âWhy,â tweets Playgirl model and former star of Bravoâs trashy reality show Make Me a Supermodel, âduring the most crucial stages of the Equality Movement, are garbage shows like A-List NYC being made? EPIC FAIL.â Great question, Ronnie!
1) Because they can. Programming that The Gays actually want to watch has long been absent from LOGO. A-List: New York, which premieres Monday, is the cash-strapped networkâs answer to the void that, five years after launch, the channel still hasnât filled.
2) Because these shows are proven hits. Itâs no secret A-List is a gay reincarnation of Bravoâs successful Housewives series. The series that people love to hate is among cableâs most-watched.
3) Because even the critics will tune in. And that includes you, Ronnie. You will watch this show. Or at least you wonât be able to escape it, not with all the YouTube clipping thatâs about to occur.
And meanwhile, letâs not pretend Make Me a Supermodel, or your Playgirl spread, was changing minds or hearts. The struggle for equality is no more important than it was in 2008, when you shot to (reality) fame. And shouldnât Reichen Lehmkuhl have the chance to ride that wave ⌠again? (Part of me thinks Kroell is a little bit sour grapes over not being asked to take part in the show, but what do I know.)
Kroell has already responded to one critic on Twitter, saying his Playgirl gig (photos here!) was an âartistic spread as a model with a political message that took time, talent, energy, and forethought; one of many.â If you found the political message, well, email me. Moreover, tweets Kroell, âI have nothing to justify with regard to my actions and please do not say you love me or call me buddy when you do not know me.â The blog After Elton also responded to Kroellâs remarks.
Thereâs a fine line between exploiting gays for pop culture consumption and mainstreaming gay culture in a positive way, so much so that even GLAAD â whose red carpets Kroell walks down â hasnât figured out that gray area very well. Will A-List, which straddles that line, help gay visibility? Hurt what people think of our community? Make Americans think all gay men act like this handful of homos the same way weâve all been trained to think skinny botched dye-jobbed blonde women with overextended credit limits are all the same catty monsters?
It will do all of those things. And yet, somehow, I imagine the fight for equality will go on. At the very same time.
NOTTHERE
Ok, since the link Queerty used lost the pics as soon as they were posted, here’s the only other place that I’ve been able to find that has them (probably because no one wants to go to this site, as the guy posting them is a heavy-duty satanist.)
You’ll most likely have to go to the link twice due to the cautionary page of the blogspot account redirects you back to the latest entry the first time you go to the site instead of the link below.
http://satangay666.blogspot.com/2010/09/ronnie-kroell.html
Michael C.
Programming that gays want to watch? Really?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Marcus M.
Oh, I think I will be able to avoid this. Something about this seems so much more unsavory than the Real Housewives franchise. Maybe because I see people behaving this way in my real life from time to time. But I don’t see this mainstreaming either, so I should be grateful for that.
DR
Makes me glad I *don’t* have Bravo.
ForeverGay
Gay people need to stop living for heterosexuals. Through heterosexuality anti-gay bigotry is created. Why do you think heterosexuals who have never encountered or have little interaction with openly gay people are more anti-gay? If gay people were the thing that affected anti-bigotry the opposite would occur. The A-List is a vapid show, that’s all. What really bothers me though are gay people who are not doers. We have thousands of gay people graduating across the globe with science degrees but none of them will produce an alternative to the condum, irradicate HIV/AIDS or find a way for gay couples to have children on their own. Pretty much all gay people don’t want to deal with reality and do what is needed to help gay people out in significant ways.
Cam
The issue is, this model wasn’t going on a show purporting to show the world what gays are really like. He happened to be a gay guy on a show. And he is out unlike so many others.
What Logo did for “The A List” was seek out the worst, most obnoxious people to hit a TV screen since MTV dug into a dumpster and found Puck decades ago for the Real World.
