P&G promotes explicit open-mouth homosexual kissing

It didn't take long for the crazies at the AFA (American "Family" Association) to come back out of the woodwork to complain about the Luke and Noah kiss on Wednesday's episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS. I seriously doubt these people actually watch the show and probably just found out it while surfing for gossip on Perez Hilton. Below is their latest Action Alert. Open-mouth homosexual kissing? OMFG!!! There is so much I could pick apart here but their hatred speaks for itself. Meanwhile, they have no issues with the rest of ATWT as all the other characters have such high "moral" values. Procter & Gamble promotes explicit open-mouth homosexual kissing Procter & Gamble has resumed using explicit, open-mouth homosexual kissing in their soap opera, "As the World Turns." P&G decided to include this type of content as a commitment to "diversity." P&G stopped showing such scenes some months ago, but has now decided to again help promote the homosexual agenda which includes homosexual marriage. Gay activists are hopeful that the P&G effort will desensitize viewers to the homosexual lifestyle and help make the unhealthy and immoral lifestyle more acceptable to society, especially to children and youth. View a scene from the April 23, 2008 episode by P&G. WARNING – content is repulsive! "As the World Turns" is owned and controlled completely by P&G. No network made this decision. P&G alone made the decision to support the homosexual agenda.

The One Life To Live 40th Anniversary Trivia Book

1 "A Fun, Fact-filled, Everything-you-want-to-know-guide to Your Favorite Soap" is how the new "One Life to Live 40th Anniversary Trivia Book" is described on the cover. I received an advanced copy today and I think fans will be pleased. First, there is a year by year breakout of milestones and news items which succinctly summarize the past 40 years. Then there is a detailed look at many of the memorable cast members featured on the show. The book goes on to cover tales from backstage, personal facts about the actors, interesting plotlines, memorable fan ecounters and a recap of OLTL Emmy history. Some of the interesting trivia samples include: * What kiss caused an ABC affiliate in Texas to drop the show? * Plans to launch a doll of which character sparked outrage? * Which villain spoofed Tom Cruise's couch-jumping antics on "Oprah"? * Which character was based on Paris Hilton? * What popular singer agreed to perform on the show only if her grandmother, a longtime fan, could be on the set? * During which location shoot did one of the show's stars step into an actual pool of quicksand? You'll find all those answers and much more in the book, available in July from Hyperion Books. ABC will celebrate the 40-year milestone with 40 days and 40 nights of ONE LIFE TO LIVE promotions. The book will worked into that publicity.

Today's Soap Star Birthdays

Michael Damian (Danny, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 46 McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan, PASSIONS) - 31 Olivia Birkelund (ex-Arlene, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 35 Jordana Brewster (ex-Nikki, AS THE WORLD TURNS) - 28 Charissa Cree Chamorro (ex-Sophia, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 31

ATWT Fan Club Luncheon

I am attending the AS THE WORLD TURNS Fan Club Luncheon this afternoon. I will return on Sunday afternoon with a full report and pictures.

