Executives at Disney were none too pleased with Johnny Depp’s flamboyant portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, the actor tells January’s Vanity Fair. Which is weird, because didn’t Depp’s flamboyant portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow earn the media giant over one billion dollars? But that’s not where Disney’s fear of going too gay ends. It extends all the way to ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, apparently.
Though producers of the major network hit no-so-secretly approached Portia DeGeneres about appearing on the show, possibly mimicking Israel’s version that featured the since-dismissed all-lady couple, “insiders close to the show” tell Fox News’ Pop Tarts that Dancing won’t be signing up a same-sex pair anytime soon. Not after they managed to score big in Middle America with Bristol Palin.
Insiders close to the show told Pop Tarts that a same-sex couple will “never happen” in the U.S – at least not yet. “ABC and Disney are afraid of the negative backlash from viewers after watching a same-sex couple grind on stage,” explained our snitch. “Middle America isn’t there yet – and judging by the conservatives who voted to keep Bristol in the competition, a same-sex rumba won’t happen anytime soon – at least not in the ‘Disney’ funded ballroom.” A rep for “DWTS” did not respond for comment.
Entertainment industry expert John Ziegler concurred that it would be a bad move on ABC’s part to feature a same-sex dance couple. “The show just got a huge boost of ‘Middle America’ viewers with the success of Bristol Palin. They are not going to blow that, especially when there is no need,” he said. “The show is on a roll and Margaret Cho’s overt lesbianism did not resonate with viewers. [She was the third contestant to be eliminated this past season.] The gay community is already watching, this would be a stupid ratings move, unless of course the same sex couple involved two hot women!”
Though really, that’s all just speculation. And if Dancing producers know one thing, it’s what attracts big ratings. And the shock value over seeing two gals tango would certainly deliver. And I’d be remiss not to mention all the queer character’s Disney’s networks feature, in particular ABC. But it seems the company might have different thoughts about The Gay when it comes to family-oriented programming like Pirates and Dancing.
As for Depp, when a Disney exec asked whether Depp’s character was indeed gay, the actor told her “all my characters are gay.” She was horrified.
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alan brickman
What are we missing here?? So Many women really do hate gay men!!…..
alan brickman
Plus Johnny Really Rocks!!!
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
And we all know that none of the actors on the Disney series are Gay………… :p
Shevonne
I’m confused. They accept a teenage mother who gay bashes, but they can’t “tolerate” a same-sex dancing pair? America, you have your ideals screwed up.
RomanHans
Maybe eight years ago, I wrote ABC/Disney and asked why a gay couple had never been featured on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” By this time, they’d given half-million dollar houses to all sorts of people, including pastors and homophobes, but not one single gay family.
I received a reply saying that gay families were treated equally as regular families, but they just hadn’t found a qualifying family yet.
And then came that scandal about the producers looking for families with certain diseases. Yeah, they could find twins with progeria but not a single gay family.
They’ve now helped something like 150 families, and not one has been gay. The gay press says ZERO about this, and ABC/Disney says zero about this. And now you’re shocked, shocked! that ABC/Disney might be homophobic?
Yawn. Yeah, what a surprise. I’ll check back in another couple years to see if you guys have finally caught up.
auditorman
ABC / Disney can do whatever they want as long as there is no public announcements saying that they ban gay programming. There is no need to feed the fire of the moral majority.
Richie
LOL Depp is awesome.
jason
John Ziegler is a turd whose statement sounds like a justification for homophobia. Fuck off, Ziegler. We in the GLBT community are fed up with turds like you. We will NOT accept any homophobia-based reasoning on anyone’s part. I’m not saying you’re homophobic but your statement sounds as if it’s based on homophobic reasoning – ie catering to those who are homophobic.
As for “two hot chicks” dancing together, how totally non-unique. You see women dancing together all the time in mainstream nightclubs. Nothing new here, and certainly not pioneering. It’s two hot men dancing together who would be unique and pioneering.
Face it – when was the last time you saw two men dancing together in a mainstream nightclub? I challenge any of you to tell me.
jason
I personally think that Johnny Depp is insulting the GLBT community. His interpretation is along the lines of “camp = gay”. How utterly insulting! It’s a homophobic interpretation which speaks volumes about Johnny Depp’s attitude to gay people.
Johnny, you’re a huge disappointment.
Queer Supremacist
Ungrateful pricks. It was a gay man, Howard Ashman, who helped save the studio after the Mormons who ran the company after Walt died allowed it to stagnate.
And what ABC show won all those Emmies? Modern Family. The one with the gay couple with an adopted Asian kid.
deferr
@jason:
please just shut it, Johnny loves the gays
Satsuma
@jason: Actually, I think he’s using it to mean “queer,” not “camp.”
Joe
All homosexuals will burn in hell, if they die, practicing homosexuality, they will be judged by God, and be tormented and punished for all eternity in hill, according to the bible.
Joe
All homosexuals will burn in hell, if they die, practicing homosexuality, they will be judged by God, and be tormented and punished for all eternity in hell, according to the bible.
idan
please join the new facebook page ‘Still? waiting for a gay Disney hero and heroine’
auditorman
Disney must look at demographics. The gays have the largest disposable income going. They would be out of their minds to exclude or insult the gays in anyway.