MTV's newt, already ntroversial realy show is a sad amalgamatn of six arrogant gay men who would rather spend time talkg about themselv than try to make good TV.
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‘THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO’ IS A COLOSSAL GAY NIGHTMARESASHAY AWAYMTV'S NEWT, ALREADY NTROVERSIAL REALY SHOW IS A SAD AMALGAMATN OF SIX ARROGANT GAY MEN WHO WOULD RATHER SPEND TIME TALKG ABOUT THEMSELV THAN TRY TO MAKE GOOD TV.COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JAN. 20, 2023 11:43PM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 19, 2023 4:49AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/MTVNOBODY ASKED FOR THIS. THERE WAS NOT ONE SGLE PERSON THE WORLD WHO WAS LOOKG AT THE SPE OF REALY TELEVISN OFFERGS ACROSS THE WORLD AND THOUGHT TO THEMSELV, “YOU KNOW WHAT WE REALLY NEED? A SHOW ABOUT SIX NCEED GAY MEN TALKG ABOUT HOW GREAT THEY ARE, NONSTOP, FOR AN HOUR.” YET, THAT’S EXACTLY THE RUMPELSTILTSK CURSE WE’VE HAD FORCED UPON WH MTV’S NEWT SHOW, THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO, PREMIERG FRIDAY.Y, PREMIERG FRIDAY, AS , “THE SLOT RIGHT AFTER RUPL’S DRAG RACE,” WHICH JT MOVED TO MTV AFTER AIRG ON VIA’S SISTER WORK, VH1, FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO, MTV IS REPORTEDLY TRYG TO CREATE A GAY STATN NIGHT BY CHOPPG DRAG RACE’S CHERISHED 90-MUTE EPISOS DOWN TO A SHED HOUR-LONG AFFAIR (42 MUT, WH MERCIALS). THE CISN HAS ALREADY RULTED AN OUTPOURG OF RISN OM DRAG RACE FANS, UPSET THAT THE EMMY-WNG REALY SENSATN’S NTIME IS BEG KNEEPPED. FUNNY, DRAG RACE FANS ARE UALLY SO RATNAL.MAYBE WOULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY IF THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO WERE ACTUALLY ANY GOOD. I’M NO HAPPIER ABOUT DRAG RACE GETTG THE CHOP THAN YOUR AVERAGE GAY PERSON WHO NEEDS TO STOP G REALY TELEVISN AS AN ANTIPRSANT, BUT I APPROACHED THE GLTERG GAT OF WT HOLLYWOOD WH AN OPEN MD. THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO ULD BE SO BAD THAT ’S GOOD! BETTER YET, ULD BE SO BAD THAT ’S FUN TO TWEET ABOUT.IT BRGS ME NO JOY TO SAY THAT THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO STKS AS BADLY AS THE ALLEY DUMPSTER BEHD THE ABBEY AFTER JOCKSTRAP NIGHT. THE SHOW IS CHOPPY AND UNFOCED, BLHELY ASSUMG THAT S DIENCE HAS AN NATE TERT S WHY CIRCLE OF IENDS WHO WERE BBLED TOGETHER AT THE LAST SEND. NEVER BEFORE HAS A SERI SO CLEARLY FOUND SELF ON THE PREMISE OF GETTG S VIEWERS TO TUNE FOR A HATE-WATCH. THAT MIGHT BE A STAABLE MOL OF PROGRAMMG FOR MORE THAN ONE SEASON IF S ST WASN’T PRISED ENTIRELY OF NARCISSISTS, WHO THREATEN TO N THE SHOW TO THE GROUND OM THE VERY FIRST EPISO AND ARE TOO FOCED ON THEMSELV TO CREATE EVEN ONE SEND OF PELLG GAY DRAMA.THE REAL FRIENDS—WHO, BY THE WAY, ARE ABOUT AS REAL OF IENDS AS BETTE DAVIS AND JOAN CRAWFORD—ARE PRISED OF SOME FAIAR AND NOT-SO-FAIAR FAC, PENDG ON WHAT TYPE OF DIGAL FOOTPRT YOU KEEP. THERE’S BRAD GORKI, FORMER STAR OF THE RACHEL ZOE PROJECT TURNED SOLO STYLIST AND BAD REAL HOEWIFE IMPERSONATOR; CURTIS HATON, A SEMI-CLOSETED ACTOR WHOSE BIGGT CRED TO DATE IS FOUR EPISOS OF INSECURE; DORIóN REND, CEO/FOUNR OF BUTTAH SK; TODRICK HALL, CHOREOGRAPHER AND TER MENACE; JOEY ZZIG, AN FLUENCER WHO SOUNDS LIKE HE HAS K TRAPPED HIS LUNGS; AND FALLY, JAYM VGHAN, THE HBAND OF THE MORE-FAMO