Netflix’s Unupled: Gay Sex, the Cy | Vany Fair

Contents:

• WILLIE GARSON, CARRIE'S GAY BTIE ON SEX AND THE CY, HAS DIED
• WHEN SEX AND THE CY RETURNS, WILL IT FALLY GET QUEER PEOPLE RIGHT?THE CLASSIC EDY HAS A TERRIBLE TRACK RERD ON QUEER ISSU, PECIALLY FOR A SHOW WRTEN BY WOMEN AND GAY MEN.BY CASSIE DA COSTAJANUARY 13, 2021FROM GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEON SUNDAY, HBO MAX NFIRMED THAT A SEX AND THE CY REBOOT LLED AND JT LIKE THAT… IS OFFICIALLY THE WORKS—AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SPIRED FERVENT SPECULATN AMONG FANS AND CRICS. (NOT LEAST BEE THE SHOW IS, TRAGILLY, DOWN ONE LEAD: KIM CATTRALL’S SAMANTHA.) THE ORIGAL SERI WAS FAMOLY NDID, AND OFTEN CLEVER, AS FOLLOWED FOUR IENDS—SAMANTHA, SARAH JSI PARKER’S CARRIE, CYNTHIA NIXON’S MIRANDA, AND KRIST DAVIS’S CHARLOTTE—SNAPPILY DISCSG THE TAILS OF THEIR SEX LIV, DATG PREFERENC, AND PERSONAL ASPIRATNS. BUT S QUIPPY, CY-GIRL TONE HAS AGED UNEVENLY. THOUGH THAT APPROACH WAS WELL-SUED TO A STORY ABOUT PROUDLY IMPERFECT WOMEN, THE SHOW ALSO ED AS A CHEAP EXCE TO CENTER A VERY SPECIFIC VIEWPOT: STRAIGHT WHE AFFLUENCE, AS WRTEN BY STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN AND GAY WHE MEN.FOR THOSE WHO STILL WATCH THE ORIGAL SERI WHENEVER THEY’VE GOT FIVE HOURS TO WASTE AWAY ON THE UCH, ’S NOT HARD TO ACKNOWLEDGE S WRONGHEADNS WHILE ENJOYG S TENACY AND EXTREME WATCHABILY. MUCH LIKE S SCENDANT GIRLS, SATC DRILLED TO EVEN THE MOST SHARPLY CRIL LENNIALS THAT MAY BE ELS TO TRY TO UNTANGLE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS—AND ANYWAY, ’S ALL JT TELEVISN, RIGHT? WHO DON’T ENJOY AN ELEVATED MS?NEWS OF A REBOOT, THOUGH, V TO RENSIR THE SHOW’S TONE AND IAS—AND OFTEN, SEX AND THE CY’S JIB TOOK THE FORM OF HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA. THROUGHOUT THE URSE OF THE SERI, SAMANTHA GLEEFULLY ED A TRANSPHOBIC SLUR A DIG AGAST SEX WORKERS; CARRIE DOUBTED THE VALIDY OF BISEXUAL MEN; MORE THAN ONE EPISO, LBIANS WERE PORTRAYED AS EXCLIVELY WHE, RICH, AND POWER-HUNGRY. STANFORD (WILLIE GARSON), CARRIE’S TOKEN GAY MALE IEND, WAS MORE OF AN ACCSORY THAN A PERSON; THE SEND SEX AND THE CY MOVIE, HE END UP MARRYG THE ANCHISE’S ONLY OTHER GAY MALE REGULAR, EVEN THOUGH HIS FUTURE HBAND ONCE CHASTISED HIS IEND CHARLOTTE FOR ASSUMG HE’D EVEN BE TERTED STANFORD. (“WHY, BEE HE’S GAY AND I’M GAY?” MAR CANTONE’S ANTHONY ASKED SEASON FOUR. “CHARLOTTE, LET ME CLEAR SOMETHG UP FOR YOU…I ULD DO A LOT BETTER.”)EVEN WHEN SAMANTHA, THE MOST SEXUALLY ADVENTURO OF THE BUNCH, DATED A WOMAN (PLAYED BY THE BELOVED BRAZILIAN ACTOR SôNIA BRAGA), SEX AND THE CY FUMBLED. THE SHOW ED LBIANISM AS A NARRATIVE VICE, PATG AS A STRATEGY BORN OUT OF DATG FATIGUE; THE POSSIBILY THAT SAMANTHA WAS LEGIMATELY CUR OR BISEXUAL WAS NEVER EXPLORED. HER IENDS’ SLY, SELF-CENTERED MENTARY ABOUT HER NEW RELATNSHIP—THAT SAMANTHA WAS SIMPLY A PHASE, THAT SHE WAS DOG THIS FOR ATTENTN—WAS AMED NOT AS GOSSIP, BUT SIGHT.TO THOSE OUTSI OF QUEER MUNI, SUCH A READG MAY E AS A SURPRISE; HOW ULD SEX AND THE CY GET GAY PEOPLE SO WRONG? HOW ULD S OPENLY GAY WRERS—PRIMARILY CREATOR DARREN STAR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MICHAEL PATRICK KG—SORELY MISREPRENT A GROUP THEY’RE A PART OF?BUT ’S OLD NEWS TO NOTE THAT (UALLY UPPER-CLASS) WHE GAY MEN HAVE A SERVED REPUTATN FOR TAKG NSERVATIVE AND EVEN BIGOTED POSNS ABOUT THEIR TRANS, BLACK, LBIAN, OR FAT BRETHREN, ACTG AS IF A MIX OF SELF-HATRED AND DISDA OF THE OTHER IS A CHARMG PERSONALY TRA. ACRDGLY, SEX AND THE CY’S MOST REACTNARY PERSPECTIV ARE NEVER PORTRAYED AS A SOURCE OF SHAME FOR THE CHARACTERS OR THEIR ACQUATANC; THEY’RE ALWAYS MEANT AS LIGHT ENTERTAMENT. SIARLY, STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN—LIKE THE BULK OF SEX AND THE CY’S WRERS—N OFTEN ACT AS ACPLIC AND AVATARS FOR THIS EXCLN. IN MANY WAYS, SEX AND THE CY ED THE MUCH-STEREOTYPED DYNAMIC OF IENDSHIP BETWEEN STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN AND GAY MEN TO PROP UP SELF-ASSUREDLY IGNORANT WORLDVIEWS.IT’S THIS AGE-OLD MIX OF GAY PATRIARCHY AND WHE SUPREMACY THAT ADDS A LAYER OF TREPIDATN TO ANYONE ANTICIPATG HBO’S LIMED-SERI REVIVAL OF THE SHOW. STAR, NOW HELMG THE POPULARLY HATE-WATCHED EY PARIS, IS OUT, WHILE KG, WHO WROTE AND DIRECTED SATC’S CRILLY MALIGNED BUT LUCRATIVE FILM SEQUELS, IS . STAR AND KG WORKED ALONGSI