This quote from queen Maria herself in Branco's latest column:

"In an exclusive interview, Y&R’s head writer Maria Arena Bell told Soapgeist that her co-head writer Scott Hamner was misquoted in Soap Opera Digest when he recently told the magazine that the soap never had any plans on telling a gay storyline. “He was solely talking about the Adam and Rafe story — not Phillip or Rafe’s personal journeys,” she asserts. “We’re totally committed to telling gay stories on our show.” Look for more of Maria’s thoughts this Wednesday"

NOW... I TOLD YOU this was some of the typical SOW BULLSHIT, and I was RIGHT. Now, for everyone who poo-pooed me, while I was one of the lone voices of reason when that article came out... I will be accepting apologies and grovelling between 3 and 6 PM tomorrow, Eastern daylight time. Please bring some extra virgin olive oil to anoint my feet with. If you don't mind.

Edited August 31, 200916 yr by alphanguy74

Way better than being a serial apologist for crappy writing.

:wub:

Way better than being a serial apologist for crappy writing.

Oh, I just put the blame where it belongs. Even YOU were enjoying this show until Sheffer came and put his grubby fingers on the pie. Like I said, the pacing is the biggest problem at this point... I know you keep barking baout Maria being in charge, but let's open our eyes here.... she's letting those two boobs roll over her. It's obvious. If I were to wave a magic wand over this show, I'd get rid of Hamner and Sheffer... have Maria as Executive producer and executive story consultant, while having a co-HW team of Kay Alden and Meg Bennett. I'd fire Rauch and bring in Conboy to produce, and ONLY to produce. And I'd bring in Sally Sussman for breakdowns and let Janice Ferri Esser write as much as she is willing to carry.

I will be accepting apologies and grovelling between 3 and 6 PM tomorrow, Eastern daylight time. Please bring some extra virgin olive oil to anoint my feet with. If you don't mind.

LOL alphanguy!

It would be nice to see a gay SL on Y&R, but I shudder to think what MAB would do with it.

LOL alphanguy!

It would be nice to see a gay SL on Y&R, but I shudder to think what MAB would do with it.

Honestly, I'm expecting a very good concept from her, which is badly executed and horribly paced.

Edited September 1, 200916 yr by alphanguy74

Oh, I just put the blame where it belongs. Even YOU were enjoying this show until Sheffer came and put his grubby fingers on the pie.

Uh NO. He wasn't. Look for the thread that says "Fire Josh Griffith and Maria Arena Bell."

Like I said, the pacing is the biggest problem at this point... I know you keep barking baout Maria being in charge, but let's open our eyes here.... she's letting those two boobs roll over her. It's obvious. If I were to wave a magic wand over this show, I'd get rid of Hamner and Sheffer... have Maria as Executive producer and executive story consultant, while having a co-HW team of Kay Alden and Meg Bennett. I'd fire Rauch and bring in Conboy to produce, and ONLY to produce. And I'd bring in Sally Sussman for breakdowns and let Janice Ferri Esser write as much as she is willing to carry.

Then WHY is she putting up with it? Why isn't she bitching to Billy about it like she allegedly bitched to him to get Josh Griffith fired for tampering with her work?

Bitch is not powerless.

You're just in denial. But I'll enjoy it. It will make Rafe/Phillip's lack of airtime that much more entertaining.

I'll admit to thinking the show was decent from November to February, but major problems were still apaprent even then, and they've only gotten worse with time. The honeymoon period is long over for MAB and her hacks, they all need to go now. If for some reason Maria can't be removed, I'd be happy with her handing over story control to more competent and yeah, better writers, while she's just there as a figurehead.

I'm not buying this powerless crap, Maria's husband is one of the OWNERS of this show, and if she's the one who has the power to veto any stupid story suggestions from Sheffer and Hamner, but she sure as hell isn't doing it. She seems perfectly content with the way things are, which speaks volumes about her personal taste.

Uh NO. He wasn't. Look for the thread that says "Fire Josh Griffith and Maria Arena Bell."

Then WHY is she putting up with it? Why isn't she bitching to Billy about it like she allegedly bitched to him to get Josh Griffith fired for tampering with her work?

Bitch is not powerless.

You're just in denial. But I'll enjoy it. It will make Rafe/Phillip's lack of airtime that much more entertaining.

Exactly.

Edited September 1, 200916 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Speaking of the gay storylines, look what I just dug up on the CBS board:

"Gays should be put in a "box" alright - buried about 10ft. down or better yet, in HELL...ALL OF THEM."

That was just so disgusting I felt I had to share it.

