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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media

'Leztastic' publicity stunts you may want to forget

These days, it’s getting difficult to decipher real celebrity lives from celebrity publicity stunts. Are they having a slew of babies because they like babies or because Brangelina did? Wait, she married him? I suppose we will never know what the intentions of celebrities may be, until they turn 35 and publish a steamy, tell-all memoir.

Valerie Bertinelli: She kissed a girl and made a press tour out of it

With such a long history of stunts by celebs, it’s hard to remember them all. Fortunately for us, The Frisky compiled a handy list of “Seven Leztastic Publicity Stunts” to help us remember.

Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who thought the Desperate Housewives kiss Sunday night was a desperate plea for more viewers: It made the top of the site’s list. We can’t blame the actresses for the writing, but we can accuse the show’s creators of a very obvious publicity stunt. The results: Epic Fail. Everyone saw right through it and nobody thought it was all that hot.

Second on the list are our favorite celesbians to talk about: Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson. Publicity stunt? We don't think so, but you be the judge. Some like to think the two have big, public brawls followed by steamy sex behind closed doors. Will Linds ditch Sam and go back to men? Will Sam tire of Lindsay’s drama and seek out a hot, AfterEllen.com-reading dyke? The results are unknown, but if this is a stunt, we’re totally into it.

The list brings Katy Perry in at No. 3, and rightfully so. The very straight, former Christian singer’s song has become a faux-lesbian anthem, played while straight coeds make out in front of guys from coast to coast. I will not mention the song’s name, because we all know what it is. The results: Success. The tune catapulted Katy into the mainstream and had every media outlet feverishly discussing the “meaning” of her song. That said, I’m done talking about it.

Britney Spears kissing Madonna at the 2003 VMAs might just be “the” publicity stunt of the decade, aside from Janet Jackson’s boob mishap at the Super Bowl. Then again, between Britney and Madonna, were any of us really surprised? The kiss came in at No. 4 on the Leztastic list.

More TV moments make up the fourth and fifth spot, with the Winona Ryder and Jennifer Aniston kiss on Friends (yawn) and the first Willow and Tara sex scene on Buffy in 2000. We actually cared about Willow and Tara — this spot should be swapped with one of the lame lesbian TV kisses we mentioned yesterday.

Last but not least on The Frisky’s list: Anne Heche and Ellen. I fondly remember my grandmother ranting when the two got together: “I don’t know what Ellen is doing with that Anne Heche. She seems like a sneaky bitch.” While Heche’s “sneaky bitch” traits have not been confirmed, when the two split in 2000, Anne went back to the boys, and Ellen scored Portia. Upgrade. Publicity stunt? Perhaps. Anne was basically unknown before Ellen, and I haven’t heard much about her since.

There are a few others that The Frisky missed: Anyone recall t.A.T.u.?

Or Tila Tequila in general?

What about Lily Allen’s lesbian twin experience?

We are sure you can think of more.

  • Jen Sabella's blog
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  • Natasha's picture

    Haha! Sneaky bitch...

    Nice, Grandma. =D

    ~ I can resist everything but temptation~

    CleveOhGal's picture

    Unfortunately...

    I don't think Samantha and Lindsay are a publicity stunt.  Truth be told, I think Lindsay herself is a publicity stunt.  I wish Samantha would wake up and leave all of the drama behind.
    wordswork's picture

    Clea and L&O

    I seem to remember seeing video of Clea Duval and some actress whose name escapes me) walking down the street holding hands (tongues planted firmly in cheeks) as the paparazzi snapped away.

    At the time, I remember thinking, "publicity stunt."

    This doesn't really involve a kiss, but making the "Law and Order" character Serena a lesbian suddenly in her last 2 minutes on the show seems like a TOTAL stunt, not to mention hugely insulting to LGBT members who had watched the show for years.

    futurenicole's picture

    clea duvall

    Clea Duvall is openly gay ... right??
    Lowell's picture

    stunt

    i totally thought that the lindsay/sam thing was a stunt; it's just so right up lindsay's alley to do something like that.
    Anonymous's picture

    Quote: Anne was basically

    Quote:
    Anne was basically unknown before Ellen, and I haven’t heard much about her since.
    She just had her second kid with her bf. The woman has failed miserably at lesbianism. And before someone rants about how little Annie never called herself a lesbian, well, I'm positive she did refer to herself as gay on Oprah, and few years ago, when she was on Letterman, he called her a lesbian several times and she never corrected him. Guess she or Dave have never heard of bisexuals.
    itcouldbeplanes's picture

    damn it..