They have taken these $25,000 a year “Millionairs” put them on TV and hoping that people will tune in for the train wreck. I think the one thing that they are forgetting is, a trainwreck is much less compelling if you don’t care if anybody on it survives.
Geoff
@Cam – perfect! I only wich someone would put Logo out of its misery, except Poplab…
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
I don’t know, nor do I care to even punch a few keys to look via the googles if the “A-list” homos have ever done anyting to benefit the Gay community………
And to those who can’t wait to push the keys to toss some shit Ronnies way………. Ronnie has been fairly active working for various Gay charities and causes. So unlike the majority of those who gain their 15 minutes, he actually attempts to do some good with his……………..
As to his nudie shots: They were well done and they provided an answer to those who wondered “does Ronnie have big cock?”
(he does :p )
Kieran
Logo? Isn’t that the so-called “gay channel” that offers non-stop RuPaul drag queen shows and Buffy the Vampire re-runs? Any change in programming would be an improvement.
Jeffree
I love watching handsome guys, sure, but *interesting* people trump *pretty* people when it comes to watching a half hour or 60″ show. Watching “Brothers & Sisters” or another well-crafted drama will always pull rank over an unscripted reality show featuring people whose brains only spout an interesting thought when they’re fed the idea by an onsite producer !!
Soupy
Sometimes I get so frustrated with our culture’s obsession with looks. Then I look at pics of guys like Ronnie and I get all stupid and horny. I hate myself afterwards.
nelson
I too scoured the pictures for his political “message”. I will have to peruse them again later this evening in more detail with a glass of wine.
jeff r
@Cam: Bravo!
@Ryan Tedder: I beg to differ. When Ronnie was on “Make me A Supermodel” he was an out gay man in the modeling world – something that is extremely rare now as opposed to the heyday of gay male models in the 70’s and 80’s (If you don’t believe me contact your fellow Queerty writer Daniel V and he’ll confirm that I know what I’m talking about) – and Ronnie’s being out did present a positive image for the public at large. Ronnie and his castmates helped coin the term “bromance.” Duh! Other lgbt reality stars like the guys from “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “The Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency,”etc., guys like Chip and Reichen, J.P. Calderon, the “Survivor” guy who ended up in jail, et al., did help get images of lgbt people, good or bad, out there. Given the dearth of lgbt characters in the media and out entertainers in the Industry, every little bit helps.
With regard to Ronnie’s alleged “sour grapes” and your comment “What do I know?” You obviously don’t know shit! I do and Ronnie has bigger fish to fry than this lame reality series. Perhaps you should have contacted him prior to making such a stupid comment?!? Do your homework. Your failure to ascertain whether or not it is “sour grapes” merely highlights your shortcomings as a “journalist.”
With regard to your insipid comments about Ronnie’s “Playgirl” appearance, Dirk Shafer posed for the same in 1992-1993, garnering the title “Man Of The Year” and coming out during his tenure. That took balls. Dirk subsequently directed the critically well received documentary, “Man Of The Year,” as well as “Circuit,” shortly thereafter. Coming out was a rather courageous move for someone in the entertainment industry in the 90’s. Scott Merritt, another former centerfold, outed himself post-“Playgirl” in “The Advocate” in the early 2000’s. It’s been almost two decades since Dirk’s reign as “MOTY” and “Playgirl” has finally featured another out man on its cover. It’s ostensibly a woman’s magazine. A relatively mainstream magazine. It’s a big deal! The magazine is celebrating the physical beauty of an out gay man! Please educate me if I’m missing something here. What other non-gay mainstream magazine has featured an out gay man as a sex symbol? A hot man? Matt Bomer doesn’t count because technically he’s not publicly out. So yeah, Ronnie deserves credit for appearing in “Playgirl” – it is, in a sense, a political statement – as does Dirk for being brave enough to out himself years ago. When closeted and semi-closeted (including Queerty’s favorite whipping boy Matt Bomer) lgbt celebs start publicly appearing in mainstream media as out individuals and being celebrated for their beauty, hotness, etc., then you can question the merits of an out gay man’s decision to bare it all for “Playgirl” celebrating his physical beauty. Until then, I suggest you keep your snarky comments to yourself. It sounds to me like you’re the one demonstrating sour grapes.
