‘The Prom’ Netflix Review: Jam Corn’s Performance As Gay Character – TVLe

Contents:

• JAM CORN SHOULD HAVE BEEN BANNED OM THE PROMMERYL STREEP AND NILE KIDMAN ARE MERELY WASTED NETFLIX’S BROADWAY MIL ADAPTATN—BUT CORN'S PERFORMANCE IS SULTG.BY RICHARD LAWSONDECEMBER 1, 2020PHOTO BY MELDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAT SOME POT DURG MY CSH ON THE 2017 FILM CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, A IEND ASKED ME A VEXG QUTN: IF I WAS ALWAYS PLAG ABOUT GAY ACTORS NOT BEG HIRED TO PLAY GAY (OR, CMBYN’S SE, QUEER) ROL, WHY DIDN’T THE FACT THAT THE FILM’S STARS ARE STRAIGHT MAKE ME UPSET? I HEMMED, I HAWED, TRYG TO RATNALIZE MY SELECTIVE HYPOCRISY. I EVENTUALLY TOLD THEM WAS BEE WHEN TO THE PROBLEM OF STRAIGHT GUYS PLAYG GAY MEN ON SCREEN, I JT KNOW WHEN I SEE . MEANG, SOMETIM ’S JT FE—BILL HAR THE SKELETON TWS TO MD, OR TREVANTE RHOS THE TREMENDO THIRD ACT OF MOONLIGHT—AND OTHER TIM ’S VERY MUCH NOT. IT’S ALL ABOUT TENTN AND EXECUTN, I GUS, EFFABLE QUALI THAT SHE THROUGH THE MOST SUCCSFUL TRANSFORMATNS. THAT’S A NUANCE THAT PRECLUS ANY HARD AND FAST LE ABOUT WHO SHOULD PLAY GAY MEN ON SCREEN. IN GENERAL, Y, I WISH MORE GAY ACTORS GOT THE CHANCE TO TELL OUR STORI, EMBODY OUR PEOPLE, RATHER THAN STRAIGHT MEN GETTG ACLAS FOR BEG BRAVE—OR CHEERS FOR BEG SASSY. IT DON’T BOTHER ME, THOUGH, ANY GRANDLY ABSOLUTE WAY. I KNOW ’S BAD WHEN ’S BAD, BUT OTHERWISE I’M NOT TOO FSED ABOUT . WELL, AT LEAST, I WASN’T. THEN I WATCHED THE PROM (NETFLIX, DECEMBER 11), RYAN MURPHY’S FILM VERSN OF THE RECENT BROADWAY MIL, AND I GOT MAD ALL OVER AGA. THE PROM IS ABOUT A BUNCH OF SELF-VOLVED NEW YORK THEATER ACTORS SCENDG ON AN INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL TO PROTT A LBIAN STUNT BEG SENTIALLY BARRED OM ATTENDG HER PROM. ONE OF THE ACTORS IS A GRAND OLD SHOW QUEEN, BARRY GLICKMAN, A VA SWISH WHOSE STAR IS FADG BUT STILL LOOMS AS A LEGEND OF THE FORM. I’M THKG NATHAN LANE, IF HIS STAR HAD ACTUALLY FAD. BUT THE FILM, HE’S NOT PLAYED BY LANE. NOR IS HE PLAYED BY BROOKS ASHMANSKAS, THE OUT GAY THEATER MASTAY WHO PLAYED THE ROLE THE BROADWAY PRODUCTN AND RECEIVED A TONY NOMATN FOR HIS TROUBL. BARRY IS STEAD PLAYED BY TALK-SHOW HOST AND OCSNAL ACTOR JAM CORN, MOST RECENTLY SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN CATS.CORN, WHO IS STRAIGHT, IS SO BAD THE PROM—SOMEHOW BOTH APPALLG AND TERMALLY BLAND—THAT HAD ME THKG MAYBE THE HARDLERS WERE RIGHT ALONG. FET THE WHOLE SE-BY-SE THG: NO MORE STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG GAY MEN UNTIL THE SS OF THE PROM ARE PROPERLY ATONED FOR. MURPHY, A GAY MAN, HAS LED SOME STRAIGHT ACTORS TO FERTILE GAY TERRORY BEFORE, LIKE DARREN CRISS THE ASSASSATN OF GIANNI VERSACE. BUT CORN, FLTG AND LISPG AROUND THE MOST UNSPIRED OF RITUR, MISS ALL POTENTIAL FOR NUANCE, AND TH NEVER FDS EVEN A HT