C’mon Hollywood #116

… I don’t care if you’re gay!
by Sturdy

With the recent press Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris have received from coming out of the closet, it’s made me realize two things. First, I don’t care. Second, is this really news to anyone? I mean, how many people in the world are really surprised that those two turned out to be homosexuals? It’s not like Lance and Neil were figures of masculinity. One sings like a girl and can’t stop touching himself and the other is a super skinny child actor.

I think an actor admitting he or she is gay is like Mark Maguire admitting he used steroids. An actor admitting they’re gay isn’t exactly shocking news. Anyone who’s ever been involved in any kind of acting class or stage production knows that straight people are in the minority. The point is that I don’t really care if my favorite actor is gay or not, as long as they continue to make good films.

Honestly, is there anyone that wouldn’t sleep with Johnny Depp?

However, it seems Hollywood and the media care a lot about the sexuality of people in the entertainment business. I say Hollywood because I find it very odd that no big name star has ever come out of the closet and when lesser performers do, it usually makes headlines. That’s where the press comes in. Doogie’s announcement made front-page news on cnn.com and I would hardly put that shocking development alongside world events. I understand it making the gossip columns, but why should an actor’s sexuality be national news?

I understand why big name stars would be hesitant to make their sexual preferences public. First off, it’s no one’s business who they sleep with. Second, there could be obvious career consequences for whoever decides to become the first star to admit to being gay. If it’s a dramatic actor like…say…Jake Gyllenhaal, then I doubt he’d feel the backlash as much as an action star like…say…Vin Diesel. I couldn’t imagine him getting the role of the thug street racer if people looked at him as the gay actor. The fact remains, someone has to be the first one to do it so we can stop making this a big deal.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I know that a heterosexual, young, white male writing an article about equality and gay rights doesn’t really carry much credibility, but it’s something that needs to be addressed. I’m not saying we should picket the streets or form a gay pride parade, but I think we’re past the stage where actors should feel persecuted for publicly being gay. I think life’s too short to put unnecessary stipulations on who to love and who to be friends with. I know not everyone in the world feels the same way, but Hollywood can do a lot to influence those views.