EACH OTHER FOR YEARS ON THE ORIGAL SERI; THE TERIM, KG PRODUCED THE CBS S 2 BROKE GIRLS, WHICH RECEIVED CRICISM FOR BLATANT RACISM. THE SKILL WILL TAKE TO ISSUE A REBOOT THAT IS SELF-AWARE WHOUT BEG SELF-NSC REQUIR MORE THAN EXPERIENCE OR SELF-HELP REVELATNS—IMAGATN IS SENTIAL.BUT AND JT LIKE THAT… WILL BE A H CREATN, EXISTG FIRMLY THE PRENT—A PRENT WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, CYNTHIA NIXON IS NOW MARRIED TO A WOMAN AND THE MOTHER TO A TRANS CHILD. IT’S UNLIKELY THAT SHE, AT LEAST, WOULD SIGN ONTO AND JT LIKE THAT… IF S SCRIPTS WERE AS VALIER ABOUT QUEER ISSU AS THE ORIGAL SERI SO OFTEN WAS. COULD A REPRISAL FORCE KG TO EXAME HOW HIS CHARACTERS’ FLAWS WERE OFTEN ROOTED AN ANTI-QUEER MENTALY? OR WILL THE NEW SERI SIMPLY PAPER OVER THE SHOW’S HISTORY BY MAKG CARRIE, MIRANDA, AND CHARLOTTE PARAGONS OF MIDLIFE EMOTNAL AND MORAL GROWTH? PERHAPS, THE END, OUR FAN FICTN ABOUT A LBIAN NEW YORK ERNOR MIRANDA HOBB ULD E TO UN—AS AN DIENCE-PANRG PLOT THAT ATON FOR SEX AND THE CY’S PAST SS.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— INSI BRIDGERTON’S SEXY, MORN MAKEOVER OF THE REGENCY PERD DRAMA— BORAT’S MARIA BAKALOVA HAD A SWEET RNN WH JEANISE JON— TA FEY AND ROBERT CARLOCK WRTLE CLUMSILY WH POLICS MR. MAYOR— BLAZG BLON BOMBSHELL: BARBARA PAYTON’S BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS— BRYAN CRANSTON DANC WH THE DEVIL YOUR HONOR— MEET BRIDGERTON’S DREAMBOAT DE, REGé-JEAN PAGE— STEPHEN COLBERT ANSWERS THE PROT QUTNNAIRE— FROM THE ARCHIVE: SAN SIMEON’S CHILD— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYCASSIE DA COSTA
• WILLIE GARSON, ACTOR BT KNOWN AS CARRIE’S GAY IEND SEX AND THE CY – OBUARY
• SEX AND THE CY STAR WILLIE GARSON DI AT 57HE PLAYED CARRIE’S BT IEND, STANFORD BLATCH, ALONG WH MEMORABLE ROL WHE COLLAR AND FARRELLY BROTHERS FILMS.BY ANTHONY BREZNINSEPTEMBER 21, 2021BY CRAIG BLANKENHORN/HBO/DARREN STAR PRODS./KOBAL/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWH HIS BOOKISH LOOK, FSY MEANOR, AND VILISH SE, WILLIE GARSON WORKED FOR A PLAYG UNNAMED CHARACTERS LIKE “NW EXECUTIVE,” “CORPORATE GUY,” AND “ANNOYG GUY” BEFORE BREAKG THROUGH WH HIS REER FG ROLE: SEX AND THE CY’S NATTILY DRSED NFIDANTE AND BT IEND STANFORD BLATCH. ARMED WH A RAZOR W AND EQUALLY SHARP SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE DATG SCENE, “STANNY” OFTEN JOED SARAH JSI PARKER’S CARRIE BRADSHAW AND HER TR OF GIRLIENDS NAVIGATG THE MEN OF MANHATTAN. FROM 1998 TO 2004, AND OVER TWO FEATURE FILMS, GARSON, WHO DIED TUDAY AT AGE 57, PLAYED THE PART OF THE “GAY BT IEND” YEARS BEFORE MOST PEOPLE KNEW A REAL-LIFE IEND OR RELATIVE WHO WAS FORTABLE BEG OUT.GARSON’S FIRST APPEARANCE AS STANFORD, THE 1998 PILOT FOR SEX AND THE CY, ARRIVED JT A YEAR AFTER ELLEN DEGENER’S CHARACTER OM HER SELF-TLED ABC S ME OUT PUBLICLY, CREATG A CULTURAL STIR AT A TIME WHEN SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS WERE SELDOM SEEN MASTREAM ENTERTAMENT. GARSON’S STANFORD PHED THE DOOR OPEN FURTHER AS A GAY CHARACTER WHO TALKED ANKLY WH HIS STRAIGHT IENDS ABOUT SEX, DATG, REJECTN, SECURY, AND THE ETERNAL NUNDM OF THE MALE MD. AS THE WORLD CHANGED, SO DID HE. IN THE 2010 MOVIE SEQUEL SEX AND THE CY 2, STANFORD SETTLED DOWN AND MARRIED HIS LONGTIME RIVAL, ANTHONY, A CEREMONY OFFICIATED BY NO LS THAN LIZA MNELLI. THAT WAS FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE 2015 SUPREME COURT LG THAT LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ALL 50 STAT. GARSON, WHO REPORTEDLY HAD BEEN BATTLG NCER, WAS NOT GAY HIMSELF, BUT TOOK PRI PLAYG A CHARACTER WHO ULD MAKE DIENC LGH WH STANFORD RATHER THAN AT HIM. WHILE DIENC WERE BEG ENTERTAED, THE ACTOR ALSO HOPED THE LOVABLE CHARACTER WOULD MAKE VIEWERS MORE ACCEPTG AND TOLERANT. “IT WAS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SHOW TO SHOW SOMEONE HAVG FUN BEG GAY, BEG PROUD, OPEN AND FORTABLE WH WHO THEY ARE,” HE TOLD THE HUFFGTON POST 2016. “YOU KNOW, WE’D JT E THROUGH THE [AIDS] CRISIS AND EVERY REPRENTATN OF GAY WAS KD OF DARK, AND SPOKEN HHED TON,” GARSON ADD. “BUT STANFORD WAS LIKE, ‘HEY, I’M GAY. REALLY GAY. SUPER GAY. AND I’M HAPPY ABOUT , I’M LOOKG FOR A BOYIEND, LOOKG FOR A HBAND,’ AND WAS VERY OPEN, AND DIFFERENT TO WHAT HAD BEEN SHOWN BEFORE.”GARSON’S ATH WAS NFIRMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY HIS SON, NATHEN GARSON: “YOU