If you haven’t heard of the notorious Newsweek article by Ramin Setoodah, you’re in for a lot of back story.
Setoodah wrote an opinion article for the famous news source basically claiming that while straight men can play convincing gay men, the reverse does not work for gay men. Examples like Sean Hayes playing a straight man in the Broadway show Promises, Promises (he claims Hayes is wooden in the character) and Jonathan Groff on Glee (Setoodah says Groff acts like a theater queen on the show) were given.
The uproar that followed was expected. The post has over 320 comments thus far and continues to grow. Kristin Chenoweth defended her co-star Hayes in one of the comments, calling the article “horrendously homophobic” and saying, “This article offends me because I am a human being, a woman and a Christian.”
The most recent addition to the carnage is from Glee creator Ryan Murphy, who has written an open letter calling for the boycott of Newsweek until an apology is issued.
In it, Murphy says, “This article is as misguided as it is shocking and hurtful.” He condemns Newsweek as well for their publishing the article in the first place saying, “Would the magazine have published an article where the author makes a thesis statement that minority actors should only be allowed and encouraged to play domestics? I think not.” Murphy then extended an invitation to Setoodah to visit Glee’s writers room, see how they do things, and to take home a copy of Glee covering Madonna’s Open Your Heart , calling it “a song you should play in your house and car on repeat.”
I have read Setoodah’s article and I disagree with it, just like the majority of the folks causing the fuss. The main reason I disagreed was this – I didn’t even know Jonathan Groff was gay. I’m not the biggest fan of his character Jesse, but I honestly had no clue of his orientation, nor did it matter to me in the long run.
What do you think? Will you be boycotting Newsweek in protest?



















Comments
Dianne Cannis
May 12th, 2010 - 10:37:21 AM
Love Glee. Never crossed my mind the actor was gay. Why should it matter? Love the character and the way he is portraying him. There have (and probably still are) numerous gay actors that have played straight characters. No one criticized because no one knew they were gay. These men are being singled out because they have been up front about who they are. (I am a 62 yr old straight white female.)
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Bergie
May 12th, 2010 - 12:34:20 PM
How about Neil Patrick Harris as the sex-obsessed Barney on How I Met Your Mother? He's as sex-obsessed as Charlie Sheen, hits on every female that moves on that show, but he's gay as a $3 bill. So gay men can play straight. Some (quite obviously) better than others. What about Rock Hudson? Ricky Martin? Now, we will leave the Village People out of it.
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John A. Leopard
May 12th, 2010 - 6:02:42 PM
I am not renewing my subscription to Newsweek because of Ramin's article. They obviously don't want my money and I have many other options for my office waiting room.
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