Billy Crystal is honored for his pioneering gay character on the satire "Soap" at The Paley Honors: A Gala Tribute to LGBTQ+ Achievements in Television in June 2019.
I was living in England at the time. My BFF and I would run to her home after theater in order to catch SOAP. It was the entire family's favorite show. And Jody became my favorite character immediately. Especially the scenes with Harold Gould. Years later back in the States, my son also falls in love with Soap.
soap was ensemble so billy crystal was the first gay charactor lead on a show . ellen did alot but soap paved the way for ellen will and grace and other . billy was not the recurring he was lead. he part of the main cast
His character had a couple heterosexual relationships but he remained gay. What was unique was that Jody was accepted as a gay man. Until then gays had to be presented as a threat or as mentally ill. Many groups, primarily religious were angry that his character wasn't portrayed as evil or sick. They couldn't as many still can't handle the idea of them being treated like anyone else.
His character did not have any heterosexual relationships. He slept with one woman one time and got her pregnant because she seduced him. Her name was Carol and she got pregnant with his child from that one night of experimentation Jodie had with her. He was never in a relationship with her. He became best friends with a lesbian named Alice. They of course were just friends. Finally, he had a real good friend at the end of the series named Maggie who was helping him in his search for his kidnapped daughter...kidnapped by Carol. But it was never implied at all that they were anything more than friends.
I have read that the show on only suppose to last 5 seasons. It got cancelled in season 4. Season 5 was going to wrap up all the storylines. Loved Soap!!
My favorite role Mr. Crystal plays. He did right by Jody. He showed the world how your sexual orientation has nothing to do with ones character (not the person an actor portrays). I can’t imagine the pressure society put on him and the creators when adding a gay character in the late 1970s and early 80s. Honestly, being gay was the mild character on that show. The aliens the infidelity, the crazy plots. Yeah, that show was way way cool.
The show was intended to be a parody of Soap Operas so of course you were going to have over the top scenes like at one point he has to become straight to get his daughter back whom he conceived after a bi moment with a woman. But the man gave a voice to an entire group that got next to no recognition on TV. For its time the show was groundbreaking.
He never proclaimed he had become straight or that he quit being gay. He became partners with a woman at the end of the series because his daughter had been kidnapped by her mother with whom Jody slept with one time because she seduced him. They didn't continue a sexual relationship after the one time that he experimented with her. The woman who was helping him find his daughter maintained a platonic friendship with Jody. When he slipped into psychosis and became a Jewish man he never insinuated that his sexual orientation had changed.
@@kristopherwilhite the words he used was when being caught that it would happen after his first HETEROSEXUAL encounter, insinuating his sexual orientation had changed. Also for a gay man he does seem to go with a lot of women. They should have had him as a bisexual than gay.
He did not turn straight. He had a one night stand with a woman who became pregnant with his child. He did not continue to have sex with her because he was gay. He was not involved in a relationship at all after that but he became an ally (platonic) with a female who assisted him in trying to find his daughter who was kidnapped by her mother. He never proclaimed to have become straight.
Sammy Davis impression was a bad idea man. If you wanted to do that joke, you should have just heard the voice and maybe seen a hand holding a cigar. If you really wanted to see the face, cast someone else.
I have read that the show on only suppose to last 5 seasons. It got cancelled in season 4. Season 5 was going to wrap up all the storylines. Loved Soap!!
I was living in England at the time. My BFF and I would run to her home after theater in order to catch SOAP. It was the entire family's favorite show. And Jody became my favorite character immediately. Especially the scenes with Harold Gould. Years later back in the States, my son also falls in love with Soap.
it was brilliant, a shame they wrote Jodie a bit badly though......
I was 9 years old when Soap premiered and I thank “Jody” and Billy Crystal for being such a great role model for me at such a young age.
just a shame they made him straight at the end.
soap was ensemble so billy crystal was the first gay charactor lead on a show . ellen did alot but soap paved the way for ellen will and grace and other . billy was not the recurring he was lead. he part of the main cast
Still watch SOAP. One of my favorite funny shows
Still my all time fav show.