ALWAYS WERE THE TOUGHT AND FUNNIT AND SMARTT PERSON I’VE KNOWN. I’M GLAD YOU SHARED YOUR LOVE WH ME. I’LL NEVER FET OR LOSE . I LOVE YOU SO MUCH PAPA,” NATHEN WROTE ON INSTAGRAM.STANFORD WAS GARSON’S MOST FAMO ROLE, BUT THE ACTOR PLAYED SR OF OTHER CHARACTERS MOVI AND TV SHOWS OVER THE S, CLUDG A REGULAR ROLE AS THE N ARTIST, FIXER, AND RMATN GATHERER MOZZIE ON THE SERI WHE COLLAR. HE ALSO MA GUT APPEARANC ON CHEERS, THE X-FIL, QUANTUM LEAP, NYPD BLUE, AND SUPERGIRL. IN FILM, HE HAD SUPPORTG ROL GROUNDHOG DAY, SOAPDISH, AND MARS ATTACKS!, AND APPEARED THREE EDI DIRECTED BY THE FARRELLY BROTHERS—THERE’S SOMETHG ABOUT MARY, FEVER PCH, AND KGP.GARSON WAS OUTSPOKEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN FIGHTG BETWEEN THE OTHER ACTORS AND -STAR KIM CATTRALL LED TO THE LLAPSE OF PLANS FOR A THIRD SEX AND THE CY MOVIE, BUT FANS MAY GET TO SEE SANFORD ONE MORE TIME. IN A STATEMENT TO DEADLE MOURNG THE ACTOR, SERI CREATOR MICHAEL PATRICK KG SAID GARSON HAD BEEN WORKG ON THE NEW HBO FOLLOW-UP SERI AND JT LIKE THAT, EVEN WHILE BATTLG HIS ILLNS.INIALLY, GARSON HIMSELF WAS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THE CHARACTER WHO WOULD MAKE HIM FAMO. WHILE ACKNOWLEDGG THAT STANFORD WAS MORE OF AN EMBRACE OF STEREOTYP THAN A REFUTATN OF THEM, THE ACTOR WAS WORRIED ABOUT HOW LGBTQ+ PEOPLE WOULD FEEL ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE. “I DIDN’T WANT TO OFFEND THE MUNY AT ALL, AND THAT WAS A REALLY BIG NCERN OF ME, TO THE POT WHERE I DIDN’T EVEN HAVE HBO FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS BEE I DIDN’T WANT TO SEE , BEE I WAS SO TERRIFIED OF BEG OFFENSIVE,” THE ACTOR TOLD HUFFGTON POST. “BUT THE GAY MUNY REALLY ROSE UP, AND SAID ‘WE KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THIS, THIS IS REAL.’ AND SO THAT MA ME FEEL GREAT, AND I ULD START WATCHG THE SHOW.”STANFORD WAS PERFORMED WH PASSN AND EMPATHY, EVEN THOUGH HIS SENSE OF HUMOR WAS THLS. THAT ANKNS MA HIM ENARG, LIKE A REAL IEND WHO MIGHT TELL YOU ANYTHG. CONSIR THIS EXCHANGE HE HAD WH CARRIE SEASON THREE: “I N ONLY STAY A FEW MUT,” STANFORD SAYS. “I’VE GOT TICKETS TO THE VAGA MONOLOGU.”A PERPLEXED CARRIE ASKS HIM PLATIVELY: “WHY?”HIS REPLY: “JT BEE I DON’T EAT AT THE RTRANT DON’T MEAN I N’T HEAR THE SPECIALS.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— UNHAPPY LTLE TRE: THE DARK LEGACY OF BOB ROSS— THE TE STORY OF A HOLLYWOOD PARTNERSHIP BUILT AND DTROYED BY MONEY, SEX, AND CELEBRY— TED LASSO’S ROY KENT ON WHY THE SHOW ISN’T “WARM AND FUZZY”— CAFTANS, GOYARD, AND ELVIS: INSI THE WHE LOT’S COSTUM— THE CHAIR IS LIKE AN AMIC GAME OF THRON— THE BT MOVI AND SHOWS STREAMG ON NETFLIX THIS MONTH— RACHAEL LEIGH COOK ON RECLAIMG SHE’S ALL THAT— WATCH KRISTEN STEWART CHANNEL PRCS DI SPENCER’S OFFICIAL TRAILER— FROM THE ARCHIVE: JEFEY EPSTE AND HOLLYWOOD’S OMNIPRENT PUBLICIST— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYANTHONY BREZNIN
• WHY "SEX AND THE CY" IS BAD FOR THE GAYS
• IS UNUPLED THE GAY SEX AND THE CY?
• NETFLIX’S UNUPLED: GAY SEX, THE CYDARREN STAR’S NEW SERI HARKENS BACK TO A CLASSIC, WH A NEW SP. BY RICHARD LAWSONJULY 27, 2022SARAH SHATZ/NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVELAST YEAR’S AND JT LIKE THAT SHIFTED THE GAZE OF THE WATERSHED SERI SEX AND THE CY EVER SO SLIGHTLY. THE ORIGAL GANG WAS OLR; ONE WAS MISSG; AND SOME NEW IENDS HAD ARRIVED TO PLITE THE PARTY. WHILE SEX AND THE CY CREATOR DARREN STAR WASN’T VOLVED WH AND JT LIKE THAT, HE PERHAPS WANTED TO DO SOME RIFFG OF HIS OWN, AS EVINCED BY THE NEW NETFLIX SERI UNUPLED (JULY 29). IT’S A SHOW THAT NCERNS THE SAME FASCATNS AS STAR’S LANDMARK SERI—NEW YORK CY, ROMANCE, REER—ONLY OM A GAY PERSPECTIVE.EXPLICLY, DIRECTLY GAY, THAT IS. SATC AND AND JT LIKE THAT, WHILE MOSTLY ABOUT STRAIGHT WOMEN, ARE VERY MUCH FILTERED THROUGH A GAY LENS, THOUGH THE GAY CHARACTERS—CHIEFLY, NEBBISHY STANFORD AND HARPG ANTHONY—ARE OFTEN MERE PLOT FUNCTNARI. NOT SO ON UNUPLED, WHICH PUTS A GAY MAN, FORTY-SOMETHG MICHAEL (NEIL PATRICK HARRIS), ONT AND CENTER. STAR, WH -CREATOR JEFEY RICHMAN, BORROWS SATC’S EPISODIC DATG FORMAT AND ROLLS UP WH THE AGG ANXIETY OF AND JT LIKE THAT, ALL THE GASSY MIDDLE-YEARS JOK ABOUT THE SWIFT ENCROACHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND NEW SEXUAL, SOCIAL, AND POLIL NORMS. BUT UNUPLED DO SO LIGHTLY, WH A FLICK OF THE WRIST AND A SLOSH