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Law & Order SVU’s big homophobic kiss-off
24/02/2010 by JR Russell
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We’ve been waiting a while for this moment. The producers of Law & Order:SVU have been teasing us about a lesbian kiss for the hotly debated Olivia Benson character. Even Kathy Griffin has played it up, planting hope in our little, gullible, lesbian hearts.
In an episode ironically called “PC”, NBC’s Law & Order SVU have let down their fans, who — despite being disappointed time and time again for years — expect social issues to be approached with some compassion and intelligence.
And there it is. Not only do we get possibly the worst kiss ever, but we get Olivia — who used to be such a defender of the gays — voicing a not-so-tiny bit of homophobia as well. SVU has never really courted the lesbian audience (other than the lovely Stephanie March), although they’ve been there all along, and could be some of the show’s staunchest fans.
In SVU fandom, the Olivia Benson/ Alex Cabot relationship is second only to the Eliot Stabler/ Olivia Benson ‘ship in popularity, which is pretty incredible given that it has always been denied, and how breathlessly Mariska Hargitay and her co-star Chris Meloni have promoted the idea of their characters being secretly bumping uglies. In short, there is a massive lesbian following. Moreover, there is a massive following of people of all orientations who believe that Detective Olivia Benson has always been a little bit les (or at least in love with Alex Cabot).
Now NBC treats us to Olivia being confronted by a woman who is attracted to her and is convinced she’s a lesbian. Not only does Olivia handle it like she’s just been thrown to the lions, she then proceeds to “warn” the next officer she sees to keep her distance — apparently there’s a rabid lesbian on the loose who will indiscriminately pounce on unsuspecting straight women.
The only way that this scene could make sense — either from a network angle or from the perspective of making Olivia’s character even a tiny bit consistent is if the detective is indeed a lesbian or bisexual, and simply lashing out in fear and denial.
However, the way NBC are going, I won’t have to worry about my dog howling to the Law & Order theme. I doubt it’ll be heard in my home again.
Feel free to ask Neal Baer (Executive Producer) and Kathy Griffin about this scene and tell them how you feel. They’re both on twitter.
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39 Responses to Law & Order SVU’s big homophobic kiss-off
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Kris
August 30, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Olivia Benson’s character is obviously not gay. I don’t see why these things always have to be made into an issue by the homosexual community. Homosexuals are always so in your face. You don’t see people out there having straight rallies and constantly trying to get a T.V. show to make a character come out as openly straight. It just isn’t done. While gay people are constantly in your face trying to push their own unnatural agenda. I just wish you would all shut up and leave the natural people alone. And you will probably be upset by this comment and respond but don’t bother becuase I did not check the notification box, I will never come back and read your response, and from here on out I will avoid any links to this site which I now know is a stupid homo site.
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aranel05
March 4, 2010 at 7:47 pm
I don’t think this episode was homophobic. More of a let down in the sense that I was hoping that Olivia would come out, haha.
I don’t think Olivia was homophobic about the kiss. Afterward, she was comforting towards Griffin’s and not rude to her in anyway, despite her being completely annoying towards Eliot and Olivia the entire episode. Also, I feel that if anyone (that had up until now just been highly annoying towards you and interfering with your case) tried to kiss you, of course you would be shocked. It would have been the same reaction regardless of the gender.
If you pay close attention to the whole episode, I almost thought that it seemed like Olivia was questioning herself.
It frustrates me that people have just jumped to the conclusion that this episode was homophobic. It isn’t. It’s just people looking way too far into things and then getting offended about it.
I’m bisexual and I certainly wasn’t offended by it.
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Nicole
February 28, 2010 at 10:51 pm
And, as an actor myself, I know how characterization works, it goes further than the lines, trust me, its a lot more difficult than that. Its been reported that when Mariska acts, she actually feels the emotions that she depicts in the scene, which is good, it means she’s not method acting, which means, when she was in the scene, she was Olivia Benson, and trust me, if someone comes up to you and kisses you like that and then says that they think you’re gay, you’re gonna be in shock if you’re straight, like Olivia is, it freaks her out, so when she leaves and sees another woman standing at the door she tells her to be careful. Now, this woman hasn’t met Babs Duffy [Kathy] but who knows, she might form an instant attraction to her, like she did to Alex Cabot, and what if she hits on her, then the other cop is in a bad position, and Olivia’s trying to prevent that. Ok, could the writers have said it in a more delicate way, sure… but thats no reason to get up in arms over it, and by the way, getting upset that the kiss isn’t good? Olivia was caught off guard, when was the last time someone you didn’t want to kiss kissed you out of no where that you kissed them back well? And saying that Olivia didn’t handle it well, I can’t say I’d have reacted any differently if I were in her situation, she said she was flattered, but she was straight. How else was she supposed to say it? If she’d have been nastier then that would have been homophobic too, right? So you’re getting all upset over a scene that couldn’t have been acted better, because the kiss was bad, Olivia didn’t handle it “gracefully” [which she did] and because she was trying to keep another cop out of a bad situation… all of which makes the scene ten times more realistic… cause that makes perfect sense.
