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Charlie & Joey
Topic Started: Apr 22 2010, 10:44 PM (993 Views)
HBIC
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HBIC
Apr 22 2010, 10:44 PM
Go for it.
Oh look I can post as a guest. I love your Nicole icon.
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Interesting article about how soaps in the UK and Australia are very different

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Ordinary People
In soapland, being gay is no longer the whole story

As Christian and Syed's affair scandalises EastEnders, Aaron's struggle to accept that he's gay electrifies Emmerdale and Coronation Street's Sophie and Sian tentatively embark on a romance, you might imagine that it never rains but it pours when it comes to Soapland portrayals of gay people's lives. But this trickle comes after a drought during which gay men and lesbians rarely saw themselves reflected on TV, or if they did, saw distorted stereotypes.

Years of well-intentioned tokenism spawned the likes of Brookside's Gordon Collins in 1982 and EastEnders's Colin Russell (whose chaste kiss with Barry in 1987 exercised the tabloids), and girl-on-girl kissing, notably in Brookside in 1994 involving Anna Friel, which worked the tabloids into a lather in an entirely different way.

Coronation Street was perhaps the first to create, in Sean, a funny, touching, rounded - and popular - gay character entirely at ease with his sexuality. But too often the period that followed, what we might call the downright offensive years, featured one-dimensional gay characters who were defined by their sexuality - coming out was their only story - and once that was played out, they became so dull that they made Pauline Fowler's cardigan collection look like techicolour dreamcoats.

So what has changed? Is there a liberal agenda at work or is it simply a recognition that gay people have as much right to see themselves on TV as anyone else?

Corononation Street series editor Louise Sutton says, " We've a responsability to represent all aspects of a diverse society - not just on a moral level but also because our advertisers want us to attract a broad audience - but our stories always spring from characters. As she grew up, we wondered who Sophie is and what makes her who she is".

And just as Sophie's journey towards Christianity was plausible, you can see why she might also be a lesbian (mostly because of her heathern alleycat of a sister, Rosie) , so the Street's coup was making one of its regulars as a Lesbian Character. It challenges the audience to confront any prejudices about lesbian being "other".

Emmerdale series producer Gavin Blyth says the Aaron storyline also arose from discussions of the character, as opposed to any right-on desire to redress the balance. "Coming out stories aren't new", says Blyth, acknowledging that Todd Grimshaw came out in Coronation Street years ago. "But we wanted to focus on Aaron's inner struggle and how that affects those around him". Certainly, Emmerdale has pushed the envelope in exploring what gay rights organisation Stonewall would describe as Aaron's "internalised homophobia". Stonewall spokesman Gary Nunn says that Emmerdale also shows how young gay and lesbians suffer when they don't have access to the support networks available in the big cities. "For all the progress, young people are still isolated and alone, and stories such as Aaron's have a very real impact on their lives".

Stonewall praises the three big soaps, and Hollyoaks, for showing a richer variety of gay characters than ever before: "For those who don't often see their lives reflected accurately, this can only be a good thing".

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Although I do have one question for the writers of this article, what does Rosie being a giant slapper have to do with Sophie being gay?
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I don't understand how soaps in the UK can have so many gay characters without any fuss but the second there's a hint that a character on an Australian soap is less than straight there's always a 'controversy'. It's ridiculous.
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Apr 23 2010, 12:57 AM
I don't understand how soaps in the UK can have so many gay characters without any fuss but the second there's a hint that a character on an Australian soap is less than straight there's always a 'controversy'. It's ridiculous.
I don't think there has been any newspapers reporting a contraversy over the Aaron storyline or the Sophie/Sian one but some Muslim groups said the Syed/Christian plot made Muslims look bad, and there I was thinking that Zainab saying her son "disgusted" her made Muslims look bad.

These characters look set to stick around for a good while and not dissapear of into the distance like Joey or Mandy/Shannon either.
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I just read that they've introduced a gay character into the Archie Comics. Kids read those comics (omg!), in fact kids/early teens are probably their target audience and yet they see no problem with introducing a gay character. H&A meanwhile are still stuck in the dark ages where children must be protected from the gays at all costs.

This is what the writer said about it:"We're trying to show that Riverdale is an accepting community, that everyone is welcome in Riverdale," he said. "We're trying to show that Riverdale is that ideal town that everybody wants to be a part of."

I wonder what the H&A writers are going for with their depiction of Summer Bay? That it's a town that will accept you, no matter your misdeeds, but only as long as you fit the heteronormative stereotype?
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it's great we can post as a guest on here without having to sign up. more forums should do this.
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They should have a sign up outside the Bay...killer, rapists and psycho welcome but no gays please.
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I'm sure Wart's got highway patrol on the job. They'll stop you as soon as you enter the town limits and question you to ascertain your straightness. Anybody who fails Wart's test (ie. if a male confesses to being a fan of Lady Gaga) will be turned away.
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Apr 23 2010, 02:09 AM
I'm sure Wart's got highway patrol on the job. They'll stop you as soon as you enter the town limits and question you to ascertain your straightness. Anybody who fails Wart's test (ie. if a male confesses to being a fan of Lady Gaga) will be turned away.
Well Wart needs to keep Joey out, he knows that Charlie will only date him if she is desperate and lonely.
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