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Seven censors Home & Away same-sex kiss

Home and Away bows to pressure and censors a same-sex kiss following a media frenzy.

hakcThe Seven Network has censored a same sex kiss in its soapie Home and Away.

A scene involving a kiss between Joey (Kate Bell) and Charlie (Esther Anderson) has been censored following media stories with lobby groups criticising the storyline in a ‘family’ show.

The plotline involves the arrival of a young lesbian who has become attracted to one of the show’s regular characters. As the two grow more intimate they were set to share an on-screen kiss. In last night’s episode (pictured) the two girls finished a dance with an awkward and hesitant moment before Charlie made a quick exit.

After media stories and criticism by lobby groups, Seven diminished the intensity of the romance between the two.

Seven has itself contributed to the media storm, which even led to UK press stories, first by talking to media about the upcoming plot and including debate on the subject in Today Tonight -the show that precedes the soap.

There is even the suggestion that the show has lost 100,000 viewers since the lesbian story became news.

The show’s average audience this year has been:
Week 7: 1,123,000
Week 8: 1,094,000
Week 9: 1,192,000
Week 10: 1,136,000
Week 11: 1,092,000 / (“Lesbian Story” breaks in media)
Week 12: 1,090,000
Week 13: 1,080,000

PG television allows for adult themes with limitations. A soap can depict romance as either heterosexual or homosexual. Seven fell within the boundaries of the PG ruling to include a same-sex kiss, just as it has kisses by straight characters.

The media outcry has been self-serving, with network and lobby groups each pushing their own agendas.

Family groups who attacked the storyline also did so purely on the promise of upcoming plotlines. They had not viewed the footage. Generally speaking, Seven doesn’t send previews of Home and Away.

The irony is Australia was the first country in the world to have an ongoing, sympathetic, openly gay character in Number 96 in the ’70s. Since then gay and bisexual characters have appeared on numerous soaps including Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, Pacific Drive, Water Rats, GP, Sweat, Raw FM, Breakers, The Secret Life of Us, All Saints, Rush, Love My Way, Satisfaction, The Circuit. 

While not all PG representations include scenes of romance, even Neighbours covered the same terrain as Home and Away in 2004 when Lana (Bridget Neval) was attracted to Sky (Stephanie McIntosh). That aired at 6:30pm. It had gay characters as far back as 1994 when Macca (John Morris) was a builder who worked with Doug Willis (Terence Donovan).

Out of the Blue is currently screening on TEN at 5:30pm with lesbians without any fuss. Poppy and Peta are wildly in love, however out of nowhere, Peta’s husband has turned up. Peta married him before she came out, and they’ve never been divorced.

All those ‘outraged’ by the present storyline have forgotten Home and Away itself has had gay characters. In 2003 Pippa and Christopher returned in 2003 for Sally’s wedding and revealed that Christopher was gay. A kiss was averted at the time during a non-mutual attraction. Back in 2006 Eve fell in love with Sarah Lewis which jealousy led to her becoming the notorious ‘Summer Bay Stalker’. Shannon (Isla Fisher) also left Summer Bay with her older lover Mandy.

In Reality Television diverse contestants are celebrated for their individuality: So You Think You Can Dance Australia, Big Brother, The Block, Australia’s Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, Strictly Dancing, Australian Idol amongst others.

Two same sex parents appeared years ago on Play School.

There is also a question of the H&A storyline choosing to include an attraction with a character who had previously enjoyed heterosexual storylines. Seven did not respond to questions about whether Charlie was therefore a bisexual character from the start, let alone how she is perceived by writers now.

Former Home and Away script producer Coral Drouyn has previously told backtothebay.net: “Home & Away should have a gay character. I tried several times but it ended up a debacle. It won’t happen while the present hierarchy is in place. I have found on various shows but especially H&A, often the most vehemently opposed person to a gay character is a gay person. Not from homophobia…but simply from fear of ratings.”

