Happy Endgs’ Adam Pally, on playg TV’s least stereotypil gay guy

And while we fell love wh “Jt Jack” on Will & Grace way back when, ’s nice to see a smatterg of more diverse gay characters on TV – and that Hollywood is startg to take notice of the muny’s diversy – the days (hello, Morn Fay).

ADAM PALLY, MAX GREENFIELD GAY KISS ON 'HAPPY ENDGS' CUT

Not every gay man, after all, has a thg for leather chaps or showtun – not that there’s anythg wrong wh, a character on the Gen X-spired TV show Happy Endgs on ABC, is played by Adam Pally, a New School grad and character actor who’s appeared a handful of shows and films, ually takg on unnamed characters like “douchey guy” and “bookstore crier, ” so says IMBD.

” Aptly – playg Blum – don’t spend a lot of time pullg gay male stereotyp out of his hat, and the character himself don’t really discs gay issu a ser way. It n take awhile to figure out he’s even gay – even if sually flirtg wh another guy a bar scene pretty much gave while the show self stggl wh tryg too hard, g overly snappy dialogue between the 20 and 30 somethgs – sexualy isn’t a big al for any of the characters wrten to the show, pecially Blum. And they all have their share of issu – not jt the gay that sure seems to mirror what go on many of our everyday and – dare we say – sometim borg this week’s “very special” Halloween episo, two of the straight characters were mistaken for beg gay and, yep, they were fe wh .

REVIEW: "HAPPY ENDGS" OFFERS UP A LEAD GAY {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY BRENT HARTGERAPRIL 12, 2011/11:08 AMBY BRENT HARTGERAPRIL 12, 2011 / 11:08 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"REVIEW: \"HAPPY ENDGS\" OFFERS UP A LEAD GAY CHARACTER","DATEPUBLISHED":"2011-04-12T15:08:47.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2011-04-12T15:08:47.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"BRENT HARTGER","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE MEN OF HAPPY ENDGS: DAMON WAYANS, JR., ZACHARY KNIGHTON, ADAM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT'S LONG BEEN TELLG THAT SO FEW LEADG CHARACTERS SS ARE GAY — SPE THE FACT THAT MOST SS ARE SET AMONG HIP TWENTYSOMETHGS URBAN AREAS, PRECISELY WHERE OUT GAY PEOPLE TEND TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT ALL THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE WH HAPPY ENDGS, WHICH BUTS WEDNDAY, APRIL 13TH ON ABC WH TWO BACK-TO-BACK EPISOS. THE SIX-PERSON MA ST CLUS MAX, PLAYED BY ADAM PALLY, AN OUT GAY GUY (WHO'S NOT YET OUT TO HIS PARENTS, WE LEARN THE THIRD EPISO).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE'S NVCGLY GAY: HIS SEXUALY UP OM TIME-TO-TIME, AND HE HAS AN OUTSIR'S PERSPECTIVE, BUT HE'S NOT A PARTICULARLY GOOD DRSER, OK, OR RATOR, AND HE'S GOT WEIGHT AND SELF-TEEM ISSU. HIS SEXUALY IS TRODUCED WH THE LE: "EVEN I THK ROLLER SKAT ARE GAY, AND I HAD SEX WH A GUY LAST NIGHT."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THAT SAID, HE IS FELY YET ANOTHER TWENTYSOMETHG SLACKER-CUM-ARRTED ADOLCENT WHICH I GUS IS RIGUR ROMANTIC EDI THE DAYS, WHETHER THEY'RE THE MOVI OR ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE FIRST THREE EPISOS MA AVAILABLE FOR PREVIEW BY THE WORK, MAX IS THE ONLY MA CHARACTER TO HAVE NO ON-SCREEN LOVE OR ROMANTIC LIFE WHATSOEVER. (IT'S HARD FOR ME TO TAKE THE WORK OR THE PRODUCERS TO TASK FOR THIS, HOWEVER, SCE (A) ABC HAS THE BT "GAY" RERD ON TELEVISN WHEN TO SCRIPTED CHARACTERS AND IS THE ONLY WORK WH THE GUTS TO CLU A LEADG GAY CHARACTER ONE OF S NEW ROMANTIC EDI AT ALL, AND (B) THE PRODUCERS AND THE WORK ARE CLEARLY ATTEMPTG TO "TRODUCE" THE CHARACTER BEFORE GOG TO TAIL ABOUT HIS POTENTIALLY-ALIENATG LOVE LIFE. TALK TO ME AGA AFTER SIX OR SO EPISOS.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE BAD NEWS IS THAT HAPPY ENDGS IS G AT THE TAIL END OF THIS MAJOR TV ROMANTIC EDY S WAVE — AFTER MOST OF THOSE OTHER SHOWS HAVE BASILLY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND THEY ACTUALLY FAILED FOR GOOD REASON: NONE OF THEM WERE PARTICULARLY GOOD. WORSE, THEY MOSTLY SORT OF ALL BLURRED TOGETHER, WH THEIR YOUNG, ATTRACTIVE STS, QUIRKY (BUT NOT TOO QUIRKY) SENSIBILI, AND CHARACTERS WHO ALL SHARE EXACTLY THE SAME DROLL, IRONIC SENSE OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BASILLY, NONE OF THEM WAS MORN FAY, NOT BY A LONG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THAT RPECT, HAPPY ENDGS IS LIKE MOST OF THE OTHERS — OR, AT BT, ONLY A CUT ABOVE. IT'S WELL DONE, BUT 'S BEEN DONE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE GIMMICK IS THAT DAVE, ALEX, JANE, MAX, PENNY, AND BRAD HAVE BEEN IENDS FOREVER. IN THE OPENG TO THE PILOT, LONGTIME LOVERS DAVE AND ALEX ARE GETTG MARRIED — AT LEAST UNTIL A SURFER HUNK SHOWS UP MID-CEREMONY, A LA THE GRADUATE, TO DRAG ALEX {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I'M SURE THIS FELT VERY EDGY THE PCH SSN, BUT WHAT'S WEIRD IS HOW LTLE THIS ACTUALLY HAS TO DO WH THE SHOW SELF. IN THE END, 'S STILL A SHOW ABOUT SIX IENDS (AND THEY ALL STAY IENDS) AND THEIR WACKY HIJKS AND IRONIC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT TO THE SHOW'S CRED, SOME OF IS AMG. WHEN THEY'RE TEASG MAX ABOUT HIS WEIGHT ISSU, JANE SAYS, "IT'S LIKE IF PL RUDD GAVE UP," WHICH IS A SOMEWHAT ACCURATE, IF EXTREMELY CEL ASSSMENT OF HIS LOOKS. AND WHEN MAX PREPAR TO GO BACK TO THE CLOSET WH THE IMPENDG ARRIVAL OF HIS PARENTS, SHE NOT, AGA SURPRISGLY ACCURATELY, "FOR SOMEONE WHO BEHAV NOTHG LIKE A GAY GUY, YOU HAVE EVEN LS OF AN IA HOW TO ACT LIKE A STRAIGHT GUY."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THERE'S A FUNNY NNG JOKE THE PILOT EPISO ABOUT HOW MAX HAS TERRIBLE GAYDAR — A JOKE I REALLY APPRECIATE SCE TOO OFTEN ROMANTIC EDI GAY MEN ARE PORTRAYED LIKE SOME KD OF ALL-KNOWG AND MYSTER SAVANTS (AND BEE I THK, GENERAL, THE NUMBER OF GAY GUYS WH BAD GAYDAR BUT DON'T KNOW IS ACTUALLY MUCH HIGHER THAN THE NUMBER OF GAY GUYS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE GOOD GAYDAR).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND FOR WHAT 'S WORTH, DAMON WAYANS, JR. (THE SON OF EDIAN DAMON WAYANS), WHO PLAYS BRAD, IS EXTREMELY EASY ON THE EY. WHO KNEW?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I DOUBT HAPPY ENDGS WILL HAVE A HAPPY ENDG AS A SHOW, BUT I HOPE DO. I'D LOVE TO SEE WHAT THEY END UP DOG WH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

