Richard Chamberlain advises gay actors to stay in the closet

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Two of my favorite writers are lesbians: Camille Paglia and Florence King. But Florience isnt always sure that she's lebian or bi or what the hell. I like that theyre able to separate thir sex from their politics.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I wasn't making an argument. I was making a statement. Every one perceives things with their own experiences. For me, it doesn't make one tiny bit of difference.

You're one in a million, Boota.

Unfortunately-- It would be lovely if you were one of the millions.

 

[sr71plt]

I wasn't making an argument. I was making a statement. Every one perceives things with their own experiences. For me, it doesn't make one tiny bit of difference.

Well, yes. But that doesn't change that the Spacey example doesn't evidence what you thought it did.

I appreciate individual support of melding everyone together without sexual prejudice. That just doesn't make it happen in society, though.

And actors in movies are not the same thing at all as individuals in society.

 

[sweetnpetite]

I agree and I disagree.

I think that everyone needs to make the decision for themselves, what is best for their lives, whether that is to come out or to stay in. The right decision might not be the same for everbody. And I don't think anybody should come out just because it's the thing to do, or everybody says so or whatever.

I think that Richard Chamberlain has a valid point. It MAY not be the wisest decision for many actors to come out of the closet. I do NOT agree with the "don't ask, don't tell" mentality, that says gay people keep it to yourself and don't put it "in my face" (I think that's a very ignorant attitude) but at the same time, like many things, I don't think it's really any of our business. I don't think that we have a "right" to know if so and so actor is gay. PROBABLY the less we actually know about actors lives the better, but we are celeb obsessed so I don't think that's gonna happen.

NPH plays a straight man on TV, I don't know why he couldn't play one in a move. In one of my favorite movies RENT, an openly gay man plays a straight guy (remember that pervy neighbor-kid, Daryl, from Adventures in Babysitting- that guy), two straight men play gay men (one of them is a cross-dresser) and two straight women play lesbians.

On the other hand, I think that I WOULD have a difficult time accepting Ellen in a straight leading lady role, but I'm not sure that she would be interested in playing one. Portia de Rossi however, I would have no problem accepting her in a straight role. Ellen is just so ELLEN. (She's like the poster child for lesbians... it is what it is) I personally do not have a problem with Rosie O'Donnel in a straight role either. (although some might)

Growing up, I was in love with George Michael. Guess what, I still am. I can't say that it would have been the same or different when I was a kid had I known, that is a little confusing to me. GM pretty much WAS my puberty, lol. When he came out I really didn't care though. And when I listen to his music I do NOT think "oh he wrote that for a dude" although I know some people do. (except "don't bring me down" and...maybe monkey) but I mean, I don't even care, I apply the song to my own situation, I don't really give a rats ass who ANY artist wrote the song for, once it hits my ears, its for me. I do what I want with it.

When I tell people that I am in love with him they almost always say, "you know that he is gay right?" (duh) And I said, "So... you're telling me I have less of a chance with him that I would if he were straight?" I have a few gay celebs that I have hots for, how about Adam Lambert? HHHHOOOTTTT.

But I realize that i am not everybody. Declaring yourself homosexual probably IS a handicap, it's something that you may have to overcome with certain audiences, casting directors and financiers. And that is a career limitation. Every actor (and person) needs to decide if they are willing to take that chance, lose some of those roles or whatever. The same exact thing with taking certain roles. (nudity, certain types of characters, gay/transgendered characters etc) Actors have to consider how their choices will impact their careers. I don't think that we should go around pretending that it doesn't matter because it shouldn't matter. It does. For some actors, coming out might be more important than ever working in another movie at all, let alone romantic lead. For others, they may be willing (or even prefer) to stay in the closet for the sake of getting the roles they want.

Everything in life is a trade-off. No sense in pretending any different.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Something queers dont consider is this: WHEN YOU COME OUT YOU OUT EVERY QUEER YOU KNOW.

I was at a restaurant a while back. The server seated me and I saw my neighbor Psycho Squirrel sitting in a booth with my work supervisor. The cat was outta the bag.

