How Did Netflix’s ‘The Prom’ Mil and Jam Corn’s Performance Bee a Big Gay Crisis?

Contents:

• WATCH: NETFLIX RELEAS FULL TRAILER FOR RYAN MURPHY’S GAY-THEMED, THE PROM
• HOW DID NETFLIX’S ‘THE PROM’ MIL—AND JAM CORN’S PERFORMANCE—BEE A BIG GAY CRISIS?GIVE IT SOME ZAZZNETFLIXTHE FEEL-GOOD MIL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HEARTWARMG BALM, YET THERE’S OUTRAGE OVER JAM CORN’S “OFFENSIVE” TURN AS A FLAMBOYANT, GAY THEATRE STAR. WHAT WENT WRONG? KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED DEC. 10, 2020 3:58AM EST IT’S NOT A MEMORABLE PROM UNLS THERE’S A LTLE SNDAL.OF URSE, SNDAL MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE LAST THG ON NETFLIX AND RYAN MURPHY’S MDS WHEN THE STREAMER AND NTENT MOGUL FAST-TRACKED THE FEEL-GOOD, QUEER-POSIVE BROADWAY MIL THE PROM OM STAGE TO SCREEN RERD TIME.THE PROM PUTS TO ZIPPY MIC AND QUIPPY DIALOGUE THE STORY OF AN INDIANA TEEN WHO IS BANNED OM HER NSERVATIVE HIGH SCHOOL’S PROM WHEN TO LIGHT THAT SHE PLANNED TO ATTEND WH HER GIRLIEND. THE STORY GO VIRAL AND PTUR THE ATTENTN OF A GROUP OF BROADWAY VETERANS NEED OF A PR BOOST, SO THEY PACK UP THEIR JAZZ SHO AND MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO THE MIDWT TO HELP THE VASTATED GIRL—AND REPAIR THEIR REPUTATNS. NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY AS THE LORE GO, MURPHY HAD SEEN THE PRODUCTN NEW YORK ONE NIGHT JANUARY 2019 AND WAS SO MOVED BY THAT, BY APRIL, HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS MAKG TO A MOVIE. TWO MONTHS LATER, HE HAD SECURED A STARRY ST CLUDG MERYL STREEP, JAM CORN, NILE KIDMAN, ANDREW RANNELLS, AND KERRY WASHGTON. THE BROADWAY SHOW HAD ALREADY CLOSED BY THE TIME SHOOTG BEGAN, BUT MURPHY WAS STILL EAGER TO BRG THE FILM VERSN TO NETFLIX. AFTER COVID HALTED FILMG WH KEY SCEN STILL LEFT TO PTURE, THE A-LISTERS CHANNELED THEIR CHARACTERS’ “THE SHOW MT GO ON!” GUMPTN AND VISED PROTOLS THAT ALLOWED THE PROM TO BE AMONG THE FIRST FILMS TO RUME PRODUCTN AFTER THE PANMIC SHUTDOWN.AND WH GOOD REASON. THE SOURCE MATERIAL ON S OWN IS EMOTNAL MANNA AT A TIME STARVED FOR S KD OF HEART-BURSTG POSIVY, HOPE, AND HUMOR.TEARS FLOW EELY AND OFTEN, WHAT WH THE HIGH STAK OF TEENAGE EMOTNS AND THE SHEER CELTY BEHD THE MUNY’S TOLERANCE. YOU ALSO HAVE MERYL STREEP A LIZA MNELLI WIG SNTERG THROUGH TORCH BALLADS, TONGUE--CHEEK ONE-LERS THAT LOVGLY SKEWER BROADWAY, AND NILE KIDMAN AS A FOSSE CHOS GIRL SEEMGLY HAVG THE TIME OF HER LIFE AS SHE IMPLOR THROUGH SONG TO “GIVE SOME ZAZZ.”MERYL BELTG, NILE SHIMMYG, CRYG ABOUT LBIANS: WHAT A LIGHT! IT’S ALL MEANT TO BE NOCENT, SPIRATNAL FUN. SO WHY HAS THE FILM ALREADY BEEN MARKED FOR NTROVERSY?WHILE ’S HARD TO IMAGE THE PROM BEG ANYTHG BUT A CROWD-PLEASG H WH THE NETFLIX CROWD WHEN HS THE STREAMER ON FRIDAY, SEEMS TO HAVE ALIENATED A RE BASE OF S TEND DIENCE.AT