Sunday News
(New Zealand)
March 7, 1999
Contributed by Liz/Sojourner
Front page Teaser - Lucy Tells All
Xena Upsets Hindu World
By: Lee Umbers
Picture: Lucy and Renee (looking ravishing) at the Mardi Gras
Xena the warrior princess is under attack over her on-screen relationship
with gal-pal Gabrielle. The pair, played by Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor,
have their relationship blessed by Hindu god Krishna in an episode which
has angered Hindus worldwide. Lucy's character Xena has won a huge international
lesban following. And the Auckland actress saluted gay fans of the fantasy
television series when she and Renee turned out at Sydney's Gay and Lesbian
Mardi Gras last month.
While she was thrilled to be part of the event, Hindu groups are upset at their deity being associated with her Xena character. Hindus worldwide appealed to Canadian and American television stations not to screen the controversial episode. The NZ School of Meditation, the Wellington Indian Association and the World Vaishnava Association last week said in a joint ststement that Global TV Network in Canada had bowed to pressure and cut screenings "out of respect for the local Hindu community and response to snowballing worldwide protest".
But Pacific Renaissance Pictures, which makes Xena, said Canadian stations had pulled only daytime screenings of the episode. Spokeswoman Sue May said the axing had nothing to do with the Hindu content, but material judged too harsh for a daytime audience. "The episode was screened as scheduled to night-time audiences"' May said. Channels in the US screened the episode last weekend.
A TV3 spokesman said the episode was expected to arrive in NZ in a few months time and would be assessed when it got here.
While the controversy over the episode dragged on, Lucy joined hundreds of thousands of spectators at the city-stopping procession of floats, frocks and flares at the Sydney Mardi Gras. "It's bigger than I ever expected. We are having a fantastic time", she said at the event.
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