Glee sends gay author back into closet
By Alexandra Heilbron on April 28, 2011 | 55 Comments
Bret Easton Ellis, whose best-selling novels American Psycho, The Informers and Rules of Attraction have all been made into movies, has been posting a series of opinionated tweets about the TV series Glee. On April 12, he tweeted “…why is it that every time I watch an episode I feel like I’ve stepped into a puddle of HIV?” On Wednesday after watching the latest episode, he wrote: “I just finished continuously barfing during the last twenty minutes of the Glee anti-bullying episode. Am officially back in the closet.” His comments have sparked a flurry of nasty comments on Twitter as well as backlash from Perez Hilton, who wrote: “Don’t let the door hit [you] in the ass on your way in! If you’ve got a key, we’ll gladly lock you in,” which prompted one visitor to the site to write: “Did you get the message Perez? Because if you had, you wouldn’t be bullying him right this minute into trying to like Glee or think like you.” We’d like to hear from you — is Perez being a bully by criticizing Ellis? Are Ellis’ comments humorous or offensive? [poll=275]
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That’s pretty funny. I have much the same reaction to Glee.
Glee is a terrible show. American Psycho is a great movie. Ellis wins!!!
I think his comments could be offensive but only to die hard Glee fans or to super uptight, stuck up, over sensitive people. The thing is, a lot of people feel that way towards the show and most of the time with good reason. Glee can be way too damn sweet and self righteous. I applaud their message and what they’re trying to do but still…for ex, has there been an episode where Kurt didn’t cry? He cries ALL the time. Anything scene remotely emotional – he cries. Its exhausting. There are a lot of good things about the show and I suppose I like it more than I don’t but I feel like its akin to Ugly Betty. You’ll love it but will get tired of it sooner or later.
Send them all packing….fudge that is. 🙂 I’m just joking.
I agree with Ellis 100%
Actually, Probably more than 100%
I’ve seen a couple episodes and have never felt so morally violated in my life.
The guy has every right to comment on the show if he doesn’t like it. He is a talented writer and simply made a tongue-in-cheek comment. Anyone who is offended has a little mind. Perez Hilton is a case in point. I personally have never watched Glee and never care to.
I love Glee but I find Ellis’s comments humorous– he has every right to not jump on the bandwagon.
Perez is always offensive and rarely exhibits intelligence. Good one on the visitor’s comment, clearly Perez can’t comprehend the ‘teachings’ of the show he holds dear.
I’m not a Glee watcher, but I have to tell you that I find TV has gone overboard on the whole gay thing. It’s like we have to address the gay issues in everything we watch and it gets tiring. It has nothing to do with acceptance, it’s just overdone and bullying happens to everyone and the whole needs to be addressed. Although I didn’t see the episode that Ellis is referring to I’m guessing it was mainly focussed on Kurt. I find this whole issue is starting to get a little preachy like I’ve got a J. Witness knocking on my door wanting to convert me. Let it go already.
I dont think his comments are either humourous or offensive. They are flat our true. GLEE is quite an offensive show itself playing on so many gay stereotypes. They claim to try and promote a good image about this kind of stuff, but its pretty much the opposite. Its get annoying how much they flaunt gayness, when in real life homosexuals don’t even do half that stuff.
Does anybody really even like Perez Hilton?
Anyway, this is pretty much the same reason I stopped watching Glee. I’m gay myself, but even I couldn’t handle the Kurt overload. I’m all for messages and awareness and such, but I’m never a fan of them being shoved down my throat, no matter what they’re trying to convey.
I was about to vote but then I thought about it, and really I would need to know more. I would need to know the entire context and reasoning behind his comment. I do not watch the episode in question so I do not know the full story behind his comment. I wouldn’t want to comment on his comment or Perez’s comment without seeing the episode and how it was portrayed on screen. Indifferent, but everyone has the right to free speech. It’s up to people out there whether they want to listen or not.