Nicole
February 28, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Ok, I have to say that all the times they say f*g on SVU and this is what you pick up on as homophobic? I’m sorry but that isn’t homophonic at all, I’m not gay, but my mother is and I am a HUGE gay rights activist and I can not stand homophobia, I thought the scene was funny, and if you watched the whole scene you would know that Kathy’s character did not think Olivia was straight. Honestly, her character was probably freaked out, I know I would be if the same thing happened to me. I told my mom about the scene and how some people think its “homophobic” and she thinks that its rediculous, she doesn’t even think its homophobic, she thinks its funny. This whole thing has been taken way too far, and no thanks to a few people who got offended a funny and well written and acted scene, hours of production is gone and wasted. Later on in this same episode, Olivia is supposed to ask Elliot if she reads gay to him, because of the kiss, so if the kiss is gone then all the SVU A/O shippers out there get their hopes up. So now, everyone who doesn’t have twitter, everyone who hasn’t seen the clip of the kiss, but has heard about it, doesn’t get to see the scene because of a few people over reacting to something that was supposed to be funny. If you want to get up in arms about SVU being “homophobic” then get pissed when they use a homophobic slur, not when the writers were trying to make a script realistic and therefore putting in a line that accidentally offended some people.
Sami
February 28, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Ok, you guys are going a bit over board. Olivia is a beautiful police officer..so was the one at the door, so if Kathy’s character will come on to Olivia, who’s to say she wouldn’t do the same to the other officer?
It’s obvious Kathy’s character is very forward and Olivia was warning the officer of that. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like people kissing on me out of no where…male OR female. Also fraternization is not allowed between officers and victims or suspects.
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CaseyJOy
February 28, 2010 at 1:56 am
Also Watching the rest of the sneak peeks from neal bayer…….. this was just a comment warning the young detective… if olivia felt uncomfortable after EVERYTHING she has been through…. what would that other girl feel??
CaseyJOy
February 28, 2010 at 1:53 am
I don’t think she is being homophobic…. i think she was a llittle creeped out by the scene that just went down. I have to say i would be to.
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DeeW
February 27, 2010 at 7:20 pm
I totally don’t see that as homophobic. If it was a man kissing a woman and olivia said the same thing what would be the big deal? It’s more of a professional thing – aren’t the police protecting this person? It’s professionally inappropriate. Not to mention, gay or straight – you don’t just kiss someone like that out of the blue.
CanuckJacq
February 27, 2010 at 7:45 pm
I get what you’re saying, and I thought about that too. But give this scenario
You’ve spent time with someone professionally, they’ve developed a crush on you and make a move. Would you automatically presume they’d pounce on the next person to enter the room? Of course not.
Unfortunately, gay and lesbian people are often portrayed as sexually incontinent predators. What Olivia says at the end shows that she believes the unwanted kiss could be repeated indiscriminately, not that it was motivated by a mistaken genuine feeling.
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Taylor Siluwé
February 25, 2010 at 4:56 pm
I haven’t seen the episode, but I get why this seen in homophobic. I’m gonna lean toward Olivia being fearful of addressing the subject of her own sexuality (maybe bi) and that’s why the over-reaction at the door. Fear (like lust) can make you do and say stupid things.
CanuckJacq
February 25, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Not to mention fear & lust combined!
I wish, but don’t really believe, they’d make Olivia Benson bi or gay. The actress has been begging for an on-screen boyfriend for Olivia for years. And babies.
Kim
February 25, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Well, I’m heterosexual, and I find that “stay outside” comment a bit offensive, as well!
it’s really out of character for Benson to say such thing – given the fact that she used to defend gay rights and same sex couples/their marriages/adopting children every now and then on the show.
But yes, I agree with this:
“The only way that this scene could make sense — either from a network angle or from the perspective of making Olivia’s character even a tiny bit consistent is if the detective is indeed a lesbian or bisexual, and simply lashing out in fear and denial.” completely.
