Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 14:46:54 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: SPECIAL ONLINE GLAADALERT -- November 12, 1997 Holy Hypocrisy! Ellen's Hands Too Hot To Handle! SPECIAL ONLINE GLAADALERT -- November 12, 1997 Holy Hypocrisy! Ellen's Hands Too Hot To Handle! While on Dharma & Greg, a public display of affection is the central hook for tonight's plot, and on Drew Carey, the main character becomes a stripper with guest performances from the cast of The Full Monty, it seems that it is only on ABC's Ellen, where Ellen simply holds hands with her new girlfriend, Laurie, that a "parental warning" is present. An ABC ad in this week's TV Guide states, "Dharma and Greg get in trouble for a public display of affection...while Ellen gets in trouble for not displaying affection in public." Under Ellen, however, in all caps and bold, it reads: "ADULT CONTENT. PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED." From all indications, GLAAD expects that ABC will also include the warning on tonight's episode. In addition to hand holding, other sundry activities warranting the warning ABC normally reserves for graphic violence, nudity and explicit sex include Ellen meeting Laurie's daughter and Ellen introducing Laurie to her parents. Once again, ABC is expressly setting a double standard for lesbian and gay content on television by placing a warning on the one show that does not have overt sexual content. To make matters worse, ads such as the one in TV Guide clearly demonstrates the absurdity of ABC's continually exclusionary policies towards not only Ellen, but to the show's loyal audience. "Unless ABC knows something about two women holding hands that I've overlooked, this smacks of hypocrisy and an outright double standard for gay people," said GLAAD Associate Communications Director Liz Tracey. "I'd think Drew Carey in a g-string would be a greater cause for alarm, but that's just me." Let ABC know that it is time to be proud of Ellen, and to give it the same treatment other shows receive. A hypocritical double standard for the lesbian and gay community is no laughing matter. Contact: Jamie Tarses, Entertainment President, ABC, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angles, CA 90037, fax: 310.557.7679, e-mail: abcaudr@abc.com; Michael Eisner, Chairman and Dean Valentine, President of Network TV and Television Animation, The Walt Disney Company, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank CA 91521, fax 818.560.1930, e-mail WWW: http://www.disney.com/Mail. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.