07 September 2009
by Dr. Booker
To: Television Writers and ProducersThis is the memo that I imagine has been read by people in television industry, because that is what we see on American network television.
From: An American Network Television Executive
Re: Some Basic Guidelines On How Women / Lesbians Can Be Portrayed On Network Television
Women can dance together if they are doing the hokey pokey or if they are 75 there are other people around
Women can touch hands if they are mother and daughter / doctor and patient talking about dry skin
Two women cannot kiss for longer than two seconds and there can be no open mouths unless one of them is in a dentist's chair
Two women cannot be naked in bed unless the world has come to an end
Spanish television has broken all the rules. LHDP is not the first show to have positive gay characters and it certainly won't be the last. When I first started watching Hospital Central, because of Maca and Esther, I kept thinking "This is Spain?!" Now, after watching LHDP, I know that this is Spain and I am very impressed. It is absolutely stunning and thrilling to see how one country has recognized gay men and women as viable characters on television.
The producers of LHDP said that they were going to treat Pepa and Silvia as any other couple on the show. That meant that they were going to actually have a story line and air time. And what did we see? We saw two women fall in love. We saw an established popular character question everything she ever thought about herself. We saw Pepa and Silvia kiss, make love, laugh, cry, work together, and yes, we saw them fight.
All over the world, viewers fell in love with Pepa and Silvia as Pepa and Silvia fell deeper in love with each other. It wasn't just Americans who loved their story, but people from Britain, France, China, the Philippines, Canada, The Netherlands and too many nations to mention. We were willing to watch a show in another language and wait for subtitles just because we were mesmerized by this story line and these wonderful actors.
Here is a little parade of scenes that showcase the unspoken love and moments of intimacy between Pepa and Silvia. Rarely have we seen this kind of demonstration of love on American television, and maybe in other countries as well. I am sure that there is a Hollywood search party still looking for scenes like these. These are some brief moments of adoration, trust and forgiveness.
***** in the hangar, Silvia looks at Pepa as they "walk in the park"
These moments were written, directed and acted by a team of professionals in Spain. These are people who believe in Pepa and Silvia and their story. Not only did they write wonderful dialogue, they created quiet moments--which says volumes about their commitment to Pepa and Silvia. I applaud them for going where no one had gone before. And I say a very big thank you to the people of Spain. The viewers of Spain proved that if you respect the intelligence and hearts of your audience, you can tell new stories about love.
There is a lesson in all this, and I wonder if anyone is listening.
Dr. Booker
8 Comments:
I agree with almost everything :)! But I also think it would "weigh more" if it was signed by a proper name and not some made up name.
The directors has done a beautiful job with portraying Pepa and Silvia it was a pure delight to watch.
What "proper name" are you talking about? This letter is not being sent anyone for real; Dr. Booker wrote it to introduce her lecture.
But thanks for writing in, Bloggchefen!
I'm listening Dr. B!
And I agree, Spain has progressed so much further than any other country when portraying GLBT characters on film. I always thought it would had been America or even Canada that would have done it first but not a Euporean country. Kudos to Spain. I will definitly be following up on Spainish films/tv series.
Spain is predominately Catholic. So if Spain can manage to separate religion and homosexuality why can't other countries do the same? I live in The Netherlands. Same sex marriages have been performed and recognised since April 2001. The Netherlands was the first country to do so. I hope more countries and governments will act upon the fact that we are all created equal and therefore have equal rights. Well done Dr. Booker. And nice pictures too.
Dr. Booker,
I honestly want to thank you for this lecture!!! It is so true what you say... and I am still amazed that they "were allowed" to have the wedding in traditional white dresses...
wildcatzzz
love the letter it's SO true. The Pepa/Silvia love story was just brilliant. writing & acting
Another great lecture, Dr. B. I really applaud everyone involved in LHDP for the direction they took w/ PepSi. From the way they were treated equally with all the other couples to the normalcy of their relationship. The writers crafted an authentic, organic storyline, and MA and LS created numerous scenes, as you mentioned, to bring everything together.
I really liked the scenes that you picked to highlight for this lecture. I love watching actors who can convey a whole conversation or a whole range of emotions w/o even saying a word. MA and LS were great at this. We saw PepSi's love, not just from what they told each other, but from the way they looked at each other (in good times and bad), the way they touched each other (even if it was a simple hand hold), the smiles, the frowns...I could go on and on.
I was also shocked when I first discovered this show - that this was Spain. That Spanish producers/writers would treat their audience to stories of love regardless of who those two people were. That Spanish viewers didn't care about the gender of a couple they were watching, b/c they just wanted to watch a beautiful love story unfold. That American producers/writers/viewers can't seem to recognize this.
Great lecture! I look forward to reading your next lecture!
You know who in Hollywood could do justice to the aweseomeness that is Pepsi and LHDP. ALAN BALL, the creator of Six Feet Under and True Blood. Someone really needs tolet hims know about this couple and show. Start a viral campaign.
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