OF TTH THE ROLE. AND THIS IS A MOVIE THAT’S SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT EMPOWERG QUEER PEOPLE! THERE’S LTLE GOOD ELSEWHERE THE PROM, SAVE FOR NEWERS JO ELLEN PELLMAN AND ARIANA DEBOSE AS THE WSOME YOUNG UPLE AT THE CENTER OF THE PROM-TROVERSY. THEY ADD DASH OF BRIGHT THEATER-KID MOXIE TO THE FILM, NJURG UP A B OF WHAT FEELS LIKE TO S A BROADWAY HOE AND WATCH A BUNCH OF LOVABLE GOOBERS BELT THEIR HEARTS OUT. OTHERWISE, THE PROM IS STAGED NFG, TRATG WAYS. MURPHY SHOOTS A LOR PALETTE RANGG OM GAY DISTHEQUE AT 11PM ON A THURSDAY TO THIRD PERD PHYSICS CLASS, NONE OF WHICH SPIR MUCH WONR ANY GIVEN SCENE. DURG A MIL NUMBER THAT’S A SLAVISH HOMAGE TO BOB FOSSE, MURPHY BARELY EVEN SHOWS THE TWO CHARACTERS’ LEGS OR FEET—LET ALONE THEIR WHOLE BODI GLOR MOTN. INSTEAD, HE FILMS THEM MOSTLY OM THE SHOULRS UP—SOMEWHERE, GWEN VERDON IS SCREAMG. MURPHY DON’T SEEM TO HAVE ANY TE TERT , OR UNRSTANDG OF, WHAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE ABOUT MILS. THE PROM IS A SHELLACKED LUMP OF HOLLYWOOD PRODUCT, ALL NNED FABULONS—CLUDG CORN’S NOX MUGGG—AND NONE OF THE DIFFICULT, AWE-SPIRG TECHNILY THAT MAK MIL PERFORMANCE TLY SNAP AND SG WH THEATER’S SCRAPPY MAGIC. EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T SEE A PARTICULAR STAGE SHOW—AS I DIDN’T, THIS SE—A FILM VERSN N STILL EVOKE SOME OF THAT THRILL, WHEN DONE RIGHT. IT N EVEN EXPAND UPON , WAYS UNIQUE TO CEMA. THE PROM STIRS NO SUCH WONR. MATTHEW SKLAR'S MIC, CHAD BEGUEL'S LYRICS, AND BOB MART'S BOOK FARE THE ADAPTATN OKAY, BUT THEIR THEATER JOK AND GENERAL AIR OF HAMMY WHIMSY ARE NOT GIVEN THE SLY SP THEY REQUIRE TO REALLY LAND, AND THEY’RE OFTEN DROWNED OUT BY MURPHY’S HURRIED, OVERLY ADORNED VISUALS.WE ARE MEANT TO BE DRAWN BY THE BIG NAM: CORN, NILE KIDMAN, KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY, KERRY WASHGTON, MERYL STREEP. THEY’RE MOSTLY PUT TO WASTE. KIDMAN IS STUCK THAT OBFTG FOSSE NUMBER AND OTHERWISE DISAPPEARS. KEY AND WASHGTON PLAY THEIR SQUARE PARTS WELL—HE’S THE KDLY PRCIPAL, SHE THE BIGOTED HEAD OF THE PTA—BUT THEY N’T PERFORM THEIR WAY EE OF THE FILM’S LEAN WEIGHT. STREEP DO SOME PLEASANTLY RELIABLE STREEPY THGS, BUT SHE’S NOT A BELTER, AND HER ROLE—BASILLY A MIX OF PATTI LUPONE AND . . . WELL, MIGHT JT BE PATTI LUPONE—IS MEANT FOR A BELTER. THE SISTENCE ON PUTTG HUGE STARS WHO N’T QUE RRY THE TUNE TO MOVIE MILS BETRAYS A CENTRAL DISTST THE ORIGAL MEDIUM. THE PROM PLAYS LIKE ’S TRYG TO FIX A PROBLEM, TO ZHH UP SOMETHG LACKG, STEAD OF LOVGLY, REFULLY TRANSLATG A PLENTY-WORTHY-ON-S-OWN STAGE SHOW TO THE SCREEN. THE RE MSAG AT THE HEART OF THE PROM ARE NICE: GAY ACCEPTANCE, CELEBRATG DIFFERENCE, LOVG THY NEIGHBOR, HAVG A GOOD TIME THE FACE OF THOSE WHO WOULD TELL YOU TO DO OTHERWISE. THERE’S LTLE SCERY TO THE WAY MURPHY’S FILM PRENTS THOSE THGS, THOUGH. THEY’RE MARKETG