A Tale of Two Cities: How New York and Los Angeles Treat Their Out Actors

Well of course you are.

Anyhoo. The principle players were being called to the set for a Big Scene when Mr. Spacey was discovered in his trailer in flagrante avec un petit ami particulier de M. Singer.

This piece of news flew round Hollywood faster than the speed of light. At the end of the day, however (no not that day, I'm speaking figuratively) Messers Spacey and Singer were friends and went on to shoot Superman Returns. In and around the time of his two (count  'em) Oscars, La Spacey was seen publically with a female assistant/manager (to whom he delcared his love on the Oscar broadcast.) Don't know where she is these days but Spacey is in England where he's had some rather awkward Adventures in Dog-walking on Hamstead Heath (cha-cha-cha.)

Having had a long career in Hollywood I have known many stars and the different standards they are held up to for various reasons.  It is incomprehensible that still in this day and age of Lindsay, Brittany, and that there is still a morals contract in every actors's contract no matter how lowly the role. Though simple and short it still carries a lot of weight. It is due in part to Louis B. Mayer's firing of William Haines for refusing to deny his lover's existence thasn any Hay's Office restrictions.

James Whale's, Edward Goulding's, George Cukor's, Henry Willson's, Rock Hudson's, Leonard Grant's and Allan Carr's all male parties are far from fiction.

The best thing about gay people is that they prevail depite horrendous mistreatment and derision.

Very interesting read.

I wonder as to the extent of corporate influence in New York theatre versus Hollywood TV and movies?  Theatre is so much less of a mass-market product, since there is a defined maximum audience size for a show, whereas in TV and movies the sky's the limit.  This would match your observation about the lighter impact on theatre during the black list days.

Still, it's funny (in a tragic way) how little things have changed in Hollywood despite all the conservative ranting about the "gay agenda" there.  But I suppose it is, again, a side effect of entertainment as a mass-market product.  TV and movie stars are much more visible public figures (sometimes unwillingly) than stage performers.  Consequently they too are product.  How many awful movies nonetheless turn a profit just because some heartthrob superstar is playing the lead?

Such a shame though, because it means the enormous contribution of gay people to culture is often under-appreciated.

Partially it's because straight men see lesbians as figures of sexual fantasy, and partially it's spill-over from Ellen's success, on tube and off. What's fascinating is that LiLo + Sam is seen as infintiely more benign that Li-Lo + Vicotin & Vodka. This in turn feeds into the fact that gayness -- in and of itself -- is no longer a "scandal." It's fast becoming a simple state of being and fact of life.

Thanks, Brent, for this informative article!

Back in 1997, I appeared in my first off-off-B'way play here in NYC, a gay play festival.  While I was not yet "out," an agent came to see the show and called me in for a meeting.  First thing he says: "If I send you out, you're not gonna get up on your gay soap box, are you?"  And he, himself, is a gay man! (Is it any wonder I eventually switched to writing?)

I think part of the keeping young gay actors in the cloest comes from the older generation who once tried to "make it" themeselves, but suffered the discrimination.

I know a few 20-something actors from my days at Carnegie Mellon who were gay and proud in college, but now list "seeking women" on their Facebook profiles... Perhaps their paychecks are worth giving up their dignity?

On another note: I had the pleasure of serving as the publicist for David Ehrenstein's OPEN SECRET when it was revised and updated in 2000.  Great book!

BAND FAGS! by Frank Anthony Polito

Kensington Books/ISBN: 978-0-7582-2265-7/$15.00

www.bandfags.com

Thanks, Brent, for this informative article!

Back in 1997, I appeared in my first off-off-B'way play here in NYC, a gay play festival.  While I was not yet "out," an agent came to see the show and called me in for a meeting.  First thing he says: "If I send you out, you're not gonna get up on your gay soap box, are you?"  And he, himself, is a gay man! (Is it any wonder I eventually switched to writing?)

I think part of the keeping young gay actors in the cloest comes from the older generation who once tried to "make it" themeselves, but suffered the discrimination.

I know a few 20-something actors from my days at Carnegie Mellon who were gay and proud in college, but now list "seeking women" on their Facebook profiles... Perhaps their paychecks are worth giving up their dignity?

On another note: I had the pleasure of serving as the publicist for David Ehrenstein's OPEN SECRET when it was revised and updated in 2000.  Great book!

BAND FAGS! by Frank Anthony Polito

Kensington Books/ISBN: 978-0-7582-2265-7/$15.00

www.bandfags.com

About the real or perceived "housewife fantasy" that will be shattered if she finds out that a Leading Man is gay.  Many straight leading men are happily married and there is no chance they will love you anyway.  Does this nominal "housewife" ACTUALLY think she can bed Brad Pitt -- never mind break up his family -- never mind compete with Angelina Jolie?  NO-ONE competes with the Jolie and wins!  So how can there be a perception that a "straight male" is in any way "attainable" anyway?  Or do I just have the gay ability to fantasize and not understand straight women's level of delusion?

Any ideas?  Brent?  David?

...

Anyhoo, as usual, I love AfterElton because it attempts to critique and theorize as well as gossip.  Bonus: anything Cheyenne Jackson.  Well done! 

I think it's generational too. With all these teenage girls reading yaoi instead of Harlequin, you're bound to see a shift.

Anyway... The biggest difference I've seen between the coasts is this: I don't think I've ever seen a LA doctor's office with gay mags. New York? Oh yeah. :D

Straight housewives know full well that can't get Brad  -- or any other famous, desireable and genuine certifiably heterosexual male celeb. That's why the "if they're gay they'll lose their audience" bit is such a cheap canard. Did his female public hate Rock Hudson when they discovered The Truth (and far more than you would imagine knew the truth before it was officially announced)? Of course not. He was a fantasy figure to start with and therefore, even if straight, utterly unimaginable in their ordinary everyday lives. In my far from humble estimation the "if they were known to be gay their careers would end" line is really directed at ordinary everyday gays -- to insist they stay closeted.

Well that game's over now.

did anyone ever ask us straight women?

I mean - how many of those watching queer as folk were straight women? 60% or so? that's quite a valuable audience - as a tv-station, producer I would like to know why - so maybe someone already has made some nice statistics about what kind of women are into gay things ... or wouldn't mind if a heartthrob turned out to be gay etc.