Emotionality Running Wild and Disguised as Logic 3: The Soap Opera | Eden Reigal and Tamara Braun discuss ABC “All My Children” first Lesbian Wedding
February 17, 2009
eden reigal tamara braun
Gay Marriage Agenda: ABC “All My Children” shows First Lesbian Wedding
GoodSense politics had a great article yesterday based on CNN’s report of the “All My Children” lesbian “wedding.”
I’m not really sure how a lesbian plotline can be really interesting to the general public. Shocking, yes. Edgy, yes. Irresistible love story? ABC will find out.
Maybe every show needs a token same gender relationship these days. It helps to convince people that marriage is only love and sexual orientation and the fairy tale.
Some good quotes from the cnn article:
"When my character did first come out of the closet, there was a lot of negative reaction," said Eden Riegel, the actress who plays Bianca. Her character is the daughter of Erica Kane, a longtime mainstay on the show played by Susan Lucci.
"People were very protective of Erica Kane’s daughter, and I think that the beauty of the show is that we were able to reach people and get people sort of used to the idea," Riegel said.
And my favorite illogical statement:
Actress Braun said, "If you are brave enough to want to get married, especially with the divorce rate as high as it is, then you should have that right no matter what sex you are, who you love, what color you are, how many extra toes and feet you have … equal rights for all people."
Everyone already has the right to marry no matter what sex they are. Marriage is defined by gender, not sexual orientation.
Braun hasn’t thought about the argument long enough to realize “equal rights for all people” equals people who want to marry more than one person, or their sister, or their dad.
Entry Filed under: Same-Gender "Marriage"/Neutered Marriage, celebrities and marriage. Tags: same gender marriage, ABC, all my children, eden reigal, erica kane, tamara braun, lesbian wedding, neutered marriage, soap opera.
1.
Personal Failure | February 17, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Speaking as a member of the “general public”, which I can assure you that you are not, I might have found a lesbian wedding edgy 10 years ago, though certainly not shocking. Today? Neither edgy, nor shocking, and no more or less interesting than any other love story.
I do have to say, though, if you personally find such a thing objectionable, there’s this little thing, called a remote, that allows you to change the channel. Feel free to use it. I do when soaps come on.
2.
rubyeliot | February 17, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Don’t you worry PF, I don’t watch a lot of tv. Just pointing out to people how the media is used to normalize neutered marriage. Thank you for your comment.
3.
Beth V., Truth/Justice | February 17, 2009 at 7:51 pm
I used to watch All My Children with my mom when I was home sick from school, or sometimes over the summers when it wasn’t outdoor weather. I remember when Bianca first came out, and if I remember correctly, Erica (her mom) was portrayed as having a very hard time accepting her daughter’s announcement. A few years before that (when they had a different actress than Eden playing her) Bianca went through an anorexic period, so they’ve always written her as having a “hard life.” AMC always seems to win the Daytime Emmy for outstanding writing, but for the life of me I don’t know why. (I know this only because my mom keeps me informed. ^_^)
4.
Emissary | February 17, 2009 at 8:47 pm
This is an example of how repeated exposure can de-sensitize people to almost anything — violence, immorality, etc. Since all the states that have been given the chance have voted against same-sex marriage, it seems the “general public” are not for the idea. But if the meida can expose enough people (and especially children) to the idea, in a generation ideas will change. It seems that those who watch a lot of TV and those who don’t will end up with quite a different view of the world.
5.
rubyeliot | February 17, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Thanks beth, soap operas are sort of hilarious. my sisters and i joke about the characters/plotlines. probably in a few years eden and/or bianca will have another life crisis and have an affair with an ex-boyfriend…it goes on and on.
Emissary hits it right the head about the de-sensitization. (and soap operas de-sensitize on a lot of issues regarding marriage and family) .
6.
homemade lye soap | February 17, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I agree you cant rant when you have remote in your hand. Use it.
7.
{ Lisa } | February 17, 2009 at 10:03 pm
I completely agree. Repeated exposure does desensitize people. And we have been having this garage shoved in our faces weather we like it or not for years!
8.
rubyeliot | February 17, 2009 at 10:17 pm
homemade lye soap:
Could you please point out what you see as a rant?
The point of this post is to recognize the normalization of neutered marriage. Also, half the post discusses the comments of the actresses– which reveals their lack of understanding concerning the arguments around the issue.
9.
Euripides | February 18, 2009 at 5:36 am
“If you are brave enough to want to get married, especially with the divorce rate as high as it is, then you should have that right no matter what sex you are, who you love, what color you are, how many extra toes and feet you have … equal rights for all people.”
This is yet another reason why I don’t watch television – the vacuous inanity of Hollywood. Soap operas, targeted straight at women audiences, have done a great disservice to society. First, the constant and casual infidelities create a world for women where no relationship has any validity – not between men and women, not between parents and children. Why would same sex marriage be shocking within a social construct perpetrated by soap opera writers and producers?
The quote only proves that the actors believe the drivel that Hollywood preaches without really thinking about what a marriage is or what it should represent in our society.
Please folks, throw out your televisions and stop watching this stuff.
10.
rubyeliot | February 19, 2009 at 3:13 am
yep. thanks euripides