DID THE OSCARS BAN MAN-ON-MAN KISS?

Producers of the Oscars television broadcast have been accused of blocking a kiss between Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem.

The two actors playfully kissed one another on the mouth and briefly danced together on stage while presenting the awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay during Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.

However, instead of showing this in the television broadcast, producers switched to a protracted shot of Bardem’s girlfriend, actress Penelope Cruz, in the audience.

“… the cutaway to Cruz seemed awkward and clearly lasted until the two men had stopped dancing. Frankly, it’s hard not to wonder if it might not have something to do with the Adam Lambert imbroglio from the American Music Awards,” asked AfterElton.com.

While ABC, the television network behind the broadcast, did not comment on the issue, one of the producers of the show, openly gay Bruce Cohen, sent a statement to AfterElton on the matter.

He denied that producers had made a decision to censor the kiss or interaction between the men.

“It [the dance and the kiss] was unscripted, and the plan… was always to cut to Penelope in the audience applauding Josh’s and Javier’s introduction, so that is what happened, just as they were starting to dance,” said Cohen.

“Josh and Javier’s moment (I saw them start to dance, but, to be honest, I have no idea if they kissed — that’s the first I’ve heard of that) would have made a great TV moment, but since no one knew it was coming, we cut to the gorgeous Mz. Cruz as planned. By the time we cut back from her close-up, James and Javier were walking to the podium.”

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