If you follow me on Twitter (AND YOU SHOULD) I am having a major malfunction over the fucking Hallmark Channel. As some of you know, I spend my nights around the holidays watching sappy formulaic movies on Hallmark. Shut up. I’m old and it’s a good thing to keep on the TV while I sleep because everyone falls in love and gets married and lives happily ever after.
But I kind of lost my mind on Twitter last night. You see The Hallmark Channel refused to air the following ad.
.@hallmarkchannel’s decision to remove LGBTQ families in such a blatant way is discriminatory and especially hypocritical coming from a network that claims to present family programming and also recently stated they are ‘open’ to LGBTQ holiday movies. https://t.co/7S8tOdUnAW
— GLAAD (@glaad) December 15, 2019
I’m boycotting Hallmark and will not give them my vote by watching anything on their channel or their products this is NOT okay.
I watched parts of SNL today. And they were hysterical about this. I generally just watch the cold open and Weekend Updates. They said to the histrionic family people… “If your kids are watching Hallmark they are already gay”
Ironically, I am already watching The L Word on demand instead. Also …
BOYCOTT HALLMARK!
I’ll watch and recap RHOA tomorrow. I’ve had a rough day. I’m exhausted. I have been day drinking. I sort of cut off the lawn kid. It’s sort of a long story that is unfit for the Internet but my friend showed up today and he is not having it. He will be here tomorrow and he will make sure that I am not in danger. Friends are good. I hope he just has a nice talk…
In the meantime, check out Free Form for all you Christmas Movie needs. Or just get caught up on six seasons of The L Word so we can chat about the reboot. There is a lot of lesbian sex which seems overly dramatic at first. But if you persevere ….it gets to be sort of superfluous. And it really is a great show. I plan to recap the reboot that has already started.
Oh and Zola has pulled their ads from the network.
I’ve been day drinking. I cannot pretend to care about Bravo TV tonight either. Tomorrow is another day… I will deal with RHOA then. Or maybe I will put up a discussion thread. I dunno.
I decided to boycott Hallmark for the same reason. Hallmark caving to a homophobic group is annoying af. Thanks for the Freeform recommendation. Stay safe.
It is exhausting standing up for the rights of humans. Perhaps I am being naive – when I checked to see why #boycotthallmark was trending on twitter, after I read the article (the above one) I thought – here we go!
I truly believed Andy Cohen and a ton of Bravolebreties will be tweeting their disdain for hallmark and show support for LGBTQ – it’s been a day – apparently the Bravolebrities and Andy Cohen only use their platform when it serves their own purpose and not anybody else’s.
Not one Bravolebrity – you know the ones – the ones that glibly use the term “my gays” and the ones who wave and dance at the Gay pride parades.
I am disillusioned.
#fuckhallmark
Thanks for letting folks know the sick game Hallmark is playing. Seriously, why is Hallmark sucking up to bigots?
I’m also getting ready to binge on “The L Word” once I wrap up my work year this week. Since there are only so many true crime documentaries I can watch on Netflix, I have to shake it up every so often.
atdleft & TT, In NatGeo “Same God” movie 2018 there is a comment near the end which slightly explains difference in Evangelism & Conservatism religion. Evangelism is all encompassing, to love & accept all.
All are Gods children.
Conservatism say all are welcome but it is not in their actions.
Hallmark like others in recent years has went the way of Conservatism because that is where the political power is today.
I do not want to live in their world, same as a Middle East country allowing only one religion.
“Same God” is about Wheaton, a conservative Christian college which hired then fired then tried to rehire Professor Hawkins the first black woman to get tenure.
Rerun 2 days ago KQEDW
I read this, and am also deleting their app off my phone.
I have actually never watched hallmark, when I want formulaic romance I read. I did go through every tweet that Twitter account has posted and reported any that could be the leadt bit controversial, cause principles.
I fall asleep to dateline, Keith Morrison and Josh Mankiewicz have amazing relaxing voices.
I never see the end of Dateline because of their soothing voices!
I love day drinking! Seriously screw hallmark and those “million moms” and their ridiculous, prejudiced, uninformed, hateful petition. I don’t have Twitter or I’d be following you there as well.
Fuck Hallmark.
Boycotts work!
I had my dauggters Twitter but never really got the hang of it. Then she changed the password after I tweeted Andy. Im going to try again over the Holidays.
I’m catching up on TCM Noir Alley. I’m also going to record my Christmas faves on there – like the Jimmy Stewart version of The Shop Around the Corner and the 30’s version of Ebenezer Scrooge. Can’t think of realntitle lol.
I just binge watched Goliath wity Billy Bob Thornton? Loved.
What did you tweet Andy that was so bad your daughter changed the password on you?! She knew you had it right? This is too funny.
I loved Goliath too!
