I heard a little about this show, and i really haven't seen this show before, so why was this show considered contro?

Soap was controversial because it had a lot of sexual humor in it. Even before it went on the air ABC had recieved 32,000 letters about the show and all but nine of those letters were against it. ABC affiliates had been picketed for planing to air it, and sponsors had been urged to boycott the show. Some ABC affiliates refused to carry it, and many who did ran it late at night. One of the characters, (Chester Tate) was always having extramarital affairs. There was a main character named Danny who was always involved in organized crime. Billy Crystal played a homosexual character named Jodie. This was one of the first series to feature a gay character.

I think that they should show it again! n@n needs to put it on, but they are such idiots it's prob. one of those shows cuz theu would think it's too controversial.oh well...

Originally posted by tcbubblegrl
I think that they should show it again! n@n needs to put it on, but they are such idiots it's prob. one of those shows cuz theu would think it's too controversial.oh well...

Yeah N@N is pretty dumb when it comes to showing controversial episodes. They skiped alot of FOL and DS episodes because they said it was to controversial so I don't think they will ever have this show on.

DJM77, you hit it right on the head. Billy Crystal portraying a homosexual struck a chord with most critics. I can remember the show as if it was yesterday, but it is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the show was on the air.

The show did however produce a very successful spinoff in Benson.

The biggest gripe, as remember back then, was that Corinne
<sp?> was dating a priest. The catholic church demanded the networks not air the show and led boycotts.
Hope tv land puts in on one of these days soon. I loved the spaceship storyline a lot. it was all good, though.

I hope some network shows this show soon. I'v never seen it but it sounds pretty good. I love controvesial shows.

hey, wasnt this show the first to have a homosexual character in it?

I believe so, however, Jack from Three's Company pretended to be gay, but he was not.

Being Gay was a taboo subject on television during those days, even though there were a number of actors who were gay in real life (i.e. Robert Reed from the Brady Bunch, Rock Hudson etc.)

Originally posted by Tiger32
I believe so, however, Jack from Three's Company pretended to be gay, but he was not.

Being Gay was a taboo subject on television during those days, even though there were a number of actors who were gay in real life (i.e. Robert Reed from the Brady Bunch, Rock Hudson etc.)
hmmmmm, interesting. I wonder what the first show to deal with homosexuality was.

There was a short-lived 1975 sitcom called Hot L Baltimore which had two gay characters. It was produced by Norman Lear. I'm not sure if Hot L Baltimore was the first sitcom to deal with homosexuality or not but it did precede Soap.

:crazy: "Soap" was so controversial because it didn't portray the family as being wholesome and proper. the biggest gripe coming from church groups who boycotted the show before it even aired! there was this one oddball preacher who actually wanted Susan Harris (the creator/writer) to let him approve the scripts before they hit the air!!?? i didn't see what all the fuss was about. i discovered the show in 1988 so maybe TV attitudes had changed in those 7 years "Soap" had been off the air and "Soap" wasn't shocking anymore? i don't know. Billy Crystal's gay character is the only thing i'd call controversial. the first openly gay character in my mind to grace American television was Jodie, of "Soap". in the '80s PBS started showing a British comedy, "Are You Being Served?", and the Mr. Humphries character was gay.

My father was a minister and he would not let us watch the show. I didn't actually see the show until a year after it was canceled, when I was 12 and it had gone into syndication. At that point, I completely fell in love with the series and have been hooked on it ever since. It belongs on DVD in its entirety. I have a few tapes, but I want it on DVD.:talk:

I would love to have Soap on DVD... I started watching it in '83, in reruns. I was hooked. It came on 5:30pm on our local nbc channel and then at 7:30pm on one of the cable channels on weekdays.

After reading all of this, I can see why Comedy Central dubbed Soap as "the show your parents were afraid to let you watch."

Did Billy Crystal ever kiss a man on Soap? I don't remember him kissing another man on here when i used to watch it.

Definitely controversial for all that has been previously mentioned.

