Why was it controversial? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

°Bubbly Blonde° · 12-30-2001, 10:23 PM

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

DJM77 · 12-31-2001, 07:40 PM

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.

°Bubbly Blonde° · 12-31-2001, 07:46 PM

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...

Beruche · 01-03-2002, 07:57 AM

Quote:

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.

Tiger32 · 02-04-2002, 11:34 PM

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.

DetectiveGriffin · 02-17-2002, 05:00 PM

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.

Will and Grace Fanatic · 06-30-2002, 06:08 PM

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

Blonde Hoochie Mama · 07-02-2002, 06:51 PM

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

Tiger32 · 07-02-2002, 06:57 PM

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.)

Blonde Hoochie Mama · 07-02-2002, 07:06 PM

Quote:

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.

DJM77 · 07-06-2002, 07:29 PM

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.

jerry allen · 10-14-2002, 06:03 PM

"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.

monicad1 · 10-17-2002, 03:24 PM

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.

Moonlight Lady · 10-17-2002, 03:35 PM

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.

Brian · 11-07-2002, 01:09 AM

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

12-30-2001, 10:23 PM	#1
°Bubbly Blonde° <3 Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 25, 2001 Location: Playboy Mansion Posts: 5,877	Why was it controversial? I heard a little about this show, and i really haven't seen this show before, so why was this show considered contro?

12-31-2001, 07:40 PM	#2
DJM77 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: May 15, 2001 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,554	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.
	__________________ Marge: There are only 49 stars on that flag. Abe: I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missouri! Last edited by DJM77; 02-05-2002 at 09:52 PM.

06-30-2002, 06:08 PM	#7
Will and Grace Fanatic be happy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 15, 2002 Location: seattle, washington Posts: 2,746	I hope some network shows this show soon. I'v never seen it but it sounds pretty good. I love controvesial shows.
	__________________ love is love

07-06-2002, 07:29 PM	#11
DJM77 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: May 15, 2001 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,554	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.
	Last edited by DJM77; 07-06-2002 at 07:34 PM.

10-17-2002, 03:24 PM	#13
monicad1 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 16, 2002 Posts: 10	Why was it controversial? 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.

12-31-2001, 07:46 PM	#3
°Bubbly Blonde° <3 Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 25, 2001 Location: Playboy Mansion Posts: 5,877	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...

02-04-2002, 11:34 PM	#5
Tiger32 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 14, 2002 Posts: 624	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.

02-17-2002, 05:00 PM	#6
DetectiveGriffin Sankontessou! Senior Member Join Date: Aug 08, 2001 Location: North Central Indiana Posts: 1,288	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.

07-02-2002, 06:51 PM	#8
Blonde Hoochie Mama Banned Banned!! Frequent Poster Join Date: May 04, 2002 Location: at the Osbournes Posts: 206	hey, wasnt this show the first to have a homosexual character in it?

07-02-2002, 06:57 PM	#9
Tiger32 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 14, 2002 Posts: 624	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.)

10-14-2002, 06:03 PM	#12
jerry allen Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 01, 2002 Location: State Route 72/ Ohio Posts: 148	"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.

10-17-2002, 03:35 PM	#14
Moonlight Lady Member Forum Star Join Date: Aug 18, 2002 Posts: 16,052	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.
	__________________ [

11-07-2002, 01:09 AM	#15
Brian Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Jun 23, 2001 Posts: 20,451	After reading all of this, I can see why Comedy Central dubbed Soap as "the show your parents were afraid to let you watch."