Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 14:12:50 -0400 From: glaad@glaad.org (GLAAD) Subject: SPECIAL ONLINE ELLEN WATCH: URGENT ACTION NEEDED SPECIAL ONLINE ELLEN WATCH: URGENT ACTION NEEDED ABC REMOVES WARNING...FOR NOW! Last night's Ellen did not receive the highly controversial "parental warning" that ABC placed on the sitcom last week-but there have been no promises made by the network that the "warning" will not return. Following criticisms by Ellen DeGeneres, GLAAD and others, ABC received numerous complaints that the warning constituted a double standard for lesbian and gay content on television. ABC has made no indications that the warning will not return. Future episodes are said to include a kiss between Ellen Morgan and her first girlfriend, and a walk into the bedroom together. On last night's episode, Ellen hides her family's long-time plumber from her party guests, when the incompetent gay plumber she has hired in order to support the community bungles the job. Ellen learns that while she wants to part of a "community," that she needs to be true to herself first. Please write ABC and its parent company Disney and let them know that the standards to which Ellen receives a "warning" should be the very same ones that they apply to other sitcoms. Remind them of the important role they have played creating historic television, and encourage them to not hold the lesbian and gay community up to a different standard. Also, please thank the national sponsors of last night's episode, To receive Ellen Watch every Thursday, simply respond to this e-mail. Jamie Tarses, Entertainment President ABC 2040 Avenue of the Stars Los Angles, CA 90037 fax: 310.557.7679 e-mail: abcaudr@ccabc.com Michael Eisner, Chairman & 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 feedback form: http://www.disney.com/Mail Andrew Moore, Chair Intel Corporation P.O. Box 58119 Santa Clara, CA 95052 phone: 408.765.8080 feedback form: http://www.intel.com/feedback.htm Richard A. Goldstein, Chairman Unilever United States Inc. (Suave) 390 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 ph: 800.598.1223 fax: 212.906.4411 e-mail: corporate.relations@unilever.com Monroe G. Milstein, Chairman Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp. 1830 Rte. 130 North Burlington, NJ 08016 ph: 609.387.7800 fax: 609.387.7071 Alfred M. Zeien, Chrm. Gillette Company (Braun) Prudential Tower Bldg. Boston, MA 02199 Michael Eisner, Chairman The Walt Disney Company (Touchstone) 500 S. Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521 ph: 818.560.1000 fax: 818.560.1930 feedback form: http://www.disney.com/Mail. Carl Pascarella, President Visa USA PO Box 8999 San Francisco, CA 94128 ph: 415.432.3200 fax: 415.432.8100 Robert F. Daniell, Chrm. United Technologies Corporation (Carrier Weather Systems) 1 Financial Plaza Hartford, CT 06101 ph: 800.881.1914 fax: 860.728.7901 feedback form: http://carrier.com/wp/nao_ccl/ccdl.html Sumner M. Redstone, Chrm. Viacom International, Inc. 1515 Broadway New York, NY 10036 ph: 212.258.6000 Consumer Advocate US Postal Service 475 L'Enfant Plz SW Rm 5821 Washington, DC 20260-2200 e-mail: customer@email.usps.gov Steve Case, Chairman AOL 8619 Westwood Center Dr. Vienna, VA 22182-2285 feedback form: http://www.aol.com/info/feedback.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 08:51:19 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: ABC DROPS "PARENTAL ADVISORY" FROM ELLEN NATION'S ONLY LESBIAN & GAY MEDIA WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION APPLAUDS MOVE AS STANCE FOR FAIRNESS MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Liz Tracey (212) 807-1700 Pager: (800) 946-4646, pin #1423527 E-Mail: tracey@glaad.org ABC DROPS "PARENTAL ADVISORY" FROM ELLEN NATION'S ONLY LESBIAN & GAY MEDIA WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION APPLAUDS MOVE AS STANCE FOR FAIRNESS NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1997-The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today applauded ABC's removal of a "parental advisory" warning placed on its hit show, Ellen. The advisory, normally used for explicit violence or sex, was originally to remain at the beginning of the groundbreaking program for the next several episodes, despite protests from star Ellen DeGeneres, GLAAD and others that giving Ellen the advisory represented a double standard in regards to sexual orientation. Last week's episode, and several to come will feature Ellen's continuing coming out process and the character's search for love. Last week's episode was the only one to feature the advisory. While ABC said "other reasons" existed for the warning, many speculated that it was because of a humorous kiss between Ellen and her friend Paige (Joely Fisher). DeGeneres spoke out about the double standard of giving Ellen the advisory when many much more explicit heterosexual sexual situations, graphic violence, and even other same-sex kisses did not warrant the severe warning. GLAAD spoke with representatives of both the program and the network, urging a resolution which was fair to lesbians and gay men, and mobilized national support for removal of the advisory. In addition, GLAAD exposed a recent attempt by a radical religious group to stuff the ballot box on ABCnews.com when the site asked the question, "Would you allow your child to watch a lesbian kiss on television?" While the answer was strongly affirmative throughout the polling period, the final tally even with the anti-gay ploy to "fix" the election had 69% "yes" to just under 33% saying "no" of nearly 15,000 polled. "Both ABC's poll and their decision to remove the advisory speak volumes to America's willingness to see lesbian and gay characters represented with fairness and with the same standards as heterosexuals receive," said GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Chastity Bono. "We commend ABC for recognizing that Ellen deserves the same treatment as other shows like it that may not have lesbian and gay characters. We also commend Ellen DeGeneres for her not only standing up for her show, but for the equality of the entire community." "When creating groundbreaking television in uncharted territory, sometimes missteps will happen," said Joan M. Garry, GLAAD Executive Director. "It's great to know that ABC has rethought its double-standard. Now we can all move forward with a renewed commitment to changing the face of American television each week." GLAAD will continue to monitor and report on Ellen and its media coverage, and has reintroduced "Ellen Watch" at GLAAD Online (http://www.glaad.org). This resource will continually update the community on which companies have advertised this season on Ellen. GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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. 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