I love Glee but he has every right not to. I don’t really think he’s in the intended demographic. 🙂
Everyone has a right to voice an opinion. Even though I quite enjoy most of the Glee episodes and think it is very helpful for younger viewers to see that individuality makes us special, I have to agree with Ellis on this past week’s episode. It was, by far, the least enjoyable episode I have seen so far. On top of that, Perez Hilton has been a big bully for some time and it is ironic that he is a such a big fan of the show but completely misses the overall message by bullying other people because they do not think like him.
OMG – what Is the matter with people – Free Speech you all. So what – you can like what you want and you can not like what you want. Apparently flamboyant is not Bret’s preference – or he woke up on the wrong side of the the TV. It’s a program watched by more high school students than anyone else. Anti bullying might not be a bad message, over the top delivery is in keeping with everything else about the “Glee club” with the 15 piece orchestra at their beck and call. Not reality people – just a TV show.
Why would the same person think that Ellis’ comments are humourous, but think that Perez’s is offensive? Isn’t Perez being just as tongue in cheek as Ellis?
For someone who thinks Glee is such a bad show, he certainly doesn’t seem to miss every episode each week.
As for the show being so ‘gay’, Kurt is only one character out of many. At least his storyline is a bit different than all the other he-loves-her-she-doesn’t-love-him-he-cheats-on-her-and-so-on-over-and-over and the unneeded requirement of pairing up all the males and females, as if they don’t know anyone outside their little sphere, or they will turn into a pumpkin if they don’t have a boyfriend of girlfriend.
And although there are people who act as flamboyant as Kurt, the show is a caricature — just look at how over the top Sue is.
Not everyone will like it, but at least it is different and an alternative to the variants of Law and Order, CSI, and Criminal Minds and the blandness of so many shows and characters.
Anybody get the irony here? Ellis is being “bullied” by the “GLEEKS” for his comments on their “Anti-Bullying” show?
I liked the first season. Season Two has been a disappointment. Ryan and the other producers have let their success go to their heads. They’ve become extremely arrogant and have turned into bullies themselves.
If a band prefers not to have their music covered on the show, somehow that automatically makes them “homophobic.” There have been high-profile dust-ups with the Kings of Leon and Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters.
Song choices have gotten progressively worse on the show and the writing has become painfully bad and monotonous. They focused almost exclusively on Kurt, the openly gay kid for much of the season, along with the whole bullying issue to the detriment of almost everything else, including the show’s ostensible leads.
The music was the “hook” that got people watching, but it was the relationships between Rachel & Finn that kept viewers interested. Then they made the mistake of putting them together too quickly and ran out of ideas.
I normally find Gwyneth Paltrow extremely annoying, but she was one of the few entertaining additions to this past season. She was needed, as the producers/writers/directors completely dropped the ball when it came to the Sue Sylvester character. Jane Lynch has done what she could with what she had to work with in Season Two, but it wasn’t much. Too bad, as she was one of the reasons to watch the show. Now her character is almost a caricature of a caricature.
Glee is fun, and not real people… it is great acting, singing, dancing and sometimes it’s got a good story to it but mostly it’s cheese.
Character Kurt has the best storyline (and double bravo to his dad’s character who is the most real part on the show) and to say he’s not real is an overstatement as I have a friend that can’t sing but Kurt sure reminds me of him… wake up ignorants and if you don’t like it turn it off… don’t be a hater.
I like what Silver had to say, “For someone who thinks Glee is such a bad show, he certainly doesn��t seem to miss every episode each week.”
So true. Mr. Bret Easton Ellis – if you don’t like it turn it off… you must like it! Say what you want… free speech…
I totally loved Glee when it was a fun, entertaining show about a bunch of high school kids doing what they loved and trying to fit it. When did it change into a show about Gay? plus it doesn’t always depict them in a realist and positive manner. Not sure how long I’ll be watching Glee.
What I don’t get is… Why doesn’t he just /not/ watch Glee? I don’t watch the shows I don’t like.