OF CHAMPAGNE. UNUPLED IS TOPIL S REFERENC, BUT A FLTERED, RNY WAY, MUCH LIKE STAR’S OTHER NETFLIX SERI, EY PARIS. THOSE SEEKG A MORN VERSN OF NEW YORK CY SELF WILL BE UNSATISFIED. THIS IS STILL A TELEVISN MANHATTAN THAT TURNS S NOSE UP AT BROOKLYN, THAT IS ALLERGIC TO THE SUBWAY, THAT HOLDS DOWNTOWN AS A PLACE FOR HIP RTRANTS AND GALLERI BUT NOT SUABLE FOR SOPHISTITED LIVG. MICHAEL IS A HIGH-END REAL TATE AGENT, SO THE SHOW SPENDS A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT PROPERTY AND NEIGHBORHOODS A WAY THAT IS HERMETILLY REMOVED OM THE REALI OF TODAY. (FOR ALL BUT A PREC, TERRIBLE FEW NEW YORKERS, ANYWAY.) THERE IS, Y, A PERVERSE PLEASURE TO UNUPLED’S BLHE DULGENCE, THE GUILTY THRILL OF SPENDG TIME A WORLD WHICH MONEY IS BOTH NO OBJECT AND THE ONLY OBJECT. THIS DO PROVE GRATG AS THE SERI WEARS ON, THOUGH. WHERE UNUPLED SEEKS NOVATN IS S ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS, DLY SOCLOGIL AND, OFTENTIM, SEXUALLY ANK. JT BEFORE A SURPRISE 50TH BIRTHDAY FOR MICHAEL’S PARTNER OF 17 YEARS, COL (TUC WATKS), THE BIRTHDAY BOY TELLS MICHAEL THAT HE’S LEAVG THE RELATNSHIP. THIS SENDS MICHAEL TO A TAILSP—AND ONTO APPS LIKE GRDR, WHERE HE NONTS A GAY DATG WORLD VASTLY DIFFERENT OM THE ONE HE KNEW BEFORE HE SETTLED FOR HIS LONG DOMTIC SPELL WH COL. THEIRS WASN’T AN OPEN RELATNSHIP, WHICH PUTS MICHAEL AT A DISTANCE OM A LOT OF GAY MEN A OR SO HIS JUNR. THE ADVENT OF PREP HAS HELPED CREATE A SEXUAL LANDSPE UTTERLY FOREIGN TO MICHAEL, THOUGH HE IS AT LEAST FAIAR WH MANY ENDURG HANGUPS OF HIS PARTICULAR I: THE TENSNS OF TOP AND BOTTOM, BEAR AND TWK, DADDY AND, WELL, NOT DADDY. WHILE THE DISURSE UNUPLED IS WELL TROD ALREADY, IS AT LEAST SOMETHG DIFFERENT TO SEE THOSE NVERSATNS PLAY OUT A ROM TV SERI ABOUT MIDDLE-AGE.  AS MICHAEL MEETS A HOST OF MEN ON HIS JOURNEY TOWARD HEALG (PRETTY MUCH A NEW GUY PER EPISO, LIKE THE OLD SATC DAYS!), HIS SIKICK IENDS UNRGO THEIR OWN MISADVENTUR. HIMBO WEATHERMAN BILLY (EMERSON BROOKS) SPENDS HIS TIME BED-HOPPG AND DATG DOWN ON THE AGE SLE. THE SHOW TEAS HIM FOR THAT, BUT MOSTLY AVOIDS OUTRIGHT SHAMG; HIS CHOIC ARE AMED MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT SAMANTHA JON’S WERE. MAYBE BILLY IS PHG TE LOVE AWAY WH ALL HIS EMOTNLS NOODLG, BUT ALSO, WHO R? STANLEY (BROOKS ASHMANSKAS) IS, AS HIS NAME WOULD SUGGT, MORE OF A SQUARE, A LONELY ART ALER WHO’S EVER SELF-PRETG ABOUT HIS AGE, HIS LOOKS, HIS FAILED ATTEMPTS AT FDG A MATE. AGA, THOUGH, UNUPLED IS REFUL WH S RITURE. OR MAYBE ’S JT ASHMANSKAS, WHO LENDS THOUGHTFUL SHADG TO EVEN THE GROANIT, MOST PATHETIC OF L.HARRIS, FOR HIS PART, IS BT WHEN THGS GET A LTLE SER: WHEN MICHAEL AND COL BICKER THE FALLOUT OF THEIR BREAKUP, OR WHEN MICHAEL HAS SOME SAD EPIPHANY ABOUT THE SUDN SHAPE OF HIS LIFE. HIS BROAR EDY IS STIFF—HARRIS IS NOT THE LIGHTT OF PRENC, SO HE HAS TROUBLE WH THE SHOW’S ZANIER, GOOFIER MATERIAL. ESPECIALLY NTRAST TO TISHA CAMPBELL, WHO PLAYS MICHAEL’S BS PARTNER, SUZANNE. CAMPBELL IS A DYNAMIC PERFORMER OWED A B MORE THAN SHE GETS HERE, THOUGH THE SHOW DO EVENTUALLY GIVE HER A SHRED OF A STANDALONE PLOT. SHE ALSO HAS A FEW JNTY SCEN WH MARCIA GAY HARN, WHO PLAYS (ON OLD-PRO TOPILOT) A SNOBBY ZILLNAIRE DIVORCéE LOOKG TO REPAIR HER LIFE JT AS MICHAEL IS. FOR ALL OF S CLUNK AND CREAK, UNUPLED IS AN AGREEABLE WATCH. IT’S DARG ENOUGH A FEW PLAC TO FEEL WORTHY OF S ERA, WHILE PROVIDG THE EASY, BRA-ANG, TRAPPED--AMBER ENJOYMENT THAT HAS BEE A HALLMARK OF STAR’S WORK. (IT SHOULD BE SAID, THOUGH, THAT SEX AND THE CY WAS, AT S PEAK, ACTUALLY QUE STIMULATG.) IN THE STTERED MOMENTS WHEN UNUPLED’S SLAPDASH TOPILY AND HOARY STEREOTYP GIVE WAY TO A JAG OF GENUELY SHARP WRG, THE SERI SWELLS TO F S PEDIGREE. THE SHOW ISN’T SEX AND THE CY, BUT NOTHG WILL EVER BE.WE’D PROBABLY DO WELL TO TAKE HEED OF UNUPLED’S MSAGE, THEN. TO STOP ALL OUR ELS PG FOR AN OLD LOVE WE N NEVER GET BACK. AND TO ENGAGE SOME HALFHEARTED FLIRTATN WH SOMETHG NEW AND—MAYBE, JT MAYBE—GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSWHY THE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKGHERE’S WHAT WE NEED SEASON 3 OF AND JT LIKE THAT…THE BRIEF DEATH (AND SHORT REBIRTH) OF LIL TAYINSI ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPMOST POPULARWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORDWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISRICHARD LAWSON

