Because there’s no way Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, or anyone of that fame caliber, were going to sign on to LOGO’s gay Housewives show, the next biggest whale they could find would have to be a Reichen Lehmkuhl type. Oh, Reichen is joining the show?
He and producers are thisclose to striking a deal apparently, says Brian Moylan, and boyfriend Rodiney Santiago would come along for the reality ride.
The reality star, who won The Amazing Race‘s Season 4 with then-partner Chip Arndt, shot to Gay Fame levels when he dated Lance Bass during Lance’s coming out phase. But RL’s career actually centered around his pilot instructing and modeling; he continues working both jobs today. Add “professional reality TV star” to that CV.
Here’s Riechen at the GLAAD Media Awards in NYC, talking about how, in the media, gays are often portrayed in ways they don’t like, and “it’s important for us to have a forum for us to speak out and say, ‘Hey, this isn’t how we want to be portrayed, and this isn’t who we are, and this isn’t how we want to be portrayed as tolerating others treating us this way.'”
Well, LOGO’s show about NYC gays (Reichen is based in Palm Springs) running around town being fabulous will certainly be a great portrayal of gays!
Marcus
Reichen is based in Palm Springs?
Good God.
Kieran
I wish he was based in my town.
fredo777
I don’t see the point of the article. Just because he notes the importance of making sure gays are portrayed how they wish to be doesn’t mean he has to want the same portrayal as the next gay person. Maybe he’s okay with being portrayed a certain way that another person might not be. For example, some gays might want to be portrayed as “fah-bu-lous” jet-setters, where others might wish to be portrayed as diva bitch fashionistos, + still others everyday familymen/women. To each his own.
Josh
I can’t hate on Reichen. He’s just trying to prolong his fame and pay the bills…
Check out my blog:
openlygaymarketing.wordpress.com
Jeremy
@fredo777: Reichen is trying to say: “I think my lifestyle is superior to other people and I deserve to be the ‘poster boy’ of gay community”. The problem is like you say, people want to be in a different way and it’s hard to see subjectively which way is better than others. But, being a simple pretty fame-whore and dating around H-town is definitely not the best “lifestyle” we want to represent. Doing whatever show he wants, but he’d better shut his mouth and stop thinking so highly of himself.
fredo777
@Jeremy: Why is your personal opinion of the appropriate gay lifestyle to be considered the “best”? Reichen has a lot going for him, other than being pretty, + as mentioned in this very article, he has done more than just reality TV in his career. Besides that, instead of giving him shit for his “big break” as a reality contestant, how about some props for being part of a gay couple on an Emmy-winning show + actually winning? To be fair, it’s still a free country + Reichen doesn’t need to shut his mouth b/c his opinions differ from yours.
Kyler
So it seems this “reality” show already isn’t going to be real. From what I read it was supposed to be based on guys in NYC, but obviously guys in NYC aren’t so desperate to be on TV and be made fools of that they have to import the gays from the west coast.
TonyD
He’s an ego maniac with a low price- intelligence to be debated, but he feels important enough to preach and we feel obligated enough to leave opinions on the guy. This says something…
Tonytime
Logo constantly let’s me down. I hated the idea of this show when I heard about it, but I hate it even more now that Reichen is going to be on it. Aren’t there any other gays out there to give airtime to? Why does anyone care about a guy who for the past decade has trield to parlay a season on AMAZING RACE to becoming a bigger celeb. Go get a job!
fredo777
@Tonytime: why should he get a desk job if he can, as you put it, “parlay his season on amazing race” into stardom? methinks a lot of his naysayers are either jealous that they don’t have the same opportunities available to them or that you’re just not as resourceful as he is. if i had been on a reality show + gained some fame from it which i could use to sustain a longer entertainment career, you’re damn right i would do so. what you call fame-whoring, i call being smart + taking full advantage of an opportunity.
alan brickman
and then he came out….and everyone was surprised….he was a media whore….
delurker again
his age is showing and he’s not even that old! yikes…
Marco
I love Reichen i cant wait to see this show! and he’s boyfriend is so HOT!
