Joan Rivers recommends that Gays "Stay In Closet" until they retire

[vivfox]

Joan Rivers Stay In Closet message to all gay performers. It's not a joke, but Joan Rivers is asking gays to stay in the closet because she claims it ruins their careers. Joan Rivers even says that teen idols are wrong for leading young girls on.

"If you're going to be a romantic idol and try to get every teenage girl to love you, then you'd be an ass to come out and say you're gay," Joan Rivers said in a statement.

Ricky Martin was so smart. He did what he did, made his millions, and then he said, 'Guess what, everybody? I'm gay' ... It didn't matter anymore because he didn't have to bring in 16-year-old girls."

Rivers, 77, is adamant that homosexuality will ruin careers. The comedian has also used "AIDS" in her comedy act on stage. "That's the whole point. Comedy is how you deal with things. If you can laugh at it, you can deal with it," Rivers said.

Ironically, in the late 1950s, Rivers played a lesbian opposite Barbra Streisand in the off-off-Broadway play "Driftwood." The comedian stars in a new documentary "Joan River: A Piece Of Work," a look at the woman behind the laughter as she struggles to stay in the spotlight. She also took a chance as a participant on a reality TV show and now ponders her career in show business at the age of 77.

http://www.newsoxy.com/entertainment...set-13572.html

[louielouie2000]

I hate to say it, but she's right, though. Just look at the gay stars who have come out... it's basically stunted and/or ruined their careers. At best, it severely limits and typecasts you no matter what type of performer you are, be it an actor or singer. Meanwhile, actors who play gay roles earn Oscars and Emmys; yet actors/singers who come out as gay are vilified for "leading their fans on," and apparently many actors who come out are denied roles. God help the performers who come out and start expressing their true opinions, they get the modern day tar and feathering from the media (Rosie O'Donnell). To compound matters, the media focuses on all of the stupid antics of douchebags like Adam Lambert, upholding the stereotype that all gay men are skanks; and they overplay the opinions of Rosie O'Donnell to enforce the stereotype that all lesbians are cranky. These are just some of the reasons to explain why so many entertainers stay in the closet, and why if they're smart, they'll stay that way. It's all vicious and unfortunate cycle .

[LukeA]

Well, in the case of, say, Bradley Cooper, what should he do? A definite prime example.

[vivfox]

It hasn't hurt the careers of Ellen De Generes or Anderson Cooper. And Ryan Seacrest thinks he has us all fooled, but he's sadly mistaken.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by vivfox

It hasn't hurt the careers of Ellen De Generes or Anderson Cooper. And Ryan Seacrest thinks he has us all fooled, but he's sadly mistaken.

There are always exceptions to every rule. Ellen certainly has turned around her career with her very successful talk show (it seemed like for a while there she had committed career suicide by outing herself). I wish there were more positive, sane, successful gay icons like her. Let's hope she's opening that door for others to slip in behind her .

And I don't think we can lump Anderson Cooper into this group just yet... to my knowledge, he's never publicly and officially said the words "I'm gay" (though he has publicly eluded to it, and it's pretty much an open "secret").

[fringed n fab]

I can see in some instances where coming out might hurt their careers but I think to them at some point they just want acceptance and to feel free like anyone. I still believe it's easier and more accepted for women to like each other and be public but for men that's still viewed as sick to some people and taboo. But these same people can feel that lesbianism is ok. A double standard I don't understand. I do think the general public is a lot more understanding and accepting today than they used to be.

[jaycee]

In a related matter, about a month ago some Aussie footballers were revealing their homosexuality, and a particularly famous footballer, Jason Akermanis, was portrayed as saying "Stay In The Closet" (banner headline) in the media. What he actually meant was that the mentality of people involved in football, whether players or commentators, was too low for them to accept the notion of gay footballers. To support his comment, I remember seeing a commentary panel discussing the issue, and making stupid, ignorant jokes about gay men. So Akermanis' quite right in what he says. That said, how can progress be made without people pushing (and breaking) these artificial boundaries?

[SapphireSister]

Really? Could have fooled me. I thought being gay makes your career sky-rocket. It's all in the approach i.e. Clay Aiken. Worked for him didn't it?

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by SapphireSister

Really? Could have fooled me. I thought being gay makes your career sky-rocket. It's all in the approach i.e. Clay Aiken. Worked for him didn't it?

Clay's only "hit" single was before he came out. What has he done since then? I know he tours a lot.

[LukeA]

Clay played the "I'm gay!" card only after his career/finances started to wane- he got a big payoff for the exclusive story from one of the People/US Weekly typemagazines. He did get a role in the musical "Spamalot" on Broadway shortly thereafter, but generally speaking, he has his niche audience and that's it. "Invincible" was, what, seven years ago?

[SapphireSister]

^re: Clay. I'm referring to the pure "fame" factor and he sure gained a lot more notoriety after coming out.

[SapphireSister]

Originally Posted by LukeA

Clay played the "I'm gay!" card only after his career/finances started to wane- he got a big payoff for the exclusive story from one of the People/US Weekly typemagazines. He did get a role in the musical "Spamalot" on Broadway shortly thereafter, but generally speaking, he has his niche audience and that's it. "Invincible" was, what, seven years ago?

It worked though back then didn't it?

[markolas]

I've never liked Joan Rivers, and now I like her even less.

[diane_k]

Joan has a point! Ellen and Clay made it because they catered to the breeder family unit before and after they came out. It's all the same, Rhiannon.

I mean, it's perfectly fine to be what you want to be, but why advertise? Did Tom Brokaw do the nightly news by prefacing it with his love of all things vaginal? Why should Anderson Cooper behave any differently?

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I hate to say it, but she's right, though. Just look at the gay stars who have come out... it's basically stunted and/or ruined their careers. At best, it severely limits and typecasts you no matter what type of performer you are, be it an actor or singer. Meanwhile, actors who play gay roles earn Oscars and Emmys; yet actors/singers who come out as gay are vilified for "leading their fans on," and apparently many actors who come out are denied roles. God help the performers who come out and start expressing their true opinions, they get the modern day tar and feathering from the media (Rosie O'Donnell). To compound matters, the media focuses on all of the stupid antics of douchebags like Adam Lambert, upholding the stereotype that all gay men are skanks; and they overplay the opinions of Rosie O'Donnell to enforce the stereotype that all lesbians are cranky. These are just some of the reasons to explain why so many entertainers stay in the closet, and why if they're smart, they'll stay that way. It's all vicious and unfortunate cycle .

The stereotypes are so reinforced, even when GLBT community trys to promote their equality! Inevitably, they represent themselves with manly women, and with men whose purses fall out of their mouths when they speak. In the ill-concieved effort to show that they are just like everyone else, they achieve the opposite (even though they are heart-felt in their purpose). And the media just is just as guilty, as it panders to the most outrageous aspects of this so-called "lifestyle."

From a purely marketing standpoint, I always thought the most effective way to erradicate ignorance and promote acceptance would be to shatter the stereotypes and feature/reveal people that look just like middle America. Show a very masculine gay guy who doesn't scream "Gay!." and feature a very pretty feminine lesbian. Emphasize the fact that gay people are more similar than dissimilar to the straight world. Make them human - not characters. Make them identifiable.

A female country singer just came out of the closet, and she shatters the stereotype. People like her are the most effective. And the fu*king religious right be damned - they will always use bigotry as marketing ploy. Let them look silly, archaic and stupid doing it.