WILLIE GARSON, CARRIE'S GAY BTIE ON SEX AND THE CY, HAS DIED

Willie Garson, the actor known for playg Carrie Bradshaw's gay bt iend, Stanford Blatch, on Sex and the Cy, has died at age died "after a short illns, " People reports. His character, a talent agent, was always well-drsed and ready wh a wty was straight but stayed the closet about his sexualy durg the n of the show, sayg he didn't want to offend gay people. In a Page Six terview last year, he referred to "people playg gay characters jumpg up and down screamg that they're not gay, like that would somehow be a bad thg if they were.

WHEN SEX AND THE CY RETURNS, WILL IT FALLY GET QUEER PEOPLE RIGHT?THE CLASSIC EDY HAS A TERRIBLE TRACK RERD ON QUEER ISSU, PECIALLY FOR A SHOW WRTEN BY WOMEN AND GAY MEN.BY CASSIE DA COSTAJANUARY 13, 2021FROM GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEON SUNDAY, HBO MAX NFIRMED THAT A SEX AND THE CY REBOOT LLED AND JT LIKE THAT… IS OFFICIALLY THE WORKS—AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SPIRED FERVENT SPECULATN AMONG FANS AND CRICS. (NOT LEAST BEE THE SHOW IS, TRAGILLY, DOWN ONE LEAD: KIM CATTRALL’S SAMANTHA.) THE ORIGAL SERI WAS FAMOLY NDID, AND OFTEN CLEVER, AS FOLLOWED FOUR IENDS—SAMANTHA, SARAH JSI PARKER’S CARRIE, CYNTHIA NIXON’S MIRANDA, AND KRIST DAVIS’S CHARLOTTE—SNAPPILY DISCSG THE TAILS OF THEIR SEX LIV, DATG PREFERENC, AND PERSONAL ASPIRATNS. BUT S QUIPPY, CY-GIRL TONE HAS AGED UNEVENLY. THOUGH THAT APPROACH WAS WELL-SUED TO A STORY ABOUT PROUDLY IMPERFECT WOMEN, THE SHOW ALSO ED AS A CHEAP EXCE TO CENTER A VERY SPECIFIC VIEWPOT: STRAIGHT WHE AFFLUENCE, AS WRTEN BY STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN AND GAY WHE MEN.FOR THOSE WHO STILL WATCH THE ORIGAL SERI WHENEVER THEY’VE GOT FIVE HOURS TO WASTE AWAY ON THE UCH, ’S NOT HARD TO ACKNOWLEDGE S WRONGHEADNS WHILE ENJOYG S TENACY AND EXTREME WATCHABILY. MUCH LIKE S SCENDANT GIRLS, SATC DRILLED TO EVEN THE MOST SHARPLY CRIL LENNIALS THAT MAY BE ELS TO TRY TO UNTANGLE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS—AND ANYWAY, ’S ALL JT TELEVISN, RIGHT? WHO DON’T ENJOY AN ELEVATED MS?NEWS OF A REBOOT, THOUGH, V TO RENSIR THE SHOW’S TONE AND IAS—AND OFTEN, SEX AND THE CY’S JIB TOOK THE FORM OF HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA. THROUGHOUT THE URSE OF THE SERI, SAMANTHA GLEEFULLY ED A TRANSPHOBIC SLUR A DIG AGAST SEX WORKERS; CARRIE DOUBTED THE VALIDY OF BISEXUAL MEN; MORE THAN ONE EPISO, LBIANS WERE PORTRAYED AS EXCLIVELY WHE, RICH, AND POWER-HUNGRY. STANFORD (WILLIE GARSON), CARRIE’S TOKEN GAY MALE IEND, WAS MORE OF AN ACCSORY THAN A PERSON; THE SEND SEX AND THE CY MOVIE, HE END UP MARRYG THE ANCHISE’S ONLY OTHER GAY MALE REGULAR, EVEN THOUGH HIS FUTURE HBAND ONCE CHASTISED HIS IEND CHARLOTTE FOR ASSUMG HE’D EVEN BE TERTED STANFORD. (“WHY, BEE HE’S GAY AND I’M GAY?” MAR CANTONE’S ANTHONY ASKED SEASON FOUR. “CHARLOTTE, LET ME CLEAR SOMETHG UP FOR YOU…I ULD DO A LOT BETTER.”)EVEN WHEN SAMANTHA, THE MOST SEXUALLY ADVENTURO OF THE BUNCH, DATED A WOMAN (PLAYED BY THE BELOVED BRAZILIAN ACTOR SôNIA BRAGA), SEX AND THE CY FUMBLED. THE SHOW ED LBIANISM AS A NARRATIVE VICE, PATG AS A STRATEGY BORN OUT OF DATG FATIGUE; THE POSSIBILY THAT SAMANTHA WAS LEGIMATELY CUR OR BISEXUAL WAS NEVER EXPLORED. HER IENDS’ SLY, SELF-CENTERED MENTARY ABOUT HER NEW RELATNSHIP—THAT SAMANTHA WAS SIMPLY A PHASE, THAT SHE WAS DOG THIS FOR ATTENTN—WAS AMED NOT AS GOSSIP, BUT SIGHT.TO THOSE OUTSI OF QUEER MUNI, SUCH A READG MAY E AS A SURPRISE; HOW ULD SEX AND THE CY GET GAY PEOPLE SO WRONG? HOW ULD S OPENLY GAY WRERS—PRIMARILY CREATOR DARREN STAR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MICHAEL PATRICK KG—SORELY MISREPRENT A GROUP THEY’RE A PART OF?BUT ’S OLD NEWS TO NOTE THAT (UALLY UPPER-CLASS) WHE GAY MEN HAVE A SERVED REPUTATN FOR TAKG NSERVATIVE AND EVEN BIGOTED POSNS ABOUT THEIR TRANS, BLACK, LBIAN, OR FAT BRETHREN, ACTG AS IF A MIX OF SELF-HATRED AND DISDA OF THE OTHER IS A CHARMG PERSONALY TRA. ACRDGLY, SEX AND THE CY’S MOST REACTNARY PERSPECTIV ARE NEVER PORTRAYED AS A SOURCE OF SHAME FOR THE CHARACTERS OR THEIR ACQUATANC; THEY’RE ALWAYS MEANT AS LIGHT ENTERTAMENT. SIARLY, STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN—LIKE THE BULK OF SEX AND THE CY’S WRERS—N OFTEN ACT AS ACPLIC AND AVATARS FOR THIS EXCLN. IN MANY WAYS, SEX AND THE CY ED THE MUCH-STEREOTYPED DYNAMIC OF IENDSHIP BETWEEN STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN AND GAY MEN TO PROP UP SELF-ASSUREDLY IGNORANT WORLDVIEWS.IT’S THIS AGE-OLD MIX OF GAY PATRIARCHY AND WHE SUPREMACY THAT ADDS A LAYER OF TREPIDATN TO ANYONE ANTICIPATG HBO’S LIMED-SERI REVIVAL OF THE SHOW. STAR, NOW HELMG THE POPULARLY HATE-WATCHED EY PARIS, IS OUT, WHILE KG, WHO WROTE AND DIRECTED SATC’S CRILLY MALIGNED BUT LUCRATIVE FILM SEQUELS, IS . STAR AND KG WORKED ALONGSI EACH OTHER FOR YEARS ON THE ORIGAL SERI; THE TERIM, KG PRODUCED THE CBS S 2 BROKE GIRLS, WHICH RECEIVED CRICISM FOR BLATANT RACISM. THE SKILL WILL TAKE TO ISSUE A REBOOT THAT IS SELF-AWARE WHOUT BEG SELF-NSC REQUIR MORE THAN EXPERIENCE OR SELF-HELP REVELATNS—IMAGATN IS SENTIAL.BUT AND JT LIKE THAT… WILL BE A H CREATN, EXISTG FIRMLY THE PRENT—A PRENT WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, CYNTHIA NIXON IS NOW MARRIED TO A WOMAN AND THE MOTHER TO A TRANS CHILD. IT’S UNLIKELY THAT SHE, AT LEAST, WOULD SIGN ONTO AND JT LIKE THAT… IF S SCRIPTS WERE AS VALIER ABOUT QUEER ISSU AS THE ORIGAL SERI SO OFTEN WAS. COULD A REPRISAL FORCE KG TO EXAME HOW HIS CHARACTERS’ FLAWS WERE OFTEN ROOTED AN ANTI-QUEER MENTALY? OR WILL THE NEW SERI SIMPLY PAPER OVER THE SHOW’S HISTORY BY MAKG CARRIE, MIRANDA, AND CHARLOTTE PARAGONS OF MIDLIFE EMOTNAL AND MORAL GROWTH? PERHAPS, THE END, OUR FAN FICTN ABOUT A LBIAN NEW YORK ERNOR MIRANDA HOBB ULD E TO UN—AS AN DIENCE-PANRG PLOT THAT ATON FOR SEX AND THE CY’S PAST SS.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— INSI BRIDGERTON’S SEXY, MORN MAKEOVER OF THE REGENCY PERD DRAMA— BORAT’S MARIA BAKALOVA HAD A SWEET RNN WH JEANISE JON— TA FEY AND ROBERT CARLOCK WRTLE CLUMSILY WH POLICS MR. MAYOR— BLAZG BLON BOMBSHELL: BARBARA PAYTON’S BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS— BRYAN CRANSTON DANC WH THE DEVIL YOUR HONOR— MEET BRIDGERTON’S DREAMBOAT DE, REGé-JEAN PAGE— STEPHEN COLBERT ANSWERS THE PROT QUTNNAIRE— FROM THE ARCHIVE: SAN SIMEON’S CHILD— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYCASSIE DA COSTA

"Garson, born William Garson Paszamant, played Carrie Bradshaw's gay bt iend the HBO show "Sex and the Cy, " which aired om 1998 to 2004. Though that approach was well-sued to a story about proudly imperfect women, the show also ed as a cheap exce to center a very specific viewpot: straight whe affluence, as wrten by straight whe women and gay whe those who still watch the origal seri whenever they’ve got five hours to waste away on the uch, ’s not hard to acknowledge s wrongheadns while enjoyg s tenacy and extreme watchabily. News of a reboot, though, v to rensir the show’s tone and ias—and often, Sex and the Cy’s jib took the form of homophobia and transphobia.