It's funny how a lot of TV families I've seen over have always tried too hard to maintain that "wholesome" Larger Than Life image of what a family should be.

In Soap I found the fictional Tates and Campbells to be very refershing and honest about the way real people live as oppossed to The Brady Bunch or Leave It To Beaver who sort of swept things under the rug.

It's not a slam against them and I loved watching them when I was younger. But I felt more in tune with Jessica Tate because a lot of her traits were mine too. Every character in that show may have had their problems but they proved to me that it doesn't matter what kind of structure you base your family on, you are still very human.

Make no mistake they also did their best to overcome a lot of it
half the time and it helped to know that underneath their tragic situations that they were really good people. If they were my neighbors in real life I'd accept them for who they are and still are.



:cool:

On top of a sympathetic portrayal of a gay character (rare in primetime in the 70's, the show also had its fair share of racial, ethnic & religious humor. In fact, there are a lot of jokes that would not make it to air today.

For example, in the pilot, the Major calls Benson "boy" This would not be aired today as being too insensitive to blacks.

It's so ironic - compared to almost everything on the air today, Soap is tame! :eek:

I find it hilarious how controversial it was in the States. I saw it as a little kid in the early 80s in the UK, I adored it and my folks never had a problem with me watching it. Americans, eh? lol

If "Soap" seems tame today, it's because it paved the way for shows that followed. You have to consider the time, though- it was scandalous.

I would have loved to have been alive when this was all going on. I started watching Soap when I was thirteen, and I thought it was hilarious. Shows from back then weren't afraid to make fun of anything! I wish shows could be more like that today. Insead, they're afraid to do anything that might seem a little out of line. Besides, I think it was the fact that Soap was controversial that helped it to become more popular. Curiosity is a natural instinct.

I think it was the fact that Soap was controversial that helped it to become more popular. Curiosity is a natural instinct.

That and there was perfect chemistry between all the cast members.

Did Billy Crystal ever kiss a man on Soap? I don't remember him kissing another man on here when i used to watch it.

No. It was controversial enough just to have a gay character. Had there been a kiss, it would have given watchdog groups even more ammunition.

Now, such a kiss would be a selling point for viewers to watch.

Even though it was the 1970s, some people were still employing a 1950s mentality/outlook to what they watched, despite the inroads made by writer/producers like Norman Lear.

No. It was controversial enough just to have a gay character. Had there been a kiss, it would have given watchdog groups even more ammunition.

Now, such a kiss would be a selling point for viewers to watch.

Even though it was the 1970s, some people were still employing a 1950s mentality/outlook to what they watched, despite the inroads made by writer/producers like Norman Lear.


That's for sure. The "kiss that was heard around the world" was when Sammy Davis kissed Archie on the cheek in AITF. They wouldn't have dared crossed the line at that time having Billy kiss a guy.

My mom and I watched the show from day one and loved every minute of it. Actually I think you could get away with the Major referring to Benson as "boy" even today. Groups were just as sensitive back then about that - if anything almost moreso. It was an obvious reference to the old days of racism (where the Major didn't really mean to put down Benson, it was just "understood" in his day that a black man would be referred to as boy). Benson's reactions said it all anyway (and they were hilarious - it also helped set up the spinoff for Benson - proving that he sure wasn't a "boy").

I've seen it off and on in reruns, but no matter what station has it, they never seem to have the entire series and a lot of the best episodes aren't included. It's infuriating.

That and there was perfect chemistry between all the cast members.
Yes, they did. Though I admit being a bit jealous of Katherine Helmond's character because she had Gregory Sierra!! :mad: :lol:

What, not Robert Mandan? ;)

Yes, they did. Though I admit being a bit jealous of Katherine Helmond's character because she had Gregory Sierra!! :mad: :lol:

Haha, I'm just jealous of the girls that got to play Danny's girlfriends. My friend and I watch Soap, and we both agree... Ted Wass was hot;)

Haha, I'm just jealous of the girls that got to play Danny's girlfriends. My friend and I watch Soap, and we both agree... Ted Wass was hot;)
OK, you take Ted Wass and I'll take Gregory Sierra. :D

Isn't Gregory Sierra El Puerco? People really found/find him attractive?

