Why won't As the World Turns let gay teens Noah (Jake Silbermann) and Luke (Van Hansis) kiss on screen, much less have sex? Are execs at the CBS Procter & Gamble soap homophobic? Are they running scared of antigay Christian groups? Or is this a brilliantly masterminded tease guaranteed to make salivating Nuke fans tune in tomorrow?

Whatever the case, this is the biggest controversy to hit soaps in years. Legions of pissed-off Nuke-anistas — a lot of them straight — have spammed the media with complaints about bias against the duo, and many are calling for a viewer boycott. Meanwhile, the right-wing American Family Association reportedly wants the teens dropped from the soap and has asked P&G to make it happen. P&G has banned ATWT executive producer Chris Goutman from speaking to the press about Nuke, so I contacted CBS daytime chief Barbara Bloom to get her POV.

"I can assure you there is no homophobia on the part of the network, nor are we pandering to any group," Bloom claims. "We have not censored ATWT or asked them to hold back in any way." And she's all for having the two boys go all the way — some day. "I really hope the show will continue to evolve the Luke and Noah story, and that they culminate their relationship the way all couples in love do."

But until then, why the almost puritanical lack of intimacy? At Christmas, the camera panned away as the boys were about to smooch, and focused instead on the mistletoe. On Valentine's Day, every ATWT couple shared a liplock except Nuke. And the roadblocks! Earlier this month Noah married Iraqi refugee Ameera (Tala Ashe) to keep her from getting deported.

"I understand why all this makes people scream," Bloom admits. "The only thing you're going to get out of me is that the pacing is slower with Luke and Noah than it is with other romances on ATWT. But that's good storytelling. We're in the business of getting people to watch more."

My take? I think the folks at ATWT are loving the scandal and milking it for all it's worth. How else to explain that recent scene where Luke — in a nod to the controversy — leaned into Noah and seductively whispered, "What is hotter than a forbidden romance?" — Michael Logan

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Soaps-News/Atwt-Gay-Nuke/800036717

It seems all along that CBS was not the ones responsible for any type of censoring, many had the feeling about this. This is definitely all PGP. Though this has nothing to do with storyline pacing. The fans who want kisses want them when the scenes call for them. Panning up somewhere or cutting immediately to another scene just as they're a centimeter away from locking lips or them being so close to kissing, then staring at their mouths like they don't know what to do next has nothing to do with that at all.

them perverted gays bitch about anything. I mean, they should be glad neither have them have been left like scarecrows. Gays bitch about everything, people don't want to see homos kissing, but they're okay with rape scenes (as long as it's hetero) and violence on the same soap because that's natural.

;)

them perverted gays bitch about anything. I mean, they should be glad neither have them have been left like scarecrows. Gays bitch about everything, people don't want to see homos kissing, but they're okay with rape scenes (as long as it's hetero) and violence on the same soap because that's natural.

;)

:lol:

You got me! For a minute I was like, "Huh?"

I used to care about this couple, but really, what's the point anymore? I felt obliged to care because it was such an important thing, but if the writing sucks, and the couple has no chemistry, and they're barely shown anyway, what's the point?

I miss Kevin. Now Luke and Kevin were a storyline to get behind. They made sense. Noah and Luke's feelings came out of NOWHERE, and to this day, months later, I still don't understand why they kissed the first time or why they are together.