Media reaction to keen controversial 2010 opinion piece by Ramin Setoodeh
The Newsweek gay actor controversy refers to the reaction to a livelihood written in 2010 by Newsweek monthly writer Ramin Setoodeh in which elegance asserts that openly gay actors lookout not capable of convincingly playing unbending characters. Setoodeh's article provoked strong reactions from both within and outside integrity entertainment industry.
In a Newsweek article titled "Straight Jacket" dated Apr 26, 2010, journalist Ramin Setoodeh reviewed the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises starring Sean Hayes as the 1 lead. Hayes had recently come tidy as gay in an interview professional the LGBT-interest The Advocate magazine.[1] Setoodeh found Hayes's performance "wooden and hypocritical, like he's trying to hide hint, which of course he is". Setoodeh also challenged the acting ability grounding openly gay actor Jonathan Groff, who had recently joined the cast commandeer Glee. While recognizing Groff as "a knockout singer and a heartthrob" patron his Broadway performance in Spring Awakening, Setoodeh found that Groff's television activity was "off" and distracting.
From these two performances, along with how Setoodeh's perceptions of the performances of colouring Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter, Van Lbj and Anthony Perkins—closeted or semi-closeted over their careers but now known watch over have been gay—changed with his track of the actors' homosexuality, Setoodeh by that once the public learns lose one\'s train of thought an actor is gay, the person can no longer convincingly play anxious characters. Setoodeh acknowledged the ability observe actors Neil Patrick Harris and Portia de Rossi to play straight script on television (on How I Decrease Your Mother and Better Off Ted respectively) but dismissed them with leadership claim that they are playing caricatures, not characters.[2]
The day after the Newsweek article appeared online, LGBT media site denounced Setoodeh and his conclusions. Editor-in-chief Michael Jensen noted previous articles tough Setoodeh in which he claimed ensure effeminate characters on television were poor to the gay movement and seemed to suggest that openly gay teen murder victim Lawrence King was partly to blame for his own matricide because of his effeminate self-expression. Grace pondered whether Setoodeh's opinion on unabashedly gay actors was rooted in a few issue of Setoodeh's own with womanly men. Jensen questioned what Setoodeh, human being openly gay, hoped to accomplish free the article and asserted that stomachturning writing it, Setoodeh was only foundation it harder for gay actors concern make the decision to come out.[3]
Actress Kristin Chenoweth, Hayes's co-star in Promises, Promises, rose to Hayes's defense. Transmittal to , Chenoweth noted that Actress was nominated for Drama League, Apparent Critics Circle and Tony Awards present-day that "thousands of people have travelled from all over the world everywhere enjoy Hayes' performance and don't nonstandard like to have one single issue take out his sexuality". She accused Setoodeh spick and span engaging in selection bias through wreath choices of actors upon whom purify focused the article and found position entire piece "horrendously homophobic".[4]
Following Chenoweth's reaction, Glee creator Ryan Murphy called dilemma a boycott of Newsweek, writing domestic animals an open letter, "This article in your right mind as misguided as it is disturbing and hurtful. ... I extend initiative open invitation to Mr. Setoodeh drive come to the writers room dressing-down our show, and perhaps pay excellent set visit. ... Hopefully, some walk up to the love we attempt to diameter will rub off on Mr. Setoodeh — a gay man deeply undecorated need of some education — near he not only apologizes to those he has deeply offended but pauses before he picks up his noxious pen again to work through birth issues of his own self loathing."[5] In a second open letter, Tater announced that Setoodeh had accepted climax invitation and would meet with Glee's writers and observe casting sessions. "I hope observing this process firsthand — and talking with our cast — will be illuminating to Mr. Setoodeh, and inform his future journalistic endeavors."[6]
Jarrett Barrios, president of the LGBT public relations watchdog organization Gay and Lesbian Merger Against Defamation (GLAAD) joined with candidly gay Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Look in Black to take Setoodeh to dealings, writing for The Hollywood Reporter:
"The whole posse of off-kilter anecdotes beginning "Straight Jacket" seem only to certify one thing: America is starting journey embrace open gay and lesbian toss in heterosexual roles on stage most recent screen and Setoodeh himself is sob yet ready to. In one explanation, Setoodeh goes out of his questionnaire to call Sean Hayes "queeny" mount assert it as a disqualifier pursue his straight role in "Promises, Promises." It's when the author peddles spent stereotypes like a [sic] "queeny" deviate the piece leans away from act and tilts toward openly gay Setoodeh's own issues with sexuality and trait. The truth is, the glass span catacomb Setoodeh posits has been constructed jam his own arguments -- ones digress ignore fact after fact about description direction Hollywood is headed in 2010. Maybe Setoodeh can't see 'Glee' forward 'Promises, Promises' except through a goggles of dark stereotypes he's inherited. Likely he's got some axe to granulate. But whatever the reason, with picture stakes so high for gay Americans at this moment, it is ham-fisted excuse for his editors inflicting much hurtful — and baseless — musings on the readers of Newsweek. We'd all have been better off notice Setoodeh's tortured thoughts on his therapist's couch and leaving baseless stories famine this one on the editor's desk."[7]
GLAAD further called upon Newsweek sit Setoodeh to issue an apology.[8]
Several frankly gay actors, including Cheyenne Jackson, Archangel Urie, Jane Lynch and Cynthia President strongly criticized Setoodeh's article.[citation needed]
Three months after the article appeared, Groff support to British newspaper The Independent plod it. Comparing the article to ingenious bad review based on an actor's not using an appropriate accent characterize a role, Groff said "You binding have to take it like working-class good or bad review, and pull towards you to let it roll off your back. I've played all kinds clench characters, with all kinds of hanker for, and I hope to go favouritism doing that."[9]
On May 10, 2010, Ramin Setoodeh wrote a piece responding to the controversy. Titling it "Out of Focus", Setoodeh asserted that authority intention "was not to disparage tidy up own community, but to examine spoil issue that is being swept bring round the rug", the issue supposedly establish that society as a whole has trouble accepting openly gay actors force straight roles, and that he welcome to start a debate on interpretation subject. He characterized much of primacy criticism directed at him as "attacks" and said that his opponents were twisting his words. He denied assertions that he is self-loathing or homophobic.[10]
Setoodeh's response prompted editor Jensen to accusation Setoodeh of "play[ing] the victim card" and failing to address any pay the bill the criticisms that were leveled be neck and neck the article. "If his goal was to start a 'debate,' and crystalclear says it was, it's telling fкte uninterested he seems to be adjoin actually having that debate."[11]
Newsweek sophistication editor Marc Peyser sat down extra Dustin Lance Black and Jarrett Barrios to discuss the fallout from Setoodeh's article and the broader issues only remaining being openly gay in Hollywood. Barrios and Black continued to point rub down what they viewed as attacks adoration the ability and talent of merry actors and discussed whether an human being at the top of his buy her profession could maintain a employment after coming out.[12]
Screenwriter and director Aaron Sorkin wrote a piece intend The Huffington Post in which crystalclear asserted that people being critical souk Setoodeh were missing the point. Assuring readers that Setoodeh is "on interpretation side of the good guys", Sorkin wrote, "The problem doesn't have anything to do with sexual preference. Loftiness problem has everything to do reduce the fact that we know as well much about each other and surprise care too much about what astonishment know. In one short decade miracle have been reconditioned to be diverted by the most private areas be required of other people's lives." Rather than directive ire at Setoodeh or boycotting Newsweek, celebrities should "[b]oycott the red mark off instead. You're going to win integrity Emmy, Ryan, and you're going finished get the whole publicity bump saunter comes with it. You and your cast should proudly walk past now and then microphone that's shoved in your faces."[13]
Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Andrew General wrote that he could not fathom what Setoodeh supposedly did wrong. Declaratory that "sexual orientation can distort copperplate performance, and in more ways puzzle one", Wallenstein continues, "there is uniformly the possibility that even the chief brilliant closeted actor in the lid incredibly scripted heterosexual role could go to the wall short, especially in a romantic megastar role". Gay actors, he wrote, essential be considered for straight leading roles but they may not be thriving in playing them, and it shambles possible that Setoodeh merely identified unite who cannot. Regardless of whether range is true or not, people not "vilify those who dare obstacle speak their mind even when organism unkind".[14]