Evening News

Goutman finally speaks on Nuke Jennifer Lenhart interviewed AS THE WORLD TURNS Executive Producer Christopher Goutman recently for an upcoming issue of Soap Opera Digest and asked all the right questions. An excert has been released with Goutman making the following statements: 1 Digest: Let's talk about the Luke/Noah kiss campaign. What was your reaction to the fact that the fans did this? Goutman: I think it's great. Luke and Noah are terrific. These two actors are fantastic and the response to this story is phenomenal. It's basically moved into the mainstream consciousness internationally, so for us, it's been great. Digest: Why haven't they kissed? Goutman: There are so many things that go into telling a story and telling it the right way. What I'm interested in is having a feeling for the constituency and the way to tell the story. We've told it very very slowly. I'm sure you know that Lily and Holden didn't kiss until three years. I really truly believe that everyone will come out thinking this story is really fantastic. Digest: Yes, but it's been implied that they're kissing off-screen. It almost seems like you're calling attention to the fact that you're not showing it by having them under the mistletoe leaning towards each other and having the camera pan away. Goutman: It makes people mad, doesn't it? Digest: It really does. Goutman: Just as long as we don't make them too mad that they don't keep tuning in. Digest: Have you gotten hate mail? Goutman: No. We've gotten a lot of frustration and a lot of very positive things about this couple. They're two boys. They live in a midwestern town. We're not in New York City. We're not in Greenwich Village. Digest: I just have to come out and ask: Have you specifically been asked to have them not kiss? Goutman: I've never been asked for them not to kiss. I've been asked to keep in mind all of our constituency, as far as who we serve as an audience. At the end of the day, I think people will be very happy. The story is a continuing story, and as we continue this, the Luke/Noah story will develop in a way that will be incredibly interesting and rewarding. Conservative Group Fired Up Over Gay Kiss on TV When it comes to gay kissing and soap operas, you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Just ask Procter & Gamble Co., though its long-lagging soap opera AS THE WORLD TURNS just may be benefiting from the controversy. Rowell talks foster care in Iowa A former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS star was in Iowa Friday to talk about the importance of foster care. Victoria Rowell was the keynote speaker for this year's Children and Families of Iowa "elevate our youth to adulthood event." EVENT: Universal Studios Hollywood “Eco-Fair Sat., April 26, 10 am - 4 pm at the Universal Globe Fountain at main entrance of Universal Studios Hollywood, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. DAYS OF OUR LIVES stars will autograph reusable bags and give out CFL bulbs at this free eco-fair, featuring over 30 interactive exhibits. Attendees are also invited to bring their household hazardous waste or e-waste to the event for free drop-off -- and free parking! Hybrid drivers can also park free. Former DAYS star Winter gets raves in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay "If there's something good about this movie, other than the aforementioned Harris cameo redux, it's DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Eric Winter as the bad guy, Colton. He nails the role, with his disingenuous smile, cocky attitude and glossy good looks." AMC's Thorsten Kaye updates his NHL playoff blog No Forsberg, shaky D...but a win. That's what matters. GH Finally Admits That Mobsters Kill People! Well, it's finally happened. It's come at a horrible price of a fictional child viewers watched grow up, but it had to happen — GENERAL HOSPITAL has finally figured out that mobsters are murderous criminals, that women who chose to be with mobsters put themselves and their families in the line of fire, that professional killers are not more heroic than police officers and members of the Armed Forces, and, generally, that crime doesn't pay. 6th Annual Omni Youth Musical & Actor Awards Gala The 6th Annual Omni Youth Musical & Actor Awards Gala, honoring young dancers, singers, actors, instrumentalists, and comedians, will be held Sunday, May 11. Awards will be presented by stars from shows such as DEXTER, BROTHERS & SISTERS, HEROES, MY NAME IS EARL and DAYS OF OUR LIVES. UGLY BETTY demotes Rebecca Romijn Alexis Meade will become a recurring character next year.

News Brief

Re-smooch: Fans rejoice that AS THE WORLD TURNS' Noah and Luke have kissed again Lynn Smith of the Los Angeles Times, one of the first writers in the media to pick up on the initial "Support Luke and Noah in the Media Week" blitz, has now written a follow up article: "Nuke" fans—that is, fans of Noah and Luke, the gay couple on “As the World Turns” — are busy messaging the media again. Back in February, they organized an onslaught of e-mails protesting a perceived ban on gay kissing. While all the heterosexual couples kissed, Noah and Luke hadn’t kissed for months. Our article quoted a spokesman for Proctor & Gamble, the show’s sponsor, who explained that soap operas always want to keep viewers wanting more. If that’s the case, it worked beautifully. After 211 days — and believe me, the fans were watching and counting — another kiss has been recorded. And in another happy blizzard of e-mails, they are celebrating that it wasn’t “just a peck.” Typical subject line: "Rejoice, for the Kissing Ban is Over!!!" And "Kissing Accomplished." One wrote, "We expect the show to continue to feature the couple kissing whenever a scene calls for it. If they do, they definitely deserve some major kudos ... . I can imagine the American Family Association ... will be upset with them." Yes, indeed, activists from the other camp also issued a press release saying P&G promotes "explicit open-mouthed homosexual kissing" and more. A link to the kiss is attached — with a warning. I expect the 2008 Kiss Watch to continue — with viewer engagement ratings to soar. VIDEO: DAYS Weekly Preview 1 Heather Tom's "Horror Vault" available now The "Horror Vault" which has been in the works for now well over two years was released on April 24. It is now available at www.thehorrorvault.net. The film is an anthology and consists of nine small stories, very inspired by the pasts Creepshow, Tales from The Crypt and of course Masters of Horror. "Delusion" is a black/white 50ies style of horror drama, directed by Mark Machillo, starring Jonaton Trent, Heather Tom (THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) and many others. OUT OF THE BLUE, BBC's new Aussie soap, has a British feel Battered by more than 20 years of 16-year-olds pashing and squabbling, and tear-aways becoming responsible citizens of Ramsay Street and Summer Bay, it is very strange to watch the first five episodes of a new Australian soap opera that doesn't - at this early stage anyway - have a teenage focus. Odder still is that the BBC has commissioned OUT OF THE BLUE to be made in Australia. The logic, and financial sense, of this escapes me - couldn't they just make a new British soap? - but, hey, everyone runs around on the beach in skimpy clothing and it looks pretty. A BBC spokesman says: "The majority of drama shown across the BBC is UK produced. The BBC commissioned this new production to offer audiences a different flavour and perspective which complements existing UK series such as DOCTORS."