I also found the latest episode making me think twice about what the show is really trying to do.
I am tired of all the “in your face” homosexual comments and illusions. Yes homosexual men can have romances on TV, but the way Glee makes it look is as if they don’t know how to go about it like men and women do. Not fair. Show a bit more maturity I say.
you know if you do not like a show DO NOT WATCH IT!!!!!!!!! just turn the bloody channel your acting like a bunch of kids GROW UP!!!!!!!!
We USED to watch Glee,but after the last episode we both decided not for us. Too much gay. One would think this was an acceptable lifestyle and since it seems to be making a strong attempt at social engineering it will simply disappear from our choice of shows to watch. Because we still have choices in this world. So long to the characters we truly enjoyed watching.
Bravo Sean (who commented below). I agree with your comments except that I think Gwyneth Paltrow is a lovely person but a terrible singer. I miss smart and entertaining television but I have the ability to watch what I want, and turn off what I want. Glee has been great fun and terrible at times but it’s hardly offensive. It reminds me of SNL’s good and lousy seasons; but these many years later the innovative concept remains.
Ellis and Hilton should not define anyone’s way of thinking. What they say matters no more than any other individual view.
Their words were devoid of insight.
It all comes down to each their own. Simple as that.
OK, so Glee is over-the-top flamboyant and tooth-ache ultra-sweet, but it’s uplifting and fun, and it gives a great message of hope to kids everywhere, gay or straight. I’d rather watch this any day than a psycho who kills women with a chainsaw. We get it, he hates his sexuality, but Easton Ellis needs to keep those derogatory comments to himself.
Add us to the list of gay people who don’t watch Glee. It has (obviously) nothing to do with the gay content, the show just isn’t funny. Glee isn’t doing anything culturally significant for us (unlike the L Word and Queer as Folk that show us for the regular people that we are). Bashing Ellis for being critical of Glee is like bashing a Canadian for not liking Degrassi Junior High. If Perez doesn’t like Ellis’ tweets, then don’t follow him (or would Perez miss having the drama)? 😉
Not everyone is going to like the same things. Some people are fortunate enough to be more diverse than that. I like Glee a great deal AND I am a huge Ellis fan. It would be one thing to say that they’ve made homosexuality a very prevalent subject on Glee and it would be acceptable to say it’s just not your thing and you miss when the show had other stuff going on, and that they’ve turned the gay characters into gay stereotypes. What is not okay is that someone with such influence gets to loudly and publicly lik homosexuality with HIV. perfectly straight people have been spreading it for decades. It was disgusting, derogatory, ignorant and just a total dumbass move.
Really what I see in this article and the bulk of the comments are a bunch if homo-curious individuals who would rather insult openly gay people than admit they kinda like a but of backdoor. Enjoy your sexual insecurity you little pansies.
After reading all of the comments, I don’t know which side to choose. I;m a die hard glee fan but yet the guy does have a right to his opinion and I kind of agree with him. That episode was just odd.
Why….why….why….is there so much crying with Kurt? I am also gay, but the drama in his life, and I think that any other self respecting gay man would agree, that life as a gay man is not that complicated, or dramatic. I understand that they want to cross new boundries, but please….a little more realistic , come on.
There’s a reason why people still watch even if they hate something – that way, they can pinpoint exactly what it is they have an issue with, and then discuss and argue intelligently. Every credible critic does this, or at the very least, they should do this.
Unfortunately, today’s social media doesn’t always give anyone the opportunity to provide more informative discourses. 140 characters is not enough to adequately argue and explain why people think the way they do, and this gives way to misunderstandings and very emotional backlashes.
He’s funny! He should write more comedies.
I am a Glee fan but I have to admit that lately the show is a little too much “there’s a life lesson in this”. Their first season was just a fun show but this season seems hit and miss. Bottom line, he has a right to his opinion but why watch if you don’t like it??