THE CENTER OF THE CRICISM, THOUGH NOT THE LIM OF , IS THE STG OF AND PERFORMANCE BY JAM CORN, A STRAIGHT MAN, AS FLAMBOYANT BROADWAY LEADG MAN BARRY GLICKMAN, A CHARACTER WHO SELF-SCRIB AS “GAY AS A BUCKET OF WIGS… A BUCKET OF THEM!” ADVERTISEMENT BARRY AND DEE DEE ALLEN, THE TWO-TIME TONY WNER PLAYED BY STREEP, ARE BRAND AS TOXIC MEGALOMANIACS AFTER THEIR MOUNTG OF ELEANOR: THE MIL FLOPS WH CRICS. “WHAT DIDN’T THEY LIKE?” BARRY WONRS. “WAS THE HIP-HOP?”THEY ENLIST IENDS ANGIE (KIDMAN), WHO QU THE CHIGO ENSEMBLE AFTER BEG PASSED OVER AS ROXIE HART FOR 20 YEARS NNG, AND TRENT (RANNELLS), WHO IS BETWEEN GIGS SPE HIS OFT-MENTNED JUILLIARD TRAG, TO HELP TRANSFORM THEIR REPUTATNS AS CELEBRY NARCISSISTS TO CELEBRY ACTIVISTS.THEY STORM SMALL-TOWN INDIANA LIKE ’S THE BARRI THE L MIZ ACT CLOSER, TRENT PROUDLY ANNOUNCG, “WE ARE LIBERALS OM BROADWAY!” DPE THEIR SELFISH TENTNS, THEY ALL ARE STANTLY TOUCHED BY THE PLIGHT OF EMMA (NEWER JO ELLEN PELMAN), DISTURBED ONCE OUTSI THEIR BROADWAY BUBBLE TO SEE HOW MUCH TOLERANCE STILL EXISTS.BARRY, WHO WAS SHUNNED BY HIS OWN PARENTS AFTER G OUT AS GAY, TAK A PARTICULAR SHE TO EMMA, SUGGTG “YOU BE ELPHIE, I’M GALDA” AS HE TAK HER SHOPPG FOR PROM DRS AND ACH HER THROUGH THE SELF-LOATHG AND HEARTBREAK OF REJECTN PURELY BEE OF YOUR SEXUALY.CORN’S BARRY IS VERY GAY. HE IS LIMP-WRISTS, SLIGHT-LISP, GASPG-WH-EXCEMENT GAY. IT’S FAHFUL TO HOW BROOKS ASHMANSKAS, WHO WAS NOMATED FOR A TONY AWARD—AND IS AN OUT GAY MAN—PLAYED THE ROLE ON BROADWAY. IT’S HOW THE ROLE IS WRTEN. YET, THE YEAR 2020, THERE IS SOMETHG THAT N BE TRIGGERG ABOUT WATCHG A STRAIGHT ACTOR LIKE CORN PERFORM FLAMG-QUEER DRAG, WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S WHAT THE ROLE REQUIR.ERIK ANRSON, FOUNR OF AWARDSWATCH, LABELED CORN’S MPY PERFORMANCE “GROSS AND OFFENSIVE, THE WORST GAY-FACE A LONG, LONG TIME. IT’S HORRIFILLY BAD.” VANY FAIR’S RICHARD LAWSON LED THAT WH HIS “SULTG” PERFORMANCE, CORN, “FLTG AND LISPG AROUND THE MOST UNSPIRED OF RITUR, MISS ALL POTENTIAL FOR NUANCE.” DIGAL SPY’S IAN SANDWELL CRIED THAT CORN DIALED THE FLAMBOYANCE UP “TO THE POT OF BEG REGRSIVE AND OFFENSIVE, HTG EVERY GAY STEREOTYPE ALONG THE WAY.” ADVERTISEMENT NOT EVERY CRIC WHO SCREENED THE PROM ADVANCE OF FRIDAY’S NETFLIX BUT WAS TURNED OFF BY CORN’S PERFORMANCE. ONE ULD REASONABLY EXPECT A BROAR DIENCE MIGHT EVEN ADORE THE “CARPOOL KARAOKE” DRIVER’S SASHAY TO THIS PARTICULAR BRAND OF BROAD EDY SONG-AND-DANCE.FOR EVERY LLEAGUE OF ME WHO FOUND HIS WORK “ABOMABLE,” ANOTHER WAS AMED AND MOVED. IN HIS VARIETY REVIEW, OWEN GLEIBERMAN WROTE, “CORN MAY BE ATTACKED SOME QUARTERS FOR PORTRAYG BARRY AS A GAY STEREOTYPE, BUT LIKE CHRISTOPHER GUT WAG FOR GUFFMAN HE BURROWS SO EPLY TO THE CHARACTER THAT HE GIV HIM A THREE-DIMENSNAL SENCE. HE’S SOULFULLY FUNNY AND TOUCHG.”I PERSONALLY THK THE CRICISM IS