I have been kissed/hit on before by lesbians before, and my reaction has been nothing like Olivia’s. So yes, it could be because of some sort of insecurity/sexual struggle within the character.
Anyways, I think we should reserve further judgement until we see the whole episode. You know, context helps ensure the message.
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Natasia Rose
February 25, 2010 at 10:46 am
I think it was homophobic. I don’t understand why straight people think all lesbians are attracted to straight women. That presumption really bothers me. I’m not and most of us aren’t. We can appreciate beauty of other women without wanting to have sex with them.
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kazza
February 24, 2010 at 9:41 pm
mariska does what the script says. how about voicing your disapproval to the writers. the ones that truly deserve it.
Sei
February 24, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Kazza,
Actors routinely converse with the writers regarding their roles and what they will and will not do, or what they believe is or is not appropriate to the character. Often the actor is overruled, but nothing can be laid solely upon the actor or the writer. What we often see in a drama or comedy is a synthesis of a variety of different voices inputting into the script. While it will say one name on the screen, that is typically the majority writer, and not the only writer of the script.
CanuckJacq
February 25, 2010 at 11:05 am
While others have gone there, I never said I believed Mariska Hargitay is homophobic.
I said I believed the scene itself had a homophobic message that was shocking and disappointing. I’m a huge fan of Law & Order: SVU and I know the characters well. Not only is it annoying that the scene is so offensive, but it’s just another way they’re managing to ruin the character of Olivia Benson.
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Samantha
February 24, 2010 at 7:33 pm
I honestly don’t think what we saw was homophobic. Remember it’s just one scene, not showed in the context of the episode. The previews show Griffins character also kissing Elliot. So perhaps the reference was not directed at a possessive lesbian but a possessive person. Furthermore gay or straight, I would have reacted a lot worse if someone I was not interested in planted one on me like that!
Jay
February 24, 2010 at 5:42 pm
I agree with you in a way and i must admit that
even though the parting words of Olivia to the
other cop did seem true to life (what anyone could
have said) it was offending. But thinking that just
because she is a lesbian means that she can’t
“predatory” is just reductive. I know that in such
a usually sensitive show this words were unsensitive
and hurtful. However, for someone like Benson
seeing a sexual “harassment” potential perp
(even when there’s none) might be a misleaded
but understandable (considering what she sees
every day) reaction. Maybe she truly believed
this was what was going to happen maybe not
but maybe she felt also compelled to protect the
the “younger cop” against a wrongly “percieved”
situation.
But of course, this is a show and they should
have better analyse the “reaction to their action”!
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Jay
February 24, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I understand why this scene can appear homophobic
to get rid of them.
to some and it’s hard to judge a whole epi on
just a single scene, but if you leave out the
whole “we all want Benson to be gay/bi” club
(to which I belong by the way), I must admit
I understand Olivia’s reaction. I am gay but I
am also very reserved when it comes to physical
interactions or display of affection. Very forward
and pushy people like Kathy’s character would
scare me of anytime! I would do or say anything
(in the realm of legality of course
So I would rather see this as a reaction to a to
forward approach than an homophobic twist!
And please, just because you’re a lez doesn’t
mean you have to like being kissed by every
woman or that you’re smooth enough to get out
of such a situation by being perfectly politically
correct! Nobody’s perfect, even Olivia.
CanuckJacq
February 24, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I’d agree if this was reality tv, and filmed live! But this is a script — and scripted shows have messages, both intended and unintended — that reach their audience.
In real life, I’d totally freak if someone just kissed me… but I certainly wouldn’t assume that person was about to pounce on whatever other person happens to have been nearby. That’s calling someone a predator.
Andy
February 24, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Ah Ah Ah! I understand the Olivia. A beautiful woman like she deserves to kiss someone more beautiful. Nothing against Katty Griffin.
CanuckJacq
February 24, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Well, we all know she should be kissing Alex!
Katty
February 24, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Why kiss homophobic? I’ll see the episode in its entirety and do not believe that Olivia is homophobic. Even assuming that she is gay she is not required to kiss a woman that she has no attraction. calm.
CanuckJacq
February 24, 2010 at 5:00 pm
The kiss isn’t homophobic… it’s when Olivia goes out of the room, warning the new officer to keep away that’s homophobic.
Nevermind that KG’s character had obviously developed an attraction to Olivia, and acted on it — Olivia decided that that woman was likely to pounce on any unsuspecting straight woman. That’s where it went from the usual weak writing to clearly gay panic.
And Olivia used to be cool
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