Newsweek-gate: GLAAD weighs in
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The hubub surrounding Newsweek’s now-infamous article “Straight Jacket,” about gay actors playing straight roles, continues to grow. Writer Ramin Setoodah, who is gay, criticized “Glee” actor Jonathan Groff for his “theater-queen” portrayal on the show as Rachel’s current love interest. It went on to criticize Sean Hayes’ performance in the Broadway revival of “Promises, Promises,” saying the former “Will & Grace” actor, who recently revealed he was gay, was unconvincing as the musical’s lead: It was “weird seeing Hayes play straight. He comes off as wooden and insincere.”
The viral firestorm started with Kristin Chenoweth, who pushed back. Then there was “Ugly Betty’s” Michael Urie. “Glee “creator Ryan Murphy issued an open letter -- posted on EW.com -- urging folks to boycott Newsweek until it issued a mea culpa for publishing the article, which Murphy called “damaging, needlessly cruel and mind-blowingly bigoted.”
GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios is the latest to weigh in:
“Whether he intended it to or not, Ramin Setoodeh’s article in Newsweek sends a false and damaging message about gay actors by endorsing the idea that there are limits to the roles they are able to play,” Barrios said in the statement.
In his statement, Barrios said GLAAD joined Murphy in the call for an apology.
Show Trackers, what did you think of the Newsweek article?
For more on Newsweek-gate, check out our sister blogs Ministry of Gossip and The Big Picture.
-- Yvonne Villarreal
Groff as Jesse St. James. Credit: Fox
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