Ask the Flying Monkey (September 23, 2008)

Q: I recently discovered the song "Everyday Boy" by Joan Armatrading. Although she never says anything directly, it sounds to me like she's talking about a gay man. True? — Julian

A: Good ear! Armatrading has said she wrote this beautiful song as a tribute to a friend who died of AIDS — a message that was completely whitewashed in the so-schmaltzy-you-have-to-see-it video. The song is on her 1995 CD What’s Inside.

Incidentally, Joan joined Cyndi Lauper on this summer’s True Colors Tour, an annual event in support of GLBT rights. The Flying Monkey was surprised to see that Armatrading is 57 years old now — which means, sadly, that this breathtakingly talented woman probably won’t ever see the sort of mainstream success she deserves.

Joan Armatrading

Q: A couple weeks ago, ABC announced five pilots that they were ordering to mid-season series. The Untitled Kohan/Mutchnick pilot was not listed among them. What's up with that? Is it officially dead? — MattB

A: David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the straight guy/gay guy producing partners who created Will & Grace, made big news earlier this year when they announced their new show…about two business partners, one straight and one gay. Hey, write what you know, right? The pilot was filmed, starring Back to You’s Ty Burrell (as the straight guy) and Firefly’s Alan Tudyk (as the gay guy), but ABC still hasn’t made a decision on the show (either for mid-season replacement or beyond). But the Monkey has it on good authority that it’s still being considered.

Yet, as you suggested in the rest of your email, except for Will & Grace, Kohan and Mutchnick have a less-than-stellar track record. Last year’s pilot was never picked up, and their post-Will & Grace TV projects, Four Kings, Twins, and Good Morning Miami, all flopped.

David Kohan (left) & Max Mutchnick

Photo credit: Getty Images

Q: What do you think of Gaytown? Yah or nay? — Brant, Kansas City, MO

A: Hmmmm. The brainchild of comedian Owen Benjamin, Gaytown is the web series about a straight guy in “Gaytown,” where almost everyone else is gay. Straight guys have to hide the fact that they lust after women and like sports by pretending to be gay, drinking cosmos and obsessing about fashion. Get it? Straight people are oppressed while gay people are the oppressors?

That’s right, it’s the Twilight Zone episode that every gay person in existence thinks up at around age fourteen — and then, by age sixteen, realizes it just isn’t all that clever.

As for Gaytown, you only have to hear the concept and you can pretty much imagine every single joke that follows (exception: Gaytown’s gang, the Rain-bros, did make the Monkey laugh). Basically, Gaytown is Saturday Night Live gone online: one thin joke, mildly funny upon first hearing, repeated in episode after episode until you finally just have to leave the room.

The Monkey is also surprised by the show’s lack of genuine insight into what it means to be gay. Since it’s not laugh-out-loud funny, maybe it could at least have a point?

Still, it is pretty well shot for a web series. And hey, the Monkey is known for being cranky. What do other gay folks think of Gaytown?

For the record, the show’s second season began on September 15^th.

Next page! Ryan Carnes plus the real life robber of Dog Day Afternoon.