It’s never a dull moment in the world of actor-comedian Jeffery Self, is it? Besides co-starring in Jeffery and Cole Casserole on Logo, we’ve caught him calling Bernadette Peters, acting in a virtual gay charm school and explaining “Sh*t Gay Guys Say.”
A busy bee, that JS!
Self has popped up in the gay zeitgeist yet again, this time, in what may be the most ideal platform to date: a pilot for the Oprah Winfrey Network.
Couldn’t you just die?
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.
For now, Thank Goodness OWN Friday is just a test run, but it’s got moxie, by gum. The premise is plain enough: Jeffery and his too-cute-for-words boyf Patrick McDonald sit around gabbing about OWN programming (leaving their shirts unbuttoned just a tad further than most people have the nerve for).
Of course, it’s the witty banter and adorable chemistry that makes it worth a watch. OWN wants feedback, so give it a gander and then let loose.
And lest you think that his media empire is confined to gay ghettos, Self—who’s already popped up on 30 Rock and Hot in Cleveland—just made an appearance on Desperate Housewives. He pops up at around 26:40, swathed in a scarf and various wrist bangles.
Self’s character is—how to put this without sounding judgmental—rather effete, if you will.
We love our queeny boys just as much as we love our burly men. It’s just that if this character was any lighter in the loafers, he’d be selling you Mio.
David Ehrenstein
Where’s Cole? Did Jeffrey send him to Military School?
Kyle412
Amazing what is considered “talent” these days. This isn’t funny at all and certainly hlep OWN’s rating woes.
SKANK
Jeffrey and Cole Casserole was hilarious, particularly the first season, it was so fucking clever.
JayM
This… IS an April Fool’s joke, right?
If this is actually something Oprah Winfrey is putting on her network, no wonder it’s tanking.
Wow. That’s some annoying fucking shit right there.
And would it kill anyone on television to maybe just for once cast a gay man who isn’t… a walking disco inferno?
Callum
What stereo typed little dudes, or should I say Dudettes? God I am tired of seeing Queens on TV and the Movies when some producer or writer or production honcho wants to depict diversity and decides that Gay is the diversity they wish to highlight.
Folks there are one or two A-String NASCAR drivers, yet one does not see them prancing about on TV. There are a number of A-Listed gay and lesbian Country and Western singers. There are a multitude of police officers, military men (a shout out to my Marine friends), carpenters, tow truck drivers, working cowboys, etc. How about showing how diverse the Gay lifestyle really is?
Remember, one can be Out and Proud and still not be a flaming queen!
Out and Proud for more than 50 years!
JayM
@Callum: Agreed. And it’s not even that any of us have that much of a problem with the big flamers, exactly… but TV only seems to like gay people if they’re effete, fashion-obsessed, celebrity-obsessed, gossiping, mincing, high-pitched, wrist-waving girly-girls whose only function is to help straight people dress better, decorate their apartments and cheer up after a break-up.
We don’t have gay characters on shows like NCIS or Hawaii Five-O. No gay characters on Bones or Missing. Law and Order seems to have a lot of gay criminals and gay corpses. But few gay characters that you don’t have to look for.
But WOW, do we ever have some fembots on Glee, Ugly Betty, Revenge, Desperate Housewives… Lots of reality shows have a big gay freak… but just the ones about fashion and design and vapid housewives/vapid hollywood skanks. No reality shows about cars or motorcycles or manual labor have any gay people. They don’t do that.
Gay teenagers can see diverse gay representation like that annoying queen on Chelsea Handler, the annoying queen on Project Runway, and a whole army of annoying queens on two separate versions of “The A List.” Plus more armies of annoying queens in drag on RuPaul’s “destroy the gay community comedy hour.”
And now we get two annoying queens on the “Uncle Oprah Weekly Gossip Dish and Couldn’t You Just DIE Hour.”
(of course the gay cop on Southland is depressed and in constant mental anguish, the gay character on The Wire is a back-stabbing thief, the gay character on Revenge is a manipulative gold digger and the one masculine gay teenager on Glee tried to kill himself)
Brad
Some of these comments sound like textbook homophobia to me. I get what you think you’re trying to say, but what you’re saying is just plain not right.