OVERLY HARSH, PERHAPS PRIMED BY SIGHT-UNSEEN EXASPERATN THAT CORN, A STRAIGHT ACTOR, WAS ST THE FIRST PLACE. I’M OF MANY PLITED MDS WHEN TO THAT BATE, BUT CORN’S PERFORMANCE DIDN’T OFFEND ME. HE WAS PERFECTLY ENJOYABLE ACTG A CHARACTER AS WAS MEANT TO BE PLAYED. WHETHER HE SHOULD BE PLAYG AT ALL IS S OWN, SEPARATE ISSUE, WHICH SPEAKS TO WHAT BEN LEE POSED THE GUARDIAN: “JAM CORN PROV WHY STRAIGHT ACTORS SHOULD THK TWICE BEFORE PLAYG GAY.”THERE’S NO GOOD ANSWER TO THE “SHOULD STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAY GAY?” BATE.THEY SHOULDN’T, UNLS ’S TIMOTHéE CHALAMET GIVG A TENR APPROXIMATN OF QUEER LONGG AND DISAPPOTMENT, TREVANTE RHOS SHATTERG YOUR HEART, OR STANLEY TUCCI BEG IRRISTIBLY CHARMG, WHICH SE THEY SHOULD. UNLS, OF URSE, THERE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TOO MANY STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG MAJOR GAY ROL A ROW, WHICH SE THEY STILL SHOULDN’T. UNLS ’S STANLEY TUCCI BEG UNFATHOMABLY VASTATG A SAME-SEX ALZHEIMER’S ROMANTIC DRAMA, WHICH SE HE GETS A PASS.A STRAIGHT ACTOR'S MPY TAKE ON A GAY ROLE N STILL BE GROUNDBREAKG, LIKE ROB WILLIAMS HELPG THE BIRDGE BEE A BOX-OFFICE SMASH. OR ERIC STONTREET AND THE WAYS WHICH MORN FAY’S MCH AND CAM HELPED MOVE THE MASTREAM WORLD FORWARD TERMS OF NOT JT GAY ACCEPTANCE, BUT ALSO THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAY LOVE. UNLS, HOWEVER, THAT PERFORMANCE REMAS THE BIGGT GAY REPRENTATN FOR SO LONG THAT SOMEHOW BE BOTH SHRILL AND STALE AT THE SAME TIME. ADVERTISEMENT THE MP AND CLICHéS ARE FUN WHEN YOU'RE LGHG, LIKE IF YOU FD JAM CORN HILAR THE PROM. AND ’S OFFENSIVE AND DAMAGG IF YOU FD HIS FLAMBOYANCE TO BE A PANRG MARGALIZATN. “THERE IS SOMETHG THAT N BE TRIGGERG ABOUT WATCHG A STRAIGHT ACTOR LIKE CORN PERFORM FLAMG-QUEER DRAG, WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S WHAT THE ROLE REQUIR.” SO HIRE GAY ACTORS FOR GAY ROL—THOUGH THAT TOO OFTEN SILO THEM TO ONE KD OF PERFORMANCE AND REER. SO DON’T THK ABOUT SEXUALY WHEN YOU’RE STG GAY ROL—THOUGH THAT IS A NEGLIGENCE OF STORYTELLG RPONSIBILY AND THE CULTURAL IMPERATIVE FOR REPRENTATN AND OPPORTUNY.IT’S CLEARLY A LANDME ISSUE. AND SOME WONRED WHY NETFLIX AND MURPHY, SPECIFILLY, WHO HAS A GROUNDBREAKG TRACK RERD OF CLIVE STG, WOULD WA TO ALL. CRICS’ AND FANS’ ROUNDG ALTERNATIVE CHOICE FOR CORN’S ROLE IS NATHAN LANE—AND PRETTY MUCH ONLY NATHAN LANE, WHICH SPEAKS A B TO WHY STG LIKE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT: THERE ARE FAR TOO FEW “BIG NAM” THAT E TO MD TO PLAY A LARGER-THAN-LIFE, OPENLY GAY ROLE.THEN THERE’S THE FACT THAT ASHMANSKAS, WHO PLAYED BARRY ON BROADWAY, IS, YOU KNOW, STILL ALIVE. IN FACT, THE ENTIRE ORIGAL BROADWAY ST HAS, UM, NOT DIED. THOUGH S N WAS CRIMALLY SHORT, WAS BELOVED BY THOSE WHO HAD A CHANCE TO SEE . EVEN MURPHY HIMSELF WAS MOVED ENOUGH TO