Ironically there are gays and lesbians workingin the Free to Air and Pay TV industry as writers, actors, directors, producers, publicists, executives and even programmers.

This smells more and more of a TV ‘gay panic’, with everyone getting last-minute nerves: the network, advertisers, lobby groups.

The missing ingredient in the decision making process is the audience.

Source:  The Australian

70 Responses

  1. Wow ….. Deja Vu Melrose Place over ten years ago …… c’mon ….. even America has advanced far enough to have same sex ksses in Brothers & Sisters.

    Do we really wanna slip behind America in the progressive stakes.

    The early evening UK soaps have gay storylines and kisses, why can’t we??? This issue has been pushed to the side for far too long.

    Why is it that you can have a young boy and girl on Home And Away engaging in hot steamy sex (an equally bad immoral role model for young kids), but we can’t show an affectionate and loving kiss between two women.

    Grow up Ch 7 and enter the 21st century.

  2. A lot of the people posting on this issue don’t seem to have watched the show. This story has been very delicately handled up till now and I’m certainly reserving judgement until I see the supposedly offending (some say muted) scene next week. Both sides of this argument seem to be guilty of the same thing, catastrophising about something they haven’t even seen yet. Given how well and openly the story has been handled until now, I would be surprised if does not continue in that vein this week. And as to Seven “hyping” this issue up. It seems to be the printed media doing most of that. All I’ve seen is a very sweet story about two women exploring their attraction to each other. Frankly I hope the kissing is scene is more sweet than graphic and lustful. It will be much more in keeping with the tone of the story up until now, rather than some form of gratuitous, extended girl on girl action.

  3. Lol Leo, it may be of interest to some people, but it would hardly rate through the roof. After all, the consensus here seems to be that it isn’t that big of a deal. If they took it some step further…….

  4. I thiink it would be ok if Seven treated the lesbian relationship as routine and not shocking.

    Rather than hype it up as a big event and a taboo broken.

  5. If channel 7 didn’t have theballs to go through with this plot properly, they shouldn’t have done it at all. Doing a half arsed attempt at this story line is insulting to it’s Gay viewers! What kind of message are they sending across to the public? that they’d rather accommodate their homophobic viewers instead? is that what Channel 7 are for? because that’s what it obviously looks like.

    In the year 2009 i never thought such a minor issue with a tv show would become such a big mess! I understand they have ratings they want to hit, but like i said before, “editing” things and “censoring” things is just a big spit in the face to the thousands of people who watch it and have no problem with it.

    This is a simple kiss we are talking about here, it’s not a rape scene or violent gorey R rated slaughter scene. How utterly ridiculous!

    How embarrassing on channel 7’s end, shame on yourselves.

  6. If channel 7 are going to censor the scene or any upcoming scenes for that matter – maybe they should play the uncensored version after 9pm for those that want to watch it – this will rate threw the roof, if thats all 7 are worried about!
    People’s curiosity gets the better of them & they will tune in to be so they can be part of the water cooler talks the next day at work!
    With all this publicity this is getting, 7 will be rubbing their hands with glee – I hope they do the right thing & show the scene or scenes uncensored!

  7. Gutless, That what seven is! Where are we heading when such censorship happens because of minority groups making a big fuss about it? Fasists!
    I’m willing to bet if there was no fuss before the event, no one would have cared after the event, other than the usual suspects!

  8. I’m certain if it was a boy-boy kiss on H&A, there’d be an even bigger uproar than the present one.

    Pleasantly surprised to see Brothers & Sisters not shying away from a full-on, man-on-man kiss, even if it was at 10.30pm when it aired on Monday, and a briefer kiss in bed earlier in the episode at around 9.35pm.

  9. The media do state that a ‘muted’ version of the kiss will still air.

    The scene originally panned out where they share a tender kiss, pull away, and then go in for a passionate one. The edit cuts to the ad break after the first kiss – and this may well be the cut that the media have picked up on, however its certainly not a noticeable cut if you haven’t seen the full version.