Jerome
Jeffrey is indeed talented – and worthy of any success that comes his way. He & his BF are adorable & witty – and I hope OWN takes care of them but putting ’em them on TV too. We gays are a diverse crowd, people – in all shapes, sizes and levels of gayness (“stereotyped” or not). If they ain’t your cup of tea, take your venom elsewhere like a Fox News site for Republicans where it’s needed… not here where there should be some solidarity, queens.
Nick
This article alone sounds like it written by a bitter jealous queen, but what really angers me more are some of the comments above. We try and fight and end bullying amongst children and teenagers in our country, but clearly we’re looking at the wrong places.. Promoting homophobia and or stereotype is a type of bullying that any person, gay or straight, reading an article and non sensical comments like the ones below will only promote hatred.
“And would it kill anyone on television to maybe just for once cast a gay man who isn’t… a walking disco inferno?”
Would it kill you to say: “Good for him!” or to be happy for a fellow or a gay man to be on major show who could possibly inspire those young kids to say to themselves that its okay and they’re not abnormal for being gay or who they are? It’s hard enough growing up and trying to figure out your sexuality but now they must also conform to a sub culture based on stereotype? Are you kidding me? Your article must be an April fools joke! I hope so, if not I really hope that one day you realize that promoting stereotypes in the gay community is only going to help the negative perception of world about gay people.
You’re tired of seeing “queens” on tv? TURN IT OFF!
For Christ’s sake! Been out and proud for 50 years? Thats a damn shame that someone like yourself would even write: “Remember, one can be Out and Proud and still not be a flaming queen!”
You have seen the last five decades of criticisms that the LGBTQ community have faced and thats the best opinion you can share? There’s been and still many many actors in the past who have had to hide their sexuality and still do in the present day just to do what they love to, and every once in a blue moon we have what you like to call “Queens” score a big show and we criticize them not for their talent as a whole but of their “stereotype.”
I am very proud of this guy and OWN to at least recognize that Neil Patrick Harris or Matt Bomer are not the only type of “Gay” Whom, by the way, are both accredited for their straight acting roles.
You go Mr. Self!
Pickles55
Jeffrey and Patrick FOR THE WIN!
Haters to the left!
If you don’t know, ask somebody.
Jeffrey self is a wonderfully talented comedic actor (his Youtube skits and then show on LOGO and his live shows attest to that). He and Cole were one of the best comedy pairs I’ve seen in a long time.
He is also the founder of the Mr. Broadway pageant that raises thousands of dollars for the Ali Forney Center every year.
He was wonderful on 30 Rock and Torchwood and a number of other guest spots.
All that and the boy is not even 30 yet.
He and Patrick (also an actor) worked very hard for a year to try to get a show on OWN and they deserve the success I hope they get.
It is so easy to be mean spirited about folks you don’t know but we should all support young, talented, ambitious gays and lesbians who are out and trying to make a career for themselves while also doing good things for the LGBT community.
Red Assault
@Nick: so wait… You’re saying that any gay man who isn’t there solely for the purpose of making straight people laugh at what shallow, vapid girls we are is “straight acting?”
And you have the nerve to rip into us for “promoting stereotype.”
I’m supposed to say “good for him” that he’s furthering the image that many gay teens have of their future? Fuck, no wonder so many gay kids are still killing themselves. All the “it gets better” videos in the world isn’t going to change the cold, hard fact that when a closeted teenager turns on the TV to find some positive gay role models, all he’s got are drag queens, irritating fashion consultants, celebrity-obsessed gossipers and lisping whiners to laugh at (nobody is laughing WITH Ross Matthews, they’re all laughing AT him and us along him him). Any masculine gay men are depressed and suicidal or already dead.
And any gay man who doesn’t carry on like that is maligned as “straight acting.” since when did being a regular guy become an “act?”
Rob
I think what really needs to be said here is that it has absolutely nothing to do about being gay acting to straight acting and that this “show” is really just completely unfunny and stupid. My eyes and ears are bleeding.