PUT A MOVIE VERSN TO LIGHT-SPEED PRODUCTN. WOULDN’T ALLOWG THE BROADWAY ST TO REPRISE THEIR ROL HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE ISSUE?THAT’S ANOTHER BATE TO BE OF TWO MDS ABOUT. WOVEN TO THE FABRIC OF THE SHOW SELF IS THE IA OF BROADWAY HOOFERS STGGLG FOR RELEVANCE AN DTRY NSTANTLY SLIGHTG THEM FOR MOVIE STARS. (KIDMAN’S ANGIE IS AGHAST THAT CHIGO’S PRODUCERS HAVE LED GILLIGAN’S ISLAND STAR TA LOUISE A BIGGER DRAW AS ROXIE THAN HER, A SEASONED MIL PERFORMER.) THE STAR STG ARGUABLY BETRAYS THAT ETHOS OF THE SHOW. ADVERTISEMENT YET ON THE OTHER HAND, AT LEAST PART OF THE FUN OF A SPLASHY MOVIE MIL IS GETTG EXCED OVER THE UTTERLY RANDOM ROSTER OF MOVIE STARS BROUGHT TO WARBLE AND STUMBLE THROUGH THE ROL. THAT MAY EVEN BE HERENT TO THE GENRE OF MOVIE MILS SELF. BY THAT TOKEN, YOU N SEE WHY CORN MIGHT SEEM A NATURAL CHOICE TO PLAY A LEAD THE PROM.HAVG STARRED INTO THE WOODS AND CATS, NOT TO MENTN HAVG HOSTED THE TONY AWARDS AND FEATURED MIL THEATER ALMOST NSTANTLY ON THE LATE LATE SHOW, CORN WOULD FEASIBLY TOP A LIST OF “BIG NAM” FOR A SHOW THAT BOASTS AN UNABASHED EMBRACE OF BROADWAY AS A MAJOR PLOT. THAT’S NOT TO SAY HE SHOULD OR SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN CHOSEN OVER A THEATER STAR OR AN OUT GAY ACTOR. IT’S JT TO ILLTRATE HOW CIRCUO AND NUANCED THIS NVERSATN N BE.I’D VENTURE THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO H PLAY ON THE PROM THIS WEEKEND WILL BE WHOLLY IGNORANT OF THIS ENTIRE BATE, AND WILL JT FD TO BE A FUN AND HEARTWARMG MIL WH A TOPIL MSAGE ABOUT LOVE. AND THAT’S WHAT IS. IT’S NO MASTERPIECE OF THE NON, BUT THE SONGS ARE TCHY, THE LGBT CLIVY IS A TREAT, STREEP IS GIVG ONE OF HER MOST ENERGETIC PERFORMANC YEARS, AND THERE’S JT NO UNRSELLG THE LIGHT OF KIDMAN DOG A FOSSE NUMBER ABOUT “ZAZZ.”BUT THAT’S WHY THE NVERSATNS ARE IMPORTANT, EVEN IF THERE ARE NO CLEAR ANSWERS, AND EVEN IF THEY ARE EXHSTG OR STEAL SOME OF THE FUN. IT’S VALID THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE TURNED OFF BY CORN’S PERFORMANCE, OR BY THE FACT THAT HE WAS ST AT ALL. WILL YOU SHARE THAT OPN? YOU MIGHT. YOU MIGHT NOT. YOU MIGHT BE SO ENRAGED YOU’LL WANT TO BURN YOUR OWN BUCKET OF WIGS A BONFIRE. OR YOU WON’T NOTICE THERE IS AN ISSUE AT ALL.THERE’S AN ALMOST OUTRAGEO DISSONANCE BETWEEN THE WELL-TENTNED HOLLYWOOD STARS SETTG OUT TO MAKE AN NOCENT, FUN MIL ABOUT QUEER ACCEPTANCE, AND THE GRENAS THAT ARE NOW EXPLODG AROUND . BUT THE DISURSE MATTERS, AND EVERY ONCE A WHILE THERE'S A LIGHTNG-ROD PROJECT OR PERFORMANCE LIKE THIS THAT ELECTRIFI THAT ENERGY RIGHT BACK TO THE ZEGEIST. THAT, IF YOU WILL, “GIV SOME ZAZZ.” KEV FALLON
• IS JO ELLEN PELLMAN GAY? DO THE PROM STAR HAVE A PARTNER?

WATCH: NETFLIX RELEAS FULL TRAILER FOR RYAN MURPHY’S GAY-THEMED, THE PROM

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?

