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Express Gay News: The kiss seen ’round the world; February 7, 2008
Topic Started: Feb 10 2008, 09:42 PM (356 Views)
lukeandnoah	Feb 10 2008, 09:42 PM Post #1
Administrator Posts: 98 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Nov 27, 2007	http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/2-7/arts/feature/4396.cfm The kiss seen ’round the world YouTube turns soap’s gay couple into worldwide sensation By DAVID ALEXANDER NAHMOD Thursday, February 07, 2008 “Days of Our Lives” had Doug and Julie. “All My Children” had Tara and Phil in the ’70s and Angie and Jesse in the ’80s. General Hospital's Luke and Laura became a legend in the ’80s. Soap opera "super couples” are a staple of daytime drama. In the soap world, super couples are onscreen pairings like no other: they generate heat, ratings and fierce fan loyalty. Twenty years ago, Holden and Lily (Jon Hensley and Martha Byrne) were a super couple on “As the World Turns.” Now, as the characters segue into middle age, their teenaged son Luke (Van Hansis) is poised to be the 52-year-old soap's next heartthrob. But unlike soap hunks of the past, the character of Luke Snyder is openly gay. On Aug. 17, 2007, Luke helped his close friend Noah (Jake Silbermann) adjust his tie. Their eyes met. Without warning, and in close-up, the two young men kissed full on the lips. It was the kiss seen around the world — thanks to the internet video sharing service YouTube. In fact, the now legendary kiss stands as the most viewed selection in the history of YouTube with over 1 million hits and counting. Now, more than six months after the ground-breaking kiss, Luke and Noah have overcome Noah's sexual confusion and his stern, homophobic father, who shot Luke on a camping trip, temporarily confining him to a wheelchair. Noah nursed Luke back to health and helped him get back on his feet again. From there, their affection for each other blossomed. "Nuke,” as the fans have dubbed them, are now daytime TV's first live-in gay male couple. They seem poised to be the show's next super couple, and were recently acknowledged as such by no less than TV Guide. Since their love story began, the ratings for “As The World Turns” have risen considerably. The serial, which was near the bottom of the ratings heap one year ago, now runs neck and neck with the ever-popular “General Hospital.” On one recent week, “ATWT” even surpassed “GH” in the daytime Nielsen's. Not bad for a show that, in 1989, sent a gay character packing after protests from religious groups. Actors Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann take it all in stride. Both claim that kissing each other was far easier than dealing with the Paparazzi that invaded the set the day the smooch was shot. "I don't see it as that big a deal," Hansis says. "I was just stoked to get a steady job as an actor." "There aren't many gay characters on daytime," Silbermann adds. "It means a lot to know that this story is part of something." The young stars recently attended the GLAAD Media Awards together, where “As The World Turns” was nominated for Best Show. Hansis also taped a public service announcement for GLAAD with actress Martha Byrne, who plays his mother in the show. The PSA was taped after the May 8, 2006 episode in which Luke came out to his parents, which featured some superb acting by Hansis, Byrne and Jon Hensley, who plays Luke’s father. In addition to his TV role, Hansis has been moonlighting in the New York theatre world. He has recently appeared in a couple of gay-themed productions — “The Laramie Project” and a revival of “Die Mommie Die!” with Charles Busch. “The audiences for ‘The Laramie Project’ were incredibly mixed: gay, straight, everybody," Hansis says. “The play is a very powerful piece about a town coming to terms with a hate crime — the murder of Mathew Shepard — and asking themselves, ‘How could this happen in our community?’ I don't see it as a gay play. It's pretty universal. "Die, Mommie, Die!" was more of a gay play, and it was a blast!” Hansis says. Thanks to the internet, both actors have received mail from viewers in countries that do not air “As The World Turns.” YouTube now hosts a version of the Luke and Noah storyline that is edited by fans. In countries where it may not be OK to be gay, people hungry to see themselves accurately portrayed onscreen can go to YouTube and follow the “Nuke” storyline in sequence. Some producers balk at having their material posted at free sites like YouTube. Producers of the former NBC soap “Passions,” which now airs on Direct TV's The 101 as a subscription-only service, recently pulled its episodes off of YouTube. Likewise, episodes of British soap “Coronation Street” were also pulled off of YouTube. But CBS is happy to let the Luke and Noah love story stay on the file sharing sites because it’s good free publicity for the show. Many gay viewers, for example, who are introduced to the Luke and Noah storyline on the internet may become interested in the whole show and start tuning into the CBS broadcasts. CBS also offers its own online broadcast of the show and www.CBS.com/daytime /ATWT. "But we prefer people to watch the CBS airings," says Lisa Lugassy, press representative for “As the World Turns.” "It's the CBS audience, and not the online viewers, who give us our ratings." Though both Hansis and Silbermann would like to do other projects when time permits, they're quite happy to be where they are. "I hope to be playing Luke for a long, long time to come," says Van Hansis. “As the World Turns” airs weekdays on most CBS stations. Viewers can also read Hansis blog at CBS.com. And to catch up on the "Nuke" love story, search Luke & Noah at www.YouTube.com.
atwtfan	Feb 11 2008, 04:55 PM Post #2
Posts: 17 Group: Members Member #8 Joined: Dec 21, 2007	I love this article. They are a super couple. Go Nuke. Over 1 million views? Woo hoo
dballard	Feb 11 2008, 06:16 PM Post #3
Posts: 37 Group: Members Member #2 Joined: Dec 4, 2007	Thanks for this article.
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