Jeff Whitty on Jay Leno

25Mar08

Jeff Whitty on Jay Leno
(no, not “Jeff Whitty on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”)

Being one of those homosexuals who flunked Gay101, I was late to the Avenue Q train, and therefore became aware of librettist Jeff Whitty long, long after I should’ve. I did manage to catch him on the Tony Awards telecast, accepting a statue for his play and thanking his boyfriend in the audience (which made me grab Champ and point at the screen with an enthusiasm traditionally reserved for Stanley Tucci sightings).

I’ve since made amends; Champ and I saw Avenue Q in NYC the year before last and I’m eagerly awaiting his work with Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears on Tales of the City: The Musical. Me, a musical theatre enthusiast? I know, right?

Anyway, Whitty wrote Jay Leno a message a couple of years ago after Leno’s incessant — and unfunny — gay “jokes” hit a nadir. Full disclosure: in all my years of occasionally (read: accidentally) catching Leno’s act or talkshow on television, I can honestly say I’ve never laughed at anything he’s said. Never even cracked a smile. Not once.

Yes, he’s that unfunny.

Anyway. Leno recently tried baiting guest Ryan Phillippe into giving the host his “gayest look”. Because gay == yuks. I’ll pause for a moment here to let you imagine the reaction if Leno had used another minority for his “joke”. But… y’know what? Whitty tells it much better.

And he tells it here. Go. Read.

And while you’re there, stick around and read some more. Jeff’s as funny as he is cute ‘n’ talented ‘n’ shit.

Addendum! Hey, y’all, want to join Jeff Whitty and bloggerbitch Melissa McEwan in sending Leno and NBC an unmistakable message? Go to (what else?) MyGayestLook.com and let your fingers do your talking!

Filed under: Actual Gay Conversations, Bad Behaviour, Celebrities, Heroes, Stupidity |

3 Responses to “Jeff Whitty on Jay Leno”

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1 Donald on Apr 2nd, 2008 said:

Mr. Whitty,

While I support your disdain for Jay Leno’s comments the other night, I have a problem with your follow up comment. As an African American (not gay), I am sick and tired of some in the Gay community who often compare their sexual preference (being Gay) with that of being “black” (African American) and or “Jewish” in this particular case. Being gay as I understand it is a sexual preference…not a race as being African American, Jewish or White. I do believe that you can be black and gay and jewish and gay. So there is an obvious distinction between being black or jewish and being gay. I once heard a Gay individual compare a group of individuals with HIV with the African American community. I was insensed. Black Americans are always compared with everything negative or on the fringe in this Country. That is exactly why Blacks remain so sensitive to racism in this Country. Embedded in the subconscious of White America, African Americans will always remain low on the totem pole. Even immigrants who come to this Country think that they are better than African Americans. I understand your plight as a gay person, but yours is not the same as ours. I have nothing against gay individuals…I have relatives and friends that are gay and I used to own a gay bar. However, your analogy is wrong and I resent it…everytime I hear it. I understand that your comparison was not intended to be negative or racist. Just as I hope that Jay Leno will never make similar comments in the future, I would hope that you would not make similar comparisons in the future.

I thank you for your understanding and consideration.

DGW
2 bstewart23 on Apr 2nd, 2008 said:

Thanks for your comment, Michael. And, for the record, my preference is not “being gay”, my preference is acting on — not hiding — it.

I also have another preference: not having every simple argument concerning cavalier discrimination against homosexuals side-tracked by pointing at other discriminations. It’s selfish, intellectually weak and totally obliterates any solidarity in the Unity of Oppression.
3 Tim on Aug 5th, 2008 said:

DGW…

I won’t mince words… you’re dead wrong. Being gay is a lot more analogous to being black than it is to being Jewish. You’re either born black or you’re not; you’re either born gay or you’re not. These are traits or characteristics from birth. Being gay is not a “preference” or a choice. Discrimination against blacks is every bit as wrong as discrimination against gay people.

One’s religious beliefs and/or practices, on the other hand, are a matter of choice. People can and do change them all the time. But that’s really beside the point of the above. The important principle is that none of us ought to discriminate against someone else for an immutable characteristic of that person.