Ask the Flying Monkey! (October 28, 2008)

Have a question about gay male entertainment? Ask the Monkey!

Q: In this season of Halloween, I’m curious which of the classic movie monsters you think is the gayest? – Andrew, Denver, CO

A: Keeping in mind that they are all monsters (and that they, you know, kill people), you could make a case for almost any of them, depending on the point you’re trying to make about gay people.

Frankenstein’s Monster and the Phantom of the Opera are basically misunderstood outsiders just like a lot of us feel in high school. Dracula prowls the night looking for innocent young victims just like a certain gay college dorm-mate of mine. The Wolfman fails miserably in his effort to fight off urges he can’t control just like plenty of “ex-gays.” And the Mummy guards an ancient tomb for all eternity, cursing those who dare disturb its dusty corridors.

Okay, so maybe that last one doesn’t quite fit.

Q: I've just watched the pilot of Ryan Murphy's new series Pretty/Handsome and am really impressed by it. Do you know why FX didn’t pick it up? Was it because of the topic? Should a show about a transsexual man still stir controversy after Dirty Sexy Money? -- Tobias, Frankfurt, Germany

Carrie-Anne Moss (left) & Joseph Fiennes
starred in the Pretty/Handsome pilot

A: Networks are notoriously tight-lipped about the reasons why they don’t pick up a show, but the Monkey is certain it wasn’t the transgender subject matter, which they knew when they commissioned the show. FX is drawn to controversy, and they’ve used it very effectively to draw attention to their programming.

But while Pretty/Handsome is dead, the Flying Monkey can tell you that its creator, Nip/Tuck mastermind Ryan Murphy, is currently filming another pilot for the network called Glee, about a high school glee club that has become a haven for outcasts. There are no out folks in the pilot, but if the show is picked up, there will definitely be gay characters. It stars Jayma Mays (who played Henry’s bitchy fiancée on Ugly Betty) and is supposedly on the fast track for a March debut.

Next page! The difference between erotic and homoerotic. (With illustrations!)