I did like Glee in the beginning — but know it just seems to be a front to push GAY issues and rights. If this keeps up I’ll most likely stop watching it.
I love Glee but The Character who plays Kurt looks horrible when he sings or cries. He looks like he doesn’t have any teeth.
Silver on April 28, 2011 2:00 PM i only read to your comment and then i stopped reading. very well said.
i have never watched glee but i do think (based on the few comments i had the time to read today)that people are reading far too deep into these characters. i said it once and ill say it again, this show appears to me geared more towards the younger generation, the ones that are still in high school. therefore, the way they make kurt “cry in every episode” it is more than likely because they want other teenagers to relate to him, gay or straight. when youre a teenager your hormones are all out of whack and a lot of them DO spend all of their time crying, even if other people are unaware that its happening. you cant condemn a show based on their interpretation of gay teenage (or straight teenage) life…its THEIR dream, THEIR vision so if you dont like where their vision is going, dont watch it. wouldnt that make more sense than sitting around whining and sniffling about not seeing what YOU want in someone elses work?
I feel like I’m being Bullied into accepting the whole Gay Culture thing. I don’t like being bullied. Especially when I turn on my tv and every single show must have gays prancing around telling me that their choice of lifestyle is acceptable. What if I disagree with their lifestyle. What if I think it is wrong in every which way I can fathom? I’m usually a laid back and live and let live type, but this is to much. I have always thought of myself as a well brought up, educated person. However, I could not even begin to explain to you why I should accept such disgusting behaviour nor could I defend that homosexuality is actually okay.
Would you raise you’re child gay? Would you say to your 12 year old son: Hey son, why don’t you ask that boy to the dance? Or hey Timmy, that boy on the bike over there sure is cute.
The answer is no. Why? Cause its wrong. In my mind anyway. Gleeks would dispute otherwise.
But who am I? I’m just one voice so who gives a crap. I’ll just live my life and not try to fight battles that can’t be won. Until there is some huge anti-gay movement I guess I will continue to turn the television off. I hate that my television has turned gay. And not only gay. But Gay in High Def!
Total Un-Glee for me…I DESPISE Glee, have truly tried to watch it a number of times as soooooo many people have told me how great it is…it’s not
The bits I saw of Kurt actually nauseated me, absolutely nothing to do with his partner preferences, couldn’t care less, he’s just a whiny annoying character.
also, enough of the “in my opinion, from my point of view, etc.,etc.” If you are posting it, isn’t it safe to assume it’s your opinion? Same, different, whatever, it’s all good.
p.s I DESPISE Perez too…
no, do not think he’s a bully for his remarks, I’d just rather not think about him at all, he’s even less interesting than Glee…
Ellis’s terrific books expose the ugly side of most walks of life, it’s no wonder he sees Glee as a sickening piece of Hollywood fluff, which is what it is.
I’m with you Jason, 110% Let’s have a “get off my TV you fruity bastard” parade.
I might be old fashioned but there’s something about it that just aint right. If this was OK, why would our body not be built to swing both ways. there’s something unatural about it.
I know, I know in this day an age …bla bla bla acceptance…bla bla bla…. human rights .. bla bla bla. Do whatever you want but do we have to be confronted with it ALL the time??
…….
What everyone is forgetting is that first and foremost the show is meant as entertainment. Anyone, close-minded or not, that doesn’t like the show should pick up the remote and change the channel. And, though everyone is entitled to their own opinion, lighten up and take whatever message you will from any show and do what you will with it, but don’t forget it is entertainment first.
I really enjoy the show Glee and watch every week. However, the bullying show was very, very slow in the last part of it with Kurt singing a long, drawn-out boring song. I switched to another channel to avoid listening to it any longer and switched back when it was done. I also switched when the Warblers came to sing good-bye to Kurt – come on! So I understand what Ellis meant by his comment. The rest of the show, I enjoyed, especially the GAGA song with the T-shirt messages and the flash mob dance for Rachael.
