Jam Corn prov why straight actors should thk twice before playg gay | Mils | The Guardian

Contents:

• TOM ALLEN: THE IA OF GAY SHAME STILL PERVAS
• JAM CORN PROV WHY STRAIGHT ACTORS SHOULD THK TWICE BEFORE PLAYG GAY
• COMEDIAN JAM ADOMIAN: SNL HAS A PROBLEM WH CASTG GAY MENFIRST IMPRESSIONIN A WI-RANGG TERVIEW AT SXSW, THE FUNNIT POLIL IMPERSONATOR WORKG TODAY OPENS UP ABOUT THE STATE OF EDY, ‘FAT IDT’ ALEC BALDW, AND HIS ISSU WH SNL.MATT WILSTESENR EDORUPDATED MAR. 20, 2018 7:51PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 16, 2018 4:00AM EDT PHOTO ILTRATN BY SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEASTAUSTIN, TEXAS—JAM ADOMIAN IS PERHAPS THE GREATT POLIL IMPRSNIST WORKG EDY TODAY. JT THIS WEEK AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWT, HE PERFORMED AS BERNIE SANRS, SEBASTIAN GORKA, ELON MK, ALEX JON, CHRIS MATTHEWS, AND TED CZ (WHO HE VOIC TO HILAR EFFECT ON OUR CARTOON PRINT) AT VAR SHOWS AROUND AT.DURG HIS OWN SOLO STAND-UP SET MONDAY NIGHT, HE DID ALL OF THOSE CHARACTERS ALONG WH PL GIAMATTI, SHOCK JOCK TOM LEYKIS AND, FOR GOOD MEASURE, DONALD TMP. BUT ADOMIAN, A REGULAR PRENCE ON PODSTS LIKE COMEDY BANG! BANG! AND CHAPO TRAP HOE, HAS NEVER BEEN ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. HE DON’T HAVE HIS OWN LATE-NIGHT SHOW. AND THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE YOU’VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF HIM.THE 38-YEAR-OLD EDIAN HAS SOME IAS ABOUT WHY THAT MIGHT BE. AND HAS A LOT TO DO WH BEG A STILL ALL-TOO-RARE OUT GAY MALE EDIAN. THK ABOUT . IT’S EASY TO RATTLE OFF A LIST OF VERY SUCCSFUL LBIAN STAND-UP ICS. ELLEN DEGENER. TIG NOTARO. WANDA SYK. MARGARET CHO. ROSIE O’DONNELL. BUT HAS THERE EVER BEEN A HUGELY SUCCSFUL OUT GAY MALE IC? PERHAPS EVEN MORE SHOCKG IS THE FACT THAT THERE HASN’T BEEN AN OUT GAY MALE FULL-FLEDGED ST MEMBER ON SNL SCE TERRY SWEENEY BEME THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO. HE ONLY LASTED ONE SEASON, OM 1985-1986, AND HAS SCE BEEN MORE OR LS LOST TO HISTORY. IT WAS ANOTHER 26 YEARS BEFORE THE SHOW BROUGHT ON S NEXT OUT ST MEMBER, CURRENT STAR KATE MCKNON. IN 2016, CHRIS KELLY BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY -HEAD WRER (ALONG WH SARA SCHNEIR) SNL’S HISTORY, BUT THEY LEFT TO CREATE A NEW SHOW FOR COMEDY CENTRAL THE FOLLOWG YEAR. “IT WOULD BE NICE IF THEY PUT A GAY MAN ON MERA ON THAT SHOW,” ADOMIAN TELLS ME OVER LATT THE LOBBY OF HIS HOTEL AT. “I’VE BEEN OUT OF THE CLOSET THE WHOLE TIME SCE I DNED 13 YEARS AGO. YOU WOULD THK THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TRIED TO PUT SOMEONE ELSE ON THAT WAS A GAY MAN. IT’S ABOUT TIME.” “‘SNL’ IS NOTOR FOR PASSG AROUND DN TAP. IT HAPPENED TO ME. IT HAPPENED TO ANTHONY. IT’S HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW.” SNL CLED TO MENT FOR THIS PIECE ON THE RERD. HOWEVER, A SOURCE WH KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUATN SAYS ADOMIAN DNED SEVERAL TIM BUT THE SHOW CID HIS EDY WASN’T THE RIGHT F. JAKE WEISMAN, A YOUNG EDIAN WHO -CREATED AND -STARS THE COMEDY CENTRAL SERI CORPORATE, RECENTLY TOLD ME HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHY SOMEONE AS TALENTED AS ADOMIAN NEVER GOT HIRED BY SNL. “BEE HE’S GAY,” WEISMAN SAID MATTER-OF-FACTLY. “BEE THEY’RE BIGOTED.” WHEN I SUGGT THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE SE 2018, HE REPLIED, “I MEAN, THE GUY AT THE TOP’S THE SAME, PEOPLE ARE JT LLG OUT MORE.” “IT CERTALY DIDN’T HELP THAT I WAS OPENLY GAY,” ADOMIAN SAYS OF HIS DN EXPERIENCE. “I THK THAT LORNE MICHAELS IS AAID OF AMERI’S DADS.” HE IMAT A MIDDLE-AMERIN STRAIGHT GUY SAYG, “I’M NOT GONNA LET MY KID WATCH A SHOW WH A GAY MAN.” HE PREDICTS THE TREND WILL CHANGE “SOONER OR LATER” BUT SAYS ’S UP TO MICHAELS “WHETHER HE’LL BE A PART OF” THAT CHANGE OR NOT. ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF SXSW THIS YEAR, ADOMIAN PERFORMED AS BERNIE SANRS AT A TOWN HALL-STYLE EVENT AT ESTHER’S FOLLI. WH THE HELP OF THE FTIVAL ANIZERS, HE HAD TRIED TO GET THE SENATOR TO MAKE A SURPRISE APPEARANCE, BUT THEY ULDN’T MAKE HAPPEN. “BERNIE HAS BAD TASTE EDY,” ADOMIAN TELLS ME. “IRONILLY, BERNIE ONLY PAYS ATTENTN TO THE BILLNAIRE LEVEL OF EDY. SO WORKG-CLASS BERNIE SANRS SUPPORTERS EDY, ’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO BE AWARE OF,” HE ADDS, REFERRG TO HIMSELF. “I’M THE BERNIE SANRS OF BERNIE SANRS IMPERSONATORS.” ADOMIAN, WHO MAXED OUT AS AN DIVIDUAL NTRIBUTOR TO SANRS’ MPAIGN DURG THE 2016 PRIMARY, ULDN’T EVEN GET TO SEE THE SENATOR SPEAK AT SXSW THAT SAME DAY AND STEAD HAD TO WATCH OM AN OVERFLOW ROOM. “HIS IAS ARE GREAT AND HIS POSTURE IS BAD,” HE JOK. “THAT’S WHY I’VE ALWAYS LOVED HIM.” HE ALSO UNTS HIMSELF AMONG THE “BERNIE WOULD’VE WON” CROWD, ARGUG THAT THERE’S “NO POSSIBLE WAY HE WOULD HAVE LOST WISNS AND MICHIGAN AND PENNSYLVANIA.” AND ADOMIAN SWEARS HE DON’T JT SUPPORT SANRS TO HELP HIS OWN REER. “IT WAS ALL BEE I BELIEVE HIM,” HE SAYS. “I DON’T VOTE BASED ON MY REER. IF THAT WERE THE SE, I’D BE VOTG FOR SEB GORKA.” IT’S SOMETHG HE EXPERIENCED BACK 2004 WHEN HE HAD BEEN PERFORMG A PARTICULARLY “NASTY AND ANTAGONISTIC” GEE W. BH IMPRSN HIS ACT AND THEN LATER ON THE LATE LATE SHOW WH CRAIG FERGON. “IT WAS PAFUL, BEE WHEN HE GOT RE-ELECTED PEOPLE LLED ME AND WERE LIKE, ‘CONGRATULATNS’ AND I WAS LIKE, ‘NO! I’VE BEEN TRYG TO STROY HIM.’“WHAT SEPARAT A GREAT EDIAN WHO DO IMPRSNS OM AN IMPRSNIST THAT PEOPLE KD OF GROAN AT IS THE IA OF WHAT’S ABSOLUTELY HILAR ABOUT THE PERSON YOU’RE DOG AN IMPRSN OF,” HE SAYS. “IT SHOULD BE FUNNY FIRST. ACCURATE SEND. OTHERWISE YOU’RE BASILLY DOG A MAGIC TRICK.” SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER AND REALLY TRYG TO “PROVE” HIMSELF HE WOULD TRAVEL TO FTIVALS WH A HUGE SUSE FILLED WH FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT STUM FOR THE CHARACTERS HE WOULD PLAY ON STAGE. FOR HIS OWN “SANY,” HE SAYS HE HAS CUT WAY BACK ON THAT, BUT DID STILL BREAK OUT THE WHE WIG FOR SANRS AND A FAKE GOATEE AND BLACK LEATHER GLOV FOR GORKA AT. “JAM IS AN CREDIBLE IMPERSONATOR BEE HE'S A GREAT ACTOR AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE DO AN 'IMPRSN' WHICH, TO ME, IS DIFFERENT THAT AN IMPERSONATN,” ANTHONY ATAMANUIK, THE STAR OF COMEDY CENTRAL’S THE PRINT SHOW, TOLD ME OF HIS IEND THIS WEEK. “HE IS GIVG YOU AN ARTFUL TERPRETATN OF THE PERSON HE'S PORTRAYG. THE ACCURACY IS A SKILLFUL BON, BUT THE SOUL OF JAM' WORK IS HIS TERPRETATN OF THE EFFABLE QUALI OF A PERSON.”ADOMIAN TELLS ME THAT HE HAS A LOT OF LARGER IAS FOR TELEVISN AND FILM, BUT HE’S “NOT ABLE TO MAKE THEM” BEE HE’S NEVER BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNY. IN CHARACTER AS BERNIE SANRS AT HIS SHOW LAST FRIDAY NIGHT, HE MOMENTARILY “BROKE THE FOURTH WALL” TO REVEAL THAT HE HAD RECENTLY PCHED A SHOW TO NETFLIX, BUT WAS ULTIMATELY REJECTED BEE THEY ARE “ONLY TERTED DOG ALS WH FAMO PEOPLE.” HE TELLS ME HE’S HAD MEETGS WH “EVERY SGLE WORK” THAT A EDY FAN MIGHT BE FAIAR WH AND THEY HAVE SAID NO TO HIS TV SHOW IAS EVERY TIME (SO FAR). FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR LEADG UP TO THE 2016 ELECTN, ADOMIAN TOURED THE UNTRY AS BERNIE SANRS, GOG CY TO CY BATG DONALD TMP, AS PLAYED ATAMANUIK.THE FOLLOWG SPRG, AFTER TMP HAD UNEXPECTEDLY WON THE ELECTN, ALEC BALDW WENT ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! AND MOUTHED THE WORDS “FUCK YOU” TO SOME “GUYS ON THE TER” LOBBYG TO FILL- FOR THE PRINT AT WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS FIRST WHE HOE CORRPONNTS’ DNER. HE WAS TALKG ABOUT ATAMANUIK, WHOSE FANS HAD STARTED A TWTER MPAIGN ON HIS BEHALF. WHEN ATAMANUIK TRIED TO RPOND DIPLOMATILLY TO BALDW, WH WHOM HE’D WORKED ON 30 ROCK, THE ACTOR BLOCKED HIM. “I’M SAD THAT THERE’S A DISTANCE OR PROBLEM THERE, OR WHATEVER, BUT I DON’T REALLY KNOW,” ATAMANUIK TOLD ME LAST YEAR. “YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW. BUT WASN’T LIKE WE WERE THE BT OF IENDS, SO WHAT N I TELL YOU?” ADOMIAN WAS LS FIVG. NOT ONLY DID HE TWEET THAT BALDW’S TMP IMPRSN “SUCKS” BUT HE ALSO LLED THE ACTOR “SRED LOW CLASS TRASH” AND “FATFACE.” THEN HE DROPPED AN EVEN MORE DAMNG DICTMENT. ACRDG TO ADOMIAN, SNL ED ATAMANUIK’S DN TAPE TO HELP BALDW “RIP” OFF. HE TWEETED, “SNL IS THE MOST NOTOR THIEF OF SKETCH, CHARACTERS AND JOK THE ENTIRE DTRY.” “OH, JAM. I’D SUE YOU FOR THIS, BUT THE ONLY THG YOU HAVE IS BTERNS AND OBSCURY,” BALDW TWEETED BACK AT ADOMIAN. “ALEC BALDW STARTED A FIGHT BEE HE’S A FAT IDT,” ADOMIAN TELLS ME WHEN I BRG UP THE CINT. IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR, BUT HE’S CLEARLY STILL HEATED ABOUT AND SHOCKED THAT NO ONE HAS ASKED HIM ABOUT ON THE RERD SCE HAPPENED.“ALEC BALDW IS A BULLY AND IS SENSIVE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AS FAMO AS HIM BEG BETTER THAN HIM AT EDY,” HE NTU, LEARNG FORWARD HIS SEAT. “SO HE STARTED A FIGHT BY SHTG ON ANTHONY ATAMANUIK BEE OF A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE—NOT ANTHONY—MPAIGNG FOR HIM TO HOST THE RRPONNTS’ DNER AS TMP.“THERE WAS A GROUNDSWELL OF PEOPLE AND FAT, JEALO, BULLY FUCK ALEC BALDW WENT ON TELEVISN, WHICH TONY DIDN’T HAVE ACCS TO, AND LLED ‘TER GUYS,’” HE SAYS. “AND I’M SORRY, I DON’T LIKE HAVG BIG FIGHTS WH PEOPLE, BUT IS NOT ALLOWED TO LL ME AN ‘TER GUY.’ I AM SUPERR TO YOU, ALEC. SO I BEAT HIM UP, I TGHT HIM A LSON. HE GOT A WEEK OF BAD PRS AND OM TIME TO TIME I KICK HIM AGA.” FROM THERE, ADOMIAN ACC BALDW OF MAKG A “HOMOPHOBIC” MENT ABOUT HIM DURG THEIR TWTER FIGHT BY PARG HIM TO TENNSEE WILLIAMS. “BUT HERE’S THE THG,” HE ADDS. “I GET TO EXPERIENCE THE REAL JOY OF DIENC LGHG WHOUT A WARM-UP ARTIST HOLDG AN APPLSE SIGN, WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY ALEC BALDW HEARS APPLSE. SO MY LIFE IS FAR MORE JOYFUL BEE I’M NOT SURROUND BY Y MEN TO MAKE ME HAPPY, LIKE FAT BOY BALDW.” AS FOR LARRY DAVID, WHO WAS ST AS BERNIE SANRS ON THE SHOW BEE OF THEIR UNNNY REMBLANCE, ADOMIAN SAYS, “HE DO A VERY FUNNY LARRY DAVID IMPRSN THAT THEY LL A VERY FUNNY BERNIE SANRS IMPRSN.” (HE LATER TEXTS ME TO SAY THAT HE HAS “NO BEEF” WH DAVID, UNLIKE BALDW.)WHEN I ASK ADOMIAN SPECIFILLY ABOUT THE CHARGE HE MA REGARDG SNL STEALG JOK, HE SAYS, “THAT’S A SNDAL THAT’S GOG TO BREAK OPEN SOONER OR LATER, I GUS. SNL IS NOTOR FOR PASSG AROUND DN TAP. IT HAPPENED TO ME. IT HAPPENED TO ANTHONY. IT’S HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW.” ADOMIAN LLS AN “DTRY-WI PROBLEM” OF CREATORS G PEOPLE’S DNS TO CREATE SHOWS WHOUT HIRG THOSE PEOPLE. “SNL IS PROBABLY THE WORST OFFENR,” HE SAYS, “BUT ’S AN DTRY-WI PROBLEM AND SAG-AFTRA SHOULD GET VOLVED.” INSTEAD OF CRICIZG SNL, ADOMIAN SAYS HE WOULD PREFER TO PETE WH THEM ON A SKETCH-EDY SERI OF HIS OWN WHERE HE AND HIS EDIAN IENDS N DO THEIR IMPERSONATNS FOR A LARGER TV DIENCE. “THERE’S A GOLN AGE ON THE TER THAT IS NOT BEG REPRENTED ON TELEVISN AT ALL,” HE SAYS, “OF PEOPLE WHO DO THE AMAZG IMPRSNS THAT YOU ONLY KNOW ABOUT IF YOU LISTEN TO PODSTS OR WATCH THE RIGHT WEB SERI.” SNL MAY BE G OFF OF S EMMY-WNG, HIGHT-RATED SEASON S, BUT ADOMIAN THKS THE CURRENT STATE OF SKETCH EDY ON TELEVISN IS “ABYSMAL,” PECIALLY NOW THAT KEY & PEELE IS NO LONGER ON THE AIR. “I FEEL THAT SAME WAY ABOUT REPRENTATN,” HE SAYS. “WE ARE A GOLN AGE OF GAY MALE ICS, AT LIVE SHOWS, AROUND THE UNTRY AND AT FTIVALS LIKE THIS. WE ARE VERY WELL-PRENTED AT LIVE SHOWS AND ON THE TER. TELEVISN? NOT SO MUCH.” HE JOK THAT GAY MEN HOSTG TV SHOWS IS “ALMOST ILLEGAL” THE U.S. (ANDY COHEN NOTWHSTANDG). ADOMIAN CHALKS SOME OF THIS UP TO “OVERT HOMOPHOBIA,” BUT SAYS MOST OF IS DUE TO THE “WARDICE” OF EXECUTIV WHO WILL SAY, “I’M NOT HOMOPHOBIC, BUT I’M AAID THAT MY DIENCE IS.” WHEREAS THE SUCCS OF A FILM LIKE BLACK PANTHER IS MAKG HOLLYWOOD RENSIR S RACIST PRENCEPTNS ABOUT WHAT DIENC WANT TO SEE, ADOMIAN SAYS IS “IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN IMAGE ANYTHG LIKE BLACK PANTHER FOR GAY PEOPLE.” “WE ARE SO FAR AWAY OM THAT, AND I WISH THAT WE WERE CLOSER,” HE SAYS. “WE STILL NEED TO BE ST MEMBERS ON TV SHOWS. THERE ARE STILL SO MANY STEPS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN FOR GAY REPRENTATN. SO I’M PLAYG THIS GAME FOR FUTURE GENERATNS. I PROBABLY NNOT REAP THE BENEFS OF WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. I’M 38 NOW.” SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST SOME OF THOSE YOUNGER OUT EDIANS HAVE BEEN GAG POPULARY RECENT YEARS. JOHN EARLY HAS HAD SOME MASTREAM SUCCS ON TV WH SEARCH PARTY AND WET HOT AMERIN SUMMER. STAND-UP ICS LIKE MATTEO LANE, JOEL KIM BOOSTER AND JUL TORR (WHO WR FOR SNL) ARE KILLG CLUBS. BILLY EICHNER—ABOUT THE SAME AGE AS ADOMIAN—MIGHT BE THE MOST SUCCSFUL GAY MALE EDIAN ON TELEVISN RIGHT NOW AND HIS SHOW CURRENTLY DON’T HAVE A WORK. ADOMIAN C DANIEL WEBB, ANTHONY DAMO, AND DREW DROEGE AS GAY ICS WHO “SHOULD BE HOEHOLD NAM” BUT AREN’T. “IT’S SAD FOR ME TO SEE THE GUYS AND GO, ‘OH MY GOD, THIS IS GREAT!’” ADOMIAN SAYS. “AND THEN YOU REALIZE, OH FUCK, THERE’S A BRICK WALL ONT OF THEM.” AS PSIMISTIC AS HE IS, ADOMIAN SAYS HE HAS SEEN PROGRS OVER THE URSE OF HIS REER, OM PERFORMG TO “HOSTILE” DIENC AROUND THE UNTRY TO THE MORE ACCEPTG EMBRACE HE RECEIV TODAY. EVEN THOSE EARLY DAYS HE WOULD ALWAYS TALK ABOUT BEG GAY AT THE TOP OF HIS SET ORR TO “FORCE THEM TO LGH AND CHANGE THEIR MDS THAT WAY.” “THE PUBLIC OPN ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE, GAY SEX, OTHER GAY RIGHTS ISSU HAS NOTICEABLY SHIFTED LIKE ICE MELTG AND THEN SUDNLY FALLS. IT’S BEEN FAST,” HE SAYS. “BUT TV EXECUTIV ARE THE SLOWT WARDS.” HE LGHS, REALIZG THAT MIGHT BE THE WORST THG FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A TV SHOW TO SAY OUT LOUD.“BUT I N’T PLA,” ADOMIAN SAYS FALLY, WH AT LEAST A HT OF IRONY. “I’M HAPPY WH WHERE I AM. I GET TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP. AND THAT’S THE PIRATE’S LIFE THAT I SIGNED UP FOR.” UPDATE: COMEDIAN JOHN MILHISER, WHO WAS A FEATURED PLAYER ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE FOR THE 2013-2014 SEASON, TWEETED ON FRIDAY EVENG THAT HE WAS AN “OUT AND PROUD GAY MAN” WHEN HE WAS ON THE SHOW. “THERE SHOULD BE MORE THOUGH,” HE ADD. MATT WILSTE
• JAM ADOMIAN IS THE HERO GAY VILLAS DERVE

TOM ALLEN: THE IA OF GAY SHAME STILL PERVAS

32 BELOW - Ma CellarTICKETS2 NOV 2023LONDONA Gay And A NonGay Podst - 945PM @.

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

Image source, Aemen SkarImage ptn, Allen says edy is a place where people n explore and celebrate their quirksAt the turn of the lennium, when edian Tom Allen was a teenager, a celebry g out as gay regularly ma headle late Boyzone sger Stephen Gately was splashed across the ont page of the Sun when he revealed he was gay 1999. When Brian Dowlg won the send seri of Big Brother 2001, the fact he was gay was notable and groundbreakg. Society was a perd of transn at the time, wh attus towards homosexualy beg ls hostile.

And wh them me chang the law to improve gay rights. "Those were such seismic events 15 or 20 years ago, " says Allen, whose new memoir studi the shame he felt growg up gay. "Image ptn, Allen recently appeared on a Covid-safe edn of Mock The Week, alongsi Rhys Jam and Athena KugblenuOcsnally, a story volvg homosexualy still has the power to make the news headl today, but only when 's somethg really out of the ordary.

Meanwhile, progrs ntu to be ma on gay rights. Equal marriage was troduced the UK 2014, and earlier this year Prime Mister Boris Johnson announced plans to outlaw gay nversn therapy were beg brought Allen not is "still tricky" for gay people to e out. "Add to which, young gay people still feel hibed lots of ways.

COMEDIAN JAM ADOMIAN: SNL HAS A PROBLEM WH CASTG GAY MENFIRST IMPRESSIONIN A WI-RANGG TERVIEW AT SXSW, THE FUNNIT POLIL IMPERSONATOR WORKG TODAY OPENS UP ABOUT THE STATE OF EDY, ‘FAT IDT’ ALEC BALDW, AND HIS ISSU WH SNL.MATT WILSTESENR EDORUPDATED MAR. 20, 2018 7:51PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 16, 2018 4:00AM EDT PHOTO ILTRATN BY SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEASTAUSTIN, TEXAS—JAM ADOMIAN IS PERHAPS THE GREATT POLIL IMPRSNIST WORKG EDY TODAY. JT THIS WEEK AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWT, HE PERFORMED AS BERNIE SANRS, SEBASTIAN GORKA, ELON MK, ALEX JON, CHRIS MATTHEWS, AND TED CZ (WHO HE VOIC TO HILAR EFFECT ON OUR CARTOON PRINT) AT VAR SHOWS AROUND AT.DURG HIS OWN SOLO STAND-UP SET MONDAY NIGHT, HE DID ALL OF THOSE CHARACTERS ALONG WH PL GIAMATTI, SHOCK JOCK TOM LEYKIS AND, FOR GOOD MEASURE, DONALD TMP. BUT ADOMIAN, A REGULAR PRENCE ON PODSTS LIKE COMEDY BANG! BANG! AND CHAPO TRAP HOE, HAS NEVER BEEN ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. HE DON’T HAVE HIS OWN LATE-NIGHT SHOW. AND THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE YOU’VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF HIM.THE 38-YEAR-OLD EDIAN HAS SOME IAS ABOUT WHY THAT MIGHT BE. AND HAS A LOT TO DO WH BEG A STILL ALL-TOO-RARE OUT GAY MALE EDIAN. THK ABOUT . IT’S EASY TO RATTLE OFF A LIST OF VERY SUCCSFUL LBIAN STAND-UP ICS. ELLEN DEGENER. TIG NOTARO. WANDA SYK. MARGARET CHO. ROSIE O’DONNELL. BUT HAS THERE EVER BEEN A HUGELY SUCCSFUL OUT GAY MALE IC? PERHAPS EVEN MORE SHOCKG IS THE FACT THAT THERE HASN’T BEEN AN OUT GAY MALE FULL-FLEDGED ST MEMBER ON SNL SCE TERRY SWEENEY BEME THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO. HE ONLY LASTED ONE SEASON, OM 1985-1986, AND HAS SCE BEEN MORE OR LS LOST TO HISTORY. IT WAS ANOTHER 26 YEARS BEFORE THE SHOW BROUGHT ON S NEXT OUT ST MEMBER, CURRENT STAR KATE MCKNON. IN 2016, CHRIS KELLY BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY -HEAD WRER (ALONG WH SARA SCHNEIR) SNL’S HISTORY, BUT THEY LEFT TO CREATE A NEW SHOW FOR COMEDY CENTRAL THE FOLLOWG YEAR. “IT WOULD BE NICE IF THEY PUT A GAY MAN ON MERA ON THAT SHOW,” ADOMIAN TELLS ME OVER LATT THE LOBBY OF HIS HOTEL AT. “I’VE BEEN OUT OF THE CLOSET THE WHOLE TIME SCE I DNED 13 YEARS AGO. YOU WOULD THK THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TRIED TO PUT SOMEONE ELSE ON THAT WAS A GAY MAN. IT’S ABOUT TIME.” “‘SNL’ IS NOTOR FOR PASSG AROUND DN TAP. IT HAPPENED TO ME. IT HAPPENED TO ANTHONY. IT’S HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW.” SNL CLED TO MENT FOR THIS PIECE ON THE RERD. HOWEVER, A SOURCE WH KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUATN SAYS ADOMIAN DNED SEVERAL TIM BUT THE SHOW CID HIS EDY WASN’T THE RIGHT F. JAKE WEISMAN, A YOUNG EDIAN WHO -CREATED AND -STARS THE COMEDY CENTRAL SERI CORPORATE, RECENTLY TOLD ME HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHY SOMEONE AS TALENTED AS ADOMIAN NEVER GOT HIRED BY SNL. “BEE HE’S GAY,” WEISMAN SAID MATTER-OF-FACTLY. “BEE THEY’RE BIGOTED.” WHEN I SUGGT THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE SE 2018, HE REPLIED, “I MEAN, THE GUY AT THE TOP’S THE SAME, PEOPLE ARE JT LLG OUT MORE.” “IT CERTALY DIDN’T HELP THAT I WAS OPENLY GAY,” ADOMIAN SAYS OF HIS DN EXPERIENCE. “I THK THAT LORNE MICHAELS IS AAID OF AMERI’S DADS.” HE IMAT A MIDDLE-AMERIN STRAIGHT GUY SAYG, “I’M NOT GONNA LET MY KID WATCH A SHOW WH A GAY MAN.” HE PREDICTS THE TREND WILL CHANGE “SOONER OR LATER” BUT SAYS ’S UP TO MICHAELS “WHETHER HE’LL BE A PART OF” THAT CHANGE OR NOT. ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF SXSW THIS YEAR, ADOMIAN PERFORMED AS BERNIE SANRS AT A TOWN HALL-STYLE EVENT AT ESTHER’S FOLLI. WH THE HELP OF THE FTIVAL ANIZERS, HE HAD TRIED TO GET THE SENATOR TO MAKE A SURPRISE APPEARANCE, BUT THEY ULDN’T MAKE HAPPEN. “BERNIE HAS BAD TASTE EDY,” ADOMIAN TELLS ME. “IRONILLY, BERNIE ONLY PAYS ATTENTN TO THE BILLNAIRE LEVEL OF EDY. SO WORKG-CLASS BERNIE SANRS SUPPORTERS EDY, ’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO BE AWARE OF,” HE ADDS, REFERRG TO HIMSELF. “I’M THE BERNIE SANRS OF BERNIE SANRS IMPERSONATORS.” ADOMIAN, WHO MAXED OUT AS AN DIVIDUAL NTRIBUTOR TO SANRS’ MPAIGN DURG THE 2016 PRIMARY, ULDN’T EVEN GET TO SEE THE SENATOR SPEAK AT SXSW THAT SAME DAY AND STEAD HAD TO WATCH OM AN OVERFLOW ROOM. “HIS IAS ARE GREAT AND HIS POSTURE IS BAD,” HE JOK. “THAT’S WHY I’VE ALWAYS LOVED HIM.” HE ALSO UNTS HIMSELF AMONG THE “BERNIE WOULD’VE WON” CROWD, ARGUG THAT THERE’S “NO POSSIBLE WAY HE WOULD HAVE LOST WISNS AND MICHIGAN AND PENNSYLVANIA.” AND ADOMIAN SWEARS HE DON’T JT SUPPORT SANRS TO HELP HIS OWN REER. “IT WAS ALL BEE I BELIEVE HIM,” HE SAYS. “I DON’T VOTE BASED ON MY REER. IF THAT WERE THE SE, I’D BE VOTG FOR SEB GORKA.” IT’S SOMETHG HE EXPERIENCED BACK 2004 WHEN HE HAD BEEN PERFORMG A PARTICULARLY “NASTY AND ANTAGONISTIC” GEE W. BH IMPRSN HIS ACT AND THEN LATER ON THE LATE LATE SHOW WH CRAIG FERGON. “IT WAS PAFUL, BEE WHEN HE GOT RE-ELECTED PEOPLE LLED ME AND WERE LIKE, ‘CONGRATULATNS’ AND I WAS LIKE, ‘NO! I’VE BEEN TRYG TO STROY HIM.’“WHAT SEPARAT A GREAT EDIAN WHO DO IMPRSNS OM AN IMPRSNIST THAT PEOPLE KD OF GROAN AT IS THE IA OF WHAT’S ABSOLUTELY HILAR ABOUT THE PERSON YOU’RE DOG AN IMPRSN OF,” HE SAYS. “IT SHOULD BE FUNNY FIRST. ACCURATE SEND. OTHERWISE YOU’RE BASILLY DOG A MAGIC TRICK.” SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER AND REALLY TRYG TO “PROVE” HIMSELF HE WOULD TRAVEL TO FTIVALS WH A HUGE SUSE FILLED WH FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT STUM FOR THE CHARACTERS HE WOULD PLAY ON STAGE. FOR HIS OWN “SANY,” HE SAYS HE HAS CUT WAY BACK ON THAT, BUT DID STILL BREAK OUT THE WHE WIG FOR SANRS AND A FAKE GOATEE AND BLACK LEATHER GLOV FOR GORKA AT. “JAM IS AN CREDIBLE IMPERSONATOR BEE HE'S A GREAT ACTOR AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE DO AN 'IMPRSN' WHICH, TO ME, IS DIFFERENT THAT AN IMPERSONATN,” ANTHONY ATAMANUIK, THE STAR OF COMEDY CENTRAL’S THE PRINT SHOW, TOLD ME OF HIS IEND THIS WEEK. “HE IS GIVG YOU AN ARTFUL TERPRETATN OF THE PERSON HE'S PORTRAYG. THE ACCURACY IS A SKILLFUL BON, BUT THE SOUL OF JAM' WORK IS HIS TERPRETATN OF THE EFFABLE QUALI OF A PERSON.”ADOMIAN TELLS ME THAT HE HAS A LOT OF LARGER IAS FOR TELEVISN AND FILM, BUT HE’S “NOT ABLE TO MAKE THEM” BEE HE’S NEVER BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNY. IN CHARACTER AS BERNIE SANRS AT HIS SHOW LAST FRIDAY NIGHT, HE MOMENTARILY “BROKE THE FOURTH WALL” TO REVEAL THAT HE HAD RECENTLY PCHED A SHOW TO NETFLIX, BUT WAS ULTIMATELY REJECTED BEE THEY ARE “ONLY TERTED DOG ALS WH FAMO PEOPLE.” HE TELLS ME HE’S HAD MEETGS WH “EVERY SGLE WORK” THAT A EDY FAN MIGHT BE FAIAR WH AND THEY HAVE SAID NO TO HIS TV SHOW IAS EVERY TIME (SO FAR). FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR LEADG UP TO THE 2016 ELECTN, ADOMIAN TOURED THE UNTRY AS BERNIE SANRS, GOG CY TO CY BATG DONALD TMP, AS PLAYED ATAMANUIK.THE FOLLOWG SPRG, AFTER TMP HAD UNEXPECTEDLY WON THE ELECTN, ALEC BALDW WENT ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! AND MOUTHED THE WORDS “FUCK YOU” TO SOME “GUYS ON THE TER” LOBBYG TO FILL- FOR THE PRINT AT WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS FIRST WHE HOE CORRPONNTS’ DNER. HE WAS TALKG ABOUT ATAMANUIK, WHOSE FANS HAD STARTED A TWTER MPAIGN ON HIS BEHALF. WHEN ATAMANUIK TRIED TO RPOND DIPLOMATILLY TO BALDW, WH WHOM HE’D WORKED ON 30 ROCK, THE ACTOR BLOCKED HIM. “I’M SAD THAT THERE’S A DISTANCE OR PROBLEM THERE, OR WHATEVER, BUT I DON’T REALLY KNOW,” ATAMANUIK TOLD ME LAST YEAR. “YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW. BUT WASN’T LIKE WE WERE THE BT OF IENDS, SO WHAT N I TELL YOU?” ADOMIAN WAS LS FIVG. NOT ONLY DID HE TWEET THAT BALDW’S TMP IMPRSN “SUCKS” BUT HE ALSO LLED THE ACTOR “SRED LOW CLASS TRASH” AND “FATFACE.” THEN HE DROPPED AN EVEN MORE DAMNG DICTMENT. ACRDG TO ADOMIAN, SNL ED ATAMANUIK’S DN TAPE TO HELP BALDW “RIP” OFF. HE TWEETED, “SNL IS THE MOST NOTOR THIEF OF SKETCH, CHARACTERS AND JOK THE ENTIRE DTRY.” “OH, JAM. I’D SUE YOU FOR THIS, BUT THE ONLY THG YOU HAVE IS BTERNS AND OBSCURY,” BALDW TWEETED BACK AT ADOMIAN. “ALEC BALDW STARTED A FIGHT BEE HE’S A FAT IDT,” ADOMIAN TELLS ME WHEN I BRG UP THE CINT. IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR, BUT HE’S CLEARLY STILL HEATED ABOUT AND SHOCKED THAT NO ONE HAS ASKED HIM ABOUT ON THE RERD SCE HAPPENED.“ALEC BALDW IS A BULLY AND IS SENSIVE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AS FAMO AS HIM BEG BETTER THAN HIM AT EDY,” HE NTU, LEARNG FORWARD HIS SEAT. “SO HE STARTED A FIGHT BY SHTG ON ANTHONY ATAMANUIK BEE OF A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE—NOT ANTHONY—MPAIGNG FOR HIM TO HOST THE RRPONNTS’ DNER AS TMP.“THERE WAS A GROUNDSWELL OF PEOPLE AND FAT, JEALO, BULLY FUCK ALEC BALDW WENT ON TELEVISN, WHICH TONY DIDN’T HAVE ACCS TO, AND LLED ‘TER GUYS,’” HE SAYS. “AND I’M SORRY, I DON’T LIKE HAVG BIG FIGHTS WH PEOPLE, BUT IS NOT ALLOWED TO LL ME AN ‘TER GUY.’ I AM SUPERR TO YOU, ALEC. SO I BEAT HIM UP, I TGHT HIM A LSON. HE GOT A WEEK OF BAD PRS AND OM TIME TO TIME I KICK HIM AGA.” FROM THERE, ADOMIAN ACC BALDW OF MAKG A “HOMOPHOBIC” MENT ABOUT HIM DURG THEIR TWTER FIGHT BY PARG HIM TO TENNSEE WILLIAMS. “BUT HERE’S THE THG,” HE ADDS. “I GET TO EXPERIENCE THE REAL JOY OF DIENC LGHG WHOUT A WARM-UP ARTIST HOLDG AN APPLSE SIGN, WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY ALEC BALDW HEARS APPLSE. SO MY LIFE IS FAR MORE JOYFUL BEE I’M NOT SURROUND BY Y MEN TO MAKE ME HAPPY, LIKE FAT BOY BALDW.” AS FOR LARRY DAVID, WHO WAS ST AS BERNIE SANRS ON THE SHOW BEE OF THEIR UNNNY REMBLANCE, ADOMIAN SAYS, “HE DO A VERY FUNNY LARRY DAVID IMPRSN THAT THEY LL A VERY FUNNY BERNIE SANRS IMPRSN.” (HE LATER TEXTS ME TO SAY THAT HE HAS “NO BEEF” WH DAVID, UNLIKE BALDW.)WHEN I ASK ADOMIAN SPECIFILLY ABOUT THE CHARGE HE MA REGARDG SNL STEALG JOK, HE SAYS, “THAT’S A SNDAL THAT’S GOG TO BREAK OPEN SOONER OR LATER, I GUS. SNL IS NOTOR FOR PASSG AROUND DN TAP. IT HAPPENED TO ME. IT HAPPENED TO ANTHONY. IT’S HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW.” ADOMIAN LLS AN “DTRY-WI PROBLEM” OF CREATORS G PEOPLE’S DNS TO CREATE SHOWS WHOUT HIRG THOSE PEOPLE. “SNL IS PROBABLY THE WORST OFFENR,” HE SAYS, “BUT ’S AN DTRY-WI PROBLEM AND SAG-AFTRA SHOULD GET VOLVED.” INSTEAD OF CRICIZG SNL, ADOMIAN SAYS HE WOULD PREFER TO PETE WH THEM ON A SKETCH-EDY SERI OF HIS OWN WHERE HE AND HIS EDIAN IENDS N DO THEIR IMPERSONATNS FOR A LARGER TV DIENCE. “THERE’S A GOLN AGE ON THE TER THAT IS NOT BEG REPRENTED ON TELEVISN AT ALL,” HE SAYS, “OF PEOPLE WHO DO THE AMAZG IMPRSNS THAT YOU ONLY KNOW ABOUT IF YOU LISTEN TO PODSTS OR WATCH THE RIGHT WEB SERI.” SNL MAY BE G OFF OF S EMMY-WNG, HIGHT-RATED SEASON S, BUT ADOMIAN THKS THE CURRENT STATE OF SKETCH EDY ON TELEVISN IS “ABYSMAL,” PECIALLY NOW THAT KEY & PEELE IS NO LONGER ON THE AIR. “I FEEL THAT SAME WAY ABOUT REPRENTATN,” HE SAYS. “WE ARE A GOLN AGE OF GAY MALE ICS, AT LIVE SHOWS, AROUND THE UNTRY AND AT FTIVALS LIKE THIS. WE ARE VERY WELL-PRENTED AT LIVE SHOWS AND ON THE TER. TELEVISN? NOT SO MUCH.” HE JOK THAT GAY MEN HOSTG TV SHOWS IS “ALMOST ILLEGAL” THE U.S. (ANDY COHEN NOTWHSTANDG). ADOMIAN CHALKS SOME OF THIS UP TO “OVERT HOMOPHOBIA,” BUT SAYS MOST OF IS DUE TO THE “WARDICE” OF EXECUTIV WHO WILL SAY, “I’M NOT HOMOPHOBIC, BUT I’M AAID THAT MY DIENCE IS.” WHEREAS THE SUCCS OF A FILM LIKE BLACK PANTHER IS MAKG HOLLYWOOD RENSIR S RACIST PRENCEPTNS ABOUT WHAT DIENC WANT TO SEE, ADOMIAN SAYS IS “IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN IMAGE ANYTHG LIKE BLACK PANTHER FOR GAY PEOPLE.” “WE ARE SO FAR AWAY OM THAT, AND I WISH THAT WE WERE CLOSER,” HE SAYS. “WE STILL NEED TO BE ST MEMBERS ON TV SHOWS. THERE ARE STILL SO MANY STEPS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN FOR GAY REPRENTATN. SO I’M PLAYG THIS GAME FOR FUTURE GENERATNS. I PROBABLY NNOT REAP THE BENEFS OF WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. I’M 38 NOW.” SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST SOME OF THOSE YOUNGER OUT EDIANS HAVE BEEN GAG POPULARY RECENT YEARS. JOHN EARLY HAS HAD SOME MASTREAM SUCCS ON TV WH SEARCH PARTY AND WET HOT AMERIN SUMMER. STAND-UP ICS LIKE MATTEO LANE, JOEL KIM BOOSTER AND JUL TORR (WHO WR FOR SNL) ARE KILLG CLUBS. BILLY EICHNER—ABOUT THE SAME AGE AS ADOMIAN—MIGHT BE THE MOST SUCCSFUL GAY MALE EDIAN ON TELEVISN RIGHT NOW AND HIS SHOW CURRENTLY DON’T HAVE A WORK. ADOMIAN C DANIEL WEBB, ANTHONY DAMO, AND DREW DROEGE AS GAY ICS WHO “SHOULD BE HOEHOLD NAM” BUT AREN’T. “IT’S SAD FOR ME TO SEE THE GUYS AND GO, ‘OH MY GOD, THIS IS GREAT!’” ADOMIAN SAYS. “AND THEN YOU REALIZE, OH FUCK, THERE’S A BRICK WALL ONT OF THEM.” AS PSIMISTIC AS HE IS, ADOMIAN SAYS HE HAS SEEN PROGRS OVER THE URSE OF HIS REER, OM PERFORMG TO “HOSTILE” DIENC AROUND THE UNTRY TO THE MORE ACCEPTG EMBRACE HE RECEIV TODAY. EVEN THOSE EARLY DAYS HE WOULD ALWAYS TALK ABOUT BEG GAY AT THE TOP OF HIS SET ORR TO “FORCE THEM TO LGH AND CHANGE THEIR MDS THAT WAY.” “THE PUBLIC OPN ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE, GAY SEX, OTHER GAY RIGHTS ISSU HAS NOTICEABLY SHIFTED LIKE ICE MELTG AND THEN SUDNLY FALLS. IT’S BEEN FAST,” HE SAYS. “BUT TV EXECUTIV ARE THE SLOWT WARDS.” HE LGHS, REALIZG THAT MIGHT BE THE WORST THG FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A TV SHOW TO SAY OUT LOUD.“BUT I N’T PLA,” ADOMIAN SAYS FALLY, WH AT LEAST A HT OF IRONY. “I’M HAPPY WH WHERE I AM. I GET TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP. AND THAT’S THE PIRATE’S LIFE THAT I SIGNED UP FOR.” UPDATE: COMEDIAN JOHN MILHISER, WHO WAS A FEATURED PLAYER ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE FOR THE 2013-2014 SEASON, TWEETED ON FRIDAY EVENG THAT HE WAS AN “OUT AND PROUD GAY MAN” WHEN HE WAS ON THE SHOW. “THERE SHOULD BE MORE THOUGH,” HE ADD. MATT WILSTE

And not jt about beg gay - several of his personaly tras were the subject of ridicule, such as his drs sense, mic taste and posh accent.

JAM ADOMIAN IS THE HERO GAY VILLAS DERVE

I wasn't gay when I was four, although I knew I was different. But s gone by, such a style was a ccial way for gay people to munite. "That programme went out on Rad 4 on Sunday afternoons the 1960s, and wasn't legal to be gay at that pot, and yet here they were talkg gay slang.