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

Contents:

• JAM CORN PROV WHY STRAIGHT ACTORS SHOULD THK TWICE BEFORE PLAYG GAY
• SHOULD STRAIGHT ACTORS STILL PLAY GAY CHARACTERS? 'IT'S PLITED'
• IS JAM CORN GAY? RUMORS OF HIM BEG GAY
• 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
• JAM CORN'S TURN AS A GAY MAN 'THE PROM' RID AS 'THE WORST GAYFACE A LONG, LONG TIME'

JAM CORN PROV WHY STRAIGHT ACTORS SHOULD THK TWICE BEFORE PLAYG GAY

Whenever the bate over whether straight actors should be allowed to play gay characters has reared s head (and wh time, that’s gone om every year to every week), I’ve found myself largely dismissive. As a gay viewer, I crave thenticy wh queer stori, preferrg them to be at least -wrten by queer creators and am forever wantg the spectm of shared experienc to be more diverse and, ccially, more specific, but when to those habg queer characters, I’m ls fsed. It’s the tale of a quartet of self-obssed stage actors who scend upon a small Indiana town the hop of boostg their public image by tryg to force a homophobic school system to lettg a stunt attend the prom wh her girliend.

On stage, the role of a flamboyantly gay larger than life Broadway star was embodied by flamboyantly gay larger than life Broadway star Brooks Ashmanskas, who the character was reportedly wrten around. But one of the most befuddlg stg cisns arguably ever, Murphy, an openly gay wrer-director-producer who has nsistently provid centre stage opportuni to LGBT actors (om Chris Colfer Glee to the ground-breakgly diverse st of Pose to his recent all-gay update of Boys the Band), cid to hire Corn, a straight actor yet to tly prove his worth film (he was somehow the most embarrassg element of last year’s Cats, a film ma solely of embarrassg elements).

“Offensively misst” said Newsweek’s Samuel Spencer, the Telegraph’s Tim Robey wrote that ma him “embarrassed” to be gay while, most dramatilly yet accurately, Vany Fair’s Richard Lawson lled “one of the worst performanc of the 21st century” Streep and Jam Corn The Prom. It’s as if he himself has looked back but even further, back to the playground when the straight bulli would pick on the gay kid by performg outsized imprsns and as a rult, there’s a sort of meanns to the performance, as if he’s ridiculg what I image will be a large percentage of The Prom’s I fully doubt that was the tentn, there’s so ltle thought or even craft his work here that I’m not sure if there was any tentn volved at all. But while Corn is excably bad here, more blame should lie at the feet of Murphy for not only choosg to st him the first place but for then allowg him to gayface que so grotquely.

SHOULD STRAIGHT ACTORS STILL PLAY GAY CHARACTERS? 'IT'S PLITED'

I still believe that straight actors have the abily to play gay but orr to do so, there should be not only a basic ternal nversatn (Am I right for this? Would a gay actor, or perhaps on this ocsn almost anyone else, do this better? ) but also, at the very least, a vague sign of a nnectn to a muny outsi of their own (Corn’s ia of gayns is rooted not realy but 70s ss).

In early December, Netflix dropped s highly anticipated mil edy “The Prom, ” starrg Meryl Streep, Nile Kidman, Andrew Rannells and Jam Corn as fadg Broadway stars who set out to help a lbian teen take her girliend to the film, helmed by out director Ryan Murphy, got mixed reviews, but some lambasted as “homophobic” and “offensive” bee of the stg of Corn, a straight actor, what they saw as an “aggrsively flamboyant” riture of a gay character, Barry Glickman, is a narcissistic theater actor who dons sparklg tuxedo jackets, talks wh a stereotypil gay lisp while flailg his hands around and scrib himself as “gay as a bucket of wigs. "Melda Sue Gordon / NetflixErik Anrson, who ns the film se Awards Watch, lled “The Prom” a “geo and vibrant productn” but tweeted that Corn’s “performance is gross and offensive, the worst gayface a long, long time.

”The ntroversy threw fuel on an already simmerg bate: Should non-LGBTQ actors still be st lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer rol? Hugh Culber on CBS All Accs' “Star Trek: Disvery, ” he ma history playg gay high school stunt Ricky the ‘90s show “My So Called Life. ” It was the first time an openly gay actor played a gay character a leadg role a TV part “helped fluence a whole generatn of people who beme wrers and actors and ntent creators, who wanted to see more people like Ricky, more LGBTQ people of lor, and I thk we're seeg the benef of that today, ” said Cz, who served as executive producer of Apple TV’s "Visible: Out on Televisn, ” a 2020 doceri about the history of the LGBTQ movement through the lens of Amerin Cz ma his but “My So Called Life, ” televisn has been creasgly hirg LGBTQ actors to play LGBTQ characters.

IS JAM CORN GAY? RUMORS OF HIM BEG GAY

In 2020 alone, queer actor Kristen Stewart played a lbian Hulu’s Christmas rom- “Happit Season, ” out actors Sarah Plson and Cynthia Nixon played love terts Ryan Murphy’s Netflix seri “Ratched, ” gay actor Dan Levy played a queer character the Emmy-wng Canadian show “Scht’s Creek"and several openly gay actors starred the Netflix adaptn of the Tony Award-wng queer play “The Boys the Band. 6 percent) released 2019 featured LGBTQ characters, wh gay male characters reprentg the bulk at nearly 70 percent and no transgenr characters.

Straight and cisgenr ‘privilege’While straight and cisgenr actors are given many opportuni to play rol outsi their own genr and sexualy, many gay and trans actors say they are given far ls leeway.

He said the movie bs is “a very heterosexual bs” that’s “n mostly by heterosexual men” and lamented that straight actors takg gay rol has a stiflg effect on gay actors who, like him, are no longer nsired for heterosexual parts.

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

Most notably, perhaps, Tom Hanks, who won an Amy Award for his portrayal of a gay man dyg of AIDS the 1993 film “Philalphia, ” and Hilary Swank, who won the Osr for her performance as transgenr man Brandon Teena the 1999 film “Boys Don’t Cry. ” The amy also nomated actors Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal for their rol the 2005 gay wboy film “Brokeback Mounta, ” Jared Leto for his portrayal of a trans woman the 2013 film “Dallas Buyers Club, ” actor Cate Blanchett for her role the 2015 lbian romantic drama “Carol” and Eddie Redmayne for his portrayal of a trans woman the 2015 film “The Danish Girl.

"Foc FeaturQueer filmmaker Sekiya Dorsett drew a distctn between straight actors playg gay characters and cisgenr actors transgenr rol.

Now, she said actors are rejectg them for fear they will be seen as stealg a role om an openly gay actor. “To have quote-unquote ‘straight’ actors sayg now, ‘Hey, I won't take that part, bee 's gay, and you should give to a gay person, ’ feels like another way to stigmatize our stori, " Babb said. “What would do is would block all those actors om actg outsi of their lane and so, is that gog to stop my transgenr actors om playg nontransgenr rol or gay rol?

JAM CORN'S TURN AS A GAY MAN 'THE PROM' RID AS 'THE WORST GAYFACE A LONG, LONG TIME'

“Hontly, a transgenr person playg a gay role would be a really good possibily, and we would unrstand really well, bee we've had to all grapple wh sexualy as an issue. Jam Corn has been mored to be gay sce 2011, when he me out as gay durg an terview wh Brish newspaper The Sun.