You know, that doesn't surprise me in the least. Thye let them get away with that crap over there, but make some comment about Michelle Stafford looking bad in fuschia, and it gets deleted. They let stuff almost that bad stand over at SOC as well, I've seen it many a time. All kinds of "I don't want gays on my soap opera"... now do you think they'd let it stand if someone went in there and said "I don't want colored people on my soap"? Hell, no. I can't figure them out, anyway.... you can't post a link to a youtube video because they claim it's not "official", but you can put a link to that same video footage from Dickson's website, and theyr'e just fine with that. You can't even post a link to Nelson's interview with the show's freaking HW, cause his site ain't OFFICIAL. Bizarre, if Y&R's OFFICIAL site will let you post links to such things (the Nazis that they are) why won't SOC?

Speaking of the gay storylines, look what I just dug up on the CBS board:

"Gays should be put in a "box" alright - buried about 10ft. down or better yet, in HELL...ALL OF THEM."

That was just so disgusting I felt I had to share it.

Well it looks like Maria just found her next story idea.

"I did it for the FANS! Bill Bell is so proud, his love shining down on me."

Except they'll have their love affair off-screen for a month when Phillip pops the question. Lord knows we need another wedding on Y&R. Then, Estella goes ballistic that her nephew is marrying a man twice his age and drugs P3's champagne at the rehearsal dinner. Of course, Phillip dies and we have yet another funeral where Jill, Nina, and Katherine have another fight over P3 before being completely forgotten in a week. And Rafe exits Genoa City without an afterthought.

You skipped the part where the original Estella quit because she didn't want to play an approving mother to a gay Latino. So they re-cast the part, and re-wrote the story just to spite the original actress. Because apparently that's what they do now at Y&R. When an actor quits, they completely change scenes and story just to give said actor their just desserts.

Edited September 11, 200916 yr by juniorz1

I am being serious and I said it before. It is the only character that I could possibly see having a gay story at this point. The reason that he was discharged from the military was left vague so they can go back and say he was discharged because they discovered that he was gay. I still think that the gay stories MAB meant was the Rafe/Adam sex and Phillip coming out.

So you think that Chance is the chosen one? I've read other message board postings with other people thinking the same thing. It does make sense under the circumstances and his background is still sort of unknown. A father AND his son are both gay? That would be something! LOL!

So, Thom Bierdz tells the Advocate that his six month contract is up and he'll be in 8 episodes in November and then he "disappears."

http://advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Soapside_Advocate_Guide_to_Daytime_2009_10_19/

Here is the thing; I know I am on in eight episodes in November and then the truth is, I sort of disappear. My six-month contract is up. And I really want to support the gay community, and I want the gay community to support me. I would like the gay community to write to CBS and say, ‘We want a gay character on the air,’ and I want to be that.

So, umm, alphanguy74, where's your multiple "gay stories" that Maria Arena Bell promised you, and even after Hamner said they had no intention of doing another one, she promised it was still to come? What happened?

Those of us who called this sh!t from the beginning will be, "accepting apologies and grovelling between 3 and 6 PM tomorrow, Eastern daylight time. Please bring some extra virgin olive oil to anoint our feets with. If you don't mind."

More proof with Phillip III's glorified extra status on the show since he returned and the fact that there was no followup to that story and Rafe has been a nothing character for months that Maria Arena Bell/Hogan Sheffer/Scott Hamner manipulated the gay community and used these stories as shock tactics, not to represent gay people in any way, shape, or form.

Edited October 20, 200916 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Cleveland will be hosting the gay games in 2014.

And I STILL see people saying this is all understandable, because Thom Bierdz can't act. Yes, I'm sure they had years of story planned if Bierdz could act...because the past year has really shown that the only way to get a major story on the show is to be the best actor.

God, Maria Arena Bell, has no damn shame with her lies and manipulations. This woman and her hack writing team need to be fired now.

5/27/09 http://tvguide.ca/Soaps/Features/Articles/090526_maria_arena_bell_NB

MAB: Absolutely! You know what — I would never edit or prevent any actor from talking about their personal life in the press, whether they are gay, straight or whatever. As far as it comes to Y&R, I felt it was important to introduce characters from all walks of life on our show. I disagree that Rafe announcing to his friend that he’s gay was our first gay storyline because it was just a fact of his life. It’s like, “yeah, so what — what do you want for lunch?” But — we do have a gay storyline in the works. Perhaps more than one. And more than one gay character. More importantly, the gay storyline we’re planning on telling will reflect real life. I couldn’t be happier.

8/31/09 http://tvguide.ca/Soaps/Nelson_Ratings/Articles/090831_soapgeist_NB.htm

In an exclusive interview, Y&R’s head writer Maria Arena Bell told Soapgeist that her co-head writer Scott Hamner was misquoted in Soap Opera Weekly when he recently told the magazine that the soap never had any plans on telling a gay storyline. “He was solely talking about the Adam and Rafe story — not Phillip or Rafe’s personal journeys,” she asserts. “We’re totally committed to telling gay stories on our show.

Yes, and we all saw the "multiple" gay stories they had planned and how they "explored" Phillip and Rafe as characters.

Lies, Lies, all Lies....

Edited October 20, 200916 yr by Y&RWorldTurner