The most anticipated television kiss this season was not between a male heartthrob and female starlet, but rather two females. “The O.C.” boldly experimented with an on-screen relationship evolving into a kiss on Feb. 10 with “O.C.” wild child Marissa, played by Mischa Barton, and new cast member Alex, played by Olivia Wilde. The reactions to this kiss varied on a large scale. Spokesperson Tom Wildmon of the American Family Association said in USA Today that, “To include a lesbian kissing scene in prime-time network television weʼre opposed of that, We think thatʼs promoting a wrong kind of lifestyle, not just the lesbian kissing part of it, but sort of free-sex ideology that permeates so much of teenage programming today.”
The younger generation seems to have less of a problem and may be more accustomed to this type of thing. “I donʼt think itʼs a very big deal,” said West Chester student Steve Johnson. “Itʼs not like itʼs anything different from what you see everyday on movies or television.” Some people think that this kiss is more than just a regular story line, but a welltimed ratings boost.
“The girl-on-girl love scene is usually a guaranteed ratings getter,” said a report from TVgasm.com. “A lesbian kiss pumped ratings for ʻBuffy the Vampire Slayerʼ a few years ago, so ʻThe O.C.ʼ is going to try it, too.”
This may seem likely due to the fact that Marissa dated Ryan, the new boy in “The O.C.,” all last season, but the showʼs creator doesnʼt seem to think it deserves so much analysis.
“Some people donʼt think itʼs a big deal, but there are some people who are extremely skittish about it,” creator Josh Schartz said to U.S.A. Today. Whether this kiss is thought of as positive or negative, it is clear that “The O.C.” was looking to turn some heads and clearly, it suceeded.