Jay Leno Confuses Homophobia with Humor Yet Again

Posted by Pam Spaulding, Pam's House Blend at 4:40 AM on March 26, 2008.

WTF is wrong with the Tonight Show host? Has he so little creativity that he has to stoop to lame humor like this over and over? Melissa:

Last night, Ryan Phillippe was on The Tonight Show, which gave Jay Leno the opportunity to do one of his favorite things: Laugh at gay men!

Now, Phillippe isn't gay, but he played Billy Douglas on One Life to Live, which was the first out gay teen character on American daytime television-and Phillippe was once naked in a jeans commercial, so that's good enough for Jay.  Says Andy (who's got the video): "[T]he first topic Leno brought up was Phillippe's first acting role as a gay teen on One Life to Live. No matter that the role was a serious one in which a gay son came out to his father. Leno had to squeeze as much of a joke out of the fact that his first acting role was a gay part, even asking Phillippe to look into the camera and give his 'gayest look'."

Avenue Q scribe Jeff Whitty actually wrote an infamous missive to Leno to clue him in that the late-night host's homo-humor is, well, not amusing in the least. A snippet is below the fold.



Jeff Whitty in 2006:

I know you know gay people, Mr. Leno. Are they just jokes to you, to be snickered at behind their backs? Despite the angry tenor of my letter, I suspect you're a better man than that. I don't bother writing letters to the "God Hates Fags" people, or Donald Wildmon, or the pope. But I think you can do better. I know it's The Tonight Show, not a White House press conference, but you reach a lot of people.

I caught your show when you had a tired mockery of Brokeback Mountain, involving something about a horse done up in what you consider a "gay" way. Man, that's dated. I turned the television off and felt pretty fucking depressed. And now I understand your gay-baiting jokes have continued.

Yes it has, even after Whitty had a phone chat with Jay and was convinced the TV night owl wasn't a homophobe back in 2006.

The other night Ryan Philippe was so appalled by Jay's lame Brokeback appeal to give his gayest look, that he said "Wow. That is so something I don't want to do."

Jeff had this to say this on his web site today:

I'll back off. I received some criticism for being too heavy-handed with my last letter, so I won't mention this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or these gay faces or not to forget this gay face.  Which one's the gayest to you?

Tagged as: television, homophobia, leno, phillippe, the tonight show

Pam Spaulding blogs at Pam's House Blend.