TALKG POTS RATHER THAN ACTUAL IAS MA THOUGHTFULLY MANIFT THE TEXTURE OF THE FILM. AND THEY’RE UNRCUT BY CORN’S HACK JOB, WHICH NTEXTUALIZ ALL AS CYNIL SMARM MORE THAN EARNT, NECSARY MSAGG. THOSE LOOKG FOR A LTLE MIL BOOSTER SHOT HERE OUR THEATER-LS TIM ULD, I SUPPOSE, DO WORSE THAN THE PROM. BUT WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE FUN, AND MORE SATISFYG, TO JT PUT ON THE ORIGAL BROADWAY SOUNDTRACK AND DANCE AROUND YOUR BEDROOM, PLENTY SAFE OM ANY OUTSI TERFERENCE. MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— THE CROWN: THE TE STORY OF THE QUEEN’S INSTUTNALIZED COS— A REAL-LIFE CHS CHAMPN TALKS THE QUEEN’S GAMB— PRCE ANDREW’S MOST APPALLG REAL-LIFE ANTICS WERE LEFT OUT OF THE CROWN— REVIEW: HILLBILLY ELEGY IS SHAMELS OSR BA— INSI THE OBSTATE LIFE OF BETTE DAVIS— THE CROWN: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WHEN CHARL MET DIANA— DIANA’S RELATNSHIP WH PRCS ANNE WAS EVEN MORE ROCKY THAN THE CROWN— FROM THE ARCHIVE: BETTE DAVIS ON HER FAILED MARRIAG AND THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.MOST POPULARWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISTHE BOOK OF CLARENCE IS A BOMBASTIC JOURNEY BACK TO THE BIBLIL ERABY REBEC FORDRICHARD LAWSON

JAM CORN SHOULD HAVE BEEN BANNED OM THE PROMMERYL STREEP AND NILE KIDMAN ARE MERELY WASTED NETFLIX’S BROADWAY MIL ADAPTATN—BUT CORN'S PERFORMANCE IS SULTG.BY RICHARD LAWSONDECEMBER 1, 2020PHOTO BY MELDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAT SOME POT DURG MY CSH ON THE 2017 FILM CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, A IEND ASKED ME A VEXG QUTN: IF I WAS ALWAYS PLAG ABOUT GAY ACTORS NOT BEG HIRED TO PLAY GAY (OR, CMBYN’S SE, QUEER) ROL, WHY DIDN’T THE FACT THAT THE FILM’S STARS ARE STRAIGHT MAKE ME UPSET? I HEMMED, I HAWED, TRYG TO RATNALIZE MY SELECTIVE HYPOCRISY. I EVENTUALLY TOLD THEM WAS BEE WHEN TO THE PROBLEM OF STRAIGHT GUYS PLAYG GAY MEN ON SCREEN, I JT KNOW WHEN I SEE . MEANG, SOMETIM ’S JT FE—BILL HAR THE SKELETON TWS TO MD, OR TREVANTE RHOS THE TREMENDO THIRD ACT OF MOONLIGHT—AND OTHER TIM ’S VERY MUCH NOT. IT’S ALL ABOUT TENTN AND EXECUTN, I GUS, EFFABLE QUALI THAT SHE THROUGH THE MOST SUCCSFUL TRANSFORMATNS. THAT’S A NUANCE THAT PRECLUS ANY HARD AND FAST LE ABOUT WHO SHOULD PLAY GAY MEN ON SCREEN. IN GENERAL, Y, I WISH MORE GAY ACTORS GOT THE CHANCE TO TELL OUR STORI, EMBODY OUR PEOPLE, RATHER THAN STRAIGHT MEN GETTG ACLAS FOR BEG BRAVE—OR CHEERS FOR BEG SASSY. IT DON’T BOTHER ME, THOUGH, ANY GRANDLY ABSOLUTE WAY. I KNOW ’S BAD WHEN ’S BAD, BUT OTHERWISE I’M NOT TOO FSED ABOUT . WELL, AT LEAST, I WASN’T. THEN I WATCHED THE PROM (NETFLIX, DECEMBER 11), RYAN MURPHY’S FILM VERSN OF THE RECENT BROADWAY MIL, AND I GOT MAD ALL OVER AGA. THE PROM IS ABOUT A BUNCH OF SELF-VOLVED NEW YORK THEATER ACTORS SCENDG ON AN INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL TO PROTT A LBIAN STUNT BEG SENTIALLY BARRED OM ATTENDG HER PROM. ONE OF THE ACTORS IS A GRAND OLD SHOW QUEEN, BARRY GLICKMAN, A VA SWISH WHOSE STAR IS FADG BUT STILL LOOMS AS A LEGEND OF THE FORM. I’M THKG NATHAN LANE, IF HIS STAR HAD ACTUALLY FAD. BUT THE FILM, HE’S NOT PLAYED BY LANE. NOR IS HE PLAYED BY BROOKS ASHMANSKAS, THE OUT GAY THEATER MASTAY WHO PLAYED THE ROLE THE BROADWAY PRODUCTN AND RECEIVED A TONY NOMATN FOR HIS TROUBL. BARRY IS STEAD PLAYED BY TALK-SHOW HOST AND OCSNAL ACTOR JAM CORN, MOST RECENTLY SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN CATS.CORN, WHO IS STRAIGHT, IS SO BAD THE PROM—SOMEHOW BOTH APPALLG AND TERMALLY BLAND—THAT HAD ME THKG MAYBE THE HARDLERS WERE RIGHT ALONG. FET THE WHOLE SE-BY-SE THG: NO MORE STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG GAY MEN UNTIL THE SS OF THE PROM ARE PROPERLY ATONED FOR. MURPHY, A GAY MAN, HAS LED SOME STRAIGHT ACTORS TO FERTILE GAY TERRORY BEFORE, LIKE DARREN CRISS THE ASSASSATN OF GIANNI VERSACE. BUT CORN, FLTG AND LISPG AROUND THE MOST UNSPIRED OF RITUR, MISS ALL POTENTIAL FOR NUANCE, AND TH NEVER FDS EVEN A HT OF TTH THE ROLE. AND THIS IS A MOVIE THAT’S SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT EMPOWERG QUEER PEOPLE! THERE’S LTLE GOOD ELSEWHERE THE PROM, SAVE FOR NEWERS JO ELLEN PELLMAN AND ARIANA DEBOSE AS THE WSOME YOUNG UPLE AT THE CENTER OF THE PROM-TROVERSY. THEY ADD DASH OF BRIGHT THEATER-KID MOXIE TO THE FILM, NJURG UP A B OF WHAT FEELS LIKE TO S A BROADWAY HOE AND WATCH A BUNCH OF LOVABLE GOOBERS BELT THEIR HEARTS OUT. OTHERWISE, THE PROM IS STAGED NFG, TRATG WAYS. MURPHY SHOOTS A LOR PALETTE RANGG OM GAY DISTHEQUE AT 11PM ON A THURSDAY TO THIRD PERD PHYSICS CLASS, NONE OF WHICH SPIR MUCH WONR ANY GIVEN SCENE. DURG A MIL NUMBER THAT’S A SLAVISH HOMAGE TO BOB FOSSE, MURPHY BARELY EVEN SHOWS THE TWO CHARACTERS’ LEGS OR FEET—LET ALONE THEIR WHOLE BODI GLOR MOTN. INSTEAD, HE FILMS THEM MOSTLY OM THE SHOULRS UP—SOMEWHERE, GWEN VERDON IS SCREAMG. MURPHY DON’T SEEM TO HAVE ANY TE TERT , OR UNRSTANDG OF, WHAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE ABOUT MILS. THE PROM IS A SHELLACKED LUMP OF HOLLYWOOD PRODUCT, ALL NNED FABULONS—CLUDG CORN’S NOX MUGGG—AND NONE OF THE DIFFICULT, AWE-SPIRG TECHNILY THAT MAK MIL PERFORMANCE TLY SNAP AND SG WH THEATER’S SCRAPPY MAGIC. EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T SEE A PARTICULAR STAGE SHOW—AS I DIDN’T, THIS SE—A FILM VERSN N STILL EVOKE SOME OF THAT THRILL, WHEN DONE RIGHT. IT N EVEN EXPAND UPON , WAYS UNIQUE TO CEMA. THE PROM STIRS NO SUCH WONR. MATTHEW SKLAR'S MIC, CHAD BEGUEL'S LYRICS, AND BOB MART'S BOOK FARE THE ADAPTATN OKAY, BUT THEIR THEATER JOK AND GENERAL AIR OF HAMMY WHIMSY ARE NOT GIVEN THE SLY SP THEY REQUIRE TO REALLY LAND, AND THEY’RE OFTEN DROWNED OUT BY MURPHY’S HURRIED, OVERLY