 

[sr71plt]

Something queers dont consider is this: WHEN YOU COME OUT YOU OUT EVERY QUEER YOU KNOW.

I was at a restaurant a while back. The server seated me and I saw my neighbor Psycho Squirrel sitting in a booth with my work supervisor. The cat was outta the bag.

Yes, by George, every man meeting another man in a restaurant for dinner is queer.

 

[TxRad]

Yes, by George, every man meeting another man in a restaurant for dinner is queer.

To JBJ's way of thinking, any man that works in a restaurant for that matter is queer.

 

[CharleyH]

I am fully aware, as a heterosexual female, that the subject of "coming out of the closet" does not affect me personally, but this is National news.

Well, I can only think of how coming out totally hurt the 'Ellen' series back in the day, almost ruined Ann Heche's career and totally ruined any chance that Rupert Everett ever had of being a leading man. While the rest of the world (especially China) doesn't give a shit, apparently making it in America still means something, and to mean something you need to be straight. It's sad.

 

[CharleyH]

Two of my favorite writers are lesbians: Camille Paglia and Florence King. But Florience isnt always sure that she's lebian or bi or what the hell. I like that theyre able to separate thir sex from their politics.

You like Camille? SHOCKED, JBJ, just simply shocked.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

You like Camille? SHOCKED, JBJ, just simply shocked.

Camille is one of my favorite pundits. She's one of the rare queers who isnt a Usual Suspect or a liberal lemming. Refreshing! She's excellent.

 

[AllardChardon]

It can have its repercussions, the declaring who you really are and some are not willing to take the risk.

Another aspect that has always fascinated me was the way the movie and especially the television stations treated Liberace with such respect for such a long time with little or no homosexual slurs. It seemed to me he had achieved a level of acceptance like no other, but was that the case? Or was it more like The Village People and middle America just did not realize what a group of queens those guys were. I saw a couple of them during their heyday at an gay after hours club in North Hollywood, so I knew. To me, Liberace was just as obviously gay.

 

[sr71plt]

It can have its repercussions, the declaring who you really are and some are not willing to take the risk.

Another aspect that has always fascinated me was the way the movie and especially the television stations treated Liberace with such respect for such a long time with little or no homosexual slurs. It seemed to me he had achieved a level of acceptance like no other, but was that the case? Or was it more like The Village People and middle America just did not realize what a group of queens those guys were. I saw a couple of them during their heyday at an gay after hours club in North Hollywood, so I knew. To me, Liberace was just as obviously gay.

An entirely different era. In public, "gay" meant "happy" in those innocent days. Queerdom, like cancer, was locked away. It didn't occur in public.

At the same time, Hollywood script writers were lacing their scripts with innuendo and twittering behind their fans about something they knew that John Q Public didn't.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by AllardChardon
It can have its repercussions, the declaring who you really are and some are not willing to take the risk.

Another aspect that has always fascinated me was the way the movie and especially the television stations treated Liberace with such respect for such a long time with little or no homosexual slurs. It seemed to me he had achieved a level of acceptance like no other, but was that the case? Or was it more like The Village People and middle America just did not realize what a group of queens those guys were. I saw a couple of them during their heyday at an gay after hours club in North Hollywood, so I knew. To me, Liberace was just as obviously gay.

An entirely different era. In public, "gay" meant "happy" in those innocent days. Queerdom, like cancer, was locked away. It didn't occur in public.

At the same time, Hollywood script writers were lacing their scripts with innuendo and twittering behind their fans about something they knew that John Q Public didn't.

In the fifties, "Gay" did mean "happy" but queer, fairy and faggot meant the same thing as they do now. Those words were generally considered to be a description of Liberace, but people didn't care all that much. He was a musician and a showman, rather than an actor, so his sexual orientation didn't mean as much.

That was not the case with Tab Hunter. He was a handsome leading man, and did well for a while, but rumors of his homosexuality prevented him from being the succcess he might otherwise have been.