    i thought that pic of the girls in undies was kinda hot.

     and then i read it was t.a.t.u. not so hot anymore.

     do enjoy the black undies though :D 

    Emilie's picture

    haha thats exactly what

    haha thats exactly what happened to me, then I like immediatly wanted to gag
    Michie87's picture

    I remember t.a.t.u...what

    I remember t.a.t.u...what happened to them? o_O 

    UGH tila tequila is just disgusting! She looks like my buddies boxer ..but thats an offense to the poor doggie :( he is too cute! :D!. - what do you think?

     

     

    ---------------

    Let it Rock,Let it roll

    Starshone's picture

    IIRC, both girls from

    IIRC, both girls from t.A.T.u. went off with boys and one even had a baby. Cute dog!
    Michie87's picture

    Really? they did? wow that

    Really? they did? wow that just about killed what little admiration I had for them.. :\ 

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    Let it Rock,Let it roll

    Mags's picture

    ~insert happy face here~

    This picture just made my day. And the dog is WAY better looking than Tila Tequila!
    Michie87's picture

    I agree right!!. Glad to

    I agree right!!. Glad to have made your day :D

    -------------------

     

    Let it Rock,Let it roll

    Aya's picture

    I think this is a topic that

    I think this is a topic that deserves multiple parts, there are plenty of publicity stunts to mention.
    Anonymous's picture

    t.A.T.u. = guilty pleasure

    Then again, I like electronic music and Russians. Pseudo-lezzies or not, I'd probably be a fan. They released an album this past fall...it's actually pretty good. Their take on "Fly On The Wall" is actually better than Miley's (I know, not saying a lot).

    Valerie kissed a girl? Did not know this.

    Also, didn't Anne claim to be abducted by aliens? 

    Inkblots

    Trix's picture

    I'm with you

    Yeah, totally manufactured, but I happen to like well-crafted electro-pop (which it was). Also, two women in schoolgirl outfits getting it on with each other? So shoot me, I liked the eye-candy.
    apricotbaby's picture

    Michie, how dare you insult

    Michie, how dare you insult the poor puppy?  Tila Tequila makes me want to shower over and over and over and over, (etc.) again from just looking at her picture.  I can't imagine even being in the same room with her without spraying a thick cloud of Lysol around myself like a coccoon.  

    I actually had an idea that Serena on Law & Order was gay the whole time, but yes, I wish they had expanded on that part of her character instead of using it as a sort of cliffhanger at the end.

    I detest Katy Perry and that ridiculous song of hers and T.A.T.U. is gross as are most what I refer to as "weekend lesbians."  You know, the ones that go out with their gay (boy)friends to the club and get hit on by a girl and they're a lesbian for the night.  I see that a lot around here.

     

     

    Our inability to change the past is surpassed by the wisdom gained from its experience.

    Nicki75's picture

    Lindsay + Sam, t.A.T.u., Ellen

    I really like Lindsay with Samantha, they seem very much in love with each other. I still don't get why some think it's so inconceivable that these two are a couple?

    Love t.A.T.u.! They have a new album out, "Happy Smiles" (available on iTunes), which is pretty awesome, very fresh and totally enjoyable - think of their image what you will, but their music is simply fantastic. Hopefully they will make an international comeback one day, they are indeed very talented singers and artists. Totally unique.

    Poor Ellen. I'm so glad she found true love with Portia.

    I didn't mind the Britney/Madonna kiss at all. It was really quite sexy IMO. This is showbiz - If straight people kiss each other on stage, chances are that it's a publicity stunt as well. Why shouldn't two women do the same? The only strange thing is the uproar this still causes.

    mcgloch's picture

    Tatu = No.1

    They were two straight girls with boyfriends pretending to be gay for quite a long period. I think they should get no.1 fo sho!

    Willow and Tara shouldn't be in that list! They were adorable <3

    pancreas's picture

    Their comment on Buffy

    “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”: Chicks always dug the show. But after Willow and Tara got together for the first lesbian sex scene on television in 2000, guys liked it, too.
    What? Given the year I'm guessing this refers to the offscreen scene in Season 4 which was hardly exploitative. The only other time was in Once More With Feeling which was sneakily implied but not much more.
    I think they got confused with the Willow & Kennedy sex scene in 2003?
    Faith-Kanzaki's picture

    Buff shouldn't be on the list, nor some of the others

    Buffy wasn't a publicity stunt ... even the sex scene with Kennedy wasn't because honestly, everyone else was doing it that episode too, they just happened to be another couple scared to death about dying.

