Date: Mon, 16 May 94 14:04:54 PDT
From: wasmith@eis.calstate.edu (Waugh Smith)

GLAAD/LA PRESS RELEASE

ANOTHER CENSORED KISS

Melrose Place Scene Cut

May 16/Los Angeles/GLAAD/LA announced that it is
incensed at the Fox network's decision to censor
a scene from the season finale of Melrose Place.

Scheduled to air this Wednesday, May 18, 1994.
   [Note:  Starting one hour earlier, 8 to 10 pm in LA and the
   major scenes with Doug Savant occur in the first 15 minutes.]

In the two-hour episode, Matt, the openly gay character played
by Doug Savant, is asked to spend the afternoon with Billy's
best man, Rob, his roommate from college (Billy, played by
Andrew Shue and Allison played by Courtney Thorne-Smith are to
wed in the episode).  After spending time with Rob and
acknowledging that he is attracted to him, Matt starts to give
him a good night kiss.  The scene cuts to Billy's seeing the
couple from a window and expressing astonishment.  It is clear
that the two men have kissed but the audience is not allowed
to see it.

The producers of Melrose Place shot the scene with the kiss.
The audience will, instead, see the motion slowed leading up
to the kiss.  This is apparently to retain the time while
cutting the kiss.  Melrose Place has "steamy" scenes on a
regular basis.  What are the Fox censors afraid of in a simple
kiss?  Why can't Matt be a full human being like his
heterosexual counterparts on the show?

GLAAD/LA recently placed an ad in Daily Variety urging Fox not
to censor the scene, not to censor the creative community, not
to censor our lives -- allow the American public to view the
episode and judge for itself.

"This is defamation by invisibility," stated Lee Werbel,
GLAAD/LA Executive Director.  "The public acceptance of gays
and lesbians leading full and complete lives.  But, as long as
network censors do not recognize lesbians and gay men as full
human beings, we will continue to experience the intolerance
and violence.  This is an objectionable act by the Fox network
censors which undermines the great, socially responsible work
of Aaron Spelling Productions."

GLAAD/LA

The following press release is form 5 days earlier:

Melrose Place/Censored

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              CONTACT:  Lee Werbel

Executive Director
(213) 658-6775
(213) 307-9000 pager

Fox . . . Censorship Is Un-American.
Don't Censor The Creative Community And Don't Censor Our Lives"

GLAAD Places Full Page Ad In Response To
Fox's Reported Threat To Censor Part Of
Season Finale of Melrose Place

Los Angeles, CA (May 10, 1994) - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that it has placed
an ad in the Tuesday, May 10 issue of Daily Variety, in
response to Fox's reported threat to censor part of the season
finale of Melrose Place which features a scene with two gay
characters kissing.

The ad, headlined
"Fox . . . Censorship is Un-American.
Don't Censor The Creative Community And Don't Censor Our Lives,"
is designed to draw attention to Fox's attempted censorship of
gay portrayals.  Lee Werbel, Executive Director of the Los
Angeles chapter of GLAAD stated, "As lesbians and gay men we
are continually defending our right to lead our lives as
freely and honestly as other Americans have the right to do.
The censoring of a realistic part of an individual's life is
ridiculous.  It is difficult to believe a progressive network
such as Fox would even hesitate to air the episode in its
entirety.  Why this censorship now?"

The ad expresses GLAAD's outrage at the network's threat to
censor the May 18 episode.  It states that GLAAD has been
pleased in the past with Fox's willingness to approach
gay-themed subjects like the critically acclaimed and highly
rated Doing Time On Maple Drive.  GLAAD cannot understand why
Fox is backing down now.  Rather than losing viewers,
realistic lesbian and gay storylines in series television
consistently garner high ratings.  GLAAD encourages Fox to
show the episode and give the American public the freedom to
judge for themselves.

The episode revolves around the wedding of Billy (Andrew Shue)
and Allison (Courtney Thorne-Smith), and one of his friends is
attracted to the openly gay character Matt.  According to
Darren Star, creator and executive producer of Melrose Place,
they have a scene in which Matt kisses the other man.

Fox does not want to air the episode in its entirety fearing
that they may "lose affiliates." In the past, GLAAD has met
with representatives from the Fox network to discuss lesbian
and gay portrayals in its programming.  The network's standard
response has been that it does not control the creative
component and it is the individual producers who do not
include stories with lesbians and gay men.

GLAAD is dedicated to confronting public expressions of
homophobia or heterosexism, and to promoting the fullest
possible understanding of the breadth and diversity of lesbian
and gay lives.  GLAAD pursues these goals by organizing
grass-roots responses to public expressions of bigotry and by
working with the media to promote accurate coverage of issues
that concern the lesbian and gay community.

For further information regarding GLAAD, telephone
213/658-6775.

~c czweig