Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann respond to charges that "As The World Turns" forbid them to kiss at GLAAD Awards

"It was our choice not to kiss each other on the red carpet. While we love and support the characters we play, we attended the Award show as actors, not characters."

^^ they're both missing the point. even if they decided "haha, we should kiss for like 2 seconds on the red carpet as a joke..." the point is....they were TOLD NOT TO. forbidden.

i know they're both playing gay characters and i could care less if they kiss off screen. the point is...it's bad enough their characters don't kiss...but for someone to even tell them "OMG DON'T KISS AT ALL AT THE AWARDS" - - just dumb.

hell, they probably weren't even thinking about doing that. but noooo....just to be safe, they were probably put in a room with lawyers and crap and had to sign a contract promising to not even look at each other the wrong way at the award show.

if i were an actor, i'd be fed up with this crap.

....didn't jokingly kiss at the podium like so many others have done for a lighthearted laugh at the whole situation. But then, in retrospect, I'm thinking this must be a huge issue within the inner sanctum of CBS and ATWT. If the powers that be really did tell them not to kiss then, they must really be running scared s***less from someone that is holding an anvil over their heads. Even having *this* kind of publicity must be freaking them out. If they (CBS & ATWT) were more scared of being made fun of by a red carpet or podium kiss than they were of the negative publicity of being caught "putting a mouth gag" on the boys, as it were, sounds like there is a hell of a lot more going on. Talk of the producers panicking must be more true than we even thought. And Van and Jake are caught in the centre of this storm just trying to do their craft.

It'll be interesting to see where this all leads.

I say we take the warning labels off everything and let nature take it's course.

SAY IT TOGETHER: "THEY ARE ACTORS; THEY ARE STRAIGHT IN REAL LIFE"

What is so difficult about this concept?! I think it is outrageous to ask them to kiss at an awards presentation where they are themselves.

The anger everyone has should be directed at the company responsible for creating and airing ATWT. They are the ones who are homophobic and want to have it both ways; kind of like Senator Craig.

Why?  What would be the purpose?  To give some cheap thrill to a few of their viewers.  I have to agree with Brent, they are two actors, regardless whether they are straight or gay in real life, they should not be expected to make a display if they don't want to, nor be asked too.  And if they don't they shouldn't be judged for not doing so. I mean really the article is unfair to the actors, one they are not Noah and Luke in real life and an "award they didn't deserve".  I understand the want for equal treatment on the show, I want to see that too, but it is also important to acknowledge strides that have been made.  And to not end up making these to actors feel regret for taking on these roles in the first place.

Brandon
www.brandonshea.com

I would have liked it if they could have responded more naturally; the "We were honored" bit seems scripted and artificial.

That being said, I feel bad for them; all this pressure and negative attention they're getting must feel awkward.

I mean, it's ok to be critical of ATWT for restricting their intimacy, but this is something else entirely.

Ok, these actors are straight, they deserve a great deal of credit for taking on the parts of gay men in the show to begin with. Why should thy kiss on the red carpet? They aren't lovers, it would be just stupid.

My objection is with ATWT not letting their storyline develop along normal lines. as real gay men they would be doing lots of kissing, hugging and holding hands by now, not to mention getting into bed.

ATWT has no trouble showing the hetero couples in bed together. Why can't they show Nuke, maybe just having an after sex conversation in bed, not making out even?

We don't know that they were told not to kiss on the GLADD awards, it's a rumor. even if they were, I'm sure they want to keep their jobs. ATWT needs to loosen up, until they do, these guy's have to do as they are told, or lose their income.

Dennis

that anyone would even conjecture that two straight men had to be told not to kiss.  They, indeed, are not their characters. 

Based on pure logic what would the network's legal remedy be if they had kissed? Even if they had the strictest morals clause in the world in their contracts kissing is not illegal or immoral in this country.

It is creepy that these FANatics are pulling every thread apart to find evidence of homophoia.  Nothing is perfect, ATWT is in new territory, be grateful they are moving ahead with the storyline.  They could easily cut the story and go back and show the Quaker Oats Lady having sex with the ex-boyfriend of her ex-husband's ex-girlfriend.  Be glad neither Luke or Noah is a lying, cheating, deceitful slut like the rest of the characters. Or, maybe that is coming.  It is afterall, a soap opera.

They can't win for losing, can they? 

I would suspect this started with a very innocent (and perhaps ill-advised) and typical request from a photog for the boys to smooch, they didn't for whatever reason, and given all the nonsense surrounding the show now and their ban on Luke and Noah kissing it blew up into a controversy.

I don't think any fans anywhere were expecting or even wanting them to kiss on the red carpet. 