His character had a couple heterosexual relationships but he remained gay.
What was unique was that Jody was accepted as a gay man. Until then gays had to be presented as a threat or as mentally ill.
Many groups, primarily religious were angry that his character wasn't portrayed as evil or sick. They couldn't as many still can't handle the idea of them being treated like anyone else.
His character did not have any heterosexual relationships. He slept with one woman one time and got her pregnant because she seduced him. Her name was Carol and she got pregnant with his child from that one night of experimentation Jodie had with her. He was never in a relationship with her. He became best friends with a lesbian named Alice. They of course were just friends. Finally, he had a real good friend at the end of the series named Maggie who was helping him in his search for his kidnapped daughter...kidnapped by Carol. But it was never implied at all that they were anything more than friends.
Truly enjoyed your role on Soap.
I have read that the show on only suppose to last 5 seasons. It got cancelled in season 4. Season 5 was going to wrap up all the storylines. Loved Soap!!
Soap was great.
this is wonderful
My favorite role Mr. Crystal plays. He did right by Jody. He showed the world how your sexual orientation has nothing to do with ones character (not the person an actor portrays). I can’t imagine the pressure society put on him and the creators when adding a gay character in the late 1970s and early 80s. Honestly, being gay was the mild character on that show. The aliens the infidelity, the crazy plots. Yeah, that show was way way cool.
"They were watching"... Exactly.
oh billy never mentioned his nemesis on the show BOB!
The show was intended to be a parody of Soap Operas so of course you were going to have over the top scenes like at one point he has to become straight to get his daughter back whom he conceived after a bi moment with a woman. But the man gave a voice to an entire group that got next to no recognition on TV. For its time the show was groundbreaking.
Also still my all time fave show.
Bravo!
He never mentions the mistake though in they made Jodie oddly go heterosexual at SOAPs end which was a huge mistake.
I thought he became a 90 year old Jewish man. It was a satirical show.
@@blondewriter99 yes but before then he went for hypnotherapy to find out why he went heterosexual and became a jewish man in a past life.
@@blondewriter99 so now u know....he went heterosexual.
He never proclaimed he had become straight or that he quit being gay. He became partners with a woman at the end of the series because his daughter had been kidnapped by her mother with whom Jody slept with one time because she seduced him. They didn't continue a sexual relationship after the one time that he experimented with her. The woman who was helping him find his daughter maintained a platonic friendship with Jody. When he slipped into psychosis and became a Jewish man he never insinuated that his sexual orientation had changed.
@@kristopherwilhite the words he used was when being caught that it would happen after his first HETEROSEXUAL encounter, insinuating his sexual orientation had changed. Also for a gay man he does seem to go with a lot of women. They should have had him as a bisexual than gay.
I enjoyed Soap. But Billy’s character went straight by the third season. They never talk about that. Same thing happened on Dynasty.
he didn't stop being gay. he did become a dad.
@@bernadineshelbourne8915 and to add on, he refused to marry because he was gay. Jeff you may need to watch the four seasons over.
@@bernadineshelbourne8915 no he did turn straight at the end of season 4
@@letshaveaconvo-24s I have all 4 seasons on DVD and he did turn straight at the end.
He did not turn straight. He had a one night stand with a woman who became pregnant with his child. He did not continue to have sex with her because he was gay. He was not involved in a relationship at all after that but he became an ally (platonic) with a female who assisted him in trying to find his daughter who was kidnapped by her mother. He never proclaimed to have become straight.
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Sammy Davis impression was a bad idea man. If you wanted to do that joke, you should have just heard the voice and maybe seen a hand holding a cigar. If you really wanted to see the face, cast someone else.
I have read that the show on only suppose to last 5 seasons. It got cancelled in season 4. Season 5 was going to wrap up all the storylines. Loved Soap!!