I enjoy Afterelton and I like Michael Jensen but the blog is not the bible for lgbt political correctness. As I recall, they criticized Queerty’s posting of Mr. Bomer’s ex’s comments regarding their relationship so they obviously have a problem with your site from time to time. Aren’t they also affiliated with LOGO?!? If that’s the case, how do we say: Possible conflict of interest?
Without having seen the same, my problems with Logo’s “The A List” is the fact that none of the principals are, in reality, A-Listers. The same goes for all of the Housewives. At least the Housewives are getting paid a decent wage. According to Queerty, the cast of Reichen’s new opus are not. Hmmmmm. How quickly we forget. So Queerty can trash/mock Reichen and his latest project but Ronnie is spewing “sour grapes?” You’re allegedly a journalist, hahahaha, so you really should do your homework. Tsk,tsk,tsk. At least Rachel Zoe and my beloved Brad have the credentials to back up their reality status. The Housewives don’t – IMO they’re trash, as are most of the waanabees of “The A List.” Reichen has a public profile so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Instead of bashing Ronnie, why don’t you feature a series of interview with such talented lgbt talent such as Matt Montgomery, Daniel Robinson, Benjamin Hart, Jeremy Stafford, the UK actor who just came out, Chris Salvatore, et al. Why not interview Scott Merritt and Dirk Shafer? I will be happy to provide you with a list of out actors, models, singers, etc., who will appreciate the PR. I don’t represent them, but anything for the cause until our community starts getting more press in the mainstream media. I certainly think that they merit more PR than someone like Davey Wavey. Why not use your talents, or lack thereof, more constructively for “mainstreaming gay culture in a positive way.
Best,
Jeff R
rodrigo
I hate how the bleached blonde guy hopes that some closeted person will see him on tv and take gay “reality” tv as an inspiration as to what you can aspire as a gay man or gay lifestyle ! abominable!
Soupy
now for the important details…does anyone know where you can see his nude pics except for playgirl.com?
NOTTHERE
LOL< I already listed where you can see Ronnie's nude photos. It's the very first comment!
DianeSaw-her
so one lame-brained blonde himbo who had his family jewels out for the whole world to see on a crappy irrelevant magazine, “Playgirl”, bitches about a crappy, moronic TV show with a bunch of lame-brained blonde himbos. Is this the state of gay culture? Sad. Makes me want to turn into a breeder.
Soupy
Thank you. And thank you Satan.
Bubblicious
@jeff r: Omg bitch, how much did Ronnie pay you to write all this crap
jeff r
@Bubblicious: Ronnie didn’t pay me anything. Nor did any of the other out gay men that I referenced – I’m not a publicist, agent or manager and I don’t live in LA or NYC. If you had a brain you’d realize that the comment focused on the lack of professionalism on the part of the writer, the importance of out gay men being heralded as sexy, hot men in mainstream publications, the dearth of out gay male celebrities in the media and the failure of the mainstream media to celebrate the attractiveness of gay men and women. Then again, that would require intelligence, which you obviously lack.
Jeff R
MrDivaBitch
Why is it that the only images of gays we get are of superficial stupid queens and never of decent nice masculine gays who just want to live a good life and do something positive in life? UGH.
hephaestion
I love Ronnie Kroell, and he’s right.
I just watched that silly A-List clip and I’m certain that I just lost 15 I.Q. points as a result.
Bubblicious
@jeff r: Well Jeff R, obviously what you wrote is bs, but hey, you are in the minority here. Yeah, Ronnie showing his ass to the world is a REAL political statement. LOLOL. Loser!
