375:"Eminently visual; cheap, provided the actors are willing; controversial, year in and year out; and elegantly reversible (sweeps lesbians typically vanish or go straight when the week's over), kisses between women are perfect sweeps stunts. They offer something for everyone, from advocacy groups looking for role models to indignation-seeking conservatives, from goggle-eyed male viewers to progressive female ones, from tyrants who demand psychological complexity to plot buffs."
267:. Arnold stated that he was told by network executives that "a woman cannot kiss a woman. It is bad for the kids to see," and that the network stood to lose up to $ 1 million in advertising revenue. In response, Barr threatened to move her series, then one of the most popular on television, to another network. LGBT media watchdogs the
217:. ABC initially planned not to air the episode. The network eventually relented and the episode was viewed by an audience of some 30 million people. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was an early entry on a list of American television episodes in which a lesbian or possibly lesbian character kisses a straight-identifying character. These
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called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" "a small step forward for the stirring of homosexuals into the
American melting pot" and a "sophisticated half-hour turned homophobia on its ear". "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" scored 30 million viewers upon first airing. Approximately 100 telephone calls came in to ABC in
275:
declared the episode an insult to
American families. ABC eventually relented and not only aired "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" uncensored, but began specifically promoting it as "the lesbian kiss episode". The network did, however, place a parental advisory warning on the episode. At least one sponsor,
290:
said was motivated by "their fear from dealing with
America as it is". Barr spoke about the controversy the week before the episode aired, questioning network standards that deem it "shocking to see a woman kiss another woman but not shocking to see a woman raped, mutilated and shot every two
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could hear male hustlers talk about their johns, but the only sex they got to see involved the precinct's straight cops—naked butts and all. Clearly, chastity was the price gay characters paid for admission to prime-time television in the
245:). Roseanne is having fun until Sharon kisses her, causing Roseanne anxiety. The next day, after discussing the kiss with Jackie and getting into an argument with Nancy, Roseanne realizes that she may not be as cool as she thinks she is.
392:, which also aired on ABC, the controversy over this and other television episodes that made inroads into presenting same-sex sexuality or affection led producers not to present any sexualization of their gay and lesbian characters.
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427:) is distressed at seeing two men kiss and Roseanne chastises him for making a fuss about two people of the same sex kissing. Sharon then sits down behind Roseanne and says hi. Her cameo serves as a
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that her kiss with Amanda
Donohoe's C.J. was a ratings ploy and that there was never any intention on the part of producers to seriously explore the possibility of a relationship between two women.
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often occurred during times of the year when networks were most concerned about generating ratings, and have come to be viewed by some critics as gimmicks to help secure those ratings.
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329:). The kiss led to complaints to the network and five sponsors pulled their ads from the episode. In reviewing incidents of lesbian kisses on network television programs,
213:"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" generated enormous controversy before it aired because it included a same-sex kiss between Roseanne and Sharon, played by guest star
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During a period in network television history when producers were pushing the broadcast boundaries on sexually explicit content with such shows as
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was one of the first
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response to the episode, with most of them being positive. Writers Stan
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to determine advertising rates. Noting lesbian kisses during sweeps periods on such shows as
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had aired an episode that included a kiss between bisexual-identified character C.J. Lamb (
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ABC, fearing viewer and sponsor backlash, initially planned not to air the episode.
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over the summer - in which she kissed all three female cast members and director
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noted that they tended to happen during "sweeps" periods, when the networks use
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Hemingway had also playfully made light of the controversy outside of
233:) goes out dancing at a gay bar called "Lips" with her sister Jackie (
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551:"Advertising; Big Marketers Are Divided On Issue of Homosexuality"
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Mariel
Hemingway reprised her role as Sharon in the 1995 episode "
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Up from
Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men, and the Media in America
180:" is the eighteenth episode of the sixth season of the American
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206:. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" originally aired on March 1, 1994 on
202:. It follows lead character Roseanne Conner on her visit to a
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urged ABC to air the kiss uncensored, while the conservative
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went public with the network's decision in an interview with
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episode and noting that they occur about once per year, the
637:"Critic's Notebook; It's February. Pucker Up, TV Actresses"
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Censoring Sex: A Historical
Journey Through American Media
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611:"Back in the Day: The Kiss Heard Around the World"
474:"ABC to air 'Roseanne' seg with warning label"
396:"So viewers got to see Carol and Susan wed on
379:Michele Greene confirmed in an interview with
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269:Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
229:To prove that she's cool, Roseanne Conner (
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16:18th episode of the 6th season of Roseanne
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325:) and straight-identifying Abby Perkins (
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585:"Los Angeles Uncovered: Two of a Kind"
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309:award for their work on the episode.
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662:"Interview with Michele Green (sic)"
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635:Heffernan, Virginia (2005-02-10).
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1019:1994 American television episodes
241:) and Nancy's girlfriend Sharon (
664:. AfterEllen.com. Archived from
613:. AfterEllen.com. Archived from
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419:) marries his boyfriend Scott (
549:Elliott, Stuart (1994-02-23).
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731:. Columbia University Press.
746:. Rowman & Littlefield.
716:. Rutgers University Press.
698:transcript: Mariel Hemingway
151:"Don't Make Room for Daddy"
714:Gay TV and Straight America
591:. Vol. 27, no. 14
517:"Journal; What Now My Love"
472:Lowry, Brian (1994-02-18).
423:). Roseanne's husband Dan (
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742:Semonche, John E. (2007).
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609:Lo, Malinda (March 2005).
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249:Reception and controversy
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727:Gross, Larry P. (2001).
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200:Philip Charles MacKenzie
70:Philip Charles MacKenzie
769:Internet Movie Database
111:March 1, 1994
47:Sharon kissing Roseanne
952:Awards and nominations
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890:Don't Ask, Don't Tell
883:A Stash from the Past
765:Don't Ask, Don't Tell
446:recast and re-branded
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273:Media Research Center
219:lesbian kiss episodes
178:Don't Ask, Don't Tell
24:Don't Ask, Don't Tell
924:Twenty Years to Life
904:Into That Good Night
712:Becker, Ron (2006).
237:) and friend Nancy (
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441:Saturday Night Live
363:in addition to the
257:executive producer
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555:The New York Times
332:The New York Times
301:The New York Times
294:Television critic
137:Episode chronology
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539:Gross, p. 90
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966:The Conners
812:The Conners
417:Martin Mull
360:Ally McBeal
278:Kraft Foods
94:W.G. Walden
66:Directed by
1013:Categories
829:Dan Conner
821:Characters
707:References
672:2008-11-02
646:2008-11-01
621:2008-11-02
595:2008-11-17
560:2008-11-17
526:2008-11-17
483:2008-11-17
296:Frank Rich
291:seconds".
259:Tom Arnold
192:James Berg
115:1994-03-01
80:James Berg
76:Written by
61:Episode 18
931:Knee Deep
589:Frontiers
404:NYPD Blue
389:NYPD Blue
975:Episodes
945:See also
853:Episodes
844:Roseanne
806:Roseanne
436:Roseanne
429:callback
365:Roseanne
342:L.A. Law
318:L.A. Law
313:Roseanne
255:Roseanne
187:Roseanne
148:Previous
53:Episode
33:Roseanne
915:Revival
478:Variety
407:1990s."
399:Friends
264:Variety
204:gay bar
184:series
157: →
146:←
113: (
36:episode
750:
735:
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456:Notes
369:Times
809:and
748:ISBN
733:ISBN
718:ISBN
357:and
225:Plot
194:and
155:Next
767:at
298:of
283:Out
208:ABC
103:718
55:no.
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