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Image from the advertisement for a wedding-planning website. AP

US Hallmark TV channel pulls ads with brides kissing after conservative pressure

The controversy from the ads was a distraction, a spokeswoman for the channel said.

THE HALLMARK TV channel in the United States has pulled ads for a wedding-planning website that featured two brides kissing at the altar following pressure from a conservative advocacy group.

The network, which is currently heavily focusing on Christmas programming, removed the ads because the controversy was a distraction, a spokeswoman said.

In one of the adverts for Zola, two brides stand at the altar and discuss whether their wedding would go more smoothly if they had used a planning site before sharing a kiss.

Molly Biwer, senior vice president for public affairs and communications at Hallmark, said: “The debate surrounding these commercials on all sides was distracting from the purpose of our network, which is to provide entertainment value.

“The Hallmark brand is never going to be divisive. We don’t want to generate controversy, we’ve tried very hard to stay out of it… we just felt it was in the best interest of the brand to pull them and not continue to generate controversy.”

There was immediate backlash against this decision on Twitter.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres said: “Isn’t it almost 2020? What are you thinking? Please explain. We’re all ears.”

Biwer said a conservative group, One Million Moms, part of the American Family Association, had complained about the ads to Bill Abbott, CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, Hallmark’s parent company.

A post on the group’s website said that Abbott “reported the advertisement aired in error”.

The group also wrote: “The call to our office gave us the opportunity to confirm the Hallmark Channel will continue to be a safe and family-friendly network.”

Zola had submitted six adverts, four of which featured a lesbian couple.

After Hallmark pulled those ads, but not two featuring only opposite-sex couples, Zola pulled its remaining ads, the company said.

“The only difference between the commercials that were flagged and the ones that were approved was that the commercials that did not meet Hallmark’s standards included a lesbian couple kissing,” said Mike Chi, Zola’s chief marketing officer.

“All kisses, couples and marriages are equal celebrations of love and we will no longer be advertising on Hallmark,” he said.

Actress Sandra Bernhard, who played one of the first openly bisexual characters on network TV in Roseanne also criticised Hallmark’s decision.

“All the groovy gay ladies I know won’t be watching your Christmas schlock,” she wrote, addressing Hallmark.

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    Mute Alan Hayes
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:13 PM

    It was savage craic. People travelled from all over Ireland, several from US and many from UK & rest of Europe. Donations to Irish Cancer Society, the only group providing Night Nurse service to terminal cancer patients at home. Proud to have been involved.

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    Mute Crístóir Ó Duinn
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:02 PM

    Perfect weather for a ginger convention too, overcast.

    124
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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 9:13 PM

    Lot of copper tops

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    Mute Darren Doyle
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:51 PM

    Nothing sexier than a woman with red hair

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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:59 PM

    I dunno…. dat sheep!

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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Aug 23rd 2016, 8:50 PM

    Oh she’s lovely !!!

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    Mute Rumpelstiltskin
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:50 PM

    First they meet up….then they plot the take over

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    Mute The Girl
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 2:59 PM

    The only pure Irish…Ginger, Porcelain skin, Freckle face :-). Gingers Rule.

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    Mute kieran fitzgerald
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:04 PM

    Sure they are, let’s just ignore that the original inhabitants of this Little rock came up from Iberia shall we and go with some Victorian notion of racial purity.

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    Mute The Girl
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:15 PM

    Relax @Kieran…life’s too short.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:20 PM

    We should have an annual begrudgery festival :p

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    Mute An_Beal_Bocht
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    Aug 23rd 2016, 10:38 AM

    It’s thought red heads were of Norman royalty origin, Henry VIII was a flaming ginger. The native Gaelic were most likely dark haired

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    Mute Tomás Ó Briain
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 4:13 PM

    Bloody redheads! They think that they’re smarter just because they’ve got higher IQs!

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    Mute Gary Heslin
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:29 PM

    Have to agree with “The Girl” kieran relax life is way way too short..give someone a hug.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 2:45 PM

    The king looks bald to me?

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    Mute BERTIE
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:59 PM

    Slap head gathering

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    Mute voice of raisin
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 5:32 PM

    Funny, I was told that not one soul turned up…

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    Mute Chris Nolan
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    Mar 24th 2017, 3:50 PM

    @voice of raisin: Nice dad joke, go back to watching two and half men.

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    Mute Tomás Ó Briain
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 4:12 PM

    Bloody redheads! Think that they’re smarter than everyone else just because they’ve got higher IQs.

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    Mute Ailbhe Gator
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 5:05 PM

    The redheaded queen looks quite brunette in that picture

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    Mute manbearpig
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 3:54 PM

    Day walkers

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    Mute Chris Nolan
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    Mar 24th 2017, 3:58 PM

    @manbearpig: South park called they want their shit jokes back.

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    Mute John Judd
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 8:27 PM

    Gingers are hot ;)

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 4:29 PM

    God help them — mutant be able to afford blonde dye.

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    Mute Chris Nolan
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    Mar 24th 2017, 3:53 PM

    @Mindfulirish: I hope you dye.

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    Mute JJ O Riordan
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 9:55 PM

    They don’t like being singled out, yet they have a convention

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    Mute Stuart Kelly
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    Aug 22nd 2016, 8:33 PM

    New research concludes that gingers have no souls.

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    Mute Chris Nolan
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    Mar 24th 2017, 4:07 PM

    @Stuart Kelly: I’ve got two soles, hows about i shove one of them up your smelly old arse.

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