MEAN GIRLS STAR JONATHAN BENT.THE PREMIERE OPENS WH A VOICEOVER OF BRAD TELLG VIEWERS THAT THIS SHOW IS “BREAKG NEW GROUND.” IN WHAT WAY, OF URSE, REMAS UNCLEAR FOR THE DURATN OF THE EPISO. THERE’S NOTHG REMOTELY NEW ABOUT A SLEW OF FLUENCERS APPEARG ON REALY TELEVISN TO ELEVATE THEIR PERSONAL BRANDS. IF ANYTHG, THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO IS JT MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT S TENTNS. THE FABRIC OF THE ST’S PRE-EXISTG NNECTNS IS TH AT BT. “I MIGHT NOT DIRECTLY KNOW EXACTLY WHO THE PEOPLE ARE,” BRAD SAYS. “BUT I KNOW PEOPLE, WHO KNOW PEOPLE, WHO KNOW PEOPLE.” AT LEAST OTHER REALY SHOWS, THE PRODUCERS HAVE THE GOOD SENSE TO NSTCT NVOLUTED WAYS TO TERTWE THE ST. THROWG A BUNCH OF MAMMOTH EGOS TO A ROOM TOGETHER DO NOT NSTUTE A PLOTLE.BUT EACH OF THE ST MEMBERS KNOWS WHO TODRICK HALL IS, AND THEY’RE ALL A LTLE AAID. EVEN BRAD, WHO WAS ALREADY IENDLY WH TODRICK BEFORE THE MERAS WENT UP, SEEMS WARY OF BEG ASSOCIATED WH TODRICK THIS PACY. AND FOR GOOD REASON! NOT ONLY HAS TODRICK BEEN RECENTLY ORRED BY A JUDGE TO PAY BACK $100,00 UNPAID RENT FOR HIS WT HOLLYWOOD HOME, BUT HE’S ALSO BEEN ACCED OF NOT PAYG THE DANCERS WHO HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WH HIM HIS REER. ADDRSG THE ALLEGATNS, TODRICK SIMPLY SPS SOME SP ABOUT BEG SELF-FUND AND WORKG HARD, NEVER REALLY NYG ANYTHG.THE SHOW’S PRODUCERS ARE WORKG OVERTIME TRYG TO PORTRAY TODRICK AS THE SHOW’S VILLA, WHILE HE THKS OF HIMSELF AS THE STAR. IN FACT, EACH MEMBER OF THE ST IS CLEARLY NSUMED WH THEIR OWN LNS OF GRANUR. THERE’S A CLEAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SELF-NFINCE AND SELF-IMPORTANCE, AND NONE OF THE ST HAS BEEN ABLE TO CRACK A DICTNARY TO FIGURE THAT OUT. LEAST OF ALL JOEY, WHO SPENDS ALL OF HIS TIME ON MERA PLAG ABOUT BEG MARGALIZED FOR BEG A GEO FLUENCER, SPE THE FACT THAT HE SOMETIM—GASP!—HAS SECURI. IF WE HAD A NICKEL FOR EVERY GAY MAN WHO BEME A MCLE QUEEN BEE THEY WERE SECURE ABOUT BEG 10 POUNDS OVERWEIGHT WHEN THEY WERE 13, WE WOULDN’T BE REENG TOWARD A RECSN. BUT, TO JOEY’S CRED, DORIóN IS STRICTLY ANTI-FLUENCER, A POT HE MAK CLEAR TO OM THE BEGNG. DORIóN’S SKRE LE IS HIGHLY SUCCSFUL (WHICH HE REERAT NONSTOP), AND HE HAS NO TIME FOR ANYONE WHO THKS HAVG A BIG SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWG EQUAT TO HAVG A REER. “A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE HOLLYWOOD THK THAT PUTTG A MERA ONT OF THEIR FACE AND TALKG TO THEIR PHONE ALL DAY MAK THEM A PROFSNAL,” DORIóN SAYS. “THAT’S NOT A JOB!”DORIóN’S DRAMA WH JOEY IS THE CX OF THE FIRST EPISO’S MANUFACTURED DRAMA, WH THE TWO MEN BUTTG HEADS AT JOEY’S ENGAGEMENT PARTY FOR HIM AND HIS FIANCé, WHO LOOKS LIKE HIS TW, NATURALLY. DORIóN KEEPS TO HIMSELF AT THE EVENT, LEADG JOEY TO NONT HIM ABOUT BEG ANTISOCIAL. BEE GAY PEOPLE ARE JT SOOOO ATTRACTED TO DISPLAYS OF THEATRICS, THIS A SLEW OF ACCATNS ABOUT JOEY’S REER (OR LACK THEREOF) TO FLY. “IT BRGS ME NO JOY TO SAY THAT THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO STKS AS BADLY AS THE ALLEY DUMPSTER BEHD THE ABBEY AFTER JOCKSTRAP NIGHT.” THOUGH THE EPISO ENDS ON A “TO BE CONTUED…,” FEELS UNLIKELY THAT ANY VIEWERS WHO ARE ALREADY RELUCTANTLY TUNG TO THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO WILL BE BACK FOR MORE NEXT WEEK. FOR LACK OF A CLEAR PLOTLE, THE SHOW