Coming out: Johnny favours the ukelele, potentially ruining his film career.
The idea of a "coming out" is one I have always hated, particularly a Hollywood one. The tradition was for the celebrity in question to give an intimate interview to a generic, waxwork model of a host, who would nod sensitively, as the celebrity talks about their long, personal journey and the battles they faced in being gay/lesbian. The family of said celebrity are there, holding each other hands in a daisy chain and fighting back the tears.
Now, the norm is no longer. More and more celebrities have decided that sexuality is.. well, their sexuality. Zachary Quinto (Spock from Star Trek and Sylar from Heroes) came out in an interview with New York Magazine, saying:
'"As a gay man, it made me feel like there's still
so much work to be done, and there's still so many things that need to be looked
at and addressed."
In just four words, Quinto caused a celebrity shit-storm. Some were praising Quinto's bravery whilst others said he should of done it "louder and prouder". More recently, Jim Parsons (Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory) was "outed" in an interview with the New York Times. This time, it was not even Parsons who said it. It was in a throwaway line at the bottom of the page which said:
"'The Normal Heart' resonated with him on a few levels: Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship, and working with an ensemble again onstage was like nourishment, he said."
Again, reaction to Parsons has been mixed. A columnist for Out magazine, Michael Musto to be come out "louder because it was the honourable and sensible thing to do". Musto's words send a chill down my spine, casting my thoughts back to a Hollywood-pleb host and crying family.
Being "loud" about homosexuality only hurts the cause. It emphasises sexuality as an issue, one that should be shouted from the rooftops. I know several gay people and they do not feel the need to scream about it. I am not suggesting that gay/lesbian people should stay quiet and never mention it. I am just against the Hollywood-style of coming out. If an actor/actress is gay, so what? It does not affect their talent, their ability to make us laugh or cry. It just means they hug another man or woman at the awards shows.
Being openly gay like Ellen DeGeneres or Neil Patrick Harris is perfectly OK. They are reverting stereotypes about gay people, by being normal, funny, happy human beings. Campaigning for gay rights is an admirable cause too. The battle for legalised gay marriage was twisted on its head when Barack Obama announced his approval, despite the difficult political and social climate for the proposals. But there is a difference between legal recognition and social acceptance. Homosexuality should not be made into an issue and the horror of the sit-down interview should be a warning to those who think it should.
This is really interesting, I particularly liked the part where Derren raped an infant giraffe in the back of a school bus... wait I may of fell asleep whilst reading this boring crap.
ReplyDeleteShame about that.
ReplyDeleteYour facts are all very badly researched. My article was written BEFORE Parsons came out. And I never said Parsons need to come out "louder". Why don't you read the piece before you quote from it? I merely said he needed to come out period--on the record--you know, just like straight celebs talk about their sexuality. And when he did so in the NY Times, I wrote something positive about it. And yes, it was Parsons himself coming out because the reporter, Patrick Healy, checked that bit with Parsons before running it, so it was basically an official statement. (I contacted Healy and asked him. That's what reporters do.) As for your other comments like "So what?" they show a profound ignorance. Public figures being out make a lot of difference, not only because they level the playing field in celebrity reporting, but because they give hope to troubled kids. One MTV star recently came out on my blog because he was concerned about teen suicides and bullying. Are you honestly going to argue that a TV actor like that coming out so emphatically actually HURTS the gay cause. Please! Your whole writeup was reactionary and self-defeating and most of all, riddled with inaccuracies.
ReplyDeleteI was made aware of your comments from a Daily Mail article, that related the comments to Parsons. For that I do apologise, I should of seeked the comments from the original post rather than trusting the Mail. And to clarify when I said Parsons was not the one who said it, I meant he did not say it in a direct quote.
ReplyDeleteSaying "so what" is not ignorance. It is my disapproval of the need to shout it from the rooftops. Homosexuality should not be an issue for which a person is judged. I said that being openly gay is fine because it reverts stereotypes and tackles the kind of bullying your MTV star refers to.
What I believe hurts the cause is the coming-outs where a person acts sorry for what they are, saying they cannot help it. Like I said, there is no issue with being openly gay. It is just wrong that people are judged for what they feel.