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The Food Network doesn't want you to think Brian Boitano might be gay
Later this month, The Food Network will debut their new show What Would Brian Boitano Make? starring the Olympic gold medal winning ice skater. Earlier last month, I received some publicity material from the network and, thinking our readers might be interested, responded asking when Brian would be doing press. I was told someone would get back to me, but no one ever did. Fortunately, I knew that The Food Network was hosting an event to promote WWBBM? at the approaching Television Critics Association Summer Tour in Los Angeles, and I knew at the party, Brian would be doing interviews with press such as myself. Here is how the network publicity materials described the show:
The website for what Would Would Brian Boitano Make? also describes the first two episodes of the show. Episode One is called "Brian and the Bachelor" and is described as "Brian is throwing a dinner party in the hopes of hooking up his good friend Tony with one of 15 eligible bachelorettes. Using perfect pairings of ingredients in all of his recipes, Brian hopes he can create the perfect match for Tony." Episode Two is called "Paella Surprise" and states: "After deciding to throw a surprise party for his best friend Yvonne, Brian seeks guidance from Yvonne's mom, Manuela. Can Brian pull off the big surprise and create a menu to make Manuela proud?" Additionally, promo clips on The Food Network website have Brian giving viewers a tour of his San Francisco home, including one amusing clip built around his "costume closet." So at The Food Network party, I waited my turn to to talk with Brian, introduced myself to him and the publicist accompanying him, and explained I was the editor of AfterElton.com and what we covered. I said I was interested in doing a profile of Brian as a way to cover the show and that our profile would include asking Brian some questions about his personal life. This is pretty standard fare not only for AfterElton.com, but for any media outlet. At that point I was told — in no uncertain terms — that the show was strictly about the cooking and was going to keep its focus on that, and not on Brian's personal life. The publicist then physically steered Brian away from me, toward another journalist. As you can surmise from the show's own publicity materials and website, the publicist isn't correct in asserting the show is focused solely on the food. Not only is Brian not a professional cook — it's a hobby of his — but the show also takes place in Brian's home and with his friends. His best friend, in fact. So the show clearly is dealing with Brian's personal life. It's just a matter of where they're drawing the line in what they'll discuss. Where they draw the line is their choice, but by making the show so much about Brian's personal life, and by trading on his fame for publicity, the network has to expect reporters to ask about such basics as whether Brian is single, married, divorced, or, yes, gay. Read a similar profile in People Magazine or most any other entertainment publication and that information is usually provided. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with being gay or in asking that question of a celebrity who has voluntarily put themselves in the public eye to advance their career. But by saying Brian can't even talk to us because the question will come up, The Food Network is clearly communicating they have an issue with viewers even thinking Brian might be gay. Which seems odd, because the network already has out chef Cat Cora on Iron Chef America: The Series. And the network has had numerous out contestants on The Next Food Network Star show.
Cat Cora For the record, I don't know if Brian is gay, straight, or bisexual. Furthermore, AfterElton.com has a strict policy against outing people, and I would never write about a rumour I'd heard about Brian. But we also don't have a policy against reporting when a network not only won't let a star talk to us, but cites a reason for doing so that is patently false and smacks of potential homophobia. I don't know what Brian Boitano would do. But I do know The Food Network won't let us talk to him. Submitted by on Tue, 2009-08-11 08:10. |
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If they're that scared...
If Mr Boitano or his publicist are that scared of answering questions about his sexuality, I'm going to assume he's straight.
Moreover, I'm going to assume he's in a long-term relationship with Mistress Stricktlii, a professional dominatrix who regularly shoves a prosthetic horsetail up his bum, forces a mohican horse-mane on his thinning scalp and takes him naked pony-trotting through rural Montana.
Further to this, I'm going to assume that his favourite food is the still beating hearts of babies plucked from the wombs of sullied nuns and accompanied by the brain sauce of mountain gorillas heated over the burning bodies of genocide victims.
I'm going to assume all this because clearly it is far better for his professional and personal reputation than wondering if Brian Boitano might be the slightest bit woofter.
ROTFL
Darrien, will you marry me? ;-)
On a general note, now I can't get that damn South Park song out of my head. Thanks a lot, Food Network.
Bravo!
This is still the best comment on this article.
And it's not very mean-spirited. Just very open-minded about this allegedly straight personality's alleged proclivities.
The Record is beside the point
No matter how you slice (or puree) it, it's awfully silly of the Food Network to expect that they could create a parallel universe of Brian Boitano and friends without anyone asking any questions about his "personal life." As far as I know there hasn't been a breath of scandal about Brian Boitano. He's a champion figure skater, and from what we've been allowed to see a pleasant media personality.