Isn't Gregory Sierra El Puerco? People really found/find him attractive?
Yes, and YES!! :eyes:

Yes, and YES!! :eyes:


Count me in! There IS something just so sexy about that guy! Don't know what it is, but I've loved him from the time he played on All In The Family as the Jewish guy (the swastika ep).


And I also LOVED Ted Wass! OMG - that's what got me watching in the first place!!! Oh Danny Boy! ;) :lol:

And somewhere, John Byner sits alone, weeping... ;)

And somewhere, John Byner sits alone, weeping... ;)


:lol: Awww - Little Johnny was cute too! ;)

Count me in! There IS something just so sexy about that guy! Don't know what it is, but I've loved him from the time he played on All In The Family as the Jewish guy (the swastika ep).


And I also LOVED Ted Wass! OMG - that's what got me watching in the first place!!! Oh Danny Boy! ;) :lol:
Cathie, did you ever see Gregory Sierra's guest spot on Banacek? HE WAS SHIRTLESS!! :eyes: :drool: :faint: He was RIPPED, too. The episode is on DVD as well, so see it if you can. The name of the ep is "The Two Million Clams of Cap'n Jack".

No I really do not think that this show was controversial

OK, you take Ted Wass and I'll take Gregory Sierra. :D

I would in a heart beat ;)

No I really do not think that this show was controversial

By today's standards, no. But if you were around in the seventies like me, you understand why people thought it was controversial. Soap was a product of its time. It broke some boundaries as far as sitcoms went.

Having an openly gay character is nothing these days. Hell, it seems like some shows have them just to have a gay character. But back then, that kind of thing was almost forbidden.

^ Some of them seem to be written as gay just for the sake of being gay - not because it's relevant to the plot. ohno:

^ Some of them seem to be written as gay just for the sake of being gay - not because it's relevant to the plot. ohno:

Cat, once again, you are right on the mark.;)

Cat, once again, you are right on the mark.;)
Thanks - it's the same way in movies, too. ohno:

Thanks - it's the same way in movies, too. ohno:


Going for the "token gay" now I know.


No, I never saw Gregory shirtless......now THAT would be nice!!

Going for the "token gay" now I know.


No, I never saw Gregory shirtless......now THAT would be nice!!
Never fear, my dear - I just found THIS!! :drool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgOWOfGdcyY

Going for the "token gay" now I know.


No, I never saw Gregory shirtless......now THAT would be nice!!
Cathie - I was watching the movie Mean Dog Blues (I got it used and cheap on Amazon) and you'll love this scene. Gregory is an inmate on a chain gang. He is with the other prisoners waiting for their ahem - "exam" (;)) and is wearing nothing except a pair of black briefs. The label on the front says, "In case of fire, pull lever". :eek2: :faint:

Cathie - I was watching the movie Mean Dog Blues (I got it used and cheap on Amazon) and you'll love this scene. Gregory is an inmate on a chain gang. He is with the other prisoners waiting for their ahem - "exam" (;)) and is wearing nothing except a pair of black briefs. The label on the front says, "In case of fire, pull lever". :eek2: :faint:


I don't care if they yank this post....I...I..just have to...

I'd love to be the prison guard who had to do the exam....and I'd either would say the heck with waiting for a fire, or would purposely set one.....;) :p

I don't care if they yank this post....I...I..just have to...