 

[sr71plt]

I think you missed the "in public" in my post, Box. (I'm not surprised.) In the fifties such matters weren't the fodder of the media or public discourse. Maybe in your family . . .

And this was my point. Yes, everyone with any sophistication knew Liberace was gay. They didn't talk about in public--and they pretended it just didn't exist.

And your mention of Tab Hunter pretty much fell into the point I was making.

 

[Carnevil9]

Loring - Carney demanded that anyone who doesn't share his hetero lifestyle should keep their alternative lifestyle a secret. My response "Yes, that's too much to ask" was in response to that attitude. In this country were are all guaranteed the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If a person's pursuit of happiness challenges the norms of society, why should they be forced to keep their pursuit of happiness a secret? It goes against the principals upon which this country was founded..

As usual, you liberal pinheads choose to twist what I asserted to your own progressive agenda.

I never said that those "who doesn't share [my] hetero lifestyle should keep their alternative lifestyle a secret." I said that I don't care what ANYONE'S lifestyle is. I don't advocate straight people publicize their sexual choices any more than you perverted buttfuckers brag about yours. I would prefer that ALL God's chilluns keep their private lives PRIVATE. That's why they are called PRIVATE LIVES. Dumbasses.

 

[IrezumiKiss]

As usual, you liberal pinheads choose to twist what I asserted to your own progressive agenda.

I never said that those "who doesn't share [my] hetero lifestyle should keep their alternative lifestyle a secret." I said that I don't care what ANYONE'S lifestyle is. I don't advocate straight people publicize their sexual choices any more than you perverted buttfuckers brag about yours. I would prefer that ALL God's chilluns keep their private lives PRIVATE. That's why they are called PRIVATE LIVES. Dumbasses.

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/comment/39/2010/12/c998fefa3ce707df03710475e57c3271/original.gif

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Quote:
Originally Posted by AllardChardon
It can have its repercussions, the declaring who you really are and some are not willing to take the risk.

Another aspect that has always fascinated me was the way the movie and especially the television stations treated Liberace with such respect for such a long time with little or no homosexual slurs. It seemed to me he had achieved a level of acceptance like no other, but was that the case? Or was it more like The Village People and middle America just did not realize what a group of queens those guys were. I saw a couple of them during their heyday at an gay after hours club in North Hollywood, so I knew. To me, Liberace was just as obviously gay.





In the fifties, "Gay" did mean "happy" but queer, fairy and faggot meant the same thing as they do now. Those words were generally considered to be a description of Liberace, but people didn't care all that much. He was a musician and a showman, rather than an actor, so his sexual orientation didn't mean as much.

That was not the case with Tab Hunter. He was a handsome leading man, and did well for a while, but rumors of his homosexuality prevented him from being the succcess he might otherwise have been.

No one abused Tchaikovsky, either; or Oscar Wilde. The historical record is pretty clear that gays arent abused by the press unless theyre out on the street in their Underroos. Or notorious hypocrits or molesting boys

 

[xssve]

Maybe you forgot about Hugh Grant and Rob Lowe - or Marv Albert - out of sight, out of mind - to some extent it's true that we really don't want to know that actors and actresses have sex lives, which is why we pry into them incessantly.

The cinema is all about illusion, the gory details tend to shatter that illusion, that's just a phenomena.

Now, you can argue exactly what utility that illusion possesses, and why, some association between averageness and nobility? I dunno, but the illusion itself is a real thing, and very few celebrities in any genre have been able to survive sex scandals - Marilyn Monroe did, but she had to die to do it.

Rumors are good, Taylor and Burton were always treated with respect, if they were doing anything freaky, and they probably were, it was never more than a rumor - if pics had shown up with Burton in pantyhose and Taylor with a flyswatter, they'd have been laughingstocks.

In fact, I think it might not be so much about nobility, but simply about dignity - i.e., sex is a fairly undignified thing, and we do many undignified things in the pursuit and process, it's part of what makes it fun, but it's hard to take people having too much fun, too seriously, it's hell on gravitas - and gay sex is simply the most undignified thing most straight men can imagine, though clearly - they are imagining it.