    I personally don't think relationships that are TRYING to avoid the media or at least not actively making a scene should even be considered, people try things even if they don't stick with it, doesn't mean they weren't in a relationship (honestly I don't think Ellen would have dated Heche if it were a publicity stunt on either side).

    Then for t.A.T.u., I once read an interview of Yulia (black haired one with the baby) and she was saying that she honestly had just never thought about being in a relationship with a woman before t.A.T.u. and then after they started the stunt, for a while she did date a woman though it didn't go too far

    "Well, at least you don't have leprosy."

    Batman's picture

    oh HELL no

    did I just see BTVS on that shit.

    at least that relationship got to blossom, then the first kiss they share was when Buffys mom died. Willow never went back to men...publicity stunt my ass. lmao sorry I really got mad at that...

    so um...yea... other than that.

     

    CodeBlue's picture

    Katy Perry

    I love katy perry and her music!!
    Shya11's picture

    me 2...

    Love katy Perry. Why is it that every time that the Madonna kiss is mentioned peoplke only talk about her and Brittany. What about Christina? She kissed her too.
    hmorsey's picture

    I HATE that Buffy was on the

    I HATE that Buffy was on the list. That was about as far from a publicity stunt as you can get and all of Willow and Tara's sex scenes happened offscreen. They didn't even get to kiss onscreen until more than a year into their relationship and the WB tried to pull that scene but Joss said he would pull the entire episode if they did that. It was no publicity stunt, it was a great relationship played out onscreen. I'm thinking whoever made that list has never really seen the show even. Lesbianism was never used as a publicity stunt on that show.
    BAS's picture

    Willow/Tara compared with DH????

    Seriously?  How can they possibly consider W/T a publicity stunt when it was understated and lasted over 3 seasons??

    Also, Lindsay and Samantha are seriously deranged if they are going this far for a publicity stunt.  Kissing someone at an awards show is one thing - faking a relationship for years is ridiculous.  Wait, maybe Ellen and Portia are pulling a fast one too!!!

    I also think that Ellen and Anne Heche is unfair.  Yes, it ended badly.  Yes, AH clearly had some mental problems.  And she clearly was not a lesbian, but was bi.  So now she, like many other bi women, is with a man.  Big deal.  Doesn't mean what she had with Ellen was a publicity stunt.

    I can't believe they ignored Tatu, the OC, and Katy Perry for those!

    Oh - and I'm thinking they must mean the "magical orgasm" scene from Buffy, when Willow and Tara haven't even kissed yet onscreen but do that spell to find out what's up with Buffy (she's in Faith's body) that involves moaning, sweating, holding hands, and Willow falling back in ecstasy.  Back when magic=sex.  Not exactly a publicity stunt sex scene, but the only thing resembling a sex scene from S4.

    GrrrlRomeo's picture

    What Sex Scene in 2000 on Buffy?

    Yeah...pretty much been said. I don't think this person watched Buffy and just heard that Willow and Tara were gay and just assumed there was a sex scene. Of course there was actually a whole story line, but you know anything with lesbians must be a stunt. Whatever.
    FlyFishGirls's picture

    Ellen was with Alex when she met Portia

    Uh... no.  "Anne went back to the boys, and Ellen scored Portia"?  Not so much.  Don't forget that Portia and Ellen were both in committed relationships with other people whom they dropped like hotcakes when they got together.  I mean, I like Ellen and Portia and all, but they didn't exactly start off in the classiest way.  Ellen got famous again and ditched the woman (hot Alexandra Hedison) who had helped her through her low post-losing-her-tv-show, pre-getting-her-current-show times.  I'm just saying...

    http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/People/122004/ellenbreakup.html

     

    Polyester Queen's picture

    Seriously?

    "Chicks always dug the show. But after Willow and Tara got together for the first lesbian sex scene on television in 2000, guys liked it, too."

     

    What, like no women liked that scene too? It's silly that they chose Buffy and Samantha and Lindsey when they had scads of totally contrived straight girl kisses to choose from.  Like GrrrlRomeo said, I guess they think everything involving lesbians is a stunt. 

    Amaya's picture

    Well..

