Harry Hamlin means business at the Mother Lode
I wrote a post in 2005 about why "Brokeback Mountain" mattered, in which I referenced the traumatic impact of seeing Kate Jackson get booed on "The Tonight Show" when I was a kid back in 1982. She was on the show to promote "Making Love" -- directed by the great Arthur Hiller and co-starring Michael Ontkean and Harry Hamlin -- Hollywood's first attempt at a big-budget movie dealing with gay issues. I was deeply scarred by the ugly incident, yet 30 years later, part of me has always wondered if I imagined the whole thing, I've looked for it on YouTube over the years and even went to the Museum of Radio and Television to see if they could locate a copy, but to no avail. So imagine my surprise last night when Kevin in the (703) posted the URL to the clip in the comments on my post about Entertaiment Weekly's story about "the new art of coming out in Hollywood."
Michael Kuzak gets a little lovin' from Sheriff Harry S. Truman on the down low
It's fascinating how your mind remembers things:
A) David Brenner was the guest host that night, yet I vividly remember Johnny Carson coming to Kate's aid; and
B) Being older and with thicker skin now, I would have to say it's not nearly as bad as I recall -- the booing in my memory went on for what felt like hours -- yet it still made me sick all over again, thinking of that isolated 14-year-old boy watching the television that night and getting this reaction to his shameful secret. If it seems like almost nothing now, that's just proof that it's the little things that impact people so much, especially children. Things are not perfect for gay kids today by any means. But I'm so glad something this blatant would likely never happen again.
FYI: They talk about everything but he movie until the 7:55 mark!