Sorry, I will not be jumping on this bandwagon. As sick and tired as you are about this kind of thing, Im sick and tired of people/companies/networks being bullied into supporting something that goes against their core beliefs. If Hallmark is a network that doesn’t support the LGBTQXYZ lifestyle or agenda then they have the right to pull that ad. Personally I dont care if they or any other network airs it or not. I happen to like the Christmas movies and other sappy movies they show. Does this make me ridiculous, prejudiced, uninformed, or hateful? No it does not. I’m also sick and tired of being called a horrible person every time choose not to support some agenda or another. So no, I will not boycott Hallmark. Now excuse me, I have some Hallmark movies to catch up on.
HALLELUJAH
AMEN
Its a 30 second diversified ad, no one is asking Hallmark to go out of its way to make any other thing LBGQT, just air an ad that most people aren’t even in the room for or pay attention to. Lets face it ads are bathroom breaks or grabbing snack time.
While i do understand stand your position in somethings, i never expect anyone who is friends to unfriend that person who did a bad thing (think diane Keaton and woody allen, they are friends people support friends, as long as they don’t victim bash, i get it). This is a business transaction they were provided money to air ads and therefore it is a non emotional transaction, if they want to renege of their transaction for a discriminatory reason they should be held accountable.
I agree with you.
This is not about Hallmark’s “core beliefs”. They were already airing the ads. If the ads went against what they believe in, then why air them in the first place? They haven’t been able to come up with a response to that. They DID get bullied by this group who want to project their beliefs onto everyone else. For Hallmark, it’s business and money and they bowed to a loud group–a bunch of narrow-minded bigots who want to control what the rest of us see. So I will be loud back and speak with my wallet. This is how censorship seeps its way in and we need to constantly fight against it.
I see now that Hallmark has reversed their stance–good move by them.
I see now, that Hallmark has reversed their position–good.
LGBTQXYZ lifestyle or agenda?
Seriously?
1) It’s LGBTQ – Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans & Queer or occasionally LGBTQIA -Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Ally (or Asexual). The fact that you’re throwing in all those other letters is clearly meant to insult my community and diminish people’s identities.
2) There is no such thing as an LGBTQ lifestyle or agenda. We’re a diverse group, from every possible social strata with diverse opinions, experiences, values and faiths. Pretty much the only things we can agree on is that we shouldn’t be discriminated against because of who we love or what our gender identities are. That’s it. Just that my marriage should receive the same rights and responsibilities as anyone else. Or that my brother shouldn’t get fired from his job or kicked out of his housing if someone finds out that he’s trans.
Choosing to withdraw support from a corporation that bows to pressure from a group that is dedicated to discriminating against people for who they love, is not bullying. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s standing with people who have faced and continue to face discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Although my marriage is federally recognized, in 23 states, I could be fired for it. Refused public accommodation (hotels, restaurants, etc.). Refused or evicted from rental housing.
And, Hallmark agrees. They’ve reversed their decision, apologized and will be working with GLAAD to “better represent the LGBTQ community across our portfolio of brands”.
So, enjoy the Hallmark channel. And know that they are taking steps to do a better job of supporting my communities.
Lori,
In your fervor to break from the pack, take a stand, be a rebel, fight for the right of free speech for faceless corporate entities, you missed the entire point. And you chose the wrong victim.
Hallmark allowed a tiny, but painfully squeaky wheel, to dictate to them and the corporate entity folded like a cheap suit.
The slope is a long and slippery one, one you don’t want to fall on your flaming sword for because it means that someday, your own right to free speech will be censured by a rigid squeaky wheel.
2.0 — ^^ ?yes
And now they let another squeaky wheel change their minds. I hate when special interest groups twist arms till everybody bends to their will. Regardless if they bend left or right. Im not fighting for anyones rights, Im pissed at being pressured to do things and if you disagree you get labeled homophobic, racist, evil or any other derogatory name because you may feel differently about something. Or as in this case, being told I shouldnt watch Hallmark because they wont show a same sex couple and if I do Im homophobic and evil.
… when they come you, will anyone be remaining to help you?
I support your right to think, do as you wish.
That is my America.
Please Carefully think out your choices, history shows this type of singular thinking has no end to its victim list.
Unless you are perfect …
I still support your rights. xox
The only AGENDA the gay community has is to have the same rights as everyone else!!
Freedom of speech works both ways.
I thought same sex kisses on TV were completely passé at this point. I mean, there’s even a gay male same sex couple on General Hospital, which is on network TV (ABC)…during the DAYtime. They’ve even been shown in bed together before…kissing…shirtless (egad! ?) A short kiss by two brides in an ad seems really tame.
I’ve never watched a hallmark Christmas movie before, but don’t the opposite sex couples ever kiss in those movies? How could Hallmark have a ban on PDA? Have they never heard of mistletoe???