TheProfessor
Another delusional, self-absorbed, unable-to-deal-with-real-life, narcissist, attention-seeking maniac who thinks he is a spokesperson for the gay community. And, why exactly is that? What has he done other than try to prolong his fame, appear nude in some crappy TV show, date a hasbeen singer and now be on another idiotic fake “reality” TV show? Geez, what an embarrassment. I don’t know what’s worse: the cast of “Jersey Shore” or this clown.
Dr.Bombay
Forehead: totally botoxed. Ears: pinned back with plastic surgery. Area around the nose and mouth: smoothed with Restylane. Very real man.
fredo777
Tsk, tsk. So many catty, negative comments about a fellow gay.
What else is new?
/stirthepot
Tonytime
@fredo777:
Fredo, I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I am resourceful and smart too 🙂 I make a very good salary, have two homes in 2 great cities, wonderful friends and family and I do it all on my own. I worked hard in school and in my career. I’m not jealous of Reichen. I don’t mind people getting the spotlight, but it should be justified. Reichen hasn’t done anything other than to jump from one reality show to the next and become a hollywood hanger on that sleeps with people to get ahead.
Jerry213
In watching the clip above it is quite obvious that Reichen shouldn’t be a spokesperson for our community. When asked the simple question who are some of your gay idols/icons it was obvious he had no clue. This man has been promoting himself for years now as a gay face for our community but he can’t come up with names like Harvey Milk, Tony Kushner, John Waters, Larry Kramer, Billie Jean King or fellow service men like Dan Choi or Sgt. Leonard Matlovich in answering a simple question of who you look up to?
It’s obvious this guy is about the parties and the free gift bags and not a cause.
fredo777
@Tonytime: You might have everything in the world going for you, but I don’t think you know Reichen well enough to determine whether he has really slept with anyone to get ahead. To me, that’s all tabloid gossip + hearsay. At any rate, even if you aren’t jealous of him, that doesn’t mean that none of his detractors are. A lot of the complaints just sound like the standard haters throwing shade on someone in the public eye. As for whether he “deserves” the spotlight or not, I think a lot of the chorus members chanting “fame-whore” are of a different, older generation. This is, after all, a day + age where a kid can become a signed major recording artist as a result of building a fan base + promoting himself on Youtube or MySpace. Or a mere blogger can become a household name. The old definition of the bona fide “hollywood movie star” is outdated. We are now living in a Self-Made Star Age. Get with the times, people.
delurker again
@fredo777: Eh, before you raise a statutes in his honor, compare him with his former partner and teammate in the Amazing Race, Chip Arndt. He keeps a lower profile and seems to do so much more with his fame and winnings.
“Each year, Arndt conducts a golf clinic at the Advocate Golf Classic benefiting the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force NGLTF. His most recent charity initiative is a U$100,000 challenge benefiting nine HIV/AIDS service organizations through his participation in two AIDS ride and two AIDS walks in 2007. Using the social networking reach of a special MySpace page, he is soliciting donations from both individuals and groups.[1]
Chip was elected a PLEO Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention and was recently named one of Florida’s 27 electors representing the Electoral College. Herein he cast his vote on December 15 in Tallahassee, Florida for President Elect Obama and Vice President Elect Biden. Chip’s electorship was historic because he is the first openly gay man to cast an electoral vote in the state of Florida.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_Arndt
fredo777
@delurker again: Yeah, I know about Chip, but this article isn’t exactly about him.
jerseyguy
Fredo, now really. Do you think Reichen dated Lance Bass because he was into him? Get a clue. It was his opportunity to continue to get press.
fredo777
@jerseyguy: I don’t really put that much thought into other grown folks’ romantic lives, particularly not when they’re complete strangers to me. So, your guess is as good as mine.
OhYeah
@fredo777: precisely Fredo. There should not be an article about Reichen, but about Chip. Let’s get our priorities “straight” in this community, shall we love?
fredo777
@OhYeah: My priority is living my life on my own terms + I’m not in the habit of dissing others, like Reichen, for trying to live his own life to the fullest, whatever that means for him. Excluding those who use their lives to make laws that limit others’ freedoms, of course.
As for Reichen trying to make it in entertainment, if people are willing to give him the opportunities, I say: “If you like it, I love it.” More power to him.
jckfmsincty
Logo’s “The A List” has set gay rights back 20 years.