I watched @promnetflix last night... and it was the first time in a while that a piece of art has actually made me feel... bad???? Like, triggering and “kind of sent me into a little spiral” bad???

A THREAD LOLOLOLOL!!!!!

And first- I’m a gay actor, and any person can play any role it’s not the actors fault they took a role representation doesn’t matter how does money work blah blah blah fine whatever. I truly don’t care to debate this part (or any part!) with you. Think whatever you want. Fine!

But in this one case, casting James Corden in that role made a mockery of me, someone who actually lived (in the same exact years as in the movie!) the storyline of Barry. That’s *my* story. ...it’s obvi not my actual story or even *my* story, it’s pieces of a lot of our stories.

And that character lives in a world where (SPOILER!) queer people are repressed, persecuted, exiled from even their own Proms! Their own love lives when their partners can’t come out! Their friendships when people choose “religious” “beliefs” over actual unconditional support!

I’d never really seen a character or storyline like Barry’s ever before in a movie. It was intense.

And I truly couldn’t enjoy one single minute of it, and it made me feel actually shitty, bc Some Piece of Crap decided that JAMES CORDEN should be the one!!!

(And I don’t care abt him, either, ps. I’m sure he’s fine and you love him but it’s him this time and this is the time I’m writing about right now and it could’ve AND WOULD’VE been another one just like him if it wasn’t him, so it’s not about him so save it.)

GET ME CORDEN! Only HE can tell this nuanced tale, including a TEARFUL COMING OUT TALK W HIS MOM (which he chewed and hammed his way through)!!! Saying the hardest words that queer KIDS have had to say to their parents. The realest and rawest convos most of us have ever had.

And here’s *this* friccin piece of crap, adding an actual, noticeable GAY LISP to his speech!!! Flailing his hands and snapping his finger all over every single inch of screen. Putting his hands on his hips and saying “babygirl!” This guy is doing what every bully did to me.

Making me into a joke. A GAY GUY. A type. A gay best friend. Someone to ask about fashion and makeup. Someone to wear scarves and to have cosmo’s with and to fake complain to their friends abt bc “he’s sooo dramatic lol.” This wasn’t acting. This was mocking. This was “othering.”

They took our most personal story (the *first* story that most drunk straight girls ask about in bars, ps ), they put a whole, entire gay actor who’s a legit BROADWAY AND TV STAR *right* *behind* him, and they let a straight man literally flail and lisp right into our faces.

Was the movie great? I don’t know. I loved everything else, I think? The part after the first Prom dragged (and they also hugely HUGELY miscast “Fosse girl” NK who is perfect), Meryl was incred. It was beautiful. I can’t stop thinking about some of the parts. Please watch it.

But for me it’s tainted goods. Someone spit in my soda pop, but enjoy yours. I’m sure he’s fine or whatever who cares, but fuck everyone involved who let this happen. I didn’t audition, I wouldn’t have been considered, fuck my drag, but actually fuck this whole thing more BC!!!!!

THIS IS NOT NEW! Lol! This shit is normal! This shit is typical. This is what I’ve come to expect in Professional Acting. I’m too “gay” for this role. I’m not “sassy” enough for “Gay Guy.” We worry what viewers would think! This idea might actually be better for digital anyway!!!

All of this to say: boo hoo, nothing new, the sun’ll come out tomorrow. But this one stung a little more bc it was me. It was us. And they knew what they were doing. They had every resource in the world. And they looked us straight in the eye... and they did it again.

Coda:
I’m fine, I’m good, this is something I just kinda had to get out. And now, I will hit RETURN and I will move on. :) Love you, friends! Byeeeeee don’t say mean things to me byeeeeeee

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