Mark
There are so many gay couples who contribute positively to society that go unsung. Real people, not these sorry publicity whores who will do anything for attention. I will NOT be watching this or any reality show. I know several in my small northern New York village who are artists, musicians, professors and doctors. They are inspirations to all the community, gay and straight. And NONE of them are superficial attention seeking idiots like the people on these shows. There is another America out there folks.
jason
I loathe segregationist programming like LOGO. It’s not helping our community as far as mainstream acceptance is concerned. It might be a “go to” channel but it’s not helping us in our battle for equal rights.
To achieve equal rights, you have to go out into the fucking mainstream and make your presence felt. Don’t let anyone keep you out of the fucking mainstream. You were born there, so assert yourself in it.
Taylor
I find this article to be rather terrifying. If you deconstructed it, you would find a cut-and-paste template for bigotry hidden underneath. Let’s go through it shall we?
1) It makes an assumption about a human being (which may or may not be true)
2) Based on that assumption, it passes a judgement upon that person
3) Based upon that judgement, it demeans that person and dismisses their opinions (oh, and it *was* just an opinion by-the-way, not a passing of legislature).
It makes the assumption that Ronnie Kroell is *just* a model, and that this is the be-all and end-all of his existence. This assumption, if you cared, is false. Currently he is working on a non-profit charitable organization based in New York that gives support to other smaller charities that require it. GeekNerdWonk is currently collaborating with organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign and the Anti-Violence Project to fight against the rise of hate crimes, to hasten repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and ensure equality for the LGBT Community. If you ask me, someone who is so deeply involved in the modern gay rights movement is more than qualified to question whether or not certain media portrayals of LGBT individuals are harmful to the fight for equality.
jeff r
@Bubblicious: Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. Do you really believe that you’re impressing readers by calling me a “bitch” and a “loser,” and referring to my comment as “crap” and “bullshit?” Why don’t you try responding to what I said? Ooops! I forgot that you lack the intellectual capacity to do so.
The fact that Ronnie appeared in an ostensibly straight, mainstream magazine to celebrate his physical beauty, among his other accomplishments, is a big deal and consequently a political statement. It may not be the most profound political statement of the decade, but it is a statement. Neither you nor the author of the piece address the fact that the mainstream media never celebrates the beauty, hotness, etc., of lgbt individuals. In this instance “Playgirl” did.
Regarding your insipid statement that I’m “in the minority here,” so what? A majority of Americans probably don’t support marriage equality. Why would I want to be grouped with them? A majority of Germans probably supported Hitler. Would you want to be grouped with that majority? I certainly wouldn’t want to be grouped with someone who starts out his comment with “OMG bitch.” I am a gay man, not a bitch, you moron. “LOLOL?!?” How so of the moment. Get a life.
Jeff R
Michael C.
Apparently Queerty supports any crap that happens to have gay people in it if they are getting paid off in some way, whether money or blow jobs, I guess. Only way to explain this and Davey Wavey. Well that and the maxim that all cheap whores stick together. Wait, maybe Queerty editors are hoping extra hard that someone will dub them “A-list” too. Unfortunately the only people that believe “A-list” is “A-list” are the “A-listers” themselves. And they are also the only ones that care or pay attention. Poor Queery editors, the cool kids are never going to love you đ
Bubblicious
@jeff r: Bravo, let’s give Ronnie the Nobel prize! Sounds more and more like YOU are Ronnie LOL. Umm, let’s see: now Playgirl is the new Time magazine? The Economist? Wow, I am impressed Jeffie. Gays appear more and more on TV and magazines than many other minorities (Latinos, Asians, etc), so, who is ignoring us? It doesn’t matter how you want to present it: Ronnie is another fame-seeking whore who rather than really doing something productive for his community and showcasing his other talents, stripped down to parade his balls, dick and ass to the world. Get real man, and don’t waste my time.
TheInsider
@jeff r: If I may put in my two cents: let’s not kid ourselves here. Playgirl has never been a straight magazine, especially not in its later years, and even so less now that it is only online.