What's going on with As the World Turns, Passions and Hollyoaks

While we're waiting for Noah and Luke to get some screen time on As the World Turns and for JP's friendship with Craig to turn into romance on Hollyoaks, here are a few items to hold you over.

• First off, if you want to know about As the World Turns' recent shoot in Branson, the Springfield News-Leader covered the event and talked with fans who hoped to catch a glimpse of the soap stars. There's not much to read about Van Hansis or Jake Silberman but some of the fans' statements got me thinking about the significance of a character like Luke Snyder. The fans talk about years of watching the show with family members and when you spend that much time with fictional characters they feel like a part of the family. Unlike other gay men on American soaps, Luke has been a part of the ATWT tapestry since birth; after watching the character grow up, this is very much like having a family member come out.
• Meanwhile, Out talks with Silberman. It's short, but when Silberman talks about realizing that the role of Noah was much bigger than the usual acting job, that got me thinking. Usually when you see this much anticipation over a soap opera storyline, there's a popular star or an established, well-liked character returning. In this case, there's been little hype and yet the Net is abuzz over this storyline (which has only been seen for one day in two weeks). I think that demonstrates the hunger to see a male romance in daytime. I've been thinking about what Michael said in reaction to Enrique Iglesias' G-A-Y serenade about how gay men still feel unaccepted by society. Here is another area where that strong desire to feel like an equal demonstrates itself. For years, gay men on soaps have been catalysts for storylines about tolerance, but the Luke/Noah romance would be one of the first times when a gay character was granted a full range of emotions, and not just someone to spur discussions of social issues.


Catch some Passions and Hollyoaks nuggets after the break...

• Who's watching Passions? I'm curious what our readers think of the current storylines, because I've been debating if I should feel offended or not. Soon after Whitney discovers her husband having sex with Vincent, she accuses him of risking exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. Didn't the image of bisexual men infecting heterosexual women with "gay" STDs get banished by the 90s? (Additionally, does a woman with a friend who is currently trying to hide that she had a baby with her stepson really get to hold the moral high ground?) Meanwhile, it's looking like the He/She blackmailer will turn out to be Vincent. If that turns out to be the case, he'll be a murderous bisexual who wears a dress to commit his crimes (well, half a dress). Again, isn't this a bad stereotype that should have gone away long ago?
• Finally, here's a clip of Hollyoaks' James Sutton being interviewed at the British Soap Awards. The interviewer tries to get a "Kissing guys is icky!" out of Sutton but he dodges that, noting that, after the first time "It's not a big deal."