HOW DID NETFLIX’S ‘THE PROM’ MIL—AND JAM CORN’S PERFORMANCE—BEE A BIG GAY CRISIS?GIVE IT SOME ZAZZNETFLIXTHE FEEL-GOOD MIL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HEARTWARMG BALM, YET THERE’S OUTRAGE OVER JAM CORN’S “OFFENSIVE” TURN AS A FLAMBOYANT, GAY THEATRE STAR. WHAT WENT WRONG? KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED DEC. 10, 2020 3:58AM EST IT’S NOT A MEMORABLE PROM UNLS THERE’S A LTLE SNDAL.OF URSE, SNDAL MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE LAST THG ON NETFLIX AND RYAN MURPHY’S MDS WHEN THE STREAMER AND NTENT MOGUL FAST-TRACKED THE FEEL-GOOD, QUEER-POSIVE BROADWAY MIL THE PROM OM STAGE TO SCREEN RERD TIME.THE PROM PUTS TO ZIPPY MIC AND QUIPPY DIALOGUE THE STORY OF AN INDIANA TEEN WHO IS BANNED OM HER NSERVATIVE HIGH SCHOOL’S PROM WHEN TO LIGHT THAT SHE PLANNED TO ATTEND WH HER GIRLIEND. THE STORY GO VIRAL AND PTUR THE ATTENTN OF A GROUP OF BROADWAY VETERANS NEED OF A PR BOOST, SO THEY PACK UP THEIR JAZZ SHO AND MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO THE MIDWT TO HELP THE VASTATED GIRL—AND REPAIR THEIR REPUTATNS. NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY AS THE LORE GO, MURPHY HAD SEEN THE PRODUCTN NEW YORK ONE NIGHT JANUARY 2019 AND WAS SO MOVED BY THAT, BY APRIL, HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS MAKG TO A MOVIE. TWO MONTHS LATER, HE HAD SECURED A STARRY ST CLUDG MERYL STREEP, JAM CORN, NILE KIDMAN, ANDREW RANNELLS, AND KERRY WASHGTON. THE BROADWAY SHOW HAD ALREADY CLOSED BY THE TIME SHOOTG BEGAN, BUT MURPHY WAS STILL EAGER TO BRG THE FILM VERSN TO NETFLIX. AFTER COVID HALTED FILMG WH KEY SCEN STILL LEFT TO PTURE, THE A-LISTERS CHANNELED THEIR CHARACTERS’ “THE SHOW MT GO ON!” GUMPTN AND VISED PROTOLS THAT ALLOWED THE PROM TO BE AMONG THE FIRST FILMS TO RUME PRODUCTN AFTER THE PANMIC SHUTDOWN.AND WH GOOD REASON. THE SOURCE MATERIAL ON S OWN IS EMOTNAL MANNA AT A TIME STARVED FOR S KD OF HEART-BURSTG POSIVY, HOPE, AND HUMOR.TEARS FLOW EELY AND OFTEN, WHAT WH THE HIGH STAK OF TEENAGE EMOTNS AND THE SHEER CELTY BEHD THE MUNY’S TOLERANCE. YOU ALSO HAVE MERYL STREEP A LIZA MNELLI WIG SNTERG THROUGH TORCH BALLADS, TONGUE--CHEEK ONE-LERS THAT LOVGLY SKEWER BROADWAY, AND NILE KIDMAN AS A FOSSE CHOS GIRL SEEMGLY HAVG THE TIME OF HER LIFE AS SHE IMPLOR THROUGH SONG TO “GIVE SOME ZAZZ.”MERYL BELTG, NILE SHIMMYG, CRYG ABOUT LBIANS: WHAT A LIGHT! IT’S ALL MEANT TO BE NOCENT, SPIRATNAL FUN. SO WHY HAS THE FILM ALREADY BEEN MARKED FOR NTROVERSY?WHILE ’S HARD TO IMAGE THE PROM BEG ANYTHG BUT A CROWD-PLEASG H WH THE NETFLIX CROWD WHEN HS THE STREAMER ON FRIDAY, SEEMS TO HAVE ALIENATED A RE BASE OF S TEND DIENCE.AT THE CENTER OF THE CRICISM, THOUGH NOT THE LIM OF , IS THE STG OF AND PERFORMANCE BY JAM CORN, A STRAIGHT MAN, AS FLAMBOYANT BROADWAY LEADG MAN BARRY GLICKMAN, A CHARACTER WHO SELF-SCRIB AS “GAY AS A BUCKET OF WIGS… A BUCKET OF THEM!” ADVERTISEMENT BARRY AND DEE DEE ALLEN, THE TWO-TIME TONY WNER PLAYED BY STREEP, ARE BRAND AS TOXIC MEGALOMANIACS AFTER THEIR MOUNTG OF ELEANOR: THE MIL FLOPS WH CRICS. “WHAT DIDN’T THEY LIKE?” BARRY WONRS. “WAS THE HIP-HOP?”THEY ENLIST IENDS ANGIE (KIDMAN), WHO QU THE CHIGO ENSEMBLE AFTER BEG PASSED OVER AS ROXIE HART FOR 20 YEARS NNG, AND TRENT (RANNELLS), WHO IS BETWEEN