Stanford (Willie Garson), Carrie’s token gay male iend, was more of an accsory than a person; the send Sex and the Cy movie, he end up marryg the anchise’s only other gay male regular, even though his future hband once chastised his iend Charlotte for assumg he’d even be terted Stanford. (“Why, bee he’s gay and I’m gay? Her iends’ sly, self-centered mentary about her new relatnship—that Samantha was simply a phase, that she was dog this for attentn—was amed not as gossip, but those outsi of queer muni, such a readg may e as a surprise; how uld Sex and the Cy get gay people so wrong?

WILLIE GARSON, ACTOR BT KNOWN AS CARRIE’S GAY IEND SEX AND THE CY – OBUARY

How uld s openly gay wrers—primarily creator Darren Star and executive producer Michael Patrick Kg—sorely misreprent a group they’re a part of?

SEX AND THE CY STAR WILLIE GARSON DI AT 57HE PLAYED CARRIE’S BT IEND, STANFORD BLATCH, ALONG WH MEMORABLE ROL WHE COLLAR AND FARRELLY BROTHERS FILMS.BY ANTHONY BREZNINSEPTEMBER 21, 2021BY CRAIG BLANKENHORN/HBO/DARREN STAR PRODS./KOBAL/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWH HIS BOOKISH LOOK, FSY MEANOR, AND VILISH SE, WILLIE GARSON WORKED FOR A PLAYG UNNAMED CHARACTERS LIKE “NW EXECUTIVE,” “CORPORATE GUY,” AND “ANNOYG GUY” BEFORE BREAKG THROUGH WH HIS REER FG ROLE: SEX AND THE CY’S NATTILY DRSED NFIDANTE AND BT IEND STANFORD BLATCH. ARMED WH A RAZOR W AND EQUALLY SHARP SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE DATG SCENE, “STANNY” OFTEN JOED SARAH JSI PARKER’S CARRIE BRADSHAW AND HER TR OF GIRLIENDS NAVIGATG THE MEN OF MANHATTAN. FROM 1998 TO 2004, AND OVER TWO FEATURE FILMS, GARSON, WHO DIED TUDAY AT AGE 57, PLAYED THE PART OF THE “GAY BT IEND” YEARS BEFORE MOST PEOPLE KNEW A REAL-LIFE IEND OR RELATIVE WHO WAS FORTABLE BEG OUT.GARSON’S FIRST APPEARANCE AS STANFORD, THE 1998 PILOT FOR SEX AND THE CY, ARRIVED JT A YEAR AFTER ELLEN DEGENER’S CHARACTER OM HER SELF-TLED ABC S ME OUT PUBLICLY, CREATG A CULTURAL STIR AT A TIME WHEN SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS WERE SELDOM SEEN MASTREAM ENTERTAMENT. GARSON’S STANFORD PHED THE DOOR OPEN FURTHER AS A GAY CHARACTER WHO TALKED ANKLY WH HIS STRAIGHT IENDS ABOUT SEX, DATG, REJECTN, SECURY, AND THE ETERNAL NUNDM OF THE MALE MD. AS THE WORLD CHANGED, SO DID HE. IN THE 2010 MOVIE SEQUEL SEX AND THE CY 2, STANFORD SETTLED DOWN AND MARRIED HIS LONGTIME RIVAL, ANTHONY, A CEREMONY OFFICIATED BY NO LS THAN LIZA MNELLI. THAT WAS FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE 2015 SUPREME COURT LG THAT LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ALL 50 STAT. GARSON, WHO REPORTEDLY HAD BEEN BATTLG NCER, WAS NOT GAY HIMSELF, BUT TOOK PRI PLAYG A CHARACTER WHO ULD MAKE DIENC LGH WH STANFORD RATHER THAN AT HIM. WHILE DIENC WERE BEG ENTERTAED, THE ACTOR ALSO HOPED THE LOVABLE CHARACTER WOULD MAKE VIEWERS MORE ACCEPTG AND TOLERANT. “IT WAS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SHOW TO SHOW SOMEONE HAVG FUN BEG GAY, BEG PROUD, OPEN AND FORTABLE WH WHO THEY ARE,” HE TOLD THE HUFFGTON POST 2016. “YOU KNOW, WE’D JT E THROUGH THE [AIDS] CRISIS AND EVERY REPRENTATN OF GAY WAS KD OF DARK, AND SPOKEN HHED TON,” GARSON ADD. “BUT STANFORD WAS LIKE, ‘HEY, I’M GAY. REALLY GAY. SUPER GAY. AND I’M HAPPY ABOUT , I’M LOOKG FOR A BOYIEND, LOOKG FOR A HBAND,’ AND WAS VERY OPEN, AND DIFFERENT TO WHAT HAD BEEN SHOWN BEFORE.”GARSON’S ATH WAS NFIRMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY HIS SON, NATHEN GARSON: “YOU ALWAYS WERE THE TOUGHT AND FUNNIT AND SMARTT PERSON I’VE KNOWN. I’M GLAD YOU SHARED YOUR LOVE WH ME. I’LL NEVER FET OR LOSE . I LOVE YOU SO MUCH PAPA,” NATHEN WROTE ON INSTAGRAM.STANFORD WAS GARSON’S MOST FAMO ROLE, BUT THE ACTOR PLAYED SR OF OTHER CHARACTERS MOVI AND TV SHOWS OVER THE S, CLUDG A REGULAR ROLE AS THE N ARTIST, FIXER, AND RMATN GATHERER MOZZIE ON THE SERI WHE COLLAR. HE ALSO MA GUT APPEARANC ON CHEERS, THE X-FIL, QUANTUM LEAP, NYPD BLUE, AND SUPERGIRL. IN FILM, HE HAD SUPPORTG ROL GROUNDHOG DAY, SOAPDISH, AND MARS ATTACKS!, AND APPEARED THREE EDI DIRECTED BY THE FARRELLY BROTHERS—THERE’S SOMETHG ABOUT MARY, FEVER PCH, AND KGP.GARSON WAS OUTSPOKEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN FIGHTG BETWEEN THE OTHER ACTORS AND -STAR KIM CATTRALL LED TO THE LLAPSE OF PLANS FOR A THIRD SEX AND THE CY MOVIE, BUT FANS MAY GET TO SEE SANFORD ONE MORE TIME. IN A STATEMENT TO DEADLE MOURNG THE ACTOR, SERI CREATOR MICHAEL PATRICK KG SAID GARSON HAD BEEN WORKG ON THE NEW HBO FOLLOW-UP SERI AND JT LIKE THAT, EVEN WHILE BATTLG HIS ILLNS.INIALLY, GARSON HIMSELF WAS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THE CHARACTER WHO WOULD MAKE HIM FAMO. WHILE ACKNOWLEDGG THAT STANFORD WAS MORE OF AN EMBRACE OF STEREOTYP THAN A REFUTATN OF THEM, THE ACTOR WAS WORRIED ABOUT HOW LGBTQ+ PEOPLE WOULD FEEL ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE. “I DIDN’T WANT TO OFFEND THE MUNY AT ALL, AND THAT WAS A REALLY BIG NCERN OF ME, TO THE POT WHERE I DIDN’T EVEN HAVE HBO FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS BEE I DIDN’T WANT TO SEE , BEE I WAS SO TERRIFIED OF BEG OFFENSIVE,” THE ACTOR TOLD HUFFGTON POST. “BUT THE GAY MUNY REALLY ROSE UP, AND SAID ‘WE KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THIS, THIS IS REAL.’ AND SO THAT MA ME FEEL GREAT, AND I ULD START WATCHG THE SHOW.”STANFORD WAS PERFORMED WH PASSN AND EMPATHY, EVEN THOUGH HIS SENSE OF HUMOR WAS THLS. THAT ANKNS MA HIM ENARG, LIKE A REAL IEND WHO MIGHT TELL YOU ANYTHG. CONSIR THIS EXCHANGE HE HAD WH CARRIE SEASON THREE: “I N ONLY STAY A FEW MUT,” STANFORD SAYS. “I’VE GOT TICKETS TO THE VAGA MONOLOGU.”A PERPLEXED CARRIE ASKS HIM PLATIVELY: “WHY?”HIS REPLY: “JT BEE I DON’T EAT AT THE RTRANT DON’T MEAN I N’T HEAR THE SPECIALS.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— UNHAPPY LTLE TRE: THE DARK LEGACY OF BOB ROSS— THE TE STORY OF A HOLLYWOOD PARTNERSHIP BUILT AND DTROYED BY MONEY, SEX, AND CELEBRY— TED LASSO’S ROY KENT ON WHY THE SHOW ISN’T “WARM AND FUZZY”— CAFTANS, GOYARD, AND ELVIS: INSI THE WHE LOT’S COSTUM— THE CHAIR IS LIKE AN AMIC GAME OF THRON— THE BT MOVI AND SHOWS STREAMG ON NETFLIX THIS MONTH— RACHAEL LEIGH COOK ON RECLAIMG SHE’S ALL THAT— WATCH KRISTEN STEWART CHANNEL PRCS DI SPENCER’S OFFICIAL TRAILER— FROM THE ARCHIVE: JEFEY EPSTE AND HOLLYWOOD’S OMNIPRENT PUBLICIST— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYANTHONY BREZNIN