ULD AT LEAST GENERATE SOME MEMORABLY DISHY DISPUT. BUT ONE PERSISTENT QUTN KEPT POPPG UP MY MD THROUGHOUT THE PREMIERE: “WHO R?” THERE’S NO FUN WATCHG A BUNCH OF TTY GAY MEN FIGHT ABOUT WHO MAK MORE MONEY OR WHO SLEPT WH WHO. I N’T EVEN IMAGE WT HOLLYWOOD’S ACTUAL RINTS BEG ENTERTAED.THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO IS ENTIRELY TOO AWARE OF WHAT IS AND HOW ’S PERCEIVED. THE FIRST EPISO EVEN CLUS A NFSNAL WH TODRICK WHERE HE DISCS THE ONLE BACKLASH AFTER THE SHOW’S FIRST PROMO WAS RELEASED, JT THREE WEEKS AGO. TODRICK’S RPONSE VERS THE ACTUAL SHOW’S EXISTENCE BT HIGHLIGHTS THE DISNNECT THAT ACTUR THE SERI OM THE VERY START. MTV WANTS TO E DRAG RACE AS A FLAGSHIP ANCHISE TO LNCH A NEW PROPERTY, AND THE SIX STARS OF THE REAL FRIENDS OF WEHO SEE AS A PAYCHECK AND BRANDG OPPORTUNY, RATHER THAN A JOB. THAT MEANS THAT NO ONE IS ACTUALLY NSIRG WHAT DIENC ULTIMATELY WANT TO SEE, BEE SURE AS HELL IS NOT THIS.WHAT ULTIMATELY LANDS ON OUR TELEVISNS ISN’T EVEN OFFENSIVE ENOUGH TO MAKE THE (EXTREMELY TACKY AND UNFUNNY) JOKE THAT THIS SHOW SETS THE GAY MUNY BACK BY 50 YEARS, BEE SIMPLY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO DO SO. TO SET BACK PROGRS, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO IMPOSE A THREAT. BUT NO ONE HERE IS VTED ENOUGH TO PUT THAT MUCH ENERGY TO THE SHOW. AT LEAST THE REAL HOEWIV HAVE THE GOOD SENSE TO STEP ON EACH OTHER’S NECKS TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHA; THE REAL FRIENDS N’T EE THEIR HEADS OM THEIR OWN ASS LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE THAT A POSSIBILY.SIGN UP FOR OUR SEE SKIP NEWSLETTER HERE TO FD OUT WHICH NEW SHOWS AND MOVI ARE WORTH WATCHG, AND WHICH AREN’T. COLEMAN SPIL
* gay weho drag *
? Prented by Blued (Gay Social App). Daily Beast cric Coleman Spil lled “a lossal gay nightmare.
“This feels much like, ‘We’re gog to e the ‘Hoewiv’ template, and we’re gog to throw gay people and they’ll love that, ’” Kirkland says. “Even wh [multiple] Black stmat, still felt that we’re still centerg whe and gay men, ” Harris says. On social media, he addrsed the diversy issue by claimg there isn’t a “large pool of gay celebs to beg wh.
” He also said, “Fun fact: The average annual earngs for gay men the U. A show about six nceed gay men talkg about how great they are, nonstop, for an hour.
Beg Asian Amerin and LGBTQ+ n feel lonely, wh stutns such as ethnic church often disavowg non-heterosexual relatnships while tradnal LGBTQ+ spac such as gay bars n be unwelg. * gay weho drag *
To make room for The Real Friends of WeHo, MTV is reportedly tryg to create a gay statn night by choppg Drag Race’s cherished 90-mute episos down to a shed hour-long affair (42 mut, wh mercials).
I’m no happier about Drag Race gettg the chop than your average gay person who needs to stop g realy televisn as an antiprsant, but I approached the glterg gat of Wt Hollywood wh an open md. That might be a staable mol of programmg for more than one season if s st wasn’t prised entirely of narcissists, who threaten to n the show to the ground om the very first episo and are too foced on themselv to create even one send of pellg gay Real Friends—who, by the way, are about as real of iends as Bette Davis and Joan Crawford—are prised of some faiar and not-so-faiar fac, pendg on what type of digal footprt you keep.