GIGS SPE HIS OFT-MENTNED JUILLIARD TRAG, TO HELP TRANSFORM THEIR REPUTATNS AS CELEBRY NARCISSISTS TO CELEBRY ACTIVISTS.THEY STORM SMALL-TOWN INDIANA LIKE ’S THE BARRI THE L MIZ ACT CLOSER, TRENT PROUDLY ANNOUNCG, “WE ARE LIBERALS OM BROADWAY!” DPE THEIR SELFISH TENTNS, THEY ALL ARE STANTLY TOUCHED BY THE PLIGHT OF EMMA (NEWER JO ELLEN PELMAN), DISTURBED ONCE OUTSI THEIR BROADWAY BUBBLE TO SEE HOW MUCH TOLERANCE STILL EXISTS.BARRY, WHO WAS SHUNNED BY HIS OWN PARENTS AFTER G OUT AS GAY, TAK A PARTICULAR SHE TO EMMA, SUGGTG “YOU BE ELPHIE, I’M GALDA” AS HE TAK HER SHOPPG FOR PROM DRS AND ACH HER THROUGH THE SELF-LOATHG AND HEARTBREAK OF REJECTN PURELY BEE OF YOUR SEXUALY.CORN’S BARRY IS VERY GAY. HE IS LIMP-WRISTS, SLIGHT-LISP, GASPG-WH-EXCEMENT GAY. IT’S FAHFUL TO HOW BROOKS ASHMANSKAS, WHO WAS NOMATED FOR A TONY AWARD—AND IS AN OUT GAY MAN—PLAYED THE ROLE ON BROADWAY. IT’S HOW THE ROLE IS WRTEN. YET, THE YEAR 2020, THERE IS SOMETHG THAT N BE TRIGGERG ABOUT WATCHG A STRAIGHT ACTOR LIKE CORN PERFORM FLAMG-QUEER DRAG, WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S WHAT THE ROLE REQUIR.ERIK ANRSON, FOUNR OF AWARDSWATCH, LABELED CORN’S MPY PERFORMANCE “GROSS AND OFFENSIVE, THE WORST GAY-FACE A LONG, LONG TIME. IT’S HORRIFILLY BAD.” VANY FAIR’S RICHARD LAWSON LED THAT WH HIS “SULTG” PERFORMANCE, CORN, “FLTG AND LISPG AROUND THE MOST UNSPIRED OF RITUR, MISS ALL POTENTIAL FOR NUANCE.” DIGAL SPY’S IAN SANDWELL CRIED THAT CORN DIALED THE FLAMBOYANCE UP “TO THE POT OF BEG REGRSIVE AND OFFENSIVE, HTG EVERY GAY STEREOTYPE ALONG THE WAY.” ADVERTISEMENT NOT EVERY CRIC WHO SCREENED THE PROM ADVANCE OF FRIDAY’S NETFLIX BUT WAS TURNED OFF BY CORN’S PERFORMANCE. ONE ULD REASONABLY EXPECT A BROAR DIENCE MIGHT EVEN ADORE THE “CARPOOL KARAOKE” DRIVER’S SASHAY TO THIS PARTICULAR BRAND OF BROAD EDY SONG-AND-DANCE.FOR EVERY LLEAGUE OF ME WHO FOUND HIS WORK “ABOMABLE,” ANOTHER WAS AMED AND MOVED. IN HIS VARIETY REVIEW, OWEN GLEIBERMAN WROTE, “CORN MAY BE ATTACKED SOME QUARTERS FOR PORTRAYG BARRY AS A GAY STEREOTYPE, BUT LIKE CHRISTOPHER GUT WAG FOR GUFFMAN HE BURROWS SO EPLY TO THE CHARACTER THAT HE GIV HIM A THREE-DIMENSNAL SENCE. HE’S SOULFULLY FUNNY AND TOUCHG.”I PERSONALLY THK THE CRICISM IS OVERLY HARSH, PERHAPS PRIMED BY SIGHT-UNSEEN EXASPERATN THAT CORN, A STRAIGHT ACTOR, WAS ST THE FIRST PLACE. I’M OF MANY PLITED MDS WHEN TO THAT BATE, BUT CORN’S PERFORMANCE DIDN’T OFFEND ME. HE WAS PERFECTLY ENJOYABLE ACTG A CHARACTER AS WAS MEANT TO BE PLAYED. WHETHER HE SHOULD BE PLAYG AT ALL IS S OWN, SEPARATE ISSUE, WHICH SPEAKS TO WHAT BEN LEE POSED THE GUARDIAN: “JAM CORN PROV WHY STRAIGHT ACTORS SHOULD THK TWICE BEFORE PLAYG GAY.”THERE’S NO GOOD ANSWER TO THE “SHOULD STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAY GAY?” BATE.THEY SHOULDN’T, UNLS ’S TIMOTHéE CHALAMET GIVG A TENR APPROXIMATN OF QUEER LONGG AND DISAPPOTMENT, TREVANTE RHOS SHATTERG YOUR HEART, OR STANLEY TUCCI BEG IRRISTIBLY CHARMG, WHICH SE THEY SHOULD. UNLS, OF URSE, THERE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TOO MANY STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG MAJOR GAY ROL A ROW, WHICH SE THEY STILL SHOULDN’T. UNLS ’S STANLEY TUCCI BEG UNFATHOMABLY VASTATG A SAME-SEX ALZHEIMER’S ROMANTIC DRAMA, WHICH SE HE GETS A PASS.A