IOW they should have thought this through a lot more thoroughly before staging publicity events where perfectly serious journalists get rudely pushed around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB-oiuPDnco
So Gay Its Distracting...
For the record --I saw the pilot this morning, and it's the gayest cooking show I've ever seen (including queer eye for the straight guy.) Boitano starts the show on a rainbow, then talks about his love meat, his love of sausages, and other innuendo in his San Francisco home. Not that it's a bad show, but it's pretty darn gay.
I only saw the promo and I
There's a real Brian Boitano?
Oh, darn. It's right on
Oh, darn. It's right on the tip of my tongue...shoot, what's the word? Oh, yeah! Hoyay!
Professional Ice Skater, San Francisco, Amusing costume CLOSET (which he is obviously on the outside of), best friend (who is a girl...not a girlfriend)...and as PDXMAN noted, a copious amount of love for meat.
I guess any actual mention of him being gay would be redundant.
Just and FYI
98% of male figure skaters are heterosexual. The idea that they are gay because their moves are graceful and their costumes at times flamboyant is a throwback to stereotypes I thought sites like this were working to overcome.
Mr. Boitano may be stuck between a rock and a hard place. To be a male figure skater is to be assumed homosexual (despite the overwhelming majority of heterosexuals in the sport). If he is heterosexual and comes out as such, he risks being accused of being too "up front" about it and acting like being gay is a bad thing or that he's homophobic or overcompensating, etc.
I'm not necessarily siding with the way his publicist handled this, but I can understand it. It can be a tough line to walk these days.
Hmm, I don't see anything in my post about
he may have been replying to
Fair enough. I hadn't registered
Yes. I apolgize.
Sorry for not being clearer. My comments were not directed at the author of this article; more towards the general feeling of some of the replies that evoked a "he's a skater and not particularly masculine so he must be gay" mentality.
In fact, I was more upset by the treatment show to you than I am by anything else. Regardless of Mr. Boitano's sexual orientation or the reasons for not wanting to disclouse it, their response/reaction to you was rude, unprofessional, and totally uncalled for. I do agree with your assesment of the situation as well.
Good point
Gay or straight, I'm sure Boitano is aware of his followers and fans. I just hope that the show is able to retain a gay audience. He's already an American icon gay or not, and that's the whole point of the show. It's his celebrity that makes the show. I would be much more interested in a gay centric cooking show on its own rathen than focus on 'is he isn't he'.
Of course, I REALLY hope he gets Tonya Harding on as a guest cook. That, I'd watch!
Oh what Tonya Harding might
Oh what Tonya Harding might do if she gets hold of the rolling pin though? :-)
A gay-centric cooking show? LOGO, are your listening? I like that idea.
If Logo did a gay cooking show...
...it would have to be bear- or lesbian-centric.
Otherwise it would be skinless chicken breasts and creatine shakes, week after week. [g]
Indeed, however...
the bear-centric cooking show would be the other end of the spectrum. A very "sprinkle some fries on these cupcakes" sort of scenario. Also, a bottomless supply of "I found a hair in my food" jokes.
But if someone at Logo is thinking about doing a cooking show, I'd love to submit a pilot.
NoNoNo, please, No!
To be fair...
...the post directly above Lior's (by woodroad34) suggests that, as a figure skater who fulfills any number of gay stereotypes, there's no point in Boitano coming out because he's clearly gay. Nowhere did Lior suggest that you said any of those things, simply that it was sad that on a site like this, anyone was saying them. Seems kinda harsh, and not a little unbecoming for an editor, to immediately jump down his throat for that.
I'm curious, though, as to whether it's standard practice for AE to interview every single person on every single random reality show that starts up, or whether this one was covered in the first place because it seems like it might be an item of interest for a site such as this with a very specific remit and readership. Because if it's the former, you guys must do a lot of interviews that never get published, and if it's the latter, then it's somewhat disingenuous to play the "How can you suggest we were implying he might be a closet case?!" card.
Michael mentioned in the
Michael mentioned in the article that he contacted by Food Network about the show, so he was clearly following up on their suggestion that there would be some sort of interest for gay men.
As for Michael's response to the above post, whether the poster was directing it at AE or a fellow poster only he can say, but from this quote "a throwback to stereotypes I thought sites like this were working to overcome," it certainly sounded to me as if he was directed the comment to AE, not just a random poster.
I'm constantly reaching out to networks
asking if their new reality shows have gay participants or something of gay interest. You'd actually be shocked how many times I have enquired about Ice Road Truckers, Deadliest Catch, Ax Men, The Colony, Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race, Top Chef, Project Runway, Designstar, Biggest Loser, America' Toughest Jobs, Real World, Last Comic Standing, Hell's Kitchen, 30 Days, College Hill and so forth.