It seems more of a way to garner a reaction from the public than to actually speak out against the show. Not liking something is a personal choice, not everyone can like everything. That doesn’t mean that you have to vocalize your opinion after every episode. Don’t like it? Very simple solution…STOP WATCHING. Of course, then people may stop paying attention to you and your tweets.
Jason on April 29, 2011 10:10 AM being a parent means loving your child unconditionally, and to answer your question yes i would raise a gay (or lesbian) child and i would love them the same as if they were straight. being homosexual isnt a personal CHOICE, no one chooses who they love…and even if it were a personal choice, it would be THEIR personal choice. if you were gay do you think you would feel the same way about straight people and the fact that every time you turned on your tv EVERY single show was about straight people and their relationships and problems?
I just think if you detest something so strongly than why watch it? It’s all just a bunch of verbal diarrhea and nobody really cares what you think anyway….
For so many people who don’t like to watch Glee, its amazing how many will still read an article about the show and comment negatively or positively.
@Jason I think it’s okay to disagree with someone’s choice of lifestyle, but there is a difference between not agreeing with their point of view and out right hating on them for it. Your comments of how disgusting the thought of 2 men together, seems pretty ignorant and homophobic. Not all gay’s prance around, and although you may think the act of gay males having sexual encounters is disgusting, it’s still just 2 human beings connecting physically to represent what’s really the real connection of human emotions. Does the idea of 2 very attractive women having sexual experiences together disgust you as well? Please, grow up.
I’m sorry, but well educated does not equal to being a compassionate and understanding human being. Look at all the politicians who are well educated but start many wars and kill millions of people over superficial needs.
Mandee and The Truth. You both say things that seem obvious and one would think don’t need to be repeated over and over. And yet they do.
I think people are taking the term “Bully” and misusing it. Plain and simple. Ellis has a right to express his feelings…Gleeks have a right to rebut…and then back to Ellis and then back to Gleeks…hell I feel like calling them Gleeks could be bullying because not all Glee fans like being referred to as a geek, it’s all TOO SUBJECTIVE!
TheTruth of the matter is you don’t necessarily have to “watch” Glee to be able to comment on it…2 minutes of the show is enough (actually overkill) to be able to catch the gist of it…
Silver, it’s so obvious, and yet people still make the same ignorant choices or comments. Joking about gays or hating on them is not something that “old fashioned” gives right too. I know that this example might be the extreme, but without proper teachers of tolerance and understanding this is what happens
And yet Jo-Anne I read negative/joking comments you make about Glee in other articles that have no relevance to Glee at all. It’s also surprising that you would be the first to defend a statement I made that could be directed to any of the 30 people who commented and no one in particular. Go figure…
@Silver Also, I wanted to add that it’s pretty ridiculous that we as a society can openly bash gay’s jokingly or not in a comments section like this, and yet the only people to take some form of “heat” from others are the ones trying to defend the gay’s. But alas, I digress… That should have been obvious from the get go as well.
TheTruth on May 3, 2011 11:00 AM not even just the ones trying to defend gays, what about the ones trying to defend ANY human rights on this site? any type of persons personal choice? i have no idea how people (especially ADULTS) in 2011 can be so narrow-minded and judgmental. im glad there are still a few people in this world (you, me, silver and sometimes a few others) that arent against people living and breathing and being happy by being who they are. imagine how the straight community would feel if this is the way homosexual people treated them?
Mandee, fortunately and unfortunately that would never happen, Gay people are the minority and thus have to endure whatever the majority rules. Although one day like colored races and women, they may become equals in our future generations where prejudice and fear of understanding are no longer an issue.
BTW in my first response to Silver after “this is what happens” I intended to link a video of Ellen DeGeneres talking about how a grade 8 boy was shot to death by another grade 8 boy, because he asked him to be his valentine. You can find the video by entering “Ellen DeGeneres video boy shot” into Google. It’s pretty sad to say the least.
Arrow Up: that should say “fear of misunderstanding”