Lori…the other one.. This kind of dismissive remark, mocking the LGBTQ by adding letters is pretty insulting. “If Hallmark is a network that doesn’t support the LGBTQXYZ lifestyle or agenda” Did you need to be awful to make your point? NO
A phrase from “Schitt’s Creek”
Johnny Rose: “LGBTQIA question mark”
Moira Rose “John!”
Johnny: “Did I miss a letter?”
It wasnt meant to be mocking. I knew there were more letters but I dont know what they are. It started out as LGB and has since tripled in number. As Im not a part of that community, I dont even know what anything after T stands for.
I also did day/morning drinking yesterday. I was at a Christmas party at a horse barn. It was cold, dirty and lots of fun???Mimosa’s, food, coco and horses. Along with my granddaughter, I would not have wanted to be anywhere else❤️?????
Wow, your life sounds perfect. I want to go to a party in a horse barn. I shall add that to my wish list. Thanks for commenting. You make me smile. xo ~tt
I hope things with Lawn kid are resolved peacefully. It made me nervous for you but I didn’t want to be a negative nancy.
Same, but I didn’t want to inflict my paranoia onto TT
I was thinking the same, but didn’t know if I should ask questions or not since the post got deleted. Tamara, please let us know how this works out. I am concerned for both you and the lawn kid.
Fuck Hallmark. Fuck Bravo. My new show… Unpolished. TLC. It is hilarious. A crazy over the top family, the Martones, running a nail and hair salon. The main character Lexi is an AMAZING nail artist. Check it out.
Lexi was also on an episode of that Christmas Cookie Challenge on Food Network. She decorated her cookies for “Witchmas” instead of Christmas. She was dressed more outlandishly than what she normally wears on UnPolished.
Day drinking also at the Giants game. ALL day. We started at 8 am with tequila Bloody Marys. I feel like crap.
This post is epic for so many reasons. Way to stand up for some serious crap like that all while throwing amazing shade at bravolebrites . This is why I love you ?
Thanks Jen. I may be an annoying (insert random curse word here) but … just thanks for making his your first post.
Love this post too! My preteen and teen children love Hallmark Christmas movies. They watched them all afternoon so I could Day Sip while I wrapped Christmas presents which now look progressively worse. I will have to amend some bows today!
Why do people care who kisses whom? Love is love and that’s a great thing.
Glad your friend came by Tam. He sounds like a gem and he can help with your 19 year old kid.
Vandygirl, watch NatGeo movie “Same God” all the way to the end. I learned a lot. Not all religions or churches support this crazy.
I’ve never watched a Hallmark movie that I recall but I did read a statement today, made by the president CEO of Hallmark, expressing their regret for the decision they made. He says they have always been committed to diversity & inclusion and will be working with GLAAD to better represent the LGBTQ communities. They have also reached out to Zola to reestablish their relationship and reinstate the commercials. You can’t really ask for more than for someone to recognize they’ve made a mistake and take steps to correct those mistakes.
I can’t even watch “Golden Girls” now? Really Hallmark? I’m going to delete every movie I wanted to watch from my DVR, if and when I ever go home again…I am attached to work at the hip right now, so much for that “vacation” that tried to kill me while I was only trying to kill one little Elk, I have worked every day since 12/7, think I’m off 12/24 @ 7pm….
I am in “the” Twitter but I get too distracted there and I don’t really understand it either. It takes me forever to find comments. I like it here better. My safe place.
Hey everybody, Hallmark changed its mind and put the ad back up. They must be reading you Tamara!
I cannot get Hallmark at home, but I did watch it recently while in Branson, Mo. Which is why I thought Hallmark was a “Christian-backed” channel. The movies (which I loved) were so comforting to doze/relax with.
The pulling of the ad did not surprise me. The reinstatement did. Thank goodness.
Not sure how to say this. I have been sensing a…distain(?) for inclusion. Some younger people I know are DONE with a more diversified television presence. I don’t get it.
Hallmark Channel just reinstated commercials per Drudge. Thank
When I heard about Hallmark pulling the ad after pressure from a group, I was hoping another group/advertiser with DEEPER POCKETS would threaten to pull its ads or support. I do not believe Hallmark had any change of heart or moral or legal reconsideration. I think it is ALL about money. Either another entity chose to pull its ads or the legal team or the bean counters decided that it was a better move FINANCIALLY to run the “two brides” ad. And I can watch it now whatever the motivation BECAUSE the network has “told” the bigot group “nevermind.”
Don’t tell me what to watch on tv and I won’t tell you what to watch on tv.
If I like a product I’ll buy it, if not I won’t. But I’m not going to tell anyone what or what not to buy.
My comments are always against boycotts. I speak with my remote and my wallet.