Do I conduct interviews with every single contestant? Of course not. But I do my darndest to find out if there is someone of interest and then try to talk with them if there is. Given the number of gay men interested in figure skating (myself included) and cooking, Brian seemed a natural to talk with even if he isn't gay. And for the record, the Food Network reached out to me first.
Finally, we don't publish every interview we do. Frankly, half of what I come away from the Television Critics Association tour with goes unused since it just isn't that interesting.
I think what you're doing is
I actually found Jake Nodar from Out of the Wild this way.
That gives me hope
Whale Wars
That's interesting, because I recall seeing an episode of Whale Wars where this one girl's partner sent a telegram or something asking her to marry him/her. They were maddeningly unclear as to whether her partner was male or female, to the extent that I assumed he/she must have been female, or else why would they be so coy about it?
98% of all percentages...
There's a saying that goes, "98% of all percentages are pulled out of your ass." Having known a few male professional figure skaters, I think your made-up percentage is quite off. While the skating world has worked hard in recent years to downplay the gay aspects of male figure skating (especially in Canada, but across the board), there's still a disproportionately large percentage of gay men in the sport. They just have to stay firmly in the closet if they want to be scored fairly by the extremely homophobic judges -- half of whom are gay themselves. Just look at the way Johnny Weir has been treated, and he's never said he's gay, just extremely flamboyant. He refuses to tone himself down for anyone, and I think that's hurt him in the sport. Well, that and his inconsistency on the ice. When he's good, he's brilliant, but heavy on the artistry, which figure skating has been trying to move away from for years, stressing difficult jumps more than anything.
At any rate, I thought Brian had been out for years. I was shocked to read that he isn't. Not saying he is gay or isn't, just that I was under the impression that he was, and that he was open. I may be confusing him withBrian Orser, though, who was definitely outed.
LOL
Gotcha...
"....and this one time, in
You must be kidding
I thihnk there's no 98% of straights even in the most macho sports. All male figure skaters do ballet (wich is a non homophobic world) and their fame as a gay sport is not only because of that crazy oufits they were, it's because a good amount of the male figure skaters are in fact gay.
It's a similar case of modeling, a lot of male models are gay, but ore they are in the closet or they are open to their colleages but not to the public (like a lot of actors)
This is very disappointing...
The Food Network can't stop
The Food Network can't stop me from thinking Brian Boitano is gay. I mean, come on! Is there really any doubt? I've thought he was gay long before this cooking show, and will continue to think it long after it's over....
"Open up your mind and then open up your heart. And you will see that you and me aren't very far apart." - Blessid Union of Souls
It's one publicist
I'm not sure this can be laid at the Food Network's feet quite yet. I expect these shows have a certain amount of autonomy within the network, and it could very possibly be someone running the show itself rather than the network giving you the bum's rush on this.
Keep on it and don't let the Food Network off the hook on this one, but don't tar the entire network, particularly considering their record with Iron Chef Cora, before you've explored every avenue there open to you.
What IS Food Network's record?
Food Network gays
When I was at the Advocate, the network very enthusiastically pitched me the guys who won the first Next Food Network Star competition, longtime couple Dan Smith & Steve McDonagh, who then got to host their own show, Party Line with the Hearty Boys.
So at least there's that.
Yes, but
Yes, but their show was unceremoniously axed from renewal. Which sucks, because they had some great tips that I still use. Yet major tool Guy gets to be their male Rachel Ray. What gives, Food Network?
Also, has anyone already brought up the whole alleged "Food Network hiding the fact that one of Paula Deen's boys is gay" conspiracy yet?
Yes, but
Yes, but their show was unceremoniously axed from renewal. Which sucks, because they had some great tips that I still use. Yet major tool Guy gets to be their male Rachel Ray. What gives, Food Network?
Also, has anyone already brought up the whole alleged "Food Network hiding the fact that one of Paula Deen's boys is gay" conspiracy yet?
Party Line with the Hearty Boys
I remember watching season one of Next Food Network Star, and wanted Dan and Steve to win from the start. After that, it does seem like the network abandoned them. I saw their show once or twice, and as I recall, it was kind of boring. I think it was also stuck with a horrible time slot - Sunday mornings (??) Did the Food Network make a real effort to help make the show a success, or did they only provide it with the minimum it was required to provide the winner, and let it sink or swim on its own? Sadly, I think it was the latter, but not because they were gay.