ADORNED VISUALS.WE ARE MEANT TO BE DRAWN BY THE BIG NAM: CORN, NILE KIDMAN, KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY, KERRY WASHGTON, MERYL STREEP. THEY’RE MOSTLY PUT TO WASTE. KIDMAN IS STUCK THAT OBFTG FOSSE NUMBER AND OTHERWISE DISAPPEARS. KEY AND WASHGTON PLAY THEIR SQUARE PARTS WELL—HE’S THE KDLY PRCIPAL, SHE THE BIGOTED HEAD OF THE PTA—BUT THEY N’T PERFORM THEIR WAY EE OF THE FILM’S LEAN WEIGHT. STREEP DO SOME PLEASANTLY RELIABLE STREEPY THGS, BUT SHE’S NOT A BELTER, AND HER ROLE—BASILLY A MIX OF PATTI LUPONE AND . . . WELL, MIGHT JT BE PATTI LUPONE—IS MEANT FOR A BELTER. THE SISTENCE ON PUTTG HUGE STARS WHO N’T QUE RRY THE TUNE TO MOVIE MILS BETRAYS A CENTRAL DISTST THE ORIGAL MEDIUM. THE PROM PLAYS LIKE ’S TRYG TO FIX A PROBLEM, TO ZHH UP SOMETHG LACKG, STEAD OF LOVGLY, REFULLY TRANSLATG A PLENTY-WORTHY-ON-S-OWN STAGE SHOW TO THE SCREEN. THE RE MSAG AT THE HEART OF THE PROM ARE NICE: GAY ACCEPTANCE, CELEBRATG DIFFERENCE, LOVG THY NEIGHBOR, HAVG A GOOD TIME THE FACE OF THOSE WHO WOULD TELL YOU TO DO OTHERWISE. THERE’S LTLE SCERY TO THE WAY MURPHY’S FILM PRENTS THOSE THGS, THOUGH. THEY’RE MARKETG TALKG POTS RATHER THAN ACTUAL IAS MA THOUGHTFULLY MANIFT THE TEXTURE OF THE FILM. AND THEY’RE UNRCUT BY CORN’S HACK JOB, WHICH NTEXTUALIZ ALL AS CYNIL SMARM MORE THAN EARNT, NECSARY MSAGG. THOSE LOOKG FOR A LTLE MIL BOOSTER SHOT HERE OUR THEATER-LS TIM ULD, I SUPPOSE, DO WORSE THAN THE PROM. BUT WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE FUN, AND MORE SATISFYG, TO JT PUT ON THE ORIGAL BROADWAY SOUNDTRACK AND DANCE AROUND YOUR BEDROOM, PLENTY SAFE OM ANY OUTSI TERFERENCE. MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— THE CROWN: THE TE STORY OF THE QUEEN’S INSTUTNALIZED COS— A REAL-LIFE CHS CHAMPN TALKS THE QUEEN’S GAMB— PRCE ANDREW’S MOST APPALLG REAL-LIFE ANTICS WERE LEFT OUT OF THE CROWN— REVIEW: HILLBILLY ELEGY IS SHAMELS OSR BA— INSI THE OBSTATE LIFE OF BETTE DAVIS— THE CROWN: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WHEN CHARL MET DIANA— DIANA’S RELATNSHIP WH PRCS ANNE WAS EVEN MORE ROCKY THAN THE CROWN— FROM THE ARCHIVE: BETTE DAVIS ON HER FAILED MARRIAG AND THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.MOST POPULARWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISTHE BOOK OF CLARENCE IS A BOMBASTIC JOURNEY BACK TO THE BIBLIL ERABY REBEC FORDRICHARD LAWSON

Crics’ biggt plat across the board is Corn’s “offensive” performance as a gay man.

Frankly, we’re surprised that Murphy — who recently brought a Broadway productn and film of The Boys the Band featurg an all-gay st — would put a straight man the role of Barry, nsirg how much more weight a gay actor uld have brought to the performance. (Bon qutn: Which out gay actor would you have liked to see as Barry? How are we supposed to feel about all the homophobic teens?