Reception and Impact
As Olivia and Natalia's relationship grew deeper, the storyline garnered critical praise from the soap press for being a well-crafted and "superbly performed" storyline that is addressing lesbian relationships and internalized homophobia. Additionally, viewers invested in the Olivia and Natalia storyline and the couple became popular.
In October 2008, controversy in the media arose over the future development of Olivia and Natalia's relationship. Rumors surfaced that the two would develop into a lesbian relationship. Later that month, a CBS publicist stated that "this is not going to be a gay story line", but would be a "deep, rich, emotional relationship that will be very unusual for soaps." In her BuzzWorthy Radio interview conducted on February 27, 2009, Chappell provided insight into the "gay" controversy when she stated, "our intention from the very beginning was not to throw labels out there. It narrows the scope of what we could do. We just wanted to tell a love story." Since October 2008, the controversy has subsided because Olivia and Natalia's story has progressed enough toward romance that members of the media have considered them to be a budding lesbian couple.and SheWired.com, Nelson Branco of the Internet website TV Guide Canada refers to their relationship as "romantic love".
In the Internet article, "Racial vs. Gay Diversity on Daytime Television", Herndon Davis analyzed gay and lesbian representation on daytime television. Part of Davis's article focused on the late-in-life same-sex romance developing between Olivia and Natalia. In addressing the potentially broad cultural impact of their relationship, Davis quoted Jamey Giddens, the editorial director for Daytime Confidential:
Guiding Light's Olivia and Natalia are off to a good start, as two women who once battled over the same man have managed to find common ground in their love for Olivia's daughter and their joint attempts to rebuild their lives. If the storyline isn't derailed, it could prove to be one of the most fascinating explorations of love, friendship and sexuality, not just in daytime, but in television as a whole.
Read more about this topic: Olivia Spencer And Natalia Rivera Aitoro
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