In fact, when one of the women was mistaken for beg not only gay, but also a drag queen, she embraced her ner diva and entered a drag ntt, g a close send to, you gused , Blum. He was wearg an ugly red women’s bathg su, an abundance of cht hair and not a sgle fake show self may not be long for this world (the upsi: at least don’t have an awful lgh track like Whney), but we’ll enjoy seeg Max Blum for as long as he stumbl to our livg room each Wednday as a sometim unaware, mostly jt ordary, gay guy we swear we knew the latt Halloween episo by clickg here. As an veterate fan of the fortg formulaisms that mark the s genre, I was exced to enunter Happy Endgs, a show about late 20-somethg “buddi” that has clear affi to Friends ( last week’s Valente’s Day episo, a very high-on-Novoe Brad enters a limoe wh all five buddi and proceeds to assign each character wh a name om Friends) and which featur s “buddy st” a black man and a gay Jewish character.

The other edge Happy Endgs has over Friends is s cln of a black character (played by Damon Wayans Jr., who is a ad-rger for his father), and a gay character (played by Adam Pally). I was immediately stck by the hns and oddns of Max as a gay character – his two bt iends are straight, he’s a plete slob, and he’s also rather pudgy.

He openly chews most aspects of “gay culture, ” while at the same time chewg most elements of a productive life (stable job, romantic mment, etc. In the words of some, Max is what we the gay world ll straight-actg (any pesal among gay personal ads will yield a high occurrence of this word).

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Contents:

WHY HAPPY ENDGS’ MAX BLUM WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT GAY CHARACTER ON TV

EXCLIVE CLIP: MAX IS COACHED BEG ‘GAY GAY’ A NEW EPISO OF ‘HAPPY ENDGS’

WHAT WE LOVE: THE GAY GUY ON HAPPY ENDGS

WHERE IS THE CLOSET? ON THE “STRAIGHT-ACTG” GAY MAX OM “HAPPY ENDGS”

HAPPY ENDGS’ MAX: NOT “GAY ENOUGH?”