Shout-out to Tom Casiello

I was reading the latest blog by Emmy winning writer Tom Casiello and he says some very kind words about me so I wanted to publicly thank him. I met Tom back in 2001 and he is a such a first class guy. His work on the soaps, most recently on DAYS where he was sensational, has been noticed by soap fans eveywhere. But it is his integrity and love for the genre that I appreciate the most. He has been one of the folks in daytime who really "gets it" and I wish him the very best in all future projects. I have no doubt he will continue to be the success he's always been.

The State of Soaps Today

The Chronicles of von Klapp blog has published an article on the state of soaps today. I was interviewed for this story along with hilarious Snark from Snark Weighs In and Timothy Rost from Celebrating the Soaps. We discuss the new GUIDING LIGHT production model, the impact of the writer's strike and more. Check it out here.

Evening News

Daytime Nielsen ratings for the Week of April 14-18, 2008 From the ABC press release: * For the seventh straight week, "General Hospital" stood as Daytime's No. 1 program in Women 18-34 (1.1 rating/364,000), and placed a strong No. 2 in Women 18-49 (1.5 rating/1.00 million). * In Women 18-49, ABC was home to 3 of Daytime's Top 5 programs: "General Hospital" (#2, 1.5 rating/1.00 million), "The View" (#4T, 1.3 rating/862,000) and "One Life to Live" (#4T, 1.3 rating/841,000). * In Women 18-34, ABC owned 3 of Daytime's Top 5 programs: "General Hospital" (#1, 1.1 rating/364,000), "One Life to Live" (#4, 0.9 rating/296,000) and "The View" (#5T, 1.0 rating/327,000). * In direct competition, "General Hospital" more than doubled CBS' "Guiding Light" (3:00 - 4:00 p.m.) in Women 18-34 (109% - 364,000 vs. 174,000), and surpassed the time period competitor by a considerable 40% in Women 18-49 (1.00 million vs. 715,000) and by 16% in Total Viewers (2.82 million vs. 2.43 million). Following are the Daytime Lineup averages, plus Top 5 Programs Ranks - Week of April 14-18, 2008:Daytime Rank: Total Viewers Women 18-49 (Rtg/000s) No. 1 CBS 3.67 million No. 1 NBC 1.4/950,000 No. 2 ABC 2.75 million No. 2 ABC 1.3/875,000 No. 3 NBC 2.72 million No. 2 CBS 1.3/836,000 Top 5 Daytime Programs in Women 18-49 (rank based on rating) Program Net Rtg/000s The Young & the Restless CBS 1.7 /1.12 million General Hospital ABC 1.5/1.00 million Days of Our Lives NBC 1.4/950,000 The View ABC 1.3/862,000 Bold and the Beautiful CBS 1.3/844,000 One Life to Live ABC 1.3/841,000 As the World Turns CBS 1.3/827,000 Interview with DAYS actress Kristen Renton On playing her character Morgan: "I'm still everyday kind of finding new quirks about her and that's part of the fun of it all to be honest. She's quite feisty and every now and then there's a new little thing I find out about her. But we're a lot alike in a lot of different ways, so I do feel like I know her." Ne-Yo to appear on ALL MY CHILDREN Ne-Yo is coming closer to Pine Valley. The singer-songwriter will perform his songs "Closer" and "Stop This World" during an ALL MY CHILDREN guest stint set to air May 21 and May 22. Ne-Yo will appear on the ABC daytime soap during the long anticipated second wedding of Angie and Jesse Hubbard, the supercouple played by Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams. The Hoff in the Hospital According to his publicist, Judy Katz, former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS star David Hasselhoff was admitted to the UCLA Medical Center this past Saturday to have something removed from above his eye. "He's fine, he had something removed, he's coming out tonight," Katz said to the Associated Press on Monday, not elaborating on what he had removed. Hasselhoff is still in the hospital, though, according to his assistant, who drove him there. Elwood back to ATWT Alex Charak will reprise his role as Elwood on AS THE WORLD TURNS on May 6.