By this time Friday, every homo with an internet connection will know about Jeff Whitty's eloquently articulated outrage at Jay Leno's gay jokes. By Saturday night even Amish queers will be harnessing up the buggy to thank Whitty personally.
Jeff Whitty is the creator and writer of Avenue Q, a wildly successful Broadway musical starring puppets and live actors in a sort of mashup of 'Sesame Street' and 'Rent'. He got pret-ty sick and tired of Leno's consistent mockery of gay people on his show, and wrote an angry, well-written open letter to Leno that's burning down the internet.
The blogosphere is picking this thing up and taking it places, too. Rather than attempt to encapsulate the whole internet's reaction to this thing, I'll let you see it for yourselves.
It's easy to agree with Whitty here -- it is time that people stopped making a mockery of gays and gave us some respect. But on the other hand, isn't that a comedian's job, to mock people? We don't we lynch Howard Stern and Lisa Lampanelli (I happen to love her) for their comedy ... just because Leno is on mainstream television, should he be a target?
I do agree with Jeff Whitty on one issue though: Leno's gay jokes aren't funny at all. Leno's gay jokes aren't funny because Leno hasn't been funny for fifteen years.
8 comments:
I find nothing funny about Leno at all. Never watched his show and never will.
NJLB
http://journals.aol.com/njlittlebear/MyBigFatGeekLife
I couldn't agree more that Leno hasn't been funny for 15 years - I just don't get him, nor do I want him. The bits that are funny don't happen often enough, and his guests are on other shows, so why bother.
Jay Leno is still funny and picks on every possible group possible and does it an even handed manner. He pics on religious zealots of all persuasions, conservatives, liberals, democrats and republicans. I have never found him picking on any group imparticular unless they have recently been newsworthy. I must have missed the offensive jokes Jeff Whitty referred to in his article, or did not find them offensive. I would agree Leno is considerably less funny than he used to be. I think in trying to appeal to a wider audience his sharpness is gone, but he is still very good in concert.
I could'nt care less about him...Always using someone to make himself feel more then he is...Never watched him and never will!!
Mainer623
Jay makes fun of everybody. Jeez it's his job. People need to stop taking things so darn personal. He can't help it that some of us are born gay any more than we can help it that they were born straight. Lighten up and brush your shoulders off, it will increase the PEACE.
Thank you for writing what so many of us feel but don't have the eloquence to say. I too can laugh at gay jokes, but really; it's time to move past the mainstream crap that perpetuates the stereotype and gives those psychopaths who want a reason to hate a "way out". Not to "deflect", but would these jokes still be funny or even accepted if they were about African Americans or Native Americans? You know - it's time that everyone just f**ck** grows up and realizes that there is so much diversity in the world that no one is always going to feel comfortable. Why can't we all be in this for the human experience???
Well, I don't disagree with Jeff's comments, but as he said, he wrote it in about 20 minutes and didn't intend for the whole world to see it.
When I think of gay people, I don't immediately think of the horrible things that happen to us (they gay bashings, the discrimination, the name calling). In fact, I've personally experienced none of that (thank God!). However, when I think of gay people, I think of guys who like to go out to clubs, have anonymous sex, go to the gym, compete with each other to see who has the best pecs, totally reject me because I don't look like a porn star, etc. Those things I HAVE personally experienced. So, as with any group of people, there's good and bad, light and dark. I don't watch Jay Leno so I can't comment on any of his jokes, but I'm sure he had no intention of offending anyone. Perhaps Mr. Leno needs to be more careful that he doesn't consistently reinforce negative stereotypes that hurt gay people, but the bottom line is: As long as the joke is truly FUNNY, it is okay to be told.
Scott
Las Vegas, NV
Regarding the first seven ideas forwarded thus far: two of the seven claim they have never watched Leno's show; how can they validate their negative comments without watching the guy? I don't enjoy him, but atl east i watch him if I'm up that late. He sometimes has entertaining guests.
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