STRAIGHT ACTOR'S MPY TAKE ON A GAY ROLE N STILL BE GROUNDBREAKG, LIKE ROB WILLIAMS HELPG THE BIRDGE BEE A BOX-OFFICE SMASH. OR ERIC STONTREET AND THE WAYS WHICH MORN FAY’S MCH AND CAM HELPED MOVE THE MASTREAM WORLD FORWARD TERMS OF NOT JT GAY ACCEPTANCE, BUT ALSO THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAY LOVE. UNLS, HOWEVER, THAT PERFORMANCE REMAS THE BIGGT GAY REPRENTATN FOR SO LONG THAT SOMEHOW BE BOTH SHRILL AND STALE AT THE SAME TIME. ADVERTISEMENT THE MP AND CLICHéS ARE FUN WHEN YOU'RE LGHG, LIKE IF YOU FD JAM CORN HILAR THE PROM. AND ’S OFFENSIVE AND DAMAGG IF YOU FD HIS FLAMBOYANCE TO BE A PANRG MARGALIZATN. “THERE IS SOMETHG THAT N BE TRIGGERG ABOUT WATCHG A STRAIGHT ACTOR LIKE CORN PERFORM FLAMG-QUEER DRAG, WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S WHAT THE ROLE REQUIR.” SO HIRE GAY ACTORS FOR GAY ROL—THOUGH THAT TOO OFTEN SILO THEM TO ONE KD OF PERFORMANCE AND REER. SO DON’T THK ABOUT SEXUALY WHEN YOU’RE STG GAY ROL—THOUGH THAT IS A NEGLIGENCE OF STORYTELLG RPONSIBILY AND THE CULTURAL IMPERATIVE FOR REPRENTATN AND OPPORTUNY.IT’S CLEARLY A LANDME ISSUE. AND SOME WONRED WHY NETFLIX AND MURPHY, SPECIFILLY, WHO HAS A GROUNDBREAKG TRACK RERD OF CLIVE STG, WOULD WA TO ALL. CRICS’ AND FANS’ ROUNDG ALTERNATIVE CHOICE FOR CORN’S ROLE IS NATHAN LANE—AND PRETTY MUCH ONLY NATHAN LANE, WHICH SPEAKS A B TO WHY STG LIKE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT: THERE ARE FAR TOO FEW “BIG NAM” THAT E TO MD TO PLAY A LARGER-THAN-LIFE, OPENLY GAY ROLE.THEN THERE’S THE FACT THAT ASHMANSKAS, WHO PLAYED BARRY ON BROADWAY, IS, YOU KNOW, STILL ALIVE. IN FACT, THE ENTIRE ORIGAL BROADWAY ST HAS, UM, NOT DIED. THOUGH S N WAS CRIMALLY SHORT, WAS BELOVED BY THOSE WHO HAD A CHANCE TO SEE . EVEN MURPHY HIMSELF WAS MOVED ENOUGH TO PUT A MOVIE VERSN TO LIGHT-SPEED PRODUCTN. WOULDN’T ALLOWG THE BROADWAY ST TO REPRISE THEIR ROL HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE ISSUE?THAT’S ANOTHER BATE TO BE OF TWO MDS ABOUT. WOVEN TO THE FABRIC OF THE SHOW SELF IS THE IA OF BROADWAY HOOFERS STGGLG FOR RELEVANCE AN DTRY NSTANTLY SLIGHTG THEM FOR MOVIE STARS. (KIDMAN’S ANGIE IS AGHAST THAT CHIGO’S PRODUCERS HAVE LED GILLIGAN’S ISLAND STAR TA LOUISE A BIGGER DRAW AS ROXIE THAN HER, A SEASONED MIL PERFORMER.) THE STAR STG ARGUABLY BETRAYS THAT ETHOS OF THE SHOW. ADVERTISEMENT YET ON THE OTHER HAND, AT LEAST PART OF THE FUN OF A SPLASHY MOVIE MIL IS GETTG EXCED OVER THE UTTERLY RANDOM ROSTER OF MOVIE STARS BROUGHT TO WARBLE AND STUMBLE THROUGH THE ROL. THAT MAY EVEN BE HERENT TO THE GENRE OF MOVIE MILS SELF. BY THAT TOKEN, YOU N SEE WHY CORN MIGHT SEEM A NATURAL CHOICE TO PLAY A LEAD THE PROM.HAVG STARRED INTO THE WOODS AND CATS, NOT TO MENTN HAVG HOSTED THE TONY AWARDS AND FEATURED MIL THEATER ALMOST NSTANTLY ON THE LATE LATE SHOW, CORN WOULD FEASIBLY TOP A LIST OF “BIG NAM” FOR A SHOW THAT BOASTS AN UNABASHED EMBRACE OF BROADWAY AS A MAJOR PLOT. THAT’S NOT TO SAY HE SHOULD OR SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN CHOSEN OVER A THEATER STAR OR AN OUT GAY ACTOR. IT’S JT TO ILLTRATE HOW CIRCUO AND NUANCED THIS NVERSATN N BE.I’D VENTURE THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO H PLAY ON THE PROM THIS WEEKEND WILL BE WHOLLY IGNORANT OF THIS ENTIRE