Last night, USA Network’s “most wanted” (get it?) series White Collar returned for its second season! Matt Bomer, the out-ish actor and partnered gay father of two, plays con man Neal Caffrey. He sometimes enjoys flirtations with members of the opposite sex!
In almost every episode, Bomer’s character catches a wink, nod, or a naked pool playdate with a lady. It’s all part of Caffrey’s signature gimmick, which USA’s shows are known for: He’s such a suave fella, the show tells viewers to remember, that he can talk his way (or twinkle his eyes) into a bank vault or private art collection just by winning over a helpless gal with his charm. (That he works with, and not against the FBI means he’s using his powers for good.) Last night’s season premiere was no different: Caffrey bewitched this red head with far off travel dreams while his associate (aka “The Gay From Sex and the City) stole her BlackBerry to copy its SIM card, only to purposefully turn her off so he wouldn’t have to go home with her.
And generally that’s what Caffrey does: He’s not eye-nailing these girls to take them to bed, but to play them as pawns. Which is how real life gay guys always treat women!
Steve
Please. Enough with this closet case already! There are a thousand gay men who are just as hot and NOT hiding in the closet.
MikenStL
@Steve: I thought he was out?? or is his partner just a “friend” that helps take care of the kids?
rrr
@MikenStL: He lives a gay personal life and doesn’t beard. In interviews he gives non-answers that do not deny he is gay but he says he is unwilling to acknowledge his sexuality or discuss it publicly for career reasons.
So he falls into the category of stars who are glass closeted, a controversial category some are OK with and some aren’t.
WTF?
As long as I can see what sort of nasty shennanigans he’s getting up to within said glass closet, me don’t care. This may sound shallow, but I give him a pass cuz he’s hot. There is some logic to my reasoning though. There’s a subtle power in informing those women (say, at your offic) who don’t have a frigging clue that this actor is gay. I think it makes them stop for a second and think. You just dropped a bomb on them and they’re like “Really?” If that makes them eschew their SATC sterotypes of gay men as little chihuahuas in their purses, then maybe it’s not a bad thing that he’s under the radar.
Zack
Color me confused, but I fail to see a substantial relationship between the actions of a TV character and the actor that portrays that character. In this post, Queerty is trying to connect Bomer’s sexuality through the actions of his character. This is assinine.
Regardless, I believe that outing is only necessary when the person is actively working against equality. Politicians = yes. Actors who want privacy = no.
DX
It’s like groundhog day. How many different ways is Queerty going to run the same damn story over and over and over again? Why don’t you just take out an ad in the New York Times and tell the entire world what most people already know and apparently don’t care about.
Or try this, why don’t you actually name some hypocritical closet gays, instead of constantly harassing someone who is clearly out in the industry, his social circles and the wider gay community, and is in a committed relationship, raising two sons.
jason
Matt Bomer’s on-screen heterosexuality is symptomatic of Hollywood in general. Hollywood is very homophobic. Its reason for existence is to market heterosexual male fantasy and to make money from it.
We in the GLBT community can bring down Hollywood by understanding this basic premise: marketing of male heterosexual fantasy. Once you understand this, you know how to bring it down.
Chris
Here is queerty again with the same tired anti-bomer bullshit. This posting is downright stupid equating character behavior to actor behavior – there is no correlation. I challenge queerty to a posting that demands that Zack, Queen L., Tom, Will, Kellan, Lee, etc. come out of the closet before they do another bomer post. No doubt the ‘queerty 3’ will be on soon spewing their usual pyscho-babble soon. Matt Bommer lives his partnered life quite openly, wedding ring, gay charity events and all with class and dignity. He doesn’t owe us anything but a good acting job which he provides is spades on his show. He is a perfect role model – we’d be lucky if other actors behaved accordlingly, openly gay ones included! Give it a rest…
Geoff
Well if you watched the show (it’s excellent) you would know.His character has spent the entire season in search of his one true love – so flirting okay, but that’s as far as it usually goes for a con, however, twice his character has gone ‘all the way’ with a woman.Is this post even for real – it’s kind of a desparate jab even for queerty – truly!Are you so jealous of this succesfully dream boat that you have to think up reasons for posts?
Zen
Your slogan – ‘FREE of AGENDA’ is a lie…Matt is out, all know, with his talent and looks no one cares – he’s perfect.
Indira
This is so disappointing, Queerty. Why must you pick on Matt for the actions of a fictional character, or for wanting privacy in his homelife? There’s a lot of straight actors out there that like to keep their personal lives private. Should we go out and make a spectacle of their lives? Or is it just gay celebs we need to pick on for daring to want some privacy? Cuz ya know, all gay celebs MUST make a big deal about themselves being gay to prove themselves or be an example for others! (end sarcasm).