The first thing to remember is that Tom O'Neil is an ignorant idiot, and his claim that Van and Jake were prohibited from kissing on the red carpet is entirely unverified. They just didn't kiss, so he makes it out to be some consipiracy.

Second, they are just actors, they're young, they're just starting in the business, and they're on a show that belongs to a genre that is ridiculed on a regular basis. In other words, they're not Chris Meloni and Lee Tergeson during their stint on OZ. To expect them to be is entirely unfair. I feel bad for them, getting put into such a position.

Maybe I'm becoming cynical, but I'm tired of gay men embracing and then tearing down actors and entertainment that provides an outlet for a gay voice to be heard. There are valid criticisms of ATWT, but this is not one of them.

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Eh. While I do agree that it's a little strange to be worked up over two presumably straight actors not kissing on the red carpet, I do have to agree with the heart of the article. All this award does is tell P&G and ATWT and CBS that the main voice of GLBT represenation has no issue with the direction of the storyline and that said voice is more than happy to see it continue. I may not be some a-list celeb, but GLAAD is never getting a check from me again.

And a big hearty word to this:

Rosa Parks didn't give whites discriminating against African Americans an award because they let her sit in the back of the bus after slaves were freed. She joined other black pioneers who fought for full equality.

PLEASE stop throwing around accusations that someone is straight. *ahem*

And, honestly, if anyone thinks that these guys weren't fully aware of any repercussions from them kissing (even if they were okay with it), I want whatever you're smoking, because that must be some damn good stuff.  Maybe they didn't want to anyway, but you can bet your sweet ass it was made clear that they wouldn't regardless.

http://establisheddisestablishmentarian.blogspot.com/

A while back I asked the question on the ATWT forum here if you felt that Jake and Van should kiss at the GLAAD awards. I felt that it would be insulting if they kiss in public and not on camera. I still feel that way and commend the actors for not kissing if that was their choice.

They have been banned from kissing on camera, why should they kiss in real life? I don't care if either of the actors are gay or straight. If P&G told me not to kiss on camera, I wouldn't go out in public and satisfy the rabid fans and make light of the fact with a showy kiss.

Van said one thing that will always stick with me. He said that it was an honer to play a gay character (he said that many months ago.) ATWT had never come out to say that they are honored to present this story but seem to suggest that we should be honored to have them tell it. That means they are better than us.

I understand and totally respect the actors for not saying anything about P&G or saying anything that would damage their boss. This is Van's first acting job. You can expect to NEVER NEVER NEVER get another acting job after you have slammed your previous boss. P&G has put the actors on the spot. Certain fans stated that Van was inebriated at the awards. I suspect that all of this has been very difficult for him to shoulder. The company isn't helping too much. P&G are the cowards who have dumped this on the actors and on GLAAD. P&G would love to have this be a debate about the actors.

We might not know the real truth until the memoirs come out in 20 years. And I think we are missing the real story when we focus on 'kisses' and not 'fair and equal' treatment?

Tharrington, the spokesman for P&G, finally admitted they were caving to pressure from the right wing! That's huge people. Now, they have to decide which side they are on, if there even are side. But when you're dealing with AFA, yeah, there are sides.

As the soap expert at GLAAD, Damon Romine obviously is behind the ATWT nomination and he must find it hard to back down. He continues to assert that the story is romantic and therefore merits the award. He completely skips the fact that the characters are not being treated fair or equal, because on that issue they do not merit an award.

If P&G wanted to do the right thing, they would return the award, stating that they did not intend to divide this community but unite us.

GLAAD will never admit a mistake. Actually, they chose Van and Jake to give the power-point presentation of GLAAD's achievements, that is a 'poster child' role. If GLAAD had ever intended to diminish the flap, they would have asked someone else to give that part of the presentation. Instead they seem to have chosen the actors so they could appeal to members who might feel like dropping because of the award given to ATWT. In that way they are using the actors in the same way that P&G is using them.

The story here is not about a kiss. It's about GLAAD courting A-list over Gay-list.

Wow, this story has taken a turn for the bizarre.  Regardless of whether Van and Jake kissed or not, it is an INSULT for GLAAD to give ATWT an award for a storyline that's obviously been censored and represents a complete double standard versus the rest of the show.  Van and Jake are great.  If the award went to the actors I'd be fine with that, but the award honored the show itself.

For a long time I've felt GLAAD doesn't represent me and this just seals it.  How could they give an award to a show that has attracted protests and complaints for months?  This is the worst sort of cowtowing to power I have ever seen! (Or at least since the Grey's Anatomy award last year.)

As for the kiss business with Van and Jake, big deal.  Whether they were forbidden to kiss by ATWT is beside the point.  What matters is that the storyline has been hijacked because right wingers complained.  ATWT should have its award rescinded IMMEDIATELY.