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Top > Benchmark Lesbian Kissing Moments > Article
Lesbian Kissing between Calista Flockhart and Jane Krakowski / Ally McBeal (Television show, 1998)
By Kaylee Larson, LesbianLoveNow.com
During the episode of the popular television series, Ally McBeal, that aired on November 9, 1998,
Ally (Calista Flockhart) and Elaine (Jane Krakowski) shared a not-so-average kiss, giving at-home viewers – whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight – something to talk about for days.
This scene features Ally and Elaine in a very long lip-lock while their colleagues walk in and observe them in shock. Once the two women finish their kiss, of course, they act nonchalant.
The public attention surrounding this lesbian kissing moment was due to the fact that at the time, television shows had not included many instances of lesbian kissing, let alone on a drama such as Ally McBeal. This kiss more than compensated for what many on-screen kisses in the past (such as the one performed by Roseanne and Mariel Hemingway) had lacked by way of passion and sexiness. This passionate on-screen kiss guided television viewing into a new, exciting time in television history.
The most surprising result of this particular event in television history was the lack of media coverage surrounding the kiss as compared to the media’s previous practice of reporting on a controversial moment in a television show, splashing it all over the Internet. As a matter of fact, an Internet search for a video of the kiss on Ally McBeal yields very few results besides a brief mention of it in a general compilation of kissing scenes, unlike the abundant footage of other benchmark lesbian kissing moments. Incidentally, Ally McBeal received more criticism from such entities as the Catholic Church for the show’s depiction of a Catholic confession than it did from anyone in response to the steamy lesbian kissing scene.
By the late 1990s, society was beginning to become generally accustomed to seeing gay and lesbian characters on various television series, and by the time Flockhart’s and Krakowski’s scene appeared on the small screen, most viewers considered the act not nearly as shocking as it had been in the past, even though there would be future incidents in television and music videos that would arouse further controversy.
Ultimately, this incidence of on-screen lesbian kissing made a statement that network television was willing to break through the limitations of taboo subjects. In 1998, such an event as a kiss between two women had not been broadcast on every network. In this regard, the Fox network led the way to greater tolerance on screen.
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