BATE, AND WILL JT FD TO BE A FUN AND HEARTWARMG MIL WH A TOPIL MSAGE ABOUT LOVE. AND THAT’S WHAT IS. IT’S NO MASTERPIECE OF THE NON, BUT THE SONGS ARE TCHY, THE LGBT CLIVY IS A TREAT, STREEP IS GIVG ONE OF HER MOST ENERGETIC PERFORMANC YEARS, AND THERE’S JT NO UNRSELLG THE LIGHT OF KIDMAN DOG A FOSSE NUMBER ABOUT “ZAZZ.”BUT THAT’S WHY THE NVERSATNS ARE IMPORTANT, EVEN IF THERE ARE NO CLEAR ANSWERS, AND EVEN IF THEY ARE EXHSTG OR STEAL SOME OF THE FUN. IT’S VALID THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE TURNED OFF BY CORN’S PERFORMANCE, OR BY THE FACT THAT HE WAS ST AT ALL. WILL YOU SHARE THAT OPN? YOU MIGHT. YOU MIGHT NOT. YOU MIGHT BE SO ENRAGED YOU’LL WANT TO BURN YOUR OWN BUCKET OF WIGS A BONFIRE. OR YOU WON’T NOTICE THERE IS AN ISSUE AT ALL.THERE’S AN ALMOST OUTRAGEO DISSONANCE BETWEEN THE WELL-TENTNED HOLLYWOOD STARS SETTG OUT TO MAKE AN NOCENT, FUN MIL ABOUT QUEER ACCEPTANCE, AND THE GRENAS THAT ARE NOW EXPLODG AROUND . BUT THE DISURSE MATTERS, AND EVERY ONCE A WHILE THERE'S A LIGHTNG-ROD PROJECT OR PERFORMANCE LIKE THIS THAT ELECTRIFI THAT ENERGY RIGHT BACK TO THE ZEGEIST. THAT, IF YOU WILL, “GIV SOME ZAZZ.” KEV FALLON

For a town full of ragg homophob, wasn’t there a surprisg amount of well-choreographed mil numbers? But one cricism has been of Jam Corn who is not gay unlike like his The Prom character, Barry Glickman. The Prom, which is based on the 2018 Broadway mil of the same tle, stars Corn as Barry Glickman, a narcissistic Broadway actor who, along wh fellow Broadway star Dee Dee Allen, travels to middle Ameri to help a gay high school teenager whose prom has been ncelled bee of her sexualy.

Asi om Emma and her girliend, Alyssa Greene, Barry had one of Prom‘s more ser storyl about his sexualy and g out, which ma crics si-eye even more given that Jam Corn isn’t gay. After the premiere of The Prom, Corn was slammed on Twter for his “offensive” portrayal of a gay man, which many viewers found homophobic and stereotypil. “somethg about Jam Corn playg a gay guy feels eply homophobic to me, ” tweeted @InfyBaka.

Tweeted @christafoleyy, “jam rn, a straight man, sgg “we’re gonna help that ltle lbian” while pretendg to be a gay man jt feels so wrong on so many levels and keeps replayg my head. ” Wrote @aliceorwhateva, “Jam Corn not beg gay actually piss me off.

IS JO ELLEN PELLMAN GAY? DO THE PROM STAR HAVE A PARTNER?

Though Corn hasn’t rpond directly to his crics, he did tell Metro an terview December that he’s “proud” of his performance of a gay man.

He told Metro that Murphy, who is an out gay man, talked to him about his experienc wh his sexualy to help Corn play Barry. The way he led me through as a director, the way he led me through as a iend, the way he led me through as a gay man. You may be able to fd the same ntent another format, or you may be able to fd more rmatn, at their web In My Fay | Official Trailer [HD] | NetflixWatch onAll My Fay follows a gay man and his partner who chose to have children via-surrogacy.

You may be able to fd the same ntent another format, or you may be able to fd more rmatn, at their web the Drag Queen’s Rul For Gay Guys | Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ CelebratnWatch onStand Out is a edy special hosted by Billy Eichner.