M or
bondage scenes, and occasionally what appears to be oral sex (very vaguely
implied). Totally absent is intimation of other types of sex acts, such as anal
sex, group sex, or sex toys. Also absent on daytime soaps, in major contrast to
network prime time and cable, are depictions of nudity. Shirtless men are com-
monly depicted on soaps, but shirtless women are filmed only from the back
and both genitalia and backsides are nowhere to be seen. And while soaps
have the most sexual content, they are also more likely than sitcoms, dramas,
or TV movies to emphasize sexual responsibility and the potentially negative
consequences of sexual risk.
Daytime’s first same-sex kiss actually occurred on As the World Turns (CBS)
in June 2001. However, it was between a straight man in drag attempting to
harm another man through poisoned lip gloss (it’s a long story). Daytime’s first
romantic same-sex kiss was between Bianca and Lena on All My Children (ABC),
which occurred in 2002 and was widely applauded in the daytime press. The kiss
was more than a chaste peck (though no tongues were involved) and did not
progress to further on-screen physical intimacy, though an off-screen relation-
ship between Bianca and Lena was implied by the narrative. For the remainder
of Bianca’s time in Pine Valley (the actress/character exited the show in 2005
though has since returned), however, the writers chose not to explore her love/
sex life but instead showcased her rape, subsequent pregnancy, and involvement
in a complicated baby-switch storyline. A fully explored same-sex relationship
has yet to happen in daytime soap opera.

whErE arE wE now? ThE 2006–2007 TELEvision sEason

In August 2006, GLAAD issued a press release analyzing diversity in the
2006–2007 U.S. television season (see http://www.glaad.org/eye/ontv/06-07/
overview.php). Focusing on prime-time comedies and dramas on the broadcast
networks, they counted only nine gay or lesbian lead or supporting char-
acters out of 679 television series—1.3 percent of the overall total. While this
percentage is about the same as in the 2005–2006 season (then it was 1.4 per-
cent), GLAAD found that the profile of the character roles has been greatly
reduced from one year to the next. Not surprisingly, characters and storylines
with varied sexualities are more easily found on cable networks and in un-
scripted reality and competition programming. Interestingly, given our discus-
sion above, for the first time in U.S. television history the three networks that