08/23/2007
Reporter Scribe Discusses Merv Griffin Closet Piece Fallout
Hollywood Reporter scribe Ray Richmond discusses the fallout from his column, "Griffin Never Revealed Man Behind the Curtain," and sets things straight on the timeline of what went down last week after the piece, which lamented Merv Griffin's life as a closeted gay man, was published.
Richmond says that the Hollywood Reporter (whose editor Elizabeth Guider he vigorously defends) "blinked" only briefly, pulling the column but then republishing it. Reuters, on the other hand, completely pulled the column, which they had labeled with a new headline "Merv Griffin Died a Closeted homosexual".
Richmond is surprised that his column was even published in the first place, and says that its publication on the day of Griffin's funeral was an unfortunate coincidence.
Finally, he adds: "I have to wonder if the response in defense of keeping Griffin's secret life a secret post-mortem would have been as acute had he died penniless and forgotten. It would seem there is a direct relationship between the size of one's estate and the level of security guarding his or her heretofore undisclosed sexual preference. It appears that $1.6 billion will buy an awful lot of closet space."
Setting the Record Straight (So to Speak) on My Merv Griffin Uproar [past deadline]
Previously
Merv Griffin's Gay Shame Becomes The Hollywood Reporter's [tr]
Hollywood Reporter: Merv Griffin Was Gay [tr]
Posted 8:45 AM EST by Andy in Censorship, Merv Griffin, News, Television | Permalink
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"I have to wonder if the response in defense of keeping Griffin's secret life a secret post-mortem would have been as acute had he died penniless and forgotten."
One has to wonder if anyone would have even thought to care about Merv Griffin's sexuality in the first place if he had died penniless and forgotten.
Posted by: MT | Aug 23, 2007 9:46:10 AM
Notice his use of the phrase SEXUAL PREFERENCE? Its not a PREFERENCE. I like the color black and that is a PREFERENCE. I am married to a man (for 14 years no less) and that is a result of my SEXUAL ORIETATION.
Posted by: Snottyboy | Aug 23, 2007 1:04:05 PM
I'm old enough to remember the Merv Griffin show in the 70s and the 80s. I always thought he was gay. It never occurred to me that he was anything other.
Posted by: Woody | Aug 23, 2007 1:45:57 PM
Let's just say that the vested interests want to keep his assets as valuable as possible--they didn't actually care about Merv the man.
Snotty: is your relationship legally recognized in some way?
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Aug 23, 2007 1:51:45 PM
The Man Behind The Curtain photo from TWOO is priceless.
.
Homophilianecrorazzo: the schadenfreude joy of the fucking over in public of a dead formerly closeted homosexual.
.
Death blows the gay hinges off the coffins of the rich and famous.
Posted by: chandler in hollywood | Aug 23, 2007 2:17:27 PM
"Sexual preference" changed to "sexual orientation." Sorry for the ignorant phrasing. This is a new world for me. Still learning.
RR
Posted by: Ray | Aug 23, 2007 4:10:51 PM
This week's Entertainment Weekly covers the story as one should, I think. They don't whitewash the gay rumors, but they don't take an accusatory stance either. I think when someone of his stature dies you look back on their lives and that definately includes their sexuality but an entire piece on whom he slept with? Nahhhh.
Posted by: Derrick | Aug 23, 2007 4:28:26 PM
There used to be a saying among all the boy singers in LA and New York, "To get on Merv you have to get on Merv."
Posted by: db | Aug 23, 2007 7:57:47 PM