And, unfortunately, cultural institutions tend to take sexuality very seriously, investing it with all sorts of mystical properties that facilitate the whole illusion of power, "society", "culture", etc., which are really all linguistic constructs that tend to be expressed as some imaginary line of division between one thing and another, and sexuality is again, an easy target, because it's humanizing, and cultural construct tend to adopt a "godlike" authority, the patriarchs of old, handing down the commandments, etc., it's a lot of very theatrical bullshit.

 

[xssve]

My advice would be simply, stay loose - if you act guilty, they'll eat you alive.

In the struggle of non-being into being, sex is symbolic of dissipation and nonbeing.

Probably has to do with some identification/biological hangup about sexual reproduction itself, asexual reproduction is essentially self cloning, the organism is immortal, whereas death itself is in some sense the direct result of sexual reproduction, hence sex=mortality, and from there you get all kinds of mystical mumbo jumbo.

 

[Stella_Omega]

As usual, you liberal pinheads choose to twist what I asserted to your own progressive agenda.

I never said that those "who doesn't share [my] hetero lifestyle should keep their alternative lifestyle a secret." I said that I don't care what ANYONE'S lifestyle is. I don't advocate straight people publicize their sexual choices any more than you perverted buttfuckers brag about yours. I would prefer that ALL God's chilluns keep their private lives PRIVATE. That's why they are called PRIVATE LIVES. Dumbasses.

Then why didn't you say it that way in the first place? Why did you only make this demand of gay men?

And why are you on a PORN WRITER'S FORUM if you feel that sex is so private?

 

[Boxlicker101]

In the fifties, "Gay" did mean "happy" but queer, fairy and faggot meant the same thing as they do now. Those words were generally considered to be a description of Liberace, but people didn't care all that much. He was a musician and a showman, rather than an actor, so his sexual orientation didn't mean as much.

That was not the case with Tab Hunter. He was a handsome leading man, and did well for a while, but rumors of his homosexuality prevented him from being the succcess he might otherwise have been.

I think you missed the "in public" in my post, Box. (I'm not surprised.) In the fifties such matters weren't the fodder of the media or public discourse. Maybe in your family . . .

And this was my point. Yes, everyone with any sophistication knew Liberace was gay. They didn't talk about in public--and they pretended it just didn't exist.

And your mention of Tab Hunter pretty much fell into the point I was making.

Even in the Fifties, the personal lives of celebrities was fodder for The National Enquirer and similar scandal sheets. This included their sex lives and orientation, of course, but the press had to be more circumspect than they are now, and most mainstream media tended to eschew such matters in favor of more important subjects.

The Enquirer has always been a low-brow publication, and its readers may not have had as much interest in Liberace as they did in Hunter, who was a prominent actor at the time he became fodder.

JBJ, are you aware that Oscar Wilde did two years in prison for "Indecent acts" with young men? (not children)Once this became common knowledge, he was pretty much washed up as a writer. His talent remained, of course, but no publisher or other business enterprise wanted anything to do with him, and he died destitute and relatively young.

 

[DeeZire]

As usual, you liberal pinheads choose to twist what I asserted to your own progressive agenda.

I never said that those "who doesn't share [my] hetero lifestyle should keep their alternative lifestyle a secret." I said that I don't care what ANYONE'S lifestyle is. I don't advocate straight people publicize their sexual choices any more than you perverted buttfuckers brag about yours. I would prefer that ALL God's chilluns keep their private lives PRIVATE. That's why they are called PRIVATE LIVES. Dumbasses.

So you're saying that both homo and heterosexual couples shouldn't publicize their weddings, or get married in a public place, or wear wedding rings? What about holding hands? Kissing? Should all of that should be banned if it's taking place in public?

You have an interesting take on "Freedom", Carney. Would you have the government enforce your preference for a ban on "public coupling", or would you shoulder the responsibility for enforcement yourself, using your Glock for persuasion? Either way, I don't see much hope for you finding success in your endeavor, unless you choose to move to Saudi Arabia, or one of those countries with a totalitarian government that restricts the public behavior of its citizens.