It’s pretty cool that E! Online included a roundup of gay-rights moments among its year-end Top Ten lists. But did it have to be so boring?Maybe it was a slow news year or maybe the network doesn’t think outside the box, but blogger Marc Malkin’s picks felt rather lackluster. Granted it’s a pop-culture/celebrity channel, so the repeal of DADT probably wasn’t going to make the cut no matter what, but aside from including Chaz Bono being on Dancing with the Stars and the legal gay wedding on Conan, it was a real snoozefest.
Underwhelming highlights include:
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka got engaged. Malkin chose the passage of marriage equality in New York as an excuse to tout the impending nuptials of the super-cute couple. Except that they’ve been engaged for five years.
Jane Lynch hosted the Emmys. A gay person hosting an award ceremony? That hasn’t happened since, well, Ellen Degeneres hosted the Emmys. And Rosie O’Donnell hosted the Tonys. Sheesh, NPH hosted both!
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Zachery Quinto, Sean Maher and Amber Heard came out. Quinto finally dragged his ass out of the closet after avoiding the subject and hypocritically recording an “It Gets Better” video while sill in the closet. The ink barely dried on Maher’s coming-out story when his show, The Playboy Club, got cancelled. And Heard, Maher’s Playboy co-star, actually came outin that coy, noncommital way starlets sometimes do. “When it comes to love I am totally open. I don’t want to be put into a category, as in ‘I’m this’ or ‘I’m that.'”
Chely Wright got married. Wright’s coming out in 2010 was kind of big. But she hasn’t had a song in the Billboard Country Top 100 since 2004’s “The Bumper of My SUV.” So the fact that she and girlfriend Lauren Blitzer tied the knot in Connecticut is hardly headline news.
Bret Ratner quits as Oscars producers. Somehow we can’t really place this as a gay-rights accomplishment: A douchebag mega-producer drops an f-bomb, gets the Academy to stand behind him and then quits of his own accord so he can focus on making some other horribly craptastic film. Harvey Milk would be proud!
What do you think? Did they miss some real winners—Christopher Plummer as a recently out septuagenarian in Beginners, Major League Baseball and the NBA adding sexual-orientation protection, Don Lemon‘s coming out, Glee‘s (tepid) gay-sex scene?
Or are we just being too Grinchy?
Rate their picks—or suggest your own—in the comments
Images via Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, David Shankbone
andreusz
Hillary Clinton’s speech in Geneva?
jason
E!Online is both sexist and homophobic.
Aki
What do you expect , they employ Ted C
Aunt Sharon
Zach Wahls’ advocacy for his two mothers before the Iowa House of Representatives.
Zack
queerty is so old school. who cares when or if a star comes out – LOL
fred
So glad Queerty can’t see beyond their we’re so cool attitude.
Maybe Jane Lynch hosting the emmys wasn’t something big for you, but for every gay kid who needs/wants to see more gay role models, it’s pretty big.
Also, hello #1 and #4, e is an entertainment site, what the f**k does hilary clinton’s speech have to do with entertainment. The same with zach wahls.
people are so dumb.
CountryFan
Chely Wright is amazing. What a brave woman. For you to dismiss her like that is sad.
Jonny
It’s E!Online, not CNN of course they’re going to focus on stupid celebrity shit like who came out and the Oscars.
Anyone without their head up Hollywood’s ass knows about what really matters in the world and to #6, I want my young gays watching the news and C-SPAN to find role models, not Jane Lynch. They know nothing of the history and importance of the politics of today. C’est la vie.
It’s a losing battle, I know, but I’m too “old” to care about Glee, I still remember “Tales From the City.”
Jonny
@fred: You’re absolutely right, some people are incredibly dumb.
Ed
@andreusz: @andreusz: RIGHT? I can’t believe that was left out…
WillBFair
You’re kidding right?
No one thought of the NY passage of gay marraige, or our win in the courts on Prop 8, or sweet Hillary’s speech, or the end of DADT, or Obama’s refusing to defend DOMA?
Of course !E would focus on shallow Hollywood trash. But you Queerty guys should know better. And I say that knowing you run one of the best gay blogs.
Wow
I wish there comes a time when discussions like these aren’t existent.
Bryan
I agree that they’re mainly a pop culture website, so political moments might not make it on their list, but even so, that’s still an incredibly boring list like queerty said.
karan015
my age 28 i like smart top gay no faty