Would Howard Bragman's "Coming Out" Reality Show be a Good or Bad Thing for Gay Visibility?

Howard Bragman - "Coming Out Adviser to the Stars"
(And no, he doesn't work with non-celeb Pro Bono clients.)

Yesterday Nikki Finke reported that super publicist Howard Bragman is in talks with A&E about the possibility of a "coming out" reality show that would feature public figures.

Yeah, you heard that right. 

A celebrity's coming out process could now potentially be documented for fun and ratings. And don't forget for profit. Definitely for profit. 

No details are available on how the show might work, but at first glance, it seems riddled with potential pitfalls. On one hand, a well done show could potentially educate viewers on the damage that is wrought by the closet and how it warps lives. 

On the other hand, reality programming isn't exactly known for its educational qualities and it seems like there would be a lot of pressure to sensationalize a person's coming out story. 

Then, too, there would be the question of motivation. Is the person in question coming out because they really want to come out? Or are they doing it to grab a piece of the reality pie? And if it's for the latter, wouldn't a show like this trivialize the fact coming out is still a tremendously difficult process for many people? Or might making it seem trivial actually help make it easier?

The mind reels with possibilities. 

Already country singer Chely Wright, who was represented by Bragman during her recent coming out, faced accusations (as have many before her) that she exited the closet only to boost her profile  And it seems like accusations like that will be harder to face down if a person's coming out takes place on a TV show. 

It's also hard to imagine just what sort of celebrity would choose to come out on a reality show. Certainly no one of Neil Patrick Harris' stature would ever do it. In fact, it's hard to imagine any actor hoping to be taken seriously. So that leaves C or D List celebrities, discredited politicians and who knows what else. 

It's even possible an attention-mongering straight celebrity could pretend to come out as gay just to get a berth on this show.

Thoughts? Good? Bad? It all evens out in the end?