I'd love to be the prison guard who had to do the exam....and I'd either would say the heck with waiting for a fire, or would purposely set one.....;) :p
Not if I get there first, sweetheart!! :p :D

Did you watch the clip I posted, Cathie?

i love controversial shows too. Shelley Morrison that was on Will&Grace was on SOAP and played a maid! I like these shows because they spent a lot of time trying to get by the censors and see what they could get away with.

i love controversial shows too. Shelley Morrison that was on Will&Grace was on SOAP and played a maid! I like these shows because they spent a lot of time trying to get by the censors and see what they could get away with.
Yeah, there's no way today that they could get away with a lot of the plots they did on Soap. Just like the Norman Lear shows, Soap was so un-PC! :cool:

Yeah, there's no way today that they could get away with a lot of the plots they did on Soap. Just like the Norman Lear shows, Soap was so un-PC! :cool:

Which is part of the reason it was so good. If you did shows like that now, you'd have every ethnic group, gay group, whatever group coming out of the woodwork to complain.:rolleyes:

Part of the reason I hate political correctness: You can't make fun out of anyone anymore.:eek:

Which is part of the reason it was so good. If you did shows like that now, you'd have every ethnic group, gay group, whatever group coming out of the woodwork to complain.:rolleyes:

Part of the reason I hate political correctness: You can't make fun out of anyone anymore.:eek:
BINGO!!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Monika, you rule!;)

Monika, you rule!;)
Thanks, so do you! :cool:

How about Billy, having a "relationship" with his high-school teacher!

On top of a sympathetic portrayal of a gay character (rare in primetime in the 70's, the show also had its fair share of racial, ethnic & religious humor. In fact, there are a lot of jokes that would not make it to air today.

For example, in the pilot, the Major calls Benson "boy" This would not be aired today as being too insensitive to blacks.
Well, you have to keep in mind the major, wasn't dealing with "a full deck", just like Alice Ghostley's Berniece on Designing Women, more than once chanting, "black man, black man....where did you come from", directed towards Anthony, a decade or so later.

How about Billy, having a "relationship" with his high-school teacher!
That plotline was way ahead of its time!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

That plotline was way ahead of its time!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Yes, but even though it was the un-PC seventies, they still waited until Billy turned 18 before he bedded his teacher. And then, a short while later, he lost interest in her and dumped her, prompting a hilarious series of scenes where the inept teacher would try to kill Billy, never succeeding.

Wasn't the teacher played by the same actress (Marla Pennington) who went on to play the mom on Small Wonder?

Another show like AITF wouldn't have made it past the pilot episode if it came out anytime between 1989 to the present.

Another show like AITF wouldn't have made it past the pilot episode if it came out anytime between 1989 to the present.

Sadly, you are correct.

Political correctness sucks!

Ironically Soap would've never made on the air but shows like Married With Children, Family Guy, and Friends flourished.

Ironically Soap would've never made on the air but shows like Married With Children, Family Guy, and Friends flourished.
I personally think Soap was better acted/written than the other shows you mentioned!! The Tates/Campbells were one of the wackiest, funniest families in TV history!! :lol:

Sadly, you are correct.

Political correctness sucks!
Couldn't agree more!!! :clap

Weird how controversial Soap was back then, and how today it would easily be acceptable on television. LOL, don't know if that's necessarily a good thing, but I don't care, I love Soap.

Oddly enough, I'm using one of the clips from this show for my religion project. I wonder how my teacher's going to react to that...

Weird how controversial Soap was back then, and how today it would easily be acceptable on television. LOL, don't know if that's necessarily a good thing, but I don't care, I love Soap.

Oddly enough, I'm using one of the clips from this show for my religion project. I wonder how my teacher's going to react to that...
Let us know how it goes!! :cool:

LOL, my religion teacher loved it!! He said that it was pretty creative to choose clips from that show to demonstrate forgiviness.

I used the scene where Jessica is sitting in the kitchen with Billy, Eunice, and Corinne. They ask her how she could still love Chester and she explains that they all loved him at different times and that they shouldn't stop because he had framed her for murder.

LOL, my religion teacher loved it!! He said that it was pretty creative to choose clips from that show to demonstrate forgiviness.

I used the scene where Jessica is sitting in the kitchen with Billy, Eunice, and Corinne. They ask her how she could still love Chester and she explains that they all loved him at different times and that they shouldn't stop because he had framed her for murder.
That's awesome! Glad it all went well. :D