Personally, I don't care for Guy, but he has the big personality of other Food Network stars such as Alton Brown and Rachel Ray, and it seems to be these types that the network puts their support behind. As I recall, the season three winner of Network Star was a young mom, who also happened to be a french trained professional chef, and I'm pretty sure her show got the Dan and Steve Sunday morning treatment as well.
Hearty Boys
Their book on party planning
I think the original title
I think the original title of this show was "This Is What Gayface Looks Like With Brian Boitano" but they changed it.
At the risk of being one of "those" people, I can say with 100% certainty that Brian is gay. No, I didn't sleep with him, but I know someone who dated him for a while, and was present during one of their early dates.
And what was he like on a date?
Publicity Genius!
Yes, it's very important that Brian Boitano strictly avoid any gay rumors or any clarity about his personal life, because the demographics for a cooking show on the Food Network are clearly homophobic straight men and bible-thumping women. In between NASCAR races, NOM conventions, and shooting small woodland creatures, Joe Sixpack and his wife frantically rush home to watch ex-figure skaters share recipes and lifestyle tips. You may have seen bumperstickers next to the gun racks on the back of their trucks reading "The Only Way You'll Take My Barefoot Contessa Cookbook Is To Pry It From My Cold, Dead Fingers."
Boitano clearly undertstands his audience.
Plus, there's that huge segment of young women in Boitano's audience who, were his orientation in question, might stop following him around throwing their bras and panties onto the soundstage during taping. Without that sexual tension, would any woman watch his show? I mean, where would Paula Dean be if audiences of all persuasions could no longer watch her make macaroni casserole without picturing her hopping into our beds?
(BTW, you can pretty safely assume this situation is about Botano's own issues and his own publicist's demands, as the Food Network is hardly homophobic. Not only Cat Cora, but Ted Allen hosts not only one, but two, prominent shows on that network. As you point out, the Next Food Network Star regularly has openly gay contestants, and shows like Bobby Flay's Throwdown have showcased gay and lesbian couples as chefs and restauranteurs with the same non-chalance they show toward straights. I'm betting this is Boitano's own deal, not the network's).
I always thought he was gay.
I always thought he was gay. Maybe it will be something to come up later in the show but are working towards that being a small part of the show?
Either way, he's still cute and if the show is interesting and the food looks good I will definitely watch.
Silly and a waste of time
Queer and Loathing
He dated my male best friend in the late 80's.
Gay and more interested in promoting himself than promoting equality.
A total failure as a gay man --- not coming out in public yet living "openly" as a gay man within his "social group" is the lowest for of gay life form.
Disgusting.
Same for Anderson Cooper and the like.
I can't agree more.
Anderson Cooper
I honestly can't fault Anderson for being in the closet. One thing many people fail to mention is the fact that part of his job involves going to Third World countries where homosexuality is illegal. If he were to come out, he would suddenly be restricted to only reporting from countries where gays can safely travel. So, basically, the West and no place else.
I also disagree that being closeted to the world but out to your friends is the lowest of the low. That seems to be an exaggeration. The worst I can think of is a gay person who's closeted to everyone, and simultaneously leads crusades against gay rights. (For an example of this, see: the Republican party.) While I agree that it's important for people in the public eye to come out, it's still a deeply personal decision to make. And it's not like there are huge swaths of young kids who look up to Brian Boitano and who would think, "Well, if Brian Boitano's gay, then it must be alright!" Gay teens today are more likely to think, "Who the hell is Brian Boitano? Wait, wasn't he that South Park character?"
So to me, it's not so much that it's shameful for him to not come out. It is shameful for the Food Network to freak out over the possibility that anyone might think he was gay, and use the old excuse, "we're not talking about his personal life," because that just reinforces the idea that being gay is a "personal" thing that involves only sex and is therefore inappropriate to talk about. If anything, it's actually kind of funny that he won't come out, because... seriously. The dude's gay. The dude's ultra-gay.
Queer and Loathing
He dated my male best friend in the late 80's.
Gay and more interested in promoting himself than promoting equality.
A total failure as a gay man --- not coming out in public yet living "openly" as a gay man within his "social group" is the lowest for of gay life form.
Disgusting.
Same for Anderson Cooper and the like.
As much as I admire him as a performer, I have to agree.
Though I have no first hand knowledge, I always assumed it was a given.
His amateur and professional competitive careers are long over, so there is no problem of adversely affecting judging. And he doesn't have A. Cooper's (dubious, in my opinion) need to maintain so sort of bogus journalistic objectivity, so what is the point of hiding his orientation at this jucture....that those beer guzzling, monster truck loving straight guys won't watch his FOOD NETWORK COOKING SHOW!
He is the new Liberace for the 21st century. Pathetic.