    I know I will get stonned for this but I'm a hardcore t.A.T.u. fan. Then again I love Euroelectropop and dance and such, I'm a russophile, and a sucker for pretty girls so, it only makes sense. Okay they lied about being lesbians, once, but from what I read of them, originally they were in the same choir (Neposedi (correct the spelling)) and they were close friends. I read an interview where hey stated they did originally develop some sort of friendship on fire kind of feelings but it's true they both went back to guys. However their friendship is sincere and you can at least admire them for being so close and not getting on each other's nerves for the past 10 years.

    An other reason I'll get stonned is, I have a soft spot for Tila. Publicity stunt? Okay, maybe, but it really broke my heart in the second season' finale when I saw the look on her face when whatsername refused the key. But then again I am able to be compassionate to serial killers. Sometimes. Depends on which ones. Err. Back to Tila: She gave Bi women bad publicity that's for sure and she's trashy, that is also for sure and I'm not too happy about that, but I don't think she deserves me wasting my precious hatred on her. I'll keep it for the jacka*ses who voted yes on prop 8.

    As for the rest, I agree there are many publicity stunts that have used (and failed, while tarnishing) the magic of two women kissing

    ~* Sunt îngeraşul tau, dar tu eşti îngerul meu *~

    Katys's picture

    I believe this site should

    I believe this site should be ashamed to actually put Samanthas and Lindsays relationship as a publicity stunt in an article HERE.Shame.

    Artists are calling them the US couple of the 21st century and Calvin Klein has made Pillows with their name and have them in his flagship store window in New York as one of the most important couples of ours days.Even now they take steps to keep their relationship private,trying to avoid even now to be seen together.

    WAKE UP AE.Just because they dont fit the image you have of the perfect lesbians doesnt mean we have to come here and read mean articles for this couple all the time.

    Some of us realy realy like them.

    Shame.

    Lauren's picture

    iawtc

    iawtc
    Katys's picture

    hmmm?

    hmmm?
    SH's picture

    Calm down, tiger! READ

    Calm down, tiger! READ before you accuse AE of demeaning the r/s of LL and Sam or cheapening it as a publicity stunt. Note that they were just pulling out the list from thefrisky.com and not a list from AE.

    "Second on the list are our favorite celesbians to talk about: Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson.Publicity stunt? We don't think so, but you be the judge."

    As a fan of LL and Sam too, I think AE's been positive about the(in articles,etc) rather than those gossip sites.

    Cheers!

     

    wanderrerr's picture

    Um, this article did not

    Um, this article did not call Sam and Lindsay's relationship a publicity stunt.  They just mentioned someone else who did.
    GrrrlRomeo's picture

    RTFA

    Seriously.
    Catarina's picture

    could you impose the no

    could you impose the no lindsay rule again? PLEASE

    Its really weird to come here and read the kind of stuff that you'd expect from all those other gossip sites that call them lezlo and saMANtha. 

     

     

    Lauren's picture

    Lindsay/Sam

    If you've seen any of the candids when Lindsay is looking at Sam you can see her googly eyes that anyone makes when they are in love. I'd say 2 years is a long time for a publicity stunt and even if she were to break up with Sam and date a man does that make a publicity stunt? No.

     

     

    scoobygang's picture

    I actually like tatu, they

    I actually like tatu, they have a lot of good songs (in my opinion). Dont really care about the whole publicity stunt thing or the fact that they're not even gay, a girl can still dream....plus they are pretty sexy.... just sayin' :)
    rusty_tiffany's picture

    buffy? hello no

    willow and tara definitely should not be on that list. since when is turning one of your main characters gay and keeping that way for THREE SEASONS a stunt?? i also don't think lindsay and sam are a stunt. i've always liked lindsay lohan, from the time she was a little kid in the parent trap, and i don't think she'd go that far just for publicity, and i definitely don't think sam would get so involved if that's all it was.

    and what about alex and marissa on the oc? the early second-season ratings were much lower than expected, and they needed something to put them back on top. i loved alex and i really liked them together initially, until sweeps ended and both charcters did a complete 180 and broke up 2 epidodes later. that definitely qualifies as a publicity stunt if you ask me.

    Valkyrie's picture

    you forgot someone!

    Kristianna Loken... bisexual? Right. What about her supposed fling with Michelle Rodriguez.... total publicity stunt. And now, nobody knows what she's doing except for the fact that she had a huckle berry finn themed wedding...