NEW YORK — The love affair between two young men on the venerable CBS soap opera “As the World Turns” has triggered a protest campaign by angry viewers.
It’s just not the sort of protest you’d expect.
Fans of the fictional romance between Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer are baffled about why the two characters haven’t kissed on-screen since September, wondering whether it’s a sign of squeamishness by CBS or show sponsors Procter &Gamble Co.
The fans have started a letter-writing campaign, posted an online petition and even have a Web site that counts the days, hours, minutes and seconds since Luke and Noah last locked lips.
“We totally support this show and applaud the show for doing this story line,” said Roger Newcomb, a computer worker from New York’s northern suburbs and the man behind the campaign. “We just don’t understand why they have to be censored or treated differently.”
“As the World Turns” had the first gay male character in daytime drama in 1988. Last August was another milestone — believed to be the first time two gay men kissed on a soap — when Luke surprised Noah with the sign of affection.
They kissed again in September, at a time Noah was still coming to grips with being gay. But since officially becoming a couple, their lips have been sealed.
Fans first sensed the new attitude around Christmas, during a tender scene where the two men proclaimed their love for one another. It was clear they were about to kiss, but the camera instead panned up and focused on some mistletoe.
“I’ve been watching soaps for decades,” Newcomb said, “and that doesn’t happen.”
Valentine’s Day featured fantasy sequences involving several of the show’s couples. All the stories ended in a kiss, except for Luke and Noah’s. They hugged.
That’s when the campaign started.
“There are some people who want to see sex between Luke and Noah,” said Theresa Webber, 34, who lives north of Boston. “I’ve been watching soaps long enough to know that they’re a teenage couple, so it’s not going to happen anyway. But for them to not kiss at all, it’s a little extreme.”
The soap is owned, produced and written by Procter &Gamble Productions Inc., a subsidiary of the consumer giant. CBS executives consult on the series, but the creative direction is set by P&G.
There’s no kissing ban, said Jeannie Tharrington, spokeswoman for Procter &Gamble Productions. She explained the mistletoe shot as a “creative decision.”
“It’s always hard to please a diverse audience,” Tharrington said, “and we have a diverse audience.”
Barbara Bloom, CBS senior vice president for daytime, said there was a “minimal” negative reaction from viewers about the story line, although she couldn’t define what that meant. There was apparently no organized campaign by conservative or parent advocacy groups that monitor television content.
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