But ’s old news to note that (ually upper-class) whe gay men have a served reputatn for takg nservative and even bigoted posns about their trans, Black, lbian, or fat brethren, actg as if a mix of self-hatred and disda of the Other is a charmg personaly tra.

In many ways, Sex and the Cy ed the much-stereotyped dynamic of iendship between straight whe women and gay men to prop up self-assuredly ignorant ’s this age-old mix of gay patriarchy and whe supremacy that adds a layer of trepidatn to anyone anticipatg HBO’s limed-seri revival of the show.

Willie Garson, who has died of pancreatic ncer aged 57, was an actor who achieved worldwi fame Sex and the Cy as the talent agent Stanford Blatch, Carrie Bradshaw’s gay soulmate who was often referred to as the show’s “fifth lady” six seri and two film sp-offs, he was on hand to offer phy advice and support as Carrie (Sarah Jsi Parker) and her iends – played by Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Krist Davis – negotiated the joys and perils of New York some of the show’s bt l, he livered them wh panache. ”While Stanford was avowedly gay, and found a partner, a Broadway dancer, the last two seasons of the show, the actor tend to downplay the fact that he was actually straight. “For years I didn’t talk about , ” he said, “bee I found to be offensive to gay people – people playg gay characters jumpg up and down screamg that they’re not gay, like that would somehow be a bad thg if they were.

WHY "SEX AND THE CY" IS BAD FOR THE GAYS

Perhaps surprisgly for a show wh so many gay fans, which was created and wrten by two gay men (Darren Star and Michael Patrick Kg), rctive queer stereotyp were everywhere.

Stanford Blatch and Anthony Maranto personified the “gay bt iend” trope that once domated TV and film. In Season 2, Charlotte broke up wh pastry chef Stephan—a man she ially thought was gay—bee he was effemate. Garson played Stanford Blatch, a gay talent agent and the pendable, wty and always well-drsed nfidant of Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jsi like the four lead characters (some fans lled him “the fifth lady”), Stanford was put through the datg rger.

He was one of the few openly gay characters on TV at the time. Garson, who was not gay, told The Huffgton Post.

IS UNUPLED THE GAY SEX AND THE CY?

“But the gay muny really rose up, and said ‘We know people like this, this is real. ”He said another terview: “I always felt that there’s nothg worse than straight actors playg gay characters televisn and then dog rtwheels to tell people that they’re straight all the time — as if they were gay, that’d be a bad thg.

From 1998 to 2004, and over two feature films, Garson, who died Tuday at age 57, played the part of the “gay bt iend” years before most people knew a real-life iend or relative who was fortable beg ’s first appearance as Stanford, the 1998 pilot for Sex and the Cy, arrived jt a year after Ellen Degener’s character om her self-tled ABC s me out publicly, creatg a cultural stir at a time when same-sex relatnships were seldom seen mastream entertament. Garson’s Stanford phed the door open further as a gay character who talked ankly wh his straight iends about sex, datg, rejectn, secury, and the eternal nundm of the male md. Garson, who reportedly had been battlg ncer, was not gay himself, but took pri playg a character who uld make dienc lgh wh Stanford rather than at him.