  10. the loss of 100,000 viewers was probably due to the pathetic storylines involving belle. two whole episodes of belle was enough to make me turn off the tele

  11. Re BTTB article:

    My sources indicate the kiss is indeed censored. That is, it will not air as it was originally delivered. Sources indicate it was toned down after the show got cold feet, and is not depicted with the same balance as it was shot or as depicted by straight couples.

    If you click on the link the original article in The Australian indicates a kiss in some form is still due to air on Tuesday. But not in the way it was originally delivered.

    TV Tonight stands by the claim it has been censored. We will have to wait and see exactly how much ends up on screen.

  12. Paull,

    why are you so afraid of your kids watching it? Are you scared that they’ll ask questions?

    Sheilding kids from this is only going to teach them that its something to be afraid of and we won’t get anywhere in life

  13. This is going to define me.

    Stokes, Leckie and co, better listen up.

    Your vision of heartland Australia and my vision are completely different things.

    The vision of roast chook, Holdens, Hills Hoists etc. that Stokes instilled at 7 is as outdated as 7 itself, lost in a new digital age, where tolerance is accepted.

    My vision is of where people are moving to, to escape the “Western Sydney vision”, Queensland where the sun shines, outdoor activity is a all-year affair and we would have a BBQ rather than a roast on Sunday night. It’s where we walk hand in hand, no matter what creed, race, religion, sex or orientation. Tolerance or “Heartland”? I would take tolerance any day.

  14. what next a lobby to campaign against any show that hasa church or minister for us souls that do not like churches ?
    next up a lobby group to campaign against Alf selling alcohol or the teens stealing cars etc..
    Seemslike lobby groups , however small have bigger voice than public.

  15. Actually, according to someone at HAA fansite BTTB, they have not censored anything.

    “Stories concerning Home and Away’s upcoming gay kiss between Charlie Buckton and Joey Collins are dominating the media today in Australia.

    Several papers are claiming that conservative lobby groups have forced Seven into cutting shots which show Joey and Charlie in a passionate kiss.

    However, BTTB can exclusively reveal that these articles are not true.

    A 100% reliable source on the show contacted us today to set the record straight, that the articles are completely unfounded and that the kiss will be airing on Tuesday night as originally planned.

    Tuesday’s episode will be the first time that the worried campaigners, fearing for the morals of youth of Australia, can see if they actually have got something to be worried about. We at BTTB can unequivocally state that they have nothing to fear but their fear.

    We all know how the press likes to fill in the gaps, and this is one such instance. Seven have remained firm in their resolve to deliver storylines dealing with wide ranging issues. This is one storyline among many, a love story, which like all Home and Away love stories will have its tender moments and it’s heartbreaking ones.

    We at BTTB fully support the actors, writers, producers and all connected with the show in standing up to outdated prejudices, which are attempting to sexualise what is, at heart, a very tender love story.

  16. This just increases my dislike of conservative and anti-gay groups, they just can’t tolerate anything that is regarded as “not normal” on TV.

  17. I am a 31 year old gay man and have always been quite comfortable with my sexuality and thankfully I avoided the trauma and homophobia a lot of young gay people suffer, personally, I dont care if these two kiss on screen or not, the reason why im quite angry with Channel 7 for this descion is that all the publicity this self censorship will get sends a really bad message to guys and girls that are growing up confused about their sexuality and by channel 7 doing this, they are effectively telling those young people (a lot of whom im sure watch H&A) that what they are feeling and perhaps doing with members of the same sex is wrong and shouldnt be seen by the general public. Seven must have known this storyline would cause somewhat of a backlash so im a bit confused why they proceeded with it if they werent going to stick to their guns no matter what. Ive been a regular H&A viewer for most of its 21 years but this decsion of sevens to censor this storyline, not the storyline itself, has me wondering if ill continue to watch.

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