Seriously, part of fighting for equality should damn well mean we get to enjoy the same rights and privileges as straight couples. Not everyone has to be an activist with their relationship in the spotlight. Especially in the world of celebrity where that spotlight can be quite damaging. We’re talking about a couple who has kids. I applaud Matt Bomer for putting his family first and maintaining their privacy.
Furthermore, have you ever even watched the show? Nick is a con man. His charming act is all part of the con, and obviously he’ll con *both* genders even if he’s a little more flirtatious when it comes to the ladies (which is debatable). If you haven’t caught on, the character of Nick Caffrey is *straight* and has been hopelessly devoted to and in love with Kate for the entire first season. She’s why he ended up in prison. He’s not going to magically be over her by next season.
Cal
This is pathetic even by queerty standards.
Jason Beach
Really?Slow ‘news’ day queerty?You do our gay community a diservice with constant pieces like this.You used to be a relevant source for legitimate information but no longer,this is like the gay enquirer.
menlo
Hey, Queerty, leave this dude alone and let him make a living.
Rob
White Collar started its 2nd season with 4.5M viewers, a 12% increase over last seasons average. DVR+7 will add about 2 million more once tallied. Since last October, Matt has amassed millions of fans with a unique combination of talent, class, charm, inteligence, and obviously his looks – he’s got one of the hottest careers in show business, all while being one of the nicest, most charitable guys in the business. He lives his life partnered with a family, and yet the ‘writers’ of this silly little blog continue their smeer campaign. Wake up – it’s obviously is not working and you risk alienating those that always came here for the latest issue news.This posting was not news.
Samantha
Foot in mouth Q? I guess if this site were real journalism it would be an outrage but since its just Q, makes it just plain sad.
jason
White Collar is very heteronormative in its depictions. As such, it should be criticized. It’s even more galling when they use a man who has had same-sex relationships to push and market that heteronormativity.
Overall, Matt Bomer can play whatever role he chooses. But he must realize that we in the broader community reserve the right to criticize the role he plays as well as White Collar’s producers.
We have the power to bring down careers if you push us.
Ben
@ # 17 Jason: Wow Jason, you are a dreamer. “Bring down careers” – really??Your quote sounds so silly – I can see your hands on your hips now! Everyone is aware of Matt’s status including the business end of hollywood and his fans.The buzz here in LA is the number of scripts being thrown at this man.You and qeerty will need to target another career to “bring down” as the bomer rocket has taken off….
Deb
Let’s obsess about real issues facing us or at least on peeps that beard like Taylor, Zac, etc.
ComeOUT
This homo needs to grow a pair of balls and come out, now!
Craig
@comeout – blah, blah, blah, blah. he’s been out for years.
elrith
leave the man alone =.=
Larry
and this is any of your business…why? He has a job, he does it well. What he does in his private life is no more of our business than what the receptionist where I work does when she gets home. Because his job is an actor doesn’t mean he needs to be anyone’s role model. He’s not in the tabloids for being drunk in public, drug arrests, stealing jewelery etc etc. He does his job well and owes nothing to any of us.
neo11
I’m sure he’s been gay for a while but now that he’s in White Collar, all of a sudden, everyone wants to know (at least these nosy busy bodies). He’s just living his life the way he’s been doing before White Collar so he doesn’t have to change his tune just because some people demand part of the gay man’s task is to shout his preference and answer to anyone who asked. I think it’s silly for someone to stop anyone and ask “are you straight”? So goes for the gay question.
He wears a ring (left ring finger), goes out with Simon, hangs out with his kids, etc…
He shouldn’t satisfy any exploiting magazines or reporters by giving them their “first scoop”.
I know and I still love the guy. It doesn’t change one bit what he’s been all along, talented, sweet, outrageously handsome and happy where he is right now.
MikeE
So according to Queerty, an out gay actor should NOT play hetero roles?
I think that’s just about the most idiotic thing I’ve read on this website, and god only knows you people have written idiotic things.
jason
He’s an actor, for Pete’s sake. Gay and bisexual men have been confined to straight male roles for decades. This is nothing new. If you go back to Hollywood’s hey day, you will find tons of gay and bisexual men who played straight male roles only. It’s called “for the benefit of mass consumption”.
This means that money is made from heterosexual fantasy. These fantasies are sold largely to female viewers. If anything, female viewers are to blame for this constant scenario being force-fed down our throats.
Don’t under-estimate the role of women in determining the direction of society. Women are pivotal to a lot of things, including the constant marketing of Hollywood men as heterosexual only. Women generally fear male-male sexuality and would like to see it confined to the male-male ghetto where it can at least be controlled.
This is why gay and bisexual men had to create the gay scene – ie to comply with the demands of women.