NETFLIX’S UNUPLED: GAY SEX, THE CYDARREN STAR’S NEW SERI HARKENS BACK TO A CLASSIC, WH A NEW SP. BY RICHARD LAWSONJULY 27, 2022SARAH SHATZ/NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVELAST YEAR’S AND JT LIKE THAT SHIFTED THE GAZE OF THE WATERSHED SERI SEX AND THE CY EVER SO SLIGHTLY. THE ORIGAL GANG WAS OLR; ONE WAS MISSG; AND SOME NEW IENDS HAD ARRIVED TO PLITE THE PARTY. WHILE SEX AND THE CY CREATOR DARREN STAR WASN’T VOLVED WH AND JT LIKE THAT, HE PERHAPS WANTED TO DO SOME RIFFG OF HIS OWN, AS EVINCED BY THE NEW NETFLIX SERI UNUPLED (JULY 29). IT’S A SHOW THAT NCERNS THE SAME FASCATNS AS STAR’S LANDMARK SERI—NEW YORK CY, ROMANCE, REER—ONLY OM A GAY PERSPECTIVE.EXPLICLY, DIRECTLY GAY, THAT IS. SATC AND AND JT LIKE THAT, WHILE MOSTLY ABOUT STRAIGHT WOMEN, ARE VERY MUCH FILTERED THROUGH A GAY LENS, THOUGH THE GAY CHARACTERS—CHIEFLY, NEBBISHY STANFORD AND HARPG ANTHONY—ARE OFTEN MERE PLOT FUNCTNARI. NOT SO ON UNUPLED, WHICH PUTS A GAY MAN, FORTY-SOMETHG MICHAEL (NEIL PATRICK HARRIS), ONT AND CENTER. STAR, WH -CREATOR JEFEY RICHMAN, BORROWS SATC’S EPISODIC DATG FORMAT AND ROLLS UP WH THE AGG ANXIETY OF AND JT LIKE THAT, ALL THE GASSY MIDDLE-YEARS JOK ABOUT THE SWIFT ENCROACHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND NEW SEXUAL, SOCIAL, AND POLIL NORMS. BUT UNUPLED DO SO LIGHTLY, WH A FLICK OF THE WRIST AND A SLOSH OF CHAMPAGNE. UNUPLED IS TOPIL S REFERENC, BUT A FLTERED, RNY WAY, MUCH LIKE STAR’S OTHER NETFLIX SERI, EY PARIS. THOSE SEEKG A MORN VERSN OF NEW YORK CY SELF WILL BE UNSATISFIED. THIS IS STILL A TELEVISN MANHATTAN THAT TURNS S NOSE UP AT BROOKLYN, THAT IS ALLERGIC TO THE SUBWAY, THAT HOLDS DOWNTOWN AS A PLACE FOR HIP RTRANTS AND GALLERI BUT NOT SUABLE FOR SOPHISTITED LIVG. MICHAEL IS A HIGH-END REAL TATE AGENT, SO THE SHOW SPENDS A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT PROPERTY AND NEIGHBORHOODS A WAY THAT IS HERMETILLY REMOVED OM THE REALI OF TODAY. (FOR ALL BUT A PREC, TERRIBLE FEW NEW YORKERS, ANYWAY.) THERE IS, Y, A PERVERSE PLEASURE TO UNUPLED’S BLHE DULGENCE, THE GUILTY THRILL OF SPENDG TIME A WORLD WHICH MONEY IS BOTH NO OBJECT AND THE ONLY OBJECT. THIS DO PROVE GRATG AS THE SERI WEARS ON, THOUGH. WHERE UNUPLED SEEKS NOVATN IS S ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS, DLY SOCLOGIL AND, OFTENTIM, SEXUALLY ANK. JT BEFORE A SURPRISE 50TH BIRTHDAY FOR MICHAEL’S PARTNER OF 17 YEARS, COL (TUC WATKS), THE BIRTHDAY BOY TELLS MICHAEL THAT HE’S LEAVG THE RELATNSHIP. THIS SENDS MICHAEL TO A TAILSP—AND ONTO APPS LIKE GRDR, WHERE HE NONTS A GAY DATG WORLD VASTLY DIFFERENT OM THE ONE HE KNEW BEFORE HE SETTLED FOR HIS LONG DOMTIC SPELL WH COL. THEIRS WASN’T AN OPEN RELATNSHIP, WHICH PUTS MICHAEL AT A DISTANCE OM A LOT OF GAY MEN A OR SO HIS JUNR. THE ADVENT OF PREP HAS HELPED CREATE A SEXUAL LANDSPE UTTERLY FOREIGN TO MICHAEL, THOUGH HE IS AT LEAST FAIAR WH MANY ENDURG HANGUPS OF HIS PARTICULAR I: THE TENSNS OF TOP AND BOTTOM, BEAR AND TWK, DADDY AND, WELL, NOT DADDY. WHILE THE DISURSE UNUPLED IS WELL TROD ALREADY, IS AT LEAST SOMETHG DIFFERENT TO SEE THOSE NVERSATNS PLAY OUT A ROM TV SERI ABOUT MIDDLE-AGE.  AS MICHAEL MEETS A HOST OF MEN ON HIS JOURNEY TOWARD HEALG (PRETTY MUCH A NEW GUY PER EPISO, LIKE THE OLD SATC DAYS!), HIS SIKICK IENDS UNRGO THEIR OWN MISADVENTUR. HIMBO WEATHERMAN BILLY (EMERSON BROOKS) SPENDS HIS TIME BED-HOPPG AND DATG DOWN ON THE AGE SLE. THE SHOW TEAS HIM FOR THAT, BUT MOSTLY AVOIDS OUTRIGHT SHAMG; HIS CHOIC ARE AMED MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT SAMANTHA JON’S WERE. MAYBE BILLY IS PHG TE LOVE AWAY WH ALL HIS EMOTNLS NOODLG, BUT ALSO, WHO R? STANLEY (BROOKS ASHMANSKAS) IS, AS HIS NAME WOULD SUGGT, MORE OF A SQUARE, A LONELY ART ALER WHO’S EVER SELF-PRETG ABOUT HIS AGE, HIS LOOKS, HIS FAILED ATTEMPTS AT FDG A MATE. AGA, THOUGH, UNUPLED IS REFUL WH S RITURE. OR MAYBE ’S JT ASHMANSKAS, WHO LENDS THOUGHTFUL SHADG TO EVEN THE GROANIT, MOST PATHETIC OF L.HARRIS, FOR HIS PART, IS BT WHEN THGS GET A LTLE SER: WHEN MICHAEL AND COL BICKER THE FALLOUT OF THEIR BREAKUP, OR WHEN MICHAEL HAS SOME SAD EPIPHANY ABOUT THE SUDN SHAPE OF HIS LIFE. HIS BROAR EDY IS STIFF—HARRIS IS NOT THE LIGHTT OF PRENC, SO HE HAS TROUBLE WH THE SHOW’S ZANIER, GOOFIER MATERIAL. ESPECIALLY NTRAST TO TISHA CAMPBELL, WHO PLAYS MICHAEL’S BS PARTNER, SUZANNE. CAMPBELL IS A DYNAMIC PERFORMER OWED A B MORE THAN SHE GETS HERE, THOUGH THE SHOW DO EVENTUALLY GIVE HER A SHRED OF A STANDALONE PLOT. SHE ALSO HAS A FEW JNTY SCEN WH MARCIA GAY HARN, WHO PLAYS (ON OLD-PRO TOPILOT) A SNOBBY ZILLNAIRE DIVORCéE LOOKG TO REPAIR HER LIFE JT AS MICHAEL IS. FOR ALL OF S CLUNK AND CREAK, UNUPLED IS AN AGREEABLE WATCH. IT’S DARG ENOUGH A FEW PLAC TO FEEL WORTHY OF S ERA, WHILE PROVIDG THE EASY, BRA-ANG, TRAPPED--AMBER ENJOYMENT THAT HAS BEE A HALLMARK OF STAR’S WORK. (IT SHOULD BE SAID, THOUGH, THAT SEX AND THE CY WAS, AT S PEAK, ACTUALLY QUE STIMULATG.) IN THE STTERED MOMENTS WHEN UNUPLED’S SLAPDASH TOPILY AND HOARY STEREOTYP GIVE WAY TO A JAG OF GENUELY SHARP WRG, THE SERI SWELLS TO F S PEDIGREE. THE SHOW ISN’T SEX AND THE CY, BUT NOTHG WILL EVER BE.WE’D PROBABLY DO WELL TO TAKE HEED OF UNUPLED’S MSAGE, THEN. TO STOP ALL OUR ELS PG FOR AN OLD LOVE WE N NEVER GET BACK. AND TO ENGAGE SOME HALFHEARTED FLIRTATN WH SOMETHG NEW AND—MAYBE, JT MAYBE—GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSWHY THE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKGHERE’S WHAT WE NEED SEASON 3 OF AND JT LIKE THAT…THE BRIEF DEATH (AND SHORT REBIRTH) OF LIL TAYINSI ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPMOST POPULARWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORDWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISRICHARD LAWSON

“It was also very important to the show to show someone havg fun beg gay, beg proud, open and fortable wh who they are, ” he told The Huffgton Post 2016. “You know, we’d jt e through the [AIDS] crisis and every